I can’t ever settle down with a woman. They would become a target and would be a weakness I won’t allow. I tune back into what Shane is saying.
“Here comes Lady Griffin’s grandfather.”
I turn to watch as the thin man with gray hair walks by without taking notice of me. I understand he’s concerned for his granddaughter. He has several guards with him that push people aside, and others stare as they recognize him. Mikayla was injured on my racetrack, and it wasn’t an accident. Someone tried to kill her by shooting her. I know my men and I can end whoever it was, but I also know she’s going to need more protection than what I can give. I won’t call in my favor for her, but I can pay them to protect her.
I slip my mobile from my pocket and unlock it, then I click on the contact and wait as the phone rings. They will want to protect her because they are her old employers. They are also friends of hers.
"Securities International.” A husky and strangely accented female voice answers, and I know who she is. Lex says she’s extremely talented. I wish I could get her to come work with me, but she’s married to one of the owner’s brothers.
“Hello, Mrs. Williams, I’d like to speak to Mrs. Preston and Mr. Donovan.”
“Just a moment." She puts me on hold, then I hear another click and know I’m on speakerphone. I’ve studied them but don’t know what their office is like. I’d be interested to see what kind of setup they have. We are going to have to team up eventually if we want to end the man who has set his sights on ending them…and myself too.
"Mr. Donovan and Mrs. Preston, I'm calling to hire you," I say as I step away from everyone, not wanting others to overhear my conversation.
"Mr. Tiernan," Joshua answers, not giving me anything. He’s studied under some of the best strategists, including a former Royal Navy admiral. But I studied under the strongest man to ever run the Irish mob. He united all of Ireland under one boss. I can hold my own against Donovan.
"I'd like to hire you to protect Lady Griffin. I believe you are aware that she was injured on my track today." I know they’ve probably been watching the news. According to Lex’s research, Bekah Williams is in charge of keeping an eye on all current and former employees’ news and internet coverage. Mikayla would have been the number one news today shortly after the accident. That’s what everyone needs to believe it was, an accident, and not what it really was. Only myself, my team, and her crew chief knew she was shot until she got on the ambulance. The whole crew and medical staff here are required by law not to share her information. I’ve got Lex keeping an eye on everyone in close contact with Mikayla. I need him to get the footage her manager leaked before someone looks too closely at it.
"Mr. Tiernan, we have already been hired." Joshua’s voice breaks me from my thoughts.
"Ah, the grandfather, I'm guessing. Well then, if you need any help, let me know. I'm having all the footage from the track sent to Mrs. Williams for you to review." Which means they will delete that footage so I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll have Lex keep an eye on it too though. Their hackers are good, but I know what Lex can do.
"Thank you, Mr. Tiernan. We aren't going to have issues with our team being there, are we?" I understand what he’s really asking. Am I going to give him a problem? He now knows who I am really. The first time we worked together was when a serial killer took one of their members. I’d kept my true identity from them. I’m not ashamed to be the head of the Irish mafia, but I don’t broadcast it. That’s why Fiona and I can never be together. My enemies are always looking for a weakness.
"No, Mr. Donovan. This was no accident, and I want whoever hurt Mikayla taken care of." I assure him.
"Are you seeing Mikayla?" Daniella Lopez’s Irish accent comes across the line. I didn’t expect her to ask me that. I know there is a guy there Mikayla was seeing. I expected this question from him, not Daniella, and I wonder why she’s questioning me on this.
"Mrs. Lopez, I assure you that Mikayla and I are just friends. I don't allow my friends to be hurt. I especially don't like my friends being hurt when they are around me. You just let me know who it is, and I'll have an associate take care of them permanently." Seamus will kill anyone I ask him to. That’s his job. He takes care of my enemies, and anyone who decides to take a potshot at one of my racers is an enemy. But I have a bad feeling this has something to do with me and not just the fact she is a former S.I. employee.
"Then why are you sending us the footage if you want to take care of them?" Joshua asks. An excellent question that I expected. He knows I’m only giving them a peace offering.
"I'm thinking if there are a couple of us searching for this wanker, it would be better.”
"We have a team heading that way. They should be there in a couple hours."
"I'll have my guys secure the premises until yours arrive. We will call this even as no one owes the other, but I still have a couple markers out there with you." I remind him. I’m hoping to never have to call in those markers.
"Mr. Tiernan, why don't you tell us right now what you want from us?" Maya Preston’s voice comes across the line. Shane says she’s a true badass with her shooting and fighting skills. A woman who knows Israeli knife fighting. My love of the blade makes me interested in knowing more about her.
"Mrs. Preston, the suspense is better. Now I have to go." I look up as Lord Wright’s assistant is accosted by Mikayla’s manager, Fletcher Calvin. I can’t believe she hired him, but I know she was trying to get back into racing after taking a hiatus to work with Securities International.
“How dare you remove footage I have access to! I’m Mikayla’s manager. The public deserves to see what happened. She needs this publicity.” He raises his voice, and I hang up the phone. There is my proof that the footage has been removed.
“I’m her grandfather’s solicitor. You won’t be using that video for anything. I served you with a cease and desist order. Don’t make me give you the form that renders your contract null and void.”
“You can’t do that.”
“Oh, believe me, sir, I can, and I will do whatever is necessary to protect her and her grandfather. Now, you are not allowed near the family until Mikayla can speak to you.”
“I’ll go where I want,” Fletcher yells.
I turn to Shane and nod, and he walks over to Fletcher.
“Mr. Tiernan would like you to leave the premises now. You are not allowed near the track until after Lady Griffin has cleared you again. You used footage that is the exclusive right of Tiernan International without his permission.” Shane strong-arms him to the exit and shows him out. I wait for him to return before we head up to the waiting room on the OR floor.
Stepping through the door, I sense her immediately and my eyes zero in on her. She’s sitting with Lord Griffin on one side of her and his personal assistant on the other, each holding her hands. I nod at the lord, knowing he knows who I am. Fiona leans up and whispers something to him, and he leans down as his eyes flick toward me. I imagine she’s asking him who I am. I never introduced myself. She wouldn’t know who I am as we don’t run in the same circles. My eyes never stray from her. Not even when she gets up and walks out the door to take a call.
