Page 72 of Dublin Charmer
A man steps out from behind a column, raising his weapon.
I fire twice, catching him in the chest. He drops, and I keep moving, trying not to think about what I just did.
The back of the warehouse is divided into smaller rooms. I check each one, finding nothing but supplies and equipment.
No cells. No Gio.
“Finn, three o’clock!” someone shouts to my left.
I turn as a man rises from behind a barrel, his shotgun aimed at my head. Before I can react, his chest explodes in red mist. Kieran stands twenty feet away, his rifle still raised.
“Thanks,” I manage, dipping my chin.
He nods. “Keep moving. We’ve got this covered.”
I continue my search, heart hammering. Where would they keep prisoners? From what Nyx showed me on the security feed she hacked, it’s got to be on the main floor here somewhere.
I reach a narrow hallway and catch sight of a man racing through the door at the end. My vision of the interior is cut off as the door swings shut and he disappears beyond.
On a run, I kick the closed door near the handle. The jamb shatters and the cheap slab crashes open.
Inside is the small, caged cell Nyx and I were watching last night. And inside the cell is a young man chained to a flimsy cot. His face is bruised, his clothes filthy, but there’s no mistaking him for anyone other than—Giovanni Farina.
The guard, Ely Ansler, spins toward me, raising his pistol. I fire first, catching him in the shoulder. He’s thrown off balance and stumbles back but doesn’t drop his weapon. I fire again, and this time he falls. His gun clatters to the floor and slides beneath a metal shelf.
“Gio?” I approach cautiously. “I’m Finn Quinn. Your sister sent me.”
His eyes widen. “Emilia? She’s here?”
I holster my gun and examine the lock on the cell. The keys are hanging from the lock. Whether the guard was going to execute him, try to escape with him, or try to use him as a shield, we’ll never know.
“No. She met with Gravely about an hour ago and we lost track of her. We were already working on getting you out ofhere, so she made me promise I would free you, no matter what happens to her.”
“Fuck that. She’s no less important.”
I open the door to his cage and find the key to unlock his chains. “I told her exactly the same thing. Can you walk?”
“I think so.” He stands shakily, leaning against the chain of the cage for support. “How did you find me?”
“Your sister’s a marvel.”
“Si, she is.”
“She’s been forced to help Gravely, who is our enemy, so we made a deal. We promised to find you and free you, and she’ll help us take down Billy Gravely.”
“That sounds like Emilia,” he says with a weak smile. “Always stirring up trouble and making impossible deals.”
I support him as we head back toward the hallway. The gunfire has died down, which means either we’ve won, or we’ve lost. Based on the Dublin Devils I’ve seen in action, I’m betting on the former.
When we reach the main warehouse floor, the fighting is over. Bodies lie scattered among the crates and containers. A scan of their faces tells me they are Gravely’s men, thankfully. The Devils are moving through the space, checking for survivors.
Sean approaches, blood spattered across his face. “You found him.”
I nod. “This is Giovanni Farina. Gio, this is my brother Sean.”
Sean studies him. “Gravely and Nyx?”
“Not here.”
