Ineed to be able to see that I did something right. That I was able to save someone from this awful fate.
“Up we go.” Kieron says, pulling a fire escape ladder down as far as it will go and picking me up. I grab ahold of the bars and start to climb, assuming we’re heading to the roof. The highest point of the building where we’ll be able to see everything.
Shit, it’s hard to climb up four-story tall building in heels quickly.
Needless to say, when I finally push myself over the top, I’m breathing so hard it’s fairly embarrassing.
“Are you going to be okay?” Kieron asks, reaching out his hand to me and helping me stand.
“Fuck high heels.” I gasp out and he laughs quietly. We make our way to the edge overlooking the intersection, crouching down to make sure we aren’t seen.
“There they are.” He says, pointing into an alley, and I watch as a group of Irishmen arrive but blend seamlessly into the darkness. If I hadn’t been specifically looking, I’m sure that I would’ve brushed off their movements as tricks of the light or just shadows. They moved like trained miliary; their footsteps silent and their movements minimal.
The pressurized sound of a semi-truck slowing down filled the otherwise silent street and my heart beat faster.
“Here we go.” Kieron said, then spoke into his earpiece. “Visual on the semi-truck.”
I watched in fascination and anticipation at what would happen next. The semi pulled onto the side of the road, the whole block empty because of the late house of the night, and parallel parked. The driver jumped out of the cab, slamming the door shut, when all the Irishmen descended on the truck like avenging angels.
All at once, two people took out the driver, two slashed tires to prevent anyone from taking the truck, four worked at picking the lock on the back and two stood guard, watching and making sure everything was okay. In a matter of seconds.
I started to breathe easy, thinking we’d done it, but I should’ve known better.
A group of guys attacked from the darkness. All the Irish that weren’t focused on breaking into the truck to get the people out of the back were engaging in battle. There were brass knuckles, baseball bats, and full-on fist fights, and I looked to Kieron. The distress was rage was clear on his face.
He was watching, completely enraptured in the battle, his fingers gripping the cement edge. Kieron didn’t like staying out of the fight, he wasn’t one to let his soldiers go into battle while he just sat back and let them fight for him.
The thuds and grunts from the street filled the air, the men below not making any extra chatter. The men that were working on opening the truck got it open just as one of the fighters took down the last attacker.
The street was littered with unconscious, probably dead, Italians.
“It’s finished.” Kieron said, letting go of a deep breath he’d been holding. “I just got the official confirmation.” He points to his earpiece and we turn back to the street. Dozens of women and men poured out of the back of the truck in tears and screaming, they were holding onto their saviors and each other.
“What happens now?” I ask Kieron, stepping into his arms to combat the cold night air and hopefully give him some comfort.
“Now, we go home.” He says, kissing the top of my head.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Talia
It had been a couple days since we’d bested the Italians plans for human trafficking in Boston and the whole time it was eerily quiet. Everyone thought so.
It was like waiting on pins and needles for the other shoe to drop.
Kellan asked for a debrief the night everything went down and luckily, the earpiece that Kieron made me wear also recorded everything.
“It’s a good habit to get into, baby. Recording all conversations with your enemies or people you may need to take down. Not only will you be able to turn the audio clips into the police if they need to be taken into jail and held, but also if you need blackmail on some people higher up the food chain.” He’d said.
After a quick stop to headquarters to tell Kellan everything in person and to pick up more clothes, Kieron and I decided we wanted to go back to the beach house. We’d already proved it was secure and I felt more comfortable there than in the apartment, if I’m honest. The beach house felt like it had the potential to beourhouse.
Luckily, Kellan was okay with us taking a bit of time off to recoup after everything that had gone down. I was really concerned and worried about how they were going to handle making sure all the victims were safe and protected, but Kellan assured me he had it handled. Who was I to question the Irish mob boss?
It was day two into our little bit of time off, most of the time we had spent wrapped up in each other. I’d had a bit of an episode after everything that had happened with Joseph and such. Not to mention seeing Luca so closely again. But after spending the first night with Kieron wrapped around me like a protective octopus, whispering calming words into my ear, I felt much more stable.
Waking up this morning, my eyes puffy from crying through the night, I look up at Kieron’s sleeping face. His strong, dark features relaxed with sleep, his hair undone and mused from sleep. He is so handsome. So caring. So loving.
His eyes open slowly, blinking away the sleep from his eyes as his gaze settles on me.
