Rowan, ever the stand in Da since ours is dead. There’s six of us, ranging from Rowan at twenty-nine to the twins at nineteen. He assumed responsibility for us and took over the role of Da like it was made for him. Which is amusing considering he met and fell in love with a woman who already had a son. Just like with us, he slid into that role with Rhett just as easily. Even as I want to snap at him and tell him I’m an adult and to mind his fucking business, I don’t. The respect I have for the man chastising me would never allow it. He could have easily let us figure it out on our own, he was twenty-five, he didn’t have to do anything. But he did, because he’s just that type of man. So instead of going off on him like I want to, I grin and acknowledge what he said.
“I’m good, scouts honor.”
“I’m pretty sure they don’t accept mafiosos into the scouts.” My little brother Flynn teases. Flynn and Sullivan are my two youngest brothers; they’re nineteen and drive me crazy like only pesky younger brothers can.
“Don’t provoke him. He said he’s good, so he’s good.” My second oldest brother, Declan, chimes in. He’s twenty-seven, and he and the twins butt heads worse than any of the rest of them. His standing up for me has almost nothing to do with me and everything to do with getting under the twins’ skin. Not to say we don’t get along; we’re actually almost as close as Kieran and I are. He just enjoys pissing the twins off.
Flynn’s right though, they never would have accepted any of the six of us into the Boy Scouts, and we never would have asked to join. We were born the sons of Adian and Maeve Byrne. My Da was the Boss of the Irish mob,or the BOCG if you’re being politically correct. Our Da was kind, gentle, and loving to my Ma, brothers, and I. However, outside of our home, he ran the streets and the city with an iron fist. He was merciless and everyone feared him. Such a contradiction to what happened at home.
When my parents were murdered by the Bratva four years ago, it left Rowan as boss of the organization and father figure to our house of orphans. Declan is the underboss. Kieran the enforcer, and I’m their nerd brother who the government has been trying to recruit since sixteen. I do all the behind the scenes, I run the footage, find the information, and hack systems when needed. The twins are not made men, and as long as we have our way, they won’t be. They’re currently studying with their best friends at Princeton while we hold down the fort here.
“I’m fine. You all act like I’m the unhinged brother. Maybe we should be more worried about Kie messing up Kie’s day.” My brothers grin knowing I’m right. Kieran’s the epitome of ‘the middle child’.
“Okay, valid. Speaking of, let’s go find him before he finds Pige.” With all of us on the same page, we wander upstairs to find what Kieran and Rhett are up to.
2
Chapter Two
Lee
Standing in front of the full-length mirror on the back of my bathroom door, my eyes skim my outfit one more time. My maroon long sleeve wrap dress touches the tops of my knees, the neckline giving me enough cleavage to be a little risque, but not at all inappropriate. My dark, natural curly hair is as tamed as I could get it. Should I go? I mean I don’t have to, Nix isn’t expecting me there. But that’s silly. It’s been fifteen years, no one’s going to recognize me.
“Lee! Are you listening to me?” My younger sister, Anneliese, pulls me out of my own head.
“Yeah, yeah I’m listening, sorry.”
“Good, so tell me again why I can’t tell Papa about this?”
“Because my friend Nix is marrying into the Byrne family. Papa says it isn’t safe, you know that. I just want to be there for her. Just one night, Annie. I’ll tell him tomorrow, I promise.Besides, Jakob is going with me.”
I was taken from my original family before I was sold into a child trafficking ring when I was seven. I was violated, tortured, sold, and traded until I was freed at twelve years old. The police raided the place I was held with about fifty other girls and women. Nix was there too, she escaped, and before the next night, I was in police custody and being processed into the foster care system. After bouncing from house to house in the system, I was adopted at thirteen. My Papa and Mama took me in and immediately treated me just like their biological children. My two older brothers, my younger sister, and myself are extremely close. So much so that my older brother is going with me today.
My parents have always been open and honest with us. I know my real dad is the head of the five Italian families. I also know that it’s one of the most dangerous families to be a part of. The Irish and the Italians are constantly in some sort of war. They always have to go into lock downs and people are always threatening their families. My Papa isn’t the leader of anything, and the business he does conduct he keeps as far away from us as possible.
My oldest brother, Jakob, owns and runs a bar in our territory. He’s never had a single threat or instance of violence beyond the normal drunks getting mad and fighting each other. My second oldest brother, Dieter, is a mechanic. He owns a shop in neutral territory, and anyone with half a brain cell goes to him. He’s the best no matter what organization we’re affiliated with. He employs good mechanics no matter the family they come from. I’m in I.T. I use the name Lee, and most people think that I’m a boy. That’s the whole goal, I work from my apartment in the city, and no one is the wiser thatthe little girl who was stolen from these very streets now lives within them and hunts down the same men who walk it and dare to capture little girls. Annie, the youngest, is nineteen and she’s away at Princeton for college. She’s studying pre-med and wants to become a surgeon. She’ll do it too, she’s brilliant.
“Fine, but I want it on record that this idea sucks.”
“Noted, but I’m twenty-two Annie, I can make my own choices.” I huff in exasperation.
“I know, which is why I’m not ratting you out, yet. What’s your plan if they recognize you?” Anneliese’s voice comes out small, she’s scared. She always was the most timid out of the rest of us.
“They won’t, it’s been fifteen years, there’s no way any of them will recognize me.” A knock on my door tells me that my brother’s here. “Annie, Jakob’s here. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? I love you.” I hang up with my sister after she echoes her ‘I love you’ back.
Swinging the door open, I smile to greet Jakob, who takes one look at me and in true big brother fashion grunts out, “No, Lee. Go change.” He brushes past me, making his way into my space, and walks straight into my kitchen.
“Well hello to you too Jakob Emmett. So glad you’re accompanying me this evening instead of Dieter.” Sarcasm drips from my voice.
He looks thoroughly chastised. “Sorry, Lee. I’m just on edge. Kieran and Phoenix are cool enough, but that doesn’t make me comfortable. Especially with Declan there.”
“It’ll be fine, no one’s going to recognize me, and if they do?” I probe him for the answer we’ve been told a thousand times by now.
“Deny until the end. It’s not even a lie, though. Youaremy sister.”
A smile pulls at my lips because he’s right. “I know Jake, but promise me you won’t lose your cool. I just want to see Nix and congratulate her. Maybe see her dance with her new husband. We’ve been through so much, she deserves this.”
“You know Papa would never deny you this, he just would have come with you.”
