Page 137 of Dirty Dylan: Dirty Dusters

I’m not family, but I was allowed to be part of their inner sanctum, even if it was only temporary. Seeing Eoin ‘at work’ right now, I realize he’s simply been born into a role.

Same as Tadgh.

They may dress differently, but both have the same duty to perform. And one they were given no choice but to undertake and fulfill.

I finally get it. Why their lives are dictated to in so many ways. It’s because they have to produce heirs that can be as strong and as fearless as Eoin is being right now.

“Well.” Eoin’s threatening voice breaks my trance. I find myself still staring at Dylan, but now he’s staring at me too.

“It’s a very lucrative offer.”

Juan is persistent, I’ll give him that. Maybe he has a death wish.

“Are you asking me to get involved in trafficking?” Eoin emphasizes each word.

“Not me. The people I work for.”

“Is that a yes?” he hisses.

The Colombian closes his eyes. Beads of sweat form on his upper lip even though it’s relatively cool in here now. He’s fully aware his next word could well be his last.

“Yes.”

In the blink of an eye, Eoin grabs Carlos’s head between his hands and forearms and snaps his neck. The heavy didn’t stand a chance. He didn’t even have time to react.

No one did.

He then turns, his expression loaded with deadly menace as he looks between the other two Colombians. “Who’s next?” He smirks.

Luis, the one with no sense of humor, responds by sticking a gun in his ribs.

“You shouldn’t have done that,amigo. We didn’t come here to fight you.” Juan starts pacing the floor.

“Bullshit. You did exactly that!” Eoin hisses back. “Who told you we’d be here? No one knew. Aside from the people present and a handful of trusted individuals, no one knew the Dusters would be here today.”

Juan snickers as he wipes the sweat from his top lip with the back of his hand. “The people I work for are extremely powerful. They have eyes and ears everywhere. They see everything. They hear everything. They know everything.”

Two at a time, Juan pulls the half dozen bar stools into the middle of the room. Luis shoves Eoin down onto one before binding his wrists with tape he’s pulled from his pocket. Obviously, this is an everyday event for him.

“They wanted to make their presence felt. To make an example of you to others if you dared decline their offer of an alliance,” Juan continues.

“An example of us.”

“Yes. As a warning to those who would dare disrespect them or challenge their position.”

“The other one.” He motions to Luis, and I watch as he grabs Dylan’s arm and pulls him across to sit beside his older brother. He doesn’t put up a struggle. There’s no point. It will only antagonize them, and he’ll end up dead quicker.

“Bind the other men. Leave the slut. We may have a use for her later. We may even take her with us.” Juan issues his instructions as he leers at me once more.

I can instantly feel the surge of testosterone fill the room, all ready to take offense on my behalf. To stop them from taking me anywhere. To prevent them from passing me around like a fuck toy before trafficking me. But they remain silent. They’re not stupid. They realize I may be their only hope.

“Leave the other female too. She’s just a secretary. She’s no threat.”

Under other circumstances, I would have laughed aloud. I don’t. Because at least I won’t be the only one not bound.

While Luis is binding the menfolk, I glance at Molly. She looks like a rabbit caught in the headlights. I thought this shit came naturally to her. That it was in her mobster blood. That she had killed. Then again, her victims were likely led to her like lambs to the slaughter. All she had to do was pull the trigger.

Given how hard she’s shaking in her stiletto heels, I’m not sure she’ll be of much use this evening. Then again, I’m not sure what good I’ll be either. I mean, I have a weapon, but I’m a shit shot. I immediately regret not being more invested in target practice growing up. By all accounts, my mom was a great shot, but neither Tadgh nor I inherited her natural talent.

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