Page 103 of Dublin Charmer
Piper gives him a look and laughs. “That wasn’t even a little bit convincing. What’s going on, Rory?”
He sighs and sets his beer on the table. “I’m not sure this is the right path for me.”
Sean sits up straighter. “What do you mean?”
Rory runs a hand through his hair. “I mean… I’m not sure I want the McGuire territory to be my life. Before, there was never any chance I could do anything else. Da expected it and Niall needed it, but I’ve never wanted it. Now, with you guys in charge, I’m thinking I might be off the hook.”
“What would you rather be doing?” I ask, genuinely curious.
“I’ve been taking some classes. Engineering.” His face lights up for the first time. “I’ve always been good with my hands, fixing things. I thought maybe I could get certified, start a legitimate business.”
“Like a front?” Sean asks.
Rory shakes his head. “No. A real business. Construction, renovation, that sort of thing.”
“Which could still benefit the organization,” I point out. “We’re always needing work done on properties, renovations for laundering cash, quick repairs when things go badly. We could use your company.”
“Aye, that could work, right?” Rory says, looking relieved. “I could still help the family, just differently.”
Piper pegs her husband with a pleading look and shrugs. “Everyone should get to choose, shouldn’t they?”
Sean sighs and sits back in his chair. “Aye, if you want out of the day-to-day, I’m sure Tag will respect that.”
The tension visibly drains from Rory’s shoulders. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure how you’d take it.”
Sean shrugs. “We’re family, kid, and with the Quinns, family always comes first. But this does leave us with a problem. Most of our key players are still Northside. We’ll need to strengthen the structure on this side of the river if you’re stepping back.”
“What about bringing in Kieran?” Brody suggests. “He’s already got an entire network of contacts in our streets, and he sits at the table with your MC. Would he be a candidate?”
Sean muses. “Let me talk to Tag about it.”
“We could set him up with the chop shop,” Rory says, more excited than I think I’ve ever seen him. “It’s got a big new paint and detailing workshop. Doesn’t Kieran do custom paint on bikes?”
Sean grins. “Aye, he does. He’s damn good, too.”
Brody grabs a napkin and wipes the bbq sauce off his mouth. “The chop shop has a loft set up on the second floor. If it meant he’d help us out and leave Rory free to do his thing, he’d be welcome to move in and make it his own.”
Piper bounces in her seat and claps. “Oh, this is going to work. I just know it. Tag gets the final decision, of course, but he’ll go for it. I know he will.”
As the four of them resume eating their lunches and continue to chat about their plan to solidify the structure south of the river, I pull out my laptop. “Mind if I look at the books while you guys chat?”
“Be my guest.” Brody slides a flash drive across the table, and I plug it in.
I sift through the numbers for the rest of the visit. The financials look solid overall, but I see where things have been slipping. There are delays in collections, inconsistencies ininventory tracking. Nothing major yet, but signs of these boys being overwhelmed.
“We’ll need more than just Kieran in the south,” I say, looking up. “No offense, boys, but it’s clear you are struggling to keep up.”
“No offense taken.” Brody looks more relieved rather than insulted. “I’ve been trying but everything has a learning curve and not everyone wants to do things the Quinn way.”
Sean grunts. “Well, it’s the Quinn way or the highway.”
“Aye, we’ve told them that, but even those who aren’t causing problems still aren’t enthusiastic. It slows everything down.”
“Then we’ll get you more men,” Sean suggests. “I’ve got over a hundred and forty in the MC. I’m sure there are a few dozen looking to prove themselves.”
“Or maybe we need to restructure entirely,” I counter. “Maybe we have specialized teams rather than territories. One for collections, one for distribution, one for security and we treat Dublin as a whole instead of north and south of the Liffey.”
I watch Sean as he considers it. “It could be more efficient.”
