Page 59 of Dublin Charmer
Tag nods. “Very nice. Once that’s set, you might want to visit the owners across the road. A bigger presence of the Devils might make the locals uncomfortable. If they need reassurance, give it to them. If they seem like they might want to relocate, tell them we’d be happy to offer 10% over the estimated value.”
I swallow and pick up my stout. “Nice. You guys might end up controlling the entire block.”
Piper shrugs. “That wasn’t our intention, but if that did happen, we could renovate those houses and offer members a place to stay if a situation arises and they need it.”
When the conversation dies down, Tag mentions that there’s been grumblings in Liverpool that the Masons are still gunning for justice after Eddie’s death. “Just be mindful. Gravely isn’t the only enemy out there with their sights set on us.”
Bryan curses. “Well, the Masons can fuck off. Justice has been served. Eddie got exactly what he deserved. They’re justpissed because the weaselly asshole was a fucking blight on their family and ended up dead and leaving them with a mess to clean up.”
Tag shrugs. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”
“Speaking about weak links, let’s get back to Gravely,” Brendan says. “What the fuck is his Achilles heel? What’s our play there?”
All eyes turn to Nyx, and she looks to me for a lifeline. She isn’t about to hand us the brass ring until her brother is safe, and I totally get that.
“Our priority is getting her brother home. Once Gio is safe, it’ll be safe for her to burn Gravely’s world to the ground.”
“And where are we on that?” Tag asks.
I clear my throat. “Earlier this evening, I took the images Nyx had captured of Gio’s cell guards and managed to ID one of them as Ely Ansler. Nyx tracked him through vehicle registration, and we got his address. From what we can tell, he’s currently at his flat in Ringsend right now.”
“Good work.” Tag tears his bread and starts mopping up the gravy at the bottom of his bowl. “What’s next?”
“We’ve set up alerts to track his movements. When he heads to work, we’ll use traffic cams and CCTV to follow him and hopefully, he’ll lead us straight to Gio.”
The lights flicker overhead, plunging the room into momentary darkness before humming back to life.
“What was that?” Nyx glances around as if expecting a tactical team to come repelling through the windows.
I pat her thigh under the table. “It’s nothing. You’re safe here.”
“It’s that storm they’ve been talking about all day on the radio and telly.” Brendan gestures toward the window but it's dark out and there’s nothing to see. “Reports say it’s going to be a doozy. Wind. Freezing rain. The works.”
Bryan frowns and pushes his empty bowl toward the center of the table. “If the power goes, your fancy alert system won’t do much good, Finny.”
Tag wipes his mouth with a napkin and stands, taking his and Laine’s dishes to set them on the clearing tray by the buffet. “Aye, he’s right, Finn. Send Sean the address and we’ll put a couple of Devils on rotation watching the place.”
Nyx frowns. “What if he notices he’s being watched? This is our best chance of finding my brother.”
Tag picks up the coffee tray and brings it back to the table. “Och, don’t worry about that, lass. We have a few boys who we send out specifically to keep watch. They are so discreet they’re practically invisible.”
I give her leg a squeeze. “He’s right. Our people are excellent at what they do.”
She searches my gaze, and I show her nothing but the confidence I have in our guys. After a moment, she nods. “All right, but please tell them to be careful. My brother’s life depends on having the element of surprise.”
I send Sean the address and he pulls out his phone. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell them.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Nyx
The wind whips blue hair across my face as I help Piper drag a heavy wrought-iron bench into a storage shed that’s bigger than most peoples’ houses. Harper is following, struggling with a stack of cushions that keep threatening to fly away. The three of us are half-struggling and half-laughing, trying to get the hatches battened down before the storm hits.
“Shit!” Harper lunges to catch a pillow that breaks free. “Incoming!”
Piper turns just in time to get her hands up to catch it before it smacks into the side of her face. “This storm’s coming in fast.”
I glance at the darkening sky. The temperature’s dropped at least ten degrees since dinner, and the air has that electric feel that precedes something nasty.
