“She’s the only one I’ve seen you with lately. How’s that going?”
“Fuck off, you know I’m not a one woman man.”
“Sure,” I chuckled softly. “Have fun figuring that one out.”
The Dublin Dia, Eamon, walked into the chapel then. He exchanged a firm handshake with Lorcan before he took a seat. He looked every inch the distinguished mafia don. Lorcan rarely wore suits, always in a black tee and jeans, whereas Eamon was always dressed to the nines. It looked so out of place in our clubhouse.
“This should be good, Cooper,” Eamon said.
Ace relayed the information to Eamon and Lorcan, including the plan we had in action. Viper and I were tense. We hated that this was going to bringShona into the light as Alasdair’s daughter. I was never going to let him harm a fucking hair on her head again.
“Do we know his end goal? Why he’s so hellbent on closing all routes?” Lorcan asked. “It seems as if he’s gearing up to something rather than acting strategically. He has to know what he’s doing is going to start a war.”
“A war between mafia families,” Eamon added. “He’s pitting Dublin against Galway. Stopping the trade routes at the border means he can control shipping. He wants to turn my family against yours, and against rival MC’s when they ask to use our ports.”
Fuck. I hadn’t thought of that. If he closed the border to Belfast, we would turn to the next biggest port which was Dublin. That way we would have to give the Kings more work, and it would make running the port harder. He takes out the alliance with the Kings and we are fucked.
“Maybe the bastard knows what he’s doing after all,” Bear added. “What do we do from here? He thinks we’re going to run drugs for him acrossO’Farrell territory. We can’t refuse or else he’d have cause to start a war with us.”
“What makes you think he hasn’t already?” Lorcan asked. “He may be toying with you, thinking he could make you look the other way while he plots what he really wants.”
“What is his end goal?” Eamon asked. “Once we know that, we can trace back to what he’s doing and stop him.”
“I agree,” Lorcan added. “You say that he didn’t know where his daughter was all this time, which frankly for someone that controlling I find hard to believe. What if he knew all this time, and now he knows he can use her against you? She’s your family, and she is to be protected absolutely, but what if that was the plan to make you choose?”
“Are you saying she was behind this?” I sat forward.
“Not at all,” Lorcan turned to me. “I believe she is absolutely an innocent party in this, and I’m glad she is not associated with him, but you have shown your hand. He knows she means something to this club, especially to you Savage, and he is going to use that.”
“She’s safe with us,” I told him. “His plan isn’t going to win. We have her little sister being pulled out of the club as we speak.”
“You think he’s not going to retaliate for that?” Eamon asked. “You took both of his children, both of his daughters and when someone like that uses women as an advantage, he’s going to take that as a personal affront.”
“It’s not a club initiative,” Ace added. “Nothing comes back to us. She left of her own free will with her brother, Keefe.”
“You don’t think he’s going to put two and two together?” Lorcan asked us. “I’m glad she’s out of trouble, believe me. But Alasdair, as stupid as we wish he was, he isn’t. He’s been in power for this long for a reason. He wants to rule all of Ireland, get rid of our families as well as rival MC’s, you have to start thinking about what you’re doing properly. I’m all in, as are my brothers, but we need to seriously take them out. We need to know their power players and remove them.”
“You take down his army, he’s got nothing left,” Eamon agreed. “Do we know anyone who could tell us this?”
“Keefe,” I said. “He’s here in Kilkenny at the moment. Shona wanted to see Darby before she’s put into protection. Brogan is organising it. I can call him to come in, but he’s going to want someone to go and watch her.”
“Rebel is free,” Ace said. “Go brief him, and have Keefe come in.”
I left the chapel and went in search of Rebel. He was down in the gatehouse with the prospects. He jumped to his feet when I rolled up, immediately sensing he was needed.
“I need you to babysit someone for me,” I said.
“Sure.”
“Her name is Darby, she’s Shona’s little sister. Brogan is putting her into protective custody, but the paperwork is slow. Her older brother is currently watching her but we need him here, so I need you to go and watch her while he helps us.”
“Sure man,” hesaid. “Where at?”
“You remember the old apartment Valkyrie had in town?”
He nodded.
“Head there. I’ll let him know you’re coming.”
