Chapter 15

Declan~

"W hat the fuck, Declan?" Noah asked as he walked into the office, carrying a folder with him.

I chuckled. "Yeah, I'm not sure what to make of her, either."

After setting the folder down on the desk, he said, "It's all there, but it isn't much. Kevin went as deeply as he could without getting flagged, but she might as well be a ghost."

I looked away from the cameras that I'd been watching ever since I left her down in the basement. As predicted, she had immediately started trying to free herself, but I had made sure to tie those ropes tight enough to ensure that she couldn't escape. Nevertheless, to her credit, that hadn't stopped her from trying. She had even stood up a few times, then banged the chair against the block wall, trying to break it into pieces. Unfortunately for her, that chair had been built to withstand grown men trying to shatter it against the stone that made up the basement.

Opening the folder, it really was bare. There was no record of her attending any schools, though it showed that she had graduated from high school, suggesting that home schooling had been a part of her childhood. Her birth certificate showed her father as a Cian O'Connell, but nothing on her mother, and that gave me pause.

"Why is her last name Collins?" I mused.

"There's no record of a marriage or divorce on file for her, so I don't know," Noah answered. "However, if you look at her entire background as a whole, it feels…I don't know. I'd say fabricated. It just has too many holes in it when you hold it up to the light, Declan."

I flipped through the pages, and I could see what he meant. "So, she was home-schooled, had no mother, has a different last name from her father, and even though she's already thirty-two, her work history didn't start until only a few years ago."

"That about sums it up," Noah agreed. "Besides her age, weight, and standard stats, she rents an apartment, and the only thing that she owns in her name is her car."

"I think it's time we hired a real hacker," I muttered, not happy that her file wasn't really telling me anything.

"We can always play nice with da Sartoris if yer da interested," he drawled out sarcastically.

I shot him a look. "I'm done playing nice with the Sartoris."

Noah grinned. "From ye lips ta God's ears."

Glancing back at the computer screens, Keavy was still trying to free herself, but I was really interested in how she was going to react when Taylor went down there to take her something to eat. Though she didn't realize it, the sedative that Lochlan had given her had been enough to knock her out for over twelve hours. It was coming upon dinner time, and she had to be starving now that she'd been awake for a while.

"What's the plan, Declan?" Noah finally asked. "What are you really going to do with her?"

I looked back at my cousin. "What do you suggest?"

"If you're not going to kill her, then I say you put her to use," he replied.

"How?"

"Well, you weren't wrong about her owing you two men," he said. "So, I suggest making her a deal."

I leaned back in my chair as I looked up at him. "What kind of deal?"

"A job for her freedom."

My head reared back in surprise. "What kind of job?" Honestly, though Keavy had already proven that she could take care of herself, the idea of putting a woman in danger bothered me.

"There's only one job that we haven't been able to get close enough to, and it's because we're men," he said, and I immediately knew where he was going with this. "I say you put her on Cooper Donaldson in exchange for her freedom."

"You want to set up Donaldson, so that Keavy ends up killing him in self-defense?"

Noah shrugged. "I don't particularly care how or why she goes about killing him as long as she gets the job done. He needs to go away. He's gotten away with too much as it is, and who knows what he's thinking now that Congressman Oliver is on his way to prison for the underaged girls."

It was true that Cooper Donaldson needed to be taken care of before he got too big for us to touch, but I absolutely did not like the idea of forcing a woman to do our dirty work. However, even I could admit that Keavy could get us the proof that we hadn't been able to get yet.

"And you think that Cooper Donaldson will bite?"

Noah arched a brow. "I'm not fucking blind, Declan," he said. "And neither are you."

Conceding to that point, I asked, "What assurances do we have that she won't betray us?"

"None," he answered honestly. "However, something tells me that she's the type of person that will keep her word once it's given."

I let out a heavy sigh as I said, "I have that same feeling."

"Look, we need to get Donaldson out of our territory for good, and I think this is our best shot," he went on. "She can get close to him, and if nothing else, she'll learn more about him than we've been able to at this point."

"I don't like sending a woman in to do our dirty work," I finally admitted.

His brows shot upward. "And you think that I do?"

"Well, that's what you're suggesting," I pointed out.

"Because what the fuck else are you going to do with her, Declan?" he challenged. "You can't just let her leave, and we both know that. She knows too much, has seen too much, and more importantly, she doesn't give a fuck who we are." He let out a deep breath of his own. "So, you either marry her or hire her, but you can't just let her go."

"She'd sooner stab me in the face than marry me," I snorted.

Noah's bright eyes narrowed. "How long have we've known each other, Declan?"

I scowled. "What the fuck kind of question is that? You're my cousin."

"Exactly," he replied. "So, do not sit there and tell me that your dick doesn't get hard for her. She's the Irish version of Kasen Sartori, and don't tell me that you're not impressed as fuck by her."

"You and Sartori sound like a broken fucking record," I grumbled. "I don't have a thing for Kasen Sartori, Christ on The Cross."

"Yet, you're not denying what I said about Keavy," he pointed out knowingly.

As much as I hated to admit it, Noah wasn't wrong about any of it. No matter my attraction to the woman, with her lack of fear, she could get us more information on Cooper Donaldson than anyone else in our organization. She was also stunning, so I couldn't see Cooper not taking the bait. Though it was said that he liked them a bit too young, Keavy Collins was too beautiful for any man to pass up, including me. If I had permission, I'd already know how her pussy felt wrapped around my cock.

"What if she gets hurt?"

"As opposed to all those other women that are getting hurt because of the bastard?"

"Sacrificing one for the greater good?"

Noah nodded. "He needs to go down, Declan. Plus, if she got the drop on Ren and Jacob, what are the odds of Donaldson really hurting her? He's going to underestimate her just like Ren, Jacob, and Kenneth did."

"Are you willing to gamble those odds?"

Because Noah wasn't one to let emotions or sentimentality guide his decisions, he said, "Yes, I am. Not only am I not the one that has a thing for her, but we've drugged our feet on this for too long, Declan. Now that the Olivers are out of the picture, Donaldson doesn't have the protection that he once had, making now the time to strike."

"I'm not disputing anything that you're saying," I assured him. "I just have a problem with-"

"Yeah, I know," he said, interrupting me. "You have a problem with a woman getting her hands bloody, but in case you've forgotten, Keavy's hands are already bloody as fuck, Declan."

"I'll think about it," I finally said, deciding to give the idea some real thought.

Noah shook his head. "I hope her pussy's worth it."

"Watch how ye talk ‘bout ‘er," I warned seriously.

"Oh, for fuck's sakes," he complained. "Just what we fucking need."

When I glanced back at the computer screen, Taylor was finally taking her something to eat, and I felt like a pussy when I thought about how hungry she must be. Honestly, I couldn't even be mad at Noah for his irritation with me, because his plan was perfect for getting rid of Cooper Donaldson. I was the one that was making shit complicated by acknowledging that I had feelings for her beyond simple revenge for Ren and Jacob.

Looking back at Noah, I asked, "How long is Donaldson expected to be in town?"

Noah's eyes narrowed a bit. "He's booked at the Glossmier for two weeks."

"I'll talk to her," I finally said, the words like acid on my tongue, but also seeing Noah's point.