Page 61 of Kneeling to Candy

He sure is. And I’m going to be the one to do it.

For a split second, I’m as giddy as Atlas.

Candy shakes her head. “I said Duffy owned the manor. Not that he lived there.”

I grimace. “You think he kept his business separate from his personal life?”

She nods. “The manor lacked anything personal and was sparsely furnished. It’s simply a building to hold auctions. And I don’t think any abducted people stay at the manor. There was a semi on site. I only caught a glimpse, but there were armed men rushing women into the manor. Most of them were naked. But when the women were presented to the auctioneers, they were dolled up, high as kites from whatever they used to drug them with, but styled for top sales.”

“You think the house is used to stage the abductees for sale?” I question.

“Yeah, I do. While we wined and dined in our separate luxury box, I believe they had people on-site prepare the women for sale. How else would they go from tattered to stunning?”

“Fucking hell,” Gauge grouses. “In other words, we could find this manor and not find this Duffy prick in it. We almost have to be invited into an auction.”

The room goes quiet as Gauge’s words sink in.

Atlas sits back in his seat, looking between me and Gauge. “It wouldn’t be our first undercover operation. If we got an invite, we can coordinate the rest leading up to the event.”

He’s not wrong. Our job sometimes requires covert operations. They aren’t ideal working situations, but we manage.

“He’s Irish, you say?” Piero muses aloud. “I have some connections to the Irish mob. Perhaps the Kinahan Cartel is involved with the flesh trade. At the very least, they’d point me in the right direction.”

“The Kinahan Cartel won’t admit if they’re involved,” I say with a rough edge to my voice—well, rougher. “And if they’re not involved, why would the Irish mob help an Italian mobster?”

Piero’s grin is sinister. “The Irish don’t want trouble with the Bianchi Mafia. Manhattan would turn into a turf war overnight. Our numbers are higher, and we control the harbors. We may be in the other half of the country, but it’s in their best interests to cooperate with me.”

Atlas raises a doubtful eyebrow. “And threats are enough to scare them into compliance?”

“Money has a way of cushioning the blow,” Piero answers matter-of-factly.

“I’m not paying the Irish mob,” Atlas says sternly.

The don waves his hand dismissively. “Of course not. Lorenzo’s footing the bill.”

Atlas rubs his temples. “Do I even want to know how much blood money your cousin had?”

“A lot,” I say in unison with Chase and Ziggy. We saw only one account of his while working the Sacramento case—the man could wipe his ass with cash and toss it away without a second thought.

“Fine,” Atlas concedes. “Piero, reach out to your Irish contacts. Say you’re interested in restarting your cousin’s flesh trade operation in Denver. If the Irish are involved, they’ll be eager to work with you. No one wants to abduct women in a mobster’s territory unless they have the permission of the man who runs the city. It makes business smoother to have everyone on board.”

Piero texts away on his phone. “Done.”

“If Piero’s able to swing this, he’s going to be the one going to the auction,” Gauge says, his forehead lined in concentration. “Who else do we send inside?”

“A small team—four members,” Atlas suggests. “Piero has his own detail, but I want our people on this operation. Piero will handle the business end, while our team scouts the inside of the property, informing us on how to best infiltrate the premises.”

My woman deserves vengeance. I jump at the opportunity to take on the prick. “I volunteer.”

Gauge gives me a skeptical look. “Not a good idea. We need to take this dude alive.”

I bare my teeth at Gauge and bark, “The hell we do.”

“I agree with Butch,” Piero seconds, not looking up from his texting. “Men who sell others don’t deserve to take their chances with the justice system. They deserve a bullet in the head. Period.”

For once, I’m happy to have the mobster involved in our case.

“Duffy may not be working alone. If there’s others involved, we need that information,” Gauge counters.

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