Page 91 of Between Dusk and Dawn

Where the fuck was Enzo?!

"I knew Cagen’s death wasn’t what the cops told us. We know enough about the University of Isles and the spring bonfire to know it was too much of a coincidence." I refused to allow him to see me break, so I stayed as neutral as I could. "It took me a couple years to figure out you were there during her death, but no one will share who actually pulled the trigger."

"She went missing."

Georgie flinched. The barrier broke down. "It’s a sad fucking story, Georgie, but I am still not sure why after all these years?"

"I had to wait until my biological daughter, Cairn, was of age to get married."

"Yup, still not processing. If you forced me to marry your daughter, then what? You are going to kill her for what benefit?" It wasn’t fucking adding up.

Georgie laughed. "No. I love my daughter, but I also love my business."

Ah…It was about the money. The Irish needed the money, or guns, or power.

"Ever since you and the Cartel have been getting close, we have been cut out of a lot of deals, and we want back in. It feels as though we have been put in third position. Even this meeting felt like you suddenly needed to leave after waiting all that time at the hotel in Seattle, and I needed to get back up to the top, so marrying you off to my daughter seemed reasonable."

I sighed. This was why we needed a new generation of people taking over these fucking underground organizations because I swore my dad’s generation was exhausting and stupid to deal with. Rain had the same situation happen with the Cartel and gave it over to his buddy Pico. Now, it runs like a smooth machine. Instead, these older-generation men somehow think that marrying off women will solidify their business transactions.

I may be the big bad wolf, but I am a damn proud feminist at that.

"You sound fucking stupid—" Madison’s horse bolted out of its stall and down the small aisle of the barn. The horse blew right past us, causing the two bodyguards to panic and reach for their weapons.

"What did you do?" Georgie seethed. If I had the use of my hands, I would have raised them in a shrug.

"I am a little preoccupied here, so this one surprises me as much as it does you." I had assumed Enzo would come in here, guns blazing, and just kill the fucker. To somehow get into thehorse stall and use it as a distraction didn’t seem like his style, but it was working.

All three men bolted out of the barn as if looking for Fire and whoever let him out of the stall. I got to work on getting my hands out of these amateur knots.

When I found my dad tied up and my mom dead when I was a kid, the first thing I forced myself to learn was knots because I never wanted to be in this situation. I just needed thirty seconds distraction-free to do it.

"Walsh?" a feminine voice echoed from the shadows of the barn. My eyes darted in the direction of my little muse on her hands and knees blending right in with the shadows. My queen of the night was here to rescue me.

"You did this?" I kept my voice low, but the shock was laden in my tone.

"I figured Fire would help me out. Are you okay? You look like shit."

I laughed as quietly as I could, a little blood spraying from my mouth.

I shook my head. Fucking unbelievable. I had an entire arsenal of men out there and none were smart like my muse. "I am so proud of you." I praised her over and over again.

"Do you need me to cut you out?" She stood tall, and I realized my girl was also carrying a handful of knives in her hoodie pocket, and she had two Glocks with her and a couple sleeves of extra ammo.

"How—" No. I was flabbergasted, but I needed to keep working to get out of the knots.

"Oh, well I figured since my hand scanned into the room with the computers, then the little palm scanner of the locker inside your office would probably work. Truthfully"—she gave me a little smile as she went behind me to help cut me out of the ropes—"it was pure luck."

My hands finally broke free, and the first thing I did was grab her face and bring her forehead down to mine. I didn't care that I was bloodied and bruised. I needed to feel her soothing touch against my skin.

"Of course the locks work. I told you, it’s your house, too," I murmured into her face knowing we had only seconds left before the fuckers would come back in with full vengeance.

"It’s Cagen’s stepdad. He’s the head of the Irish mob and he’s pissed about Cagen and mad that I didn’t marry his daughter and give him the connections the Cartel got when Rain married Ember." She nodded, soaking in the information as I tried to catch her up as quickly as I could.

Also, where the fuck was Enzo?

"I don’t suppose that you know how to shoot a gun, Muse?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"Just aim and shoot." I grabbed the two Glocks in her hand and set one up for her so all she had to do was pull the trigger. I hoped for a miracle, that my men would come running through the forest, but the adrenaline coursing through me to make sure Madison stayed safe was what was holding me sane. "Stay behind me."

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