Page 89 of Líadan's Code

“Yes, we are, thank you. I just found some information, and as you know I have a meeting tomorrow,” I say, being purposefully vague. “The people on this list are people I’ve been looking for a long time. I need a place to have another, ah ‘meeting’ with these specific people. Is there any way I can direct them your way?”

“What did they do to be redirected?” he asks gruffly.

Sitting up, I lose sight of what I want to say. Do I tell him the truth? Fuck. Closing my eyes, I struggle with everything that starts to bubble up. My blood pressure is rising, yet Brendan is right there, rubbing my back, giving me the space to decide what I want.

“They went too far and accepted my father’s invitation to sell me,” I state, clearing my throat as I reopen my eyes. “I would like to collect my pound of flesh before they die.”

The silence extends to longer than I expect, and is only broken when something breaks against the wall. By the sound of it, it’s probably an expensive glass.

“You’ll have it,” he grunts. “I hope the rat bastard is having his ass rammed with a flaming hot poker in Hell at this very moment. Send them to 890 Goodrich Street, Líadan. That’s not far from the location you mentioned to me, and I have a building there not connected to my name or company. My sons and I will ensure they stay put. None of us had any idea.”

“Daddy had everyone who was there sign non-disclosure agreements, and someone sent them to me,” I explain. “He gave them an opportunity to have what no one else ever would. Between those two things, no one said anything about what happened the night of my seventeenth birthday.”

Rory sounds as if he’s swallowing his own tongue, making me wince. I lived through it so I know exactly how horrific it all was, but listening to someone hear it for the first time reminds me of it.

“After that, I didn’t leave the house and became even more reclusive,” I say. “I became the Banshee.”

“I’m sorry,” he rasps, and I can hear him forcing himself to breathe. His brogue is heavier than it was before, emotion riding him. “None of us fought hard enough for ya. God, I feel sick.”

Rory coughs hard before he spits, and Brendan pulls me back to lay against his chest.

“We’ll make sure they’re ready for ya,” Rory growls. “I’ll let ya go to prepare. Make sure to get some sleep.”

With that, he hangs up, and I feel a little less alone.

“You were so fucking brave, milseán,” Brendan whispers against the shell of my ear. “Let’s go through some of the documents Jordan sent over, and then head to bed.”

“Is there any way to track Jordan down?” I ask, pulling documents up on different devices.

“I’m sure I could find a hacker on the dark web to find him,” he says. “Or I could call him like a normal person and see if he’s willing to meet.”

Snorting at the idea that I do anything normally, I nod.

“Killing first and then groveling,” I agree, tucking into the research at hand.

A kernel inside of me is alight, fostering a hope that it’s not too late for us.

Chapter Twenty-One

Brendan

Thursday morning

Standing across from the building Lía believes to be Cormac’s home, I force myself not to fidget. These are the times I wish I had picked up smoking, but I’m not much for vices unless it involves blood and fucking.

I’m in the alley across the street waiting for Lía, who is ensuring everything is ready for the rest of our day.

It’s exhausting taking over a mafia organization.

I placed cameras on the buildings surrounding the one in front of me, because the front door hasn’t opened at all. No one is going in or out, which says there’s another entrance being used.

It’s not an abandoned building, either. There aren't any signs that it’s standing unlived in, which are even more red flags that something isn’t right here.

Lía’s instincts have always been good, her gut telling her when something bad is going to happen or isn’t right. I’ll always follow it, no matter where it leads. Leaning against the brick wall next to me, I ignore the scents that the cold and snow attempt to cover.

Old garbage, animal feces and more prick at my nose, making me want to sneeze.

Checking the cameras at the back of the property, I see no one is going in and out of there either. It’s only when I check the side cameras that I’m able to see that there’s a hidden gate that goes into the neighbor’s backyard. From there, stairs lead to a passageway that connects to the next street. Cute.

---