Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Piper

I wake up alone in bed and the daylight coming in at an angle that tells me it's mid-morning at the earliest. Sleeping in has never been one of my strong suits, but I suppose a night of sex can do that to a girl.

Not that I have much to base that theory on.

Stretching, I reach my arm out, and my hand brushes a piece of paper. I grab the note on Sean's pillow and smile.

Morning, P,

Had to run to the clubhouse and then off to do some work for Tag. The twins are downstairs to keep you safe. I told them you need to heal and to let you sleep.

Looking forward to scratching more off your list.

Remember to keep private things private, take your pain pill, and eat something. You need your strength ??

Back as soon as I can,

Mr. Quinn

I chuckle and read the note again. It doesn't say much, but it also says a lot. Folding Sean's thoughts into a small square, I tuck the note under my pillow and pull on the t-shirt of his I've been wearing as a nightie.

I'm alone upstairs when I poke my head out of the bedroom but hear the muffled timbre of male voices downstairs. I'm about to venture down in search of sustenance when I catch myself in the mirror.

Wow, is that really me?

Day three of the bruising isn't doing me any favors, and that's before the bedhead and looking like I was up all night giving away my V-card.

I step closer to the mirror. Will anyone be able to tell? Do I look any different?

Whether or not I look different, I certainly feel different. Last night I took my first steps to reclaiming my life. Up until now, I twisted myself into knots being who and what my mother wanted me to be, hoping she and my father would see my value.

Last night I chose me first.

I hold back the giggle trying to break free when I imagine my parents' faces when they find out I've been sexing with Sean Quinn.

Any Quinn would be bad, but Sean runs the MC and is the one who is directly responsible for ruining many of Da's plans lately. I've overheard how his motorcycle crew have intercepted shipments and burned down warehouses and have generally been a giant thorn in Da's side.

Yay, Sean.

With a smile glowing from within, I shower, brush my teeth and hair, and slide into the gray tracksuit for a third day. If my girlfriends could see me now, they wouldn't believe it.

I'm more of a designer jeans and cute blouse kinda lass, but here I am re-wearing one of Sean's t-shirts and a drab pair of oversized sweats for the third day in a row.

And I don't even care.

The only person I care to impress is the one who gave me these clothes. He's also the one who will be taking them off when he gets back from his errands for Tag.

With my hair still damp, I ease down the stairs. My girl parts are tender, but my descent is noticeably easier than it was yesterday.

Despite Sean's warning that I might not be up to some of the more aggressive sex positions he wants to show me, I'm determined not to let my ribs hold us back.

Maybe there are ways to heal things up faster.

I've heard castor oil wraps and heating pads can do amazing things. Would that help ribs?

"She's awake." Bryan raises his mug to me from where he's sitting, watching the window. "Good sleep?"

"Grand. I didn't sleep much at all the night before, so aside from waking up with a few nightmares, I slept like the dead and am moving better today."

"That's good to hear." Brendan sets his game controller down and turns off the console. Then he stands and gestures to the kitchen. "Come. Sean gave us strict instructions to make sure we feed you."

I laugh. "What does he think I've been doing for the past twenty years without him?"

Brendan shrugs. "He's always had a protective streak. When our Mam died, Tag had to help Da with work and Sean watched over us and Finny."

That doesn't surprise me at all. "Kind of ruins the whole Dublin Devil persona, doesn't it?"

Brendan laughs. "Oh, don't get me wrong. He's no pushover. He's just protective of those he deems worthy."

Something about that gives me a warm and fuzzy. Sean Quinn considers me worthy of his protection.

"Have a seat and I'll get you set up. What would you like? We weren't sure how long you'd be staying so we got a bit of everything."

"I'm not fussy. Do you have anything to make a sandwich? Or maybe some soup?"

"Soup and a sandwich, coming up."

"I said soup or a sandwich. I don't need both."

Brendan waves away my words. "Your body's been through a lot. You need to eat."

"You sound like your brother."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Brendan gets busy in the kitchen, and I go over to look into the top of the rice box. "How long does a phone need to sit in rice before it's dried out?"

"Generally, twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Why?"

I pull my sexy blue and silver phone out from the Minute Rice. "The Russians tossed it in a plant vase."

Bryan comes into the kitchen to join us and frowns. "Speaking of the two Bratva fuckers, can we just say how fucked up it was that your father did that to you? Sean told us not to bring it up, but fucking hell, tossing you in as part of an arms deal. That's fucking cold."

A knot tightens in the pit of my stomach, but I refuse to let it take hold. I stuff my phone back into the rice and leave the box on the counter. There's no one I want to speak to right now, anyway. "I appreciate that. Thanks."

Brendan twists around from where he's working at the counter to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, Piper. But if it's any consolation, Laine looked at the contract and said that other than what it might mean to the Bratva, there's nothing to it. You're not tied to those bearded fuckers in any way."

I blink, not sure what to say about that.

Brendan must read something in my expression because he frowns. "What? You should be happy about that, shouldn't you?"

"I am. It's a relief to hear, but it's awkward that all of you know about it. How do you all know?"

Brendan sets a turkey sandwich stacked high with meat in front of me and sets another one out for Bryan. "Well, without getting into specifics, we had a conversation with Vlad and Arkady last night."

"You did?"

Bryan nods and grabs three glasses from the cupboard. "Aye, we did. Tag made it clear to them that your father has no right to be making gun deals. Guns are our territory, and the McGuires importing would nullify our truce and create a direct power war."

I pick a slice of turkey free and eat it. "I never wanted that. So, will Tag fix it?"

Bryan swallows a large bite of his sandwich and shrugs. "He asked what the details of the deal were so he could find a solution."

"And what details did you find out, other than them getting me as a plaything?"

Brendan frowns. "Tag was hoping your father was only looking for a one-time shipment. If that were the case, he'd just buy the guns and be done with them."

"But that wasn't the case?"

"No. Apparently, your father was brokering an ongoing import of weapons through Galway and into Dublin. Now Tag has to figure out how to keep the Russians happy and not end up in bed with the Bratva."

"What was Mattie even thinking bringing the Russians into Dublin?" Bryan asks.

Brendan sets a hot pad down in the center of the table and then a steaming pot on top of that. "Russians are bad news. We don't want them anywhere near our citizens."

I take a bite of my sandwich. "That's the difference, though, right? My father doesn't care about Dublin or its citizens. He cares about McGuire power and money."

Brendan grabs a ladle and then starts dishing out bowls of Campbell's chicken and rice soup. "It's only from a can, but it'll heal what ails you."

Bryan chuckles. "Chicken soup is for healing colds, not bones and bruises, dumbass."

Brendan shrugs. "Show me the studies where it says I'm wrong."

Bryan laughs. "Like you've ever read a study in your life. Now you're just showing off for Piper."

Brendan hands me a spoon and winks. "Is it working? I'm known to be pretty charming."

I laugh. "I thought Finn was the Dublin Charmer."

Bryan barks a laugh. "She's got you there, brother."

The three of us continue to share our lunch and I can't help wondering why I couldn't have been born into a mafia family like the Quinns instead of the McGuires. They actually seem to care about one another.

Wouldn't that have been novel?

Sean

When I arrive at the docks, I back my bike up to fall in line with Kieran's Road King Special and the other eight bikes beyond that. It's a sight that never gets old. There's nothing sexier than a row of Harleys and knowing that they belong to my MC and are ridden by my army.

Except maybe Piper shattering on my cock.

That was pretty fucking unforgettable.

And though I've got ‘don't fall for a fucking McGuire' running on a constant mantra in my head, deep in my dark, selfish heart, I know it's too late.

I fell for her the moment I scooped her off the sidewalk, bloody and beaten. Because if that's what her family and her life did to her, she needs someone to watch out for her—to put her safety and happiness first.

My boots beat a heavy rhythm as I make my way over to where Kieran is overseeing the loading of the shipment into our trucks. He's standing far enough back to let the dock workers do their thing, but he's still got an open line of sight to everything being done.

Beside him, I pull a hand-rolled cigarette out of my pack. "Everything been quiet?"

Kieran gives me a quick nod. "The biggest drama was the seagulls swooping in and taking Frenchie's bagel right out of his fucking hand."

I look over to where the big black biker is scowling by the truck. "Did someone feed him? He's an asshole when he's hangry."

Kieran laughs. "Duke had a couple of granola bars in his tail bag, but I don't think they'll hold the big guy over for long."

I laugh. "It's a fucking soap opera some days."

"Just with more guns and leather."

"True story."

The forklift driver sets another pallet into the back of the truck and Frenchie uses the jack to move it deeper into the box.

"How much more do we have?"

Kieran checks the manifest he's holding. "Two more skids and we're gone."

"And who's at the warehouse?"

"Renzo and Deek are inside, and we've got two on the roof and four on the grounds."

Good. That's good .

Kieran and I shoot the shit as the dock workers finish the unloading and then Kieran heads over to give them each their thank you packages.

Supporting the local economy and treating Dubliners right is part of the Quinn business model. Well, that and making sure everyone knows what happens to them if they fuck us over.

My phone rings and I step away from Kieran talking with the workers and head back toward my bike. "Give me the good news."

Gallagher grunts at the other end of the line. "Do you think that actually works?"

"It was worth a shot. Are you saying you've got bad news?"

"Not exactly." There's a pause on the line as he takes a draw on his cigarette and then exhales. "The message has been sent to Campbell and his men that the Quinns are pissed."

"Good. And did anything come of that?"

"We found out that Campbell's not over Tag's woman killing one of his boys."

"Boo hoo. They were killing my brother."

"Just telling you what we found."

I take a long haul on my own smoke and exhale a cloud of sweet-smelling bliss. "Anything else?"

"I just got a call from Beau. The boys on patrol spotted Ryan McGuire, Billy Gravely, and a half-dozen McGuire boys crossing the Samuel Beckett Bridge twenty minutes ago."

"Coming to the north side in broad daylight?"

"Yep."

"Ballsy fuckers. Any idea where they're headed?"

"Nope. Docks. Clubhouse. Warehouse. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Thanks for letting me know. Anything else?"

"Do you need anything else to worry about?"

"Fuck no."

"Then you're good, because that's all I've got."

"Thanks, brother. Safe home." I end the call with Gallagher and stamp out my smoke.

Striding back over to where the truck is parked, I press my fingers under my tongue and let off a whistle. When the eyes of my men are on me, I raise my arm and give the universal finger whirl that signals for them to wrap it up and get moving.

"What's up, boss?" Kieran asks.

"We've got McGuires on our side of the river, boys," I shout, loud enough so the boys within earshot will here. "Get the truck to the warehouse and phone ahead to Renzo and Deek to put them on alert."

"On it." Kieran jogs off to his bike, his cell at his ear.

"On your horse, Frenchie!" I gesture for him to get in the fucking truck and get it moving.

The rumble of the big diesel is reassuring, but then I turn and see two trucks baring down on us with men standing in the back, holding onto the headache rack.

Fucking hell. Striding across the concrete, I shout my orders. "Maxim, get the dockworkers out of sight. Drake, Micky, Tig, and Garret, get on your bikes and escort the truck. The rest of you are with me."

There's a moment of chaos as everyone runs to get it done, and I check the distance of the McGuire attack. There's barely time, but I pull my cell and send Tag a heads-up.

McGuire attack at dock.

With that, I pull my gun and get ready. "I'm told Ryan McGuire is with them, boys. You know the rules. We don't draw first blood on Mattie's family. Anyone else is fair game."

I've barely got the words out, and the trucks hit the brakes and find cover behind a freight container.

Then all hell breaks loose.

The good news is, they seem to be gunning for a fight and aren't out to take down our shipment. The bad news is, I don't want to go back to the safe house and tell Piper that Billy Gravely and her brother are on the north side.

"Are you lost, Ryan?" I shout, so he knows where to come if he's after a Quinn. "Because you're out of your territory."

Niall, Declan, and Ryan were born from Mattie's first marriage and bear little to no resemblance to Piper. Where she has the straight ebony hair, icy blue eyes, and soft features of her mother, they have dirty blond hair, angled features, and a chip on their shoulders from Mattie loving their mother first and most.

Billy Gravely, on the other hand, is dangerous. That asshole is tough as the side of a boot, and as mean as the devil himself.

As Ryan storms toward me, I see that his hands are empty, so I holster my gun and get ready for the fistfight that's coming. "What's so important that you're willing to risk a clan war by coming here today, Ryan?"

"You've got my sister, you twisted fucks." Ryan comes in, fists flying and it's on. "You crossed a line, Sean."

I laugh and bury my knuckles into his ribs. "It wasn't me who crossed the fucking line. Your psycho father sold Piper's virginity to those Bratva fucks, and they didn't take it well that she didn't want to be their plaything. They beat her to within an inch of her life."

"That's family business. Give her back."

"You're not even surprised." I'm so stunned that he knew and doesn't care about the arrangement that I miss the left hook that catches me in the jaw.

Fucking hell.

"You knew about the approved rape party your father set up and did nothing to help her?" Rage ignites in every cell of my body at once and I fight not to kill him. "Did you know about the marriage, too?"

We exchange another few wild punches and he spits blood at me. "Alliances are made all the time."

"How can you not care that Piper was traded like a piece of chattel? She's your fucking sister."

"Yeah, and the bitch who fucked our family over. I need her back. There's a chance we can still fix things."

I see red. Fix things? They still plan on giving her to the Russians? Only now they'll be out for revenge and to teach her a lesson.

Ryan is her family and should be looking out for her. Instead, he's here to find Piper and take her back to toss her to the Russians.

My fist smashes into Ryan's face over and over, and I don't even register the blood. My breath is heaving in and out of my chest and my arm feels like it might fall off.

The McGuires are all fucking nuts.

Possessed by the fury of seeing justice done for Piper, I lose track of the fight around me. I'm coldcocked from the side, and I go down hard.

Fuck, it's Billy.

The world spins around me. I scramble to get to my feet but end up back on the concrete dock. I swipe at the blood in my eyes, my hair thick and wet.

There's a rush of heavy boots to ground and then the grunt of a man getting tackled. Two of my boys have come to my aid and take Billy to ground.

Gunshots ring out on my left.

That's the signal to get on our bikes and get gone. We may have a strong hand in the policing force in Dublin, but there are a lot of clean cops and true believers that will throw our asses in the can without a second thought.

I want to get going, but Billy rung my bell so badly I can't stand up.

"We know you have her." Ryan grabs me by the front of my leather vest. "You don't think Siobhan gave us a list of your safe houses? We've got men searching for her now."

I fight his hold, but I'm seeing double. "Go near her and I don't give a fuck. It'll be open season on McGuires."

"Too late. It's already open season on Quinns." Ryan's words ring in my head as his blade sinks deep into my side.

I curse as he twists the blade, and then it stops with the crack of a gunshot.

Ryan McGuire's dead weight lands on top of me, and then more gun shots. I hear Billy Gravely call for everyone to get back to the trucks and there's a mad scramble.

A moment later, Tag and Aiden are above me and rolling Ryan's weight off to the side.

Tag's gaze falls to where the hilt of Ryan's knife is sticking out of my side. "Fuck. He stuck you good, brother."

"Get it out." I flail at my side with sloppy hands.

"No. Leave it the fuck in," Tag snaps. "If he hit anything vital, you'll bleed out before Kelvin can patch you up. Aiden, help me get him in the truck. We need to get back to the compound."

"No! Siobhan gave them our safe houses. We need to get Piper."

"Un-fucking-believable." Tag grunts as he, Aiden, and a couple of my guys hurry to get me in the SUV. "Let them have her. If protecting her is what gets you killed, let the McGuires deal with their own family dysfunction."

I'm about to lose consciousness, but I can't…not until Piper is safe. "Call the twins. Bring her to the compound."

"Like fuck. I'm not bringing her to our home."

I squirm in their hold and there's a round of shouting as they try not to drop me. I don't fucking care.

"Either you bring her, or I'll get her. If our safe houses are compromised, she won't be safe anywhere else."

Tag has his shirt off and is pressing it against my side. "You stubborn fucker. You're willing to die over this?"

"It's the right thing. No one has her six."

Tag curses. "Fine. I'll call the twins. Now stop squirming before you bleed out all over the back of my fucking truck."

They wrangle me into the oversized hatch of the SUV and lay me down.

"I'll do my best."