27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Kieran

P hoenix’s body is locked tight, her eyes are unfocused, and she’s not responding to my voice. In a panic I called Mac to come in here. He has more experience with stuff like this. Mac comes rushing into the room and slides over to me. He kneels down in front of her and takes in her rigid posture and dissociative state.

“So I think we can rule out her being in subspace…” He smirks up at me but I’m so close to full on panicking I don’t even grin.

“Mac seriously, help her.”

“Okay, okay. First off, you don’t move.” He turns his attention to Nix and in the most gentle and soothing voice I’ve ever heard him use he tells her, “Hey, Phoenix? It’s Mac, you’re having a panic attack or a flashback. You’re in Rowan’s office with Me and Kieran. You’re safe, it’s just a memory. Slow, calm, deep breaths. You’re in Kieran’s lap. Can you feel him?”

After a few painfully long seconds she nods her head. Her eyes are still focused on the blank wall in front of her.

“Good. That’s good, honey. Can you let out a deep breath and relax back into him? His arms are around you. You won’t fall.” Slowly she begins to relax back into me. Blinking her eyes a few times, she looks at me before saying the only thing she could have said to render both Mac and I speechless.

“Riley.”

Mac and I lock eyes instantly. It feels like all the air has just been sucked out of the room.

“What did you just say?” Mac chokes out while barely hanging onto his composure.

“Does the name Riley mean anything to you both? But specifically to you, Mac.”

Mac’s face drains of all color. He actually has me worried he’s going to pass out.

“Where did you go, Mo Stóirín? What was that?” My hands comb through her beautiful locks as I patiently wait for her answer.

“When I was nine I tried to escape. There was a new girl. She was my size but only seven. She would tell me her best friend and his brothers were coming to save her. She said her Dad and their Dad were extremely important. His name was Mac. Her name when I knew her was Thirty-Three. She was stubborn though and told everyone she wasn’t Thirty-Three she was Riley.” Mac’s face crumples as she speaks, his entire demeanor defeated. He picks a paperweight up from the coffee table and throws it across the room as hard as he can causing a frame on the wall to shatter .

“FUCK!” He storms out of the room. I want to go after him, he’s my best friend and he needs me. But she needs me more and she’s my priority now.

“Riley was a girl who Mac was in love with when we were little. Her Da and mine had been friends since high school. Her dad is the Don of the five families, she’s Elle’s sister. She was walking to our house one day after school when she never showed up. She disappeared, and we were never able to find her. Mac beats himself up about it every day. I used to be right there with him when we were younger, but I can now recognize that we were kids. We couldn’t have done anything to prevent this from happening. We’ve always been in Jersey though Nix. How the hell did they take her here but she ended up in Ohio?” The realization that the ring she took down was so much bigger than we thought hits me.

“I don’t know, Kie. But my owners. They were top dogs. They had people working under them. Their reach is probably way farther than we realize.” My stomach churns in the worst way when she says owners. I’m going to make sure we disassemble every last one of these fuckers, limb from limb.

“Those words, the message, what do they mean?”

“David, my fathers best friend, used to say them when I would try to run and he’d catch me. Right before he’d grab me he’d always say it. It’s a message, they’re here, and they’re coming for me.”

* * *

I’ve got Nix settled down. She called Carrie, let me hold her until she was feeling more herself, and now we’re looking for Mac before we go outside to hang out with the others. Tonight, after I make sure she’s asleep, I’ll meet with my brothers and fill them in. Knocking on his nerd room door I wait a few seconds before pushing it open. He’s typing away on his keyboard. Several monitors flashing with codes and different things at lightning speed. I don’t know what any of it means but if I had to take a wild guess, they’re all searching for Riley.

Nix stands in the doorway silently while I make my way behind him and clamp my hand firmly on his shoulder.

“Mac, come on brother, let’s go outside. We can pick this back up later.”

His eyes dart up to mine, “I can’t stop, she’s waiting for me, Kieran. She’s waiting for me to save her.”

“Mac, we were kids back then and now we have no leads. She was still there when Nix was there but she was sold not long after. When she was traded back a few months later, Riley was gone.”

His eyes turn watery as he takes a shuttered breath, “She was waiting on me. She needed me to save her and I couldn’t.”

Grabbing him by the back of the neck I lead him to a standing position before pulling him into the tightest hug I can manage.

“We were kids Mac, seven and nine. Even Roe and Dec were only twelve and fifteen. I’m so sorry, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure you have closure. But we have to put this behind us for the time being. There are women and kids being hurt right now and we need to save them. After that Mac, I swear I won’t stop until we find answers.”

His tears soak my shoulder as he nods, “Promise we’ll find her, K? She deserves to come home and be put to rest properly.” Him accepting what’s almost certainly what we’ll find breaks me.

“Yeah, M. We’ll bring her home. Until then, I think it’s time you take a trip with me to the warehouse in the morning.” He nods as he pulls back from me and wipes his eyes quickly. He takes a few deep breaths to get himself together.

“Okay. Well we better get out there. You know it’s spring break so all the assholes are here.”

I can’t help but laugh, because he’s right. The twins best friends are here, they always are when they’re on breaks from school. Rowan, Declan, and Mac hate it, but I don’t mind it. They all come from families like ours, but I don’t think any of them will follow in our footsteps. They’re the lucky ones. They’ll get out and do great things.

Taking Nix’s hand, Mac and I lead her to the back yard. It’s everyone’s favorite part of the house. Our yard is huge, fenced in, and ever since Rhett Brady walked into our lives it’s become every kid’s dream backyard. Everything from a play set, to a trampoline, to a zip line. There’s even a tree house in the back of the yard for him. We have an Olympic sized pool, and a pool house with four bedrooms. Our patio is decked out in furniture, grills, a sound system, and string lights. We even have a projector for nice days when we want to watch movies outside.

As we walk outside now it’s overrun with tall lanky teenagers getting their energy out by playing games with Little Bear.

“Who are all those kids?” Nix half whispers to Mac and I, making us both chuckle.

“The biggest pains in the ass who ever existed.” Mac mumbles back to her.

“He’s just grumpy. Those are the twins best friends, they’ve been up each other’s asses since the first day of preschool.” I point over to the guy standing beside Flynn, he’s about the same height as him, but his skin is a perfect olive tone, his hair light brown, and his eyes whiskey colored.

“That’s X, or Xavier. His dad works under.. her Dad. They’re with the Italians.” I point to Elle, Sully’s future wife, even if they don’t know it yet. She’s a spitfire, about five-nine, dark brown hair, and deep green eyes. “That’s Elle, she’s the girl Sully’s been in love with since he was old enough to talk. Her dad is the head of the five families. So basically, Rowan for that organization. She’s also the only girl in their friend group which means she keeps them all in line.”

Her voice comes out in a hushed tone. It’s only meant for me, “That’s Riley’s sister?”

I nod in affirmation, then give her a few seconds to process looking at the girl who’s always had the same features as Riley.

Eventually, Nix points to the guy next to Sully, he’s also the same height as the twins, his dark blonde hair and deep blue eyes give him a ‘boy next door’ look, even though I know better than that. He’s the most mischievous of them all, “That’s Knox. His dad does work here for the Juggemaffian. He was born here, and I don’t think he’s ever stepped foot in Sweden. His dad tries to keep his mom, him, and his siblings as far away from the life as he can. The guy next to him is Dom, his dad is a one percenter. He heads up one of the biggest gangs in America.” Motioning over to the tallest of the boys. His hair cut short, his eyes as deep brown as his skin. His smile is full of mischief and his laugh fills the backyard.

I point to the last guy to round out their group, also the same height as the other boys, his skin is darker than X’s, but lighter than Dom’s, his hair almost black, and his eyes dark brown. “And that’s Zach, his dad is the drug lord for the cartel. He’s the quietest of them all. He follows along with everything they do, but he never comes up with the ideas. They’re all sports kids, but not the same ones, and they all go to each other’s games. If more than one has a game or competition, they split up so everyone has someone there.”

“What sports do they play?”

“Well, Flynn plays hockey. Sullivan runs track. Xavier plays soccer. Elle is a gymnast. Knox plays baseball. Dom plays lacrosse, and Zach plays football. I call them the lucky ones. They’re not directly in the life. They have a chance to escape, go pro, settle down, have families, and all live on the same street.”

A soft smile pulls at Nix’s lips, “That sounds so nice. I’d love to live next door to my best friends and have our own little street.” The wheels in my head start turning. I can give her that.

“So, who’s your favorite?”

“Nix, you can’t just ask a guy a question like that.” I shoot back with mock offense before grinning and answering.

“Dom.”

She laughs and serotonin fills my brain.

“Why him?”

I shrug nonchalantly, “He’s the funniest, but also the most respectful. He’ll get them in trouble but not real trouble. Like when they were eight and egged Elle’s house because her dad wouldn’t let her come play. He was behind that but he was also just sticking it to ‘the man’. I can appreciate that.”

She smiles at me while shaking her head, “Of course you can.”

We’re snapped out of our little conversation as Clara comes over and drags Nix away from me before I can respond to her.

“Girl time, Kie. Go away. Hang out with your brothers.” They don’t go far, just to the other side of the patio but it’s enough to make my chest ache a little. Honestly, three steps out of my reach is enough to make my chest ache. I watch her while also making my way over to Roe, Dec, and Mac.

“She won’t disappear out of thin air, Kieran. You can take your eyes off of her.” Declan’s smile slides off his face as soon as the rest of our murderous glances lock on him. He throws his hands up in surrender, “Okay, fine. Poor joke, I got it.”

“I can’t wait for some girl to come around and knock you straight on your ass.” Rowan grumbles, his eyes only for Clara. Normally they’d be bouncing between Clara and Rhett, but Rhett’s favorite Uncle is standing right here so obviously he has taken his spot right next to me.

“Daddy, what about Uncle Mac? He doesn’t have him a girlfriend?” Rhett so helpfully throws my little brother under the bus.

Deciding to take this one I squat down so I’m on his level, “You’re right he doesn’t, and one day he’ll find a girl to love like your Da loves your Ma or like I love your Auntie. But Uncle Mac had the breath knocked out of him by a girl when he was your age. He knows how Da and I feel, because he’s felt it too.” Rhett’s face is a mask of seriousness as he thinks on that then looks at Mac.

“Uncle Mac, I think I’ve had the breath knocked out of me too. Callie in my class is so pretty and she smells nice.” He grabs Mac’s hand, “Let’s go talk about it.”

Mac barely conceals his laughter as he follows behind our nephew who is wise beyond his years.

Standing back to my full height we watch as Little Bear leads him over to the trampoline to talk about girls. The three of us are laughing at the moment but I know Mac’s loving this. Talking about Riley in this light may be exactly what he needs. My eyes shift back over to Nix, who’s blatantly checking me out. Letting a full smile overtake my face I watch her back and just wait. Eventually her eyes make their way to my face. She realizes she’s been caught and the prettiest blush creeps up her neck and cheeks. Fuck, I love when her skin turns that shade of red. I mouth ‘I love you.’ to her and watch as her face flushes before mouthing it back.

“Earth to Kie. Can we stop eye fucking our girl for one second.”

I reluctantly pull my eyes from the only woman I see in a room of thousands to focus on my second oldest brother, “ We weren’t doing anything and she isn’t our anything. What do you want?”

“I asked what happened earlier? With the note. What’s the deal?”

I note that Rowan is also paying extra attention to me now, “I’m not talking about any of that right now. Meeting in the office after Rhett’s in bed. Until then, watch Mac. I hate to say this but be easy with him. He’s going through it right now.”

“Riley? I figured all this would hit him pretty close.” Declan finally drops the ‘I don’t care’ facade and a look of worry takes its place. He’s always had a soft spot for Mac.

“What do you think he needs from us?” Rowan chimes in, the concern bleeding through his tone. Mac was really Rowan’s first “kid” when our parents died. Mac was barely eighteen. He hadn’t even hit his graduation day yet. Roe was left with Mac and the twins overnight. Not that Dec and I didn’t and don’t need him. We lean on him as if he was Da, but he didn’t have to get us through the second half of our senior year, or become our legal guardian. His relationship with the younger three is different than it is with Declan and I. We went through our parents’ deaths together. He parented Mac, Flynn, and Sully through it.

“I think he just needs to be heard. Riley hit us all, I’m not saying she didn’t, but you and Dec were older than us. Even if it wasn’t this way, it felt like it wasn’t as big of a hit to you two. That girl flipped his little five year old heart inside out and then some sick bastard ripped her out of his life.”

“Is that what you think? That Riley didn’t affect us the same way she affected you guys? Kie, Rowan and I have been looking for her for sixteen years. Every single day. We know Mac is still looking too, and we know you ask every person who makes his way into the warehouse about her but so do we. Our connections are looking for her constantly. She was more than the girl Mac was best friends with for us. She was our first ‘sister’. That means something. We don’t just give up on family. Rossi hasn’t given up on her either. I’m sorry that that’s how he feels, but it pisses me off that he thinks he’s the only one who gives a fuck.” Declan moves his hand to the back of his neck and subtly pulls on the short stands of his hair.

“It’ll all come out tonight. We have things to discuss. Just be prepared because he’s going to blow up. Don’t fight back with him, let him feel it.” Rowan and Declan nod in agreement and I go back to watching my Brave Girl. She’s so relaxed right now, she almost looks carefree. I’ll do whatever I have to to make sure she stays that way.