Page 65 of Dublin Charmer
The internet is still out thanks to the storm, so there’s nothing for us to do remotely, anyway. I take her wrist gently and guide her back toward my room, feeling the slight tremble of her arm beneath my fingertips.
“Let me get dressed while we talk about this. We need a proper plan.”
Back in my room, I pull on a pair of fresh socks, then jeans, and grab a thick cable-knit sweater from my dresser. The familiar scent of Cora’s favorite fabric softener clings to the knit. As I tug it over my head, my mind races through possibilities, contingencies, ways to keep Nyx safe while still letting her do what she needs to do.
“Did you get the internet fixed?”
“No. The provider says they won’t be sending crews out for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours because the worst of the storm has yet to hit. We’re completely cut off digitally.”
“From here,” Nyx says. “The outage is likely only based on a grid. While I deal with Gravely, you can try to find a signal andtrack Sean’s men. Whatever happens, the most important thing is to find Gio.”
I frown. “It’s important, but it’s not more important than your safety.”
“Of course it is. Otherwise everything I’ve done has been for nothing.” Nyx sits on the edge of my bed, her weight barely making an impression on the mattress. She looks tired and resigned, dark circles under her eyes standing out against her pale skin. Her fingers absently trace the pattern on my bedspread, and for a moment, I’m struck by how vulnerable she seems.
This fierce female has been fighting alone for too long.
“All right, here’s what we’ll do.” I pull a brush through my hair and lean against the dresser to face her. “You’ll go to your meeting at the diner, and I’ll wait down the block as backup. I’ll keep watch and stay out of sight. When you’re done, we should have a location from Sean’s men, and we’ll go get your brother. Together. No more solo missions, Nyx. Not when we’re this close.”
She shakes her head immediately. “Having you that close to Gravely is a bad idea. What if he’s figured out where I am? If so, he’ll be watching for my arrival, and you’ll be scooped up and killed.” Her voice hardens. “No, I’ll handle this.”
I move to stand in front of her and shake my head. “If he knows you’re with us, it’ll be you who gets scooped up and killed. Do you think I’ll stay here and let that happen?”
We stare at each other, neither of us backing down. The standoff continues until I break the connection, grab my phone and wallet off the nightstand, and gesture toward the door.
“Fine. We’ll talk to Tag. Come on. He’ll be in the dining room.”
She hesitates, but follows me out. I can feel the tension radiating off her, but this isn’t something I’m willing to compromise on.
Not when her safety is at stake.
Nyx
I grip the steering wheel of my old truck and stare at the diner’s neon sign flickering through the sleet pelting my windshield. They say this is just the beginning, and this is shaping up to be the storm of the decade. Why am I not surprised? Of course the world is dousing me with cold water the moment I get ahead of the chaos that is my life.
With the weather as shitty as it is, the parking lot is nearly empty. Only three cars sit huddled against the building like they’re seeking shelter from the storm.
But none of them belongs to Billy.
“I still don’t like this.” Even through the phone, I can feel Finn’s worry. His voice is tight and filled with concern. “Something is off.”
“Nothing about this situation has ever felt right. That doesn’t change where we are.” Sleet pelts the windshield, creating tiny rivers that snake down the glass until the wipers swipe across the glass and the whole futile process starts again.
“Click the pin so I can test the reception.”
I reach over to the anarchy pin and click the ‘A’ within the circle, angling it to look directly into the tiny camera hidden there.
“All right, I can see ye. Now say something.”
“You’re annoyingly protective, Finn Quinn. If Gravely discovers this, you’ll be the reason I’m dead.”
“He won’t discover it. He’s an arrogant idiot.”
He’s arrogant, yes, but not an idiot. He couldn’t have gotten this far in a criminal landscape without being as cunning as he is ruthless.
“It’s not too late to drive away, luv. We’re close to finding Gio. I feel it. We’ll rescue him and ye’ll be free to let Gravely twist in the fucking wind.”
“I can’t risk that. I’ve followed a dozen leads in the past months only to find myself at a dead end.” Unease crawls along my spine, whispering warnings I can’t ignore. But like it or not, I’ve got no choice. “Okay. I’m going in.”
