Page 69 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

ChapterThirty-Five

Ruby

I’m on the last business on the last street. I’ve visited every single one personally, and it has been a massive ballache. My feet are aching, my head hurts, I’m tired and hungry, but I plaster a smile on my face and push open the door to the corner shop.

“Ruby!” the owner bellows at me.

His wife is standing next to him with a smile on her face. “Oh, thank fuck!”

“Glad to see me?”

“You have no idea. The last few days have been a nightmare. That arsehole has cleaned us out. Completely cleaned us out. Every day he came, sometimes twice!”

Fucker.

“Well, I’m back now, so you don’t need to worry about him anymore. He has been taken care of,” I assure them.

“What about his men? Two of them. Complete dicks.”

“What did they look like?”

“One had a bald top with a stupid ponytail and the other had a scar on his face.”

Narrowing my eyes, I think about the dingy back room in the warehouse where I found Declan. “They’re both dead too. I know things have been up in the air recently. The Banker won’t be around until the week after next, to give you some respite. I hope that helps.”

They both give me a grateful smile and out of nowhere a pang of guilt hits me. They’re thankful that I’m back to give them my protection in exchange for a percentage of their profits. How fucked up is that?

Giving them a wave, I back out and when the door closes, my shoulders sag. It’s way past dark and while the street crew has helped out by telling everyone prior to my face-to-face visit, it has still been a long day. I’ve reclaimed my territory, but it’s a hollow victory. I never should’ve lost it in the first place. I still have Scott’s to take, but I just can’t do it tonight. It will have to wait until tomorrow.

Frowning, I suddenly realize that I’ve never heard back from Cillian. We dropped him off at the low-rent bar that Jake worked out of hours ago. He was determined to do it himself, knowing it would make more of an impression than if I showed up with him. He wanted to come with me to do this grunt work, but there was no point in that when we could’ve killed two birds with one stone. He wasn’t happy and will no doubt report to Declan that I was a naughty girl going off on my own, but I’m not complaining. Daddy can punish me, however he sees fit, as long as he actually absolves me this time. The words are important, not just the actions. I need to hear it from his lips.

Looking over at Ray, who has hung back most of the day, I ask, “Can you take me to The Black Horse? I need to find out what’s going on with Cillian.”

He nods and we climb back in the Mercedes, traveling the short way into Jake’s territory. I’m still so pissed off that Vinnie made a play for Canal Street. It’s the most sought-after street in the city, and it’s mine. You could hold a gun to my head, and I wouldn’t give it up. None of it. I hate that I’ve been so caught up in my own shit that I’ve let these people down who have only me to rely on to protect them. And I didn’t. I allowed them to be extorted even more by leaving the city and letting Vinnie take over.

With a sigh, I pull my phone out of my bag and glare at it. Dialing Cillian, it goes to voicemail. Not unexpectedly. If he was going to answer, he would’ve called me ages ago. I’m not sure if this is good or bad.

Ray pulls up outside the pub and giving him a smile, I step out of the car. “We’ll make our own way back. Thanks.”

He nods and waits for me to head down the alley and shove open the door of the hole-in-the-wall-pub before he sets off. I haven’t had to draw my weapon once today. Everyone was just glad to see me back and taking control of the situation. This is going to be different, I feel. I place my bag down inside the doorway and look up to see Cillian is standing on the bar, a crowd of men in front of him. My eyes are instantly drawn to the guy on his knees next to him, sweating and petrified. My gaze drops to take in the three dead bodies at their feet.

Licking my lips, I’m still not sure which way this has gone. I wait, not wanting to barge in. No one has noticed I’m here yet.

Cillian pulls out a cigarette from the packet in his hands, which he then chucks onto the bar. He lights the cigarette and takes a deep drag on it before he places his gun to the knelt down man’s head.

“So, we take another vote,” he says, his Irish accent deeper, stronger and totally on purpose. He, like Declan, has more of a lilt unless they are overly emotional. I smile and slip further back into the shadows to watch him work.

“This fecking eejit…” he says, jabbing the gun at the man’s temple, making him whimper, “…has decided to still vote against me taking over, even after seeing what happened to his mates. Anyone else want to join the other three on the floor?”

A resounding ‘no’ echoes around the pub.

Cillian smiles. It’s wicked, self-assured and sexy as fuck. I feel my pussy twitch and go damp. Conscious of the fact that I’m still not wearing any underwear, I press my thighs together. Dressed as he is, I get why he tries to differentiate himself from his twin. I can still tell the difference between them, but it’s much more subtle. Cillian’s gestures are a bit more expansive than the wholly reserved assassin.

“Is that unanimous?” he asks the man with the gun to his head. He takes another drag on his cigarette, bending down, he exhales a stream of smoke in his face.

“Yes,” the man whispers.

“Too late,” Cillian states and straightens up before he pulls the trigger and kicks the man off the bar.

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