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I glance up at the ceiling and listen. The water is still running upstairs, so I have a few minutes to sort out the night before things get more complicated.
Rose drops a folded newspaper on the table and points to the headline. “Your brother is in the news again, lad. You’ve got to keep Finn behind the scenes better. It’s dangerous for all of you to have him be so visible.”
I frown at the picture of my youngest brother there in black and white. Thankfully, the caption is just about the criminal element in the streets. He isn’t identified by name, but anyone who knows him will see that it’s him beneath that hoodie.
“I’ll talk to him. He’s still having a hard time.”
She nods. “He’s always been the emotional one. But with your father gone, you’re the one who needs to set the tone for the family.”
I take a deep breath, letting Rose’s words sink in.
She’s right. As always.
It doesn’t matter that my brothers and I are mourning the death of our father. The other families, the locals, and the authorities, are all watching us and waiting for us to make a mistake.
I can’t afford to let emotions get the best of me, not when the Quinn family’s reputation is on the line. Da worked hard to build our empire and sacrificed too much. I won’t let it crumble beneath our feet.
The McGuires are relentless, but the Quinns have a much bigger army of soldiers and are smarter. And the families beyond the city won’t risk coming at us directly because we control the ports and piers all along the coast.
“I’ll make it clear who’s in power in this city, Rose. I’ll show them.”
“You best do it quickly, lad, because if the McGuires get their claws in Dublin, your sainted father will turn over in his grave.”
“I’ll never let that happen.”
After a long sip of tea, I set down my mug and turn on the phone Rose gave me. I need to tighten things up until I squash the doubters.
Tipping back the last of my tea, I move to the front room and watch the street out the window. Burner phone in hand, I dial up Aiden to get an update on the situation.
“Who is this and what the fuck do you want?”
I chuckle at my captain’s greeting. “It’s me, Viking, and I want to know what the fuck we missed.”
“Whose phone are you on? I don’t know the number. Is it clean?”
“It’s a burner. Now, talk.”
Aiden spends the next five minutes filling me in on what happened after I took my leave. Jimmy and Ginny kept the McGuires locked down near the front entrance, and once the shooting started, my guys struck hard and fast.
“They took to the street as quick as a whip,” Aiden says. “They turned tail fast, and our guys know better than to shoot to kill with the McGuires. No one wants to bring a clan war to a head, so we let them drive off.”
“Any casualties?”
“Darcy and Declan both took damage, and my sources say their Doc left his home and got to the McGuire’s soon after.”
I chuckle. “Niall isn’t sharing his vet?”
“I don’t think the bastard shares well with others.”
“Never did.”
“Right, so they’ll be patched up soon enough, I’m sure.”
“And Mattie more pissed than ever.”
“Likely so. Especially because we took out their driver and captured the two from the rooftops.”
“We have them locked down?”
