Page 56 of Cowboy
Her face lights up. "Yes, please!"
As I mix batter and heat the griddle, I watch Caoimhe help Saoirse brush her hair, their heads bent together, dark and light. They look like mother and daughter, and the thought catches in my chest. Will Caoimhe adopt her officially? What will happen when we find Dylan? The club's justice is swift and final, but will it bring Caoimhe the closure she needs?
Questions for another day, I decide, flipping a pancake. For now, we have breakfast to make and a little girl to keep smiling.
After breakfast, Caoimhe takes Saoirse upstairs to get dressed while I clean up. I use the time to call Pyro, and let him know what Jerry said this morning. It doesn't take Py long to call me back with even more information. Somehow, he's managed to find out where Dylan was staying.
"It's looking more solid," I tell Caoimhe while Saoirse plays with some toys in the living room, out of earshot. "He checked into the Hotel Imperial three days ago under the name Patrick Murphy, but checked out yesterday. No indication where he went next."
Caoimhe's expression hardens. "So we've lost him."
"Maybe not. We have the club, Travis, and Jerry working on this. If Dylan's still in the city, we'll know."
Caoimhe paces the kitchen, energy vibrating through her lean frame. "We need to go soon. Before he disappears again."
"I'm working on flights," I assure her. "But, Caoimhe, we need to be smart about this. Dylan's not working alone. If he realizes the club is coming, he could vanish, or worse."
She stops pacing, fixing me with a hard stare. "What aren't you telling me, Ciarán?"
I hesitate, not wanting to add to her burdens, but she deserves the truth. "We have no idea about the organization Dylan's working with. It could be anyone. Which means we trust no one outside the club. Not with this."
"And Pyro? What will he say about me coming along?"
"He'll understand. This is your fight too." I pull her into a gentle embrace. "But when we find Dylan, whatever happens after... that's club business. You understand?"
She nods against my chest. "I just want to know why. After that..." She pulls back, her eyes hard as steel. "After that, he's all yours."
I kiss her forehead, a promise in the gesture. "I need to ride to the clubhouse tonight. Will you be okay here with Saoirse?"
"We'll be fine," she assures me. "Just... come back to us."
"Always," I promise, though we both know in this life, promises are fragile things.
"Brother," Pyro greets me, his voice a gravelly rumble. "You good?"
I nod, clasping his outstretched hand. "Yeah, just raring to go and find this asshole."
"I hear you," Pyro says, his eyes serious. "We've got a lead on Dylan, but we need to move fast. The boys are ready to ride at a moment's notice."
I nod, feeling a mixture of anticipation and dread. "What about Travis? Has he arrived yet?"
"Yeah, he's here. And he's not happy about being kept in the dark about Caoimhe." Pyro gives me a pointed look. "You should talk to him before we make any moves."
I run a hand through my hair, knowing he's right. "I will. Where is he?"
"My office. Waiting for you."
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what's sure to be a tense conversation. "Alright. Let's do this."
As I make my way to Py’s office, I can feel the eyes of my brothers on me. They all know about Caoimhe, about Dylan's betrayal. The air is thick with tension and anticipation.
I push open the chapel doors to find Travis sitting at the desk, his face a mask of controlled anger. He looks up as I enter, his eyes hard.
"Sit down," he says, his voice deceptively calm.
I take my usual seat, meeting his gaze steadily. "Travis, I?—"
He holds up a hand, cutting me off. "I don't want to hear excuses, Cowboy. I want to know why the hell I had to hear from Jerry that you found Caoimhe. Why didn't you tell me?"
