Page 3 of Problems

CHAPTER ONE

FINNIAN

I staredat my boss as he rounded the desk and sat down. The air felt heavy, tension thick between us as he stared at his computer screen. Somehow, I had become this man's second, the one closest to him in our organization. He always said he saw something in me. I wasn't so young that I was bold and stupid, but I wasn't so old that I only dwelled on the old ways. At thirty-five, I was significantly younger than him, but he never faulted me for it. Declan saw things in people, the good and the bad. Whatever he saw in me had me right by his side making sure things ran as smoothly as possible.

"What are we waiting on?" I asked as I made my way to his desk. He'd stuck a cigarette in his mouth. I took out the gold, square lighter I kept in my pocket and flicked it open before lighting his smoke. "You were vague in your message."

Declan glanced at me. The weary look in his gaze made my stomach tie into knots.What was that expression? Whatever is going on, it can't be good.Declan rarely looked worried. To the world he was a man without a care, but I knew that look entirely too well. Something was going on, something big. Shit was about to change.

"You needed me, Dad?" Jack burst into the door, swaggering in as it slammed behind him. He nodded briefly at me before I was quickly forgotten. "What's going on? I'm supposed to be working."

"That can wait for now." He looked at his son carefully before his eyes fell on me. "Where are Ronan and Cian?"

"I'm right here, sir," Ronan called as he walked through the door. "Sorry, Jack gave me the slip downstairs."

"You shouldn't be so slow, old man."

"That's not the point," Ronan said evenly. "You know you're supposed to stay beside me. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"A hell of a lot more," Jack said as he twisted in his chair and grinned at Ronan.

Ronan and I exchanged a look. Jack was a handful on a good day. No one knew how to tame him to tell the truth. Ronan seemed to run after him more than anything. Personally I stayed out of his way. Jack was a smart ass with a sharp tongue and a rich upbringing that included a unlimited black card. He was the type of young man I'd like to drag over my knee and punish. Not the kind of man that I wanted to hang around or have a conversation.

Cian breezed through the door. He turned the lock as soon as he was inside and ignored both me and Ronan as he walked over to Declan's desk. He moved to a chair and sat down, not a concern in the world.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked, his deep voice filling the room.

That one is just as arrogant as Jack. Maybe more so.

Cian irritated me. He was what we called a reaper, an assassin who could take out damn near anyone if he had the right financial motivation. Otherwise he was stuck up, arrogant, lazy, and a pain in the ass to work with. It was rare we had to work together, but when we did, I made it quick so I could get away from him as fast as possible.

"Now that you're all here I can tell you." Declan stood up as he looked at each of us. "We're in the midst of a war."

"What?" I asked.

"The Vitale's and The Triads are at each other's throats. I've been called upon to basically pick a side. We have dealings with both parties. Right now, I can not justify choosing one over the other."

I frowned. "If you don't pick though--."

"We become a target," Declan nodded before he tapped the long trail of ash from his cigarette. "And if we're a target," he nodded toward his son, "Jack will be too."

"So let me fight," Jack said as he sat up a little straighter. "I know how to handle a gun. And I want to be part of the business."

"No," Declan said at the same time Ronan did. They glanced at each other before Declan continued. "This is not the time or place to prove that you've got a set of bollox. You know I want better for you."

"I've never asked for that!" Jack snapped as he jumped up from his chair. "Let me fight!"

I clenched my jaw. Pain radiated up the side of my face as I stared at the spoiled little brat. The way he talked to his father with no respect made me want to sit him down and tell him to shut the fuck up. Declan’s word was law. The last person who needed a say in that was Jack. He wasn't built for our world when half the time his head was stuck in the clouds and he was in la-la land.

"That's enough," Declan said gently. "Sit down."

"No," Jack growled defiantly. "I'm not going to get shoved out this time. This is my family. My business. Why won't you let me in?"

"This is not a life you want," Declan said evenly before he glanced at me. "Finnian."

I moved forward. He reached into his desk, dug around, and pulled out a sheet of paper. I read over the itinerary, a frown on my lips as I realized he'd booked four tickets.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

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