For Love & Bourbon (37 page)

“We all got our vices.” Killian’s smile widened. “And our wardens. Me brother is mine. Me da says he got all the civilized blood while I got all the savagery, so it’s usually me gettin’ into trouble and him bailin’ me out.”

Adam snorted, bowing his head. “Yep. Us too.”

Brandy brought over Killian’s beer and left to tend other customers, though Adam noticed her attention remained discreetly on him and Killian. Upping the ante, he faced the man and put as much derision into his voice as he could muster.

“I’m just a big joke to my dad. To my whole family, really. I’m sick of it.”

Killian eyed him thoughtfully. “Then why don’t ye leave?”

Adam grimaced. “And go where? I don’t have many options.”

“Sure ye do. It’s a big country.” Killian tossed back his beer, then set it down and began tearing at the label. “Speaking of family, there’s something for the two of us to discuss. That’s why I’m here.”

A bolt of anxiety raced through Adam. He drank his whiskey to hide the tremor of his own hand. “Oh yeah?”

“It’s that family matter I mentioned yesterday.”

Adam fought to keep the eagerness from his expression. “What, you got a controlling bitch for a sister, too?” He pictured Ava’s irritation at hearing him say that and had to keep himself from snickering.

Killian ignored the statement and stared at him pointedly. “Will ye take a walk with me, Adam? It’s best if we don’t have this conversation here.”

Warning bells went off in Adam’s head. “A walk? To where?”

A slow smile crept over Killian’s face. “Well, it’s really more of a drive. I think ye’ll find what I have to say quite…life changing.”

Adam swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, but maintained his cool. He shrugged. “I don’t know, buddy. I just met you. How do I know you’re not just tryin’ to rob me?”

Killian chuckled. “I suppose ye don’t, but I promise I’m a good Catholic boy and don’t steal from strangers. The point is, ye seem unsatisfied here. Unfulfilled. I can offer ye somethin’ better.”

Adam made sure to still appear distrustful, knowing it was expected. No one in their right mind would hop into a stranger’s car on a whim. Unless, of course, that person was desperate and a little intoxicated.

He tossed back the last of his whiskey and slammed the glass down on the bar. “All right. Let’s go. I’m sick of this shithole, anyway.”

“Good man.” Killian grinned and tossed some cash onto the bar before Adam could dig out his wallet. “I got this round. Consider it a show of good faith and may it be only the first of many drinks we’ll share.”

Adam attempted a smile. “Thanks.” His eyes went to Brandy as he slipped into his coat, hoping she understood from his curt nod that he had things under control. If he was lucky, he would be taken to where his father was being held captive. With the tracking device attached to the wire under his shirt, the Feds would have no trouble zeroing in on the location once he was there. All he had to do was play along, not act suspicious, and pray he wasn’t walking into a death trap.

Killian placed a hand on his shoulder and directed him out of the bar. A few of the patrons eyed them curiously as they left, but Adam ignored them. For once, he didn’t have time to worry about wagging tongues and gossip.

They pushed through the doors and out into the night. Rain had begun to fall, and Adam pulled his coat tighter around his body to keep the equipment dry. The last thing he needed was for it to short out right before he got what he came for.

Killian didn’t seem to mind the rain at all. He shot off a text from his phone, then looked at Adam with a sharp grin. “Me brother’ll be here any second.”

“So what is this offer?” Adam asked, water dripping down his face. He tucked his hands into his coat pockets. “If it’s slinging drugs, I ain’t into that.”

“Let’s just say the life ye’ve been leadin’ is a lie,” Killian replied easily, his eyes scanning the street. “I’m here to show ye the right way, the only way. And once ye know, I suspect ye’ll never want to come back to this life ever again.”

Adam’s blood chilled. He knew Killian must be talking about the IRA, but his understanding ended there. What about his life was a lie? And why would whatever Killian had to tell him make him want to up and leave Fox Hills? Leave his family?

“Ah, there he is.” Killian pointed to a black SUV that appeared through the rain. When it came to a stop in front of them, he opened the back door and motioned with his head. “Get in.”

Adam hesitated, certain this was a huge mistake. Then again, he had come this far. He couldn’t let fear get the best of him now. Besides, Ava would go. And since she was secretly listening in, he couldn’t let her hear him chicken out. He would never hear the end of it if he got this close and then failed.

He hopped into the backseat but didn’t touch the seatbelt, just in case he had to bail out at some point. The driver turned and stared at him, his gaunt face and electric green eyes shadowed with distrust. Once Killian was safely inside, the man turned his attention back to the road and gunned the engine, wasting no time.

Adam wondered what the hurry was.

“So where are we goin’?” he asked, praying his voice didn’t crack from nerves.

Killian twisted in his seat. “A warehouse in Louisville.”

“Seriously?” Adam grimaced, hoping to look more irritated than alarmed. “Can’t you tell me whatever is you want to tell me here in town? Why do we gotta go all the way to the city?”

“Because what we have to show ye is in the city,” Killian told him, the passing streetlights highlighting the excitement in his eyes. He turned his attention to his brother. “What do ye think, Rhys? Should we tell him now?”

At first Rhys didn’t respond, leading Adam to wonder if he had even heard the question. When he did speak, his voice was softer, graver than his brother’s. Adam got the sense that while Killian may have been the wild, reckless one, Rhys was the more threatening of the two. “Da found out from the traitor that the Feds are still in town. Did ye check him for a wire?”

Killian’s face fell. His eyes darted back to Adam. “Well, fuck. Did the Feds get to ye first?”

Adam shook his head, though he had a feeling his expression gave it away. Panic ripped through him as he struggled to come up with a good lie. “They’re investigating the company, not me. Hell, they’ve barely spoken two words to me since they came to town. It’s my sister and dad they’ve been dealin’ with.” He fixed an angry look on his face, hoping to distract them. “Why does it matter, anyway? Are you boys fugitives or somethin’?”

Killian started laughing, a dark, demented sound that sent a chill down Adam’s spine. “Oh, yer a right fool if ye think we’re that stupid.”

He reached out then and lifted up Adam’s shirt, revealing the recording device beneath. He bared his teeth and tore the device from Adam’s skin. Fury lit up his face as he stared it, then at Adam. “If you weren’t me brother, I’d kill ye for this.”

Adam started to open the door to jump out, but hesitated at Killian’s words. “Wait,
brother?
”

Killian shook his head as Rhys set the child locks on the doors. “Aye. And if ye hadn’t been cooperatin’ with the Feds, this could’ve gone smoothly. Instead it looks like we’ll have to do this the hard way.”

Adam sank back in his seat, eyes wide. “You’re my brothers? How is that possible?”

Killian turned back around, showing Rhys the recording device. Adam realized then that Killian had missed the GPS tracker on his waistband. He slipped it off and tossed it on the floor, hoping Killian wouldn’t notice it if he checked him again.

As Rhys pulled onto the highway and kicked up their speed, Killian opened the window and tossed out the recorder. He then pulled a pistol out of the glove compartment and aimed it straight at Adam’s chest. “Hand me yer cell phone.”

Adam stared at the gun, a new fear settling over him. Based on what Killian had said before, he didn’t think they’d kill him. But he wasn’t positive they wouldn’t wound him.

He handed over his cell, which Killian also chucked out the window. He settled back in his seat, the gun resting in his lap as he spoke in hurried whispers to Rhys.

Adam shut his eyes and bowed his head, fighting to breathe. He thought of Brandy in that instant, realizing he may never see her again. He could still feel the warmth of her kiss, the smooth touch of her fingertips. In his mind he saw her beautiful smile, always so full of life and honesty and grace. What would she do when she found out he had been taken?

She’d cry, he thought, and his heart panged horribly. He’d always hated to see her cry.

He lifted his head, filled with a rush of fearless determination. Not willing to give up now, not when he’d just started to turn his life around, he lunged forward and wrapped his arm into a chokehold around Killian’s neck. The SUV swerved as Rhys reacted to the threat on his brother, bringing them directly into the path of oncoming traffic.

AVA FOLLOWED
Cooper and Marco in her truck as they tracked the device attached to Adam. She didn’t know how Killian hadn’t noticed it, but considered it nothing short of a miracle. If they were lucky, Ned’s sons would be leading them straight to the warehouse in Louisville where, hopefully, her father was being held. Then they’d go in guns blazing and take back what was stolen from her and arrest Ned in the process.

At least, that’s how she hoped it would go down. In reality, she knew Cooper would likely call for backup and they would want to scope out the place and determine the risks before taking action. She had no patience for that at this point. She just wanted her father and brother home safe. If that meant she had to go in and get them herself, then so be it. She wasn’t above breaking the rules to get her way, not when it meant the safety of her family.

Cooper hadn’t even wanted her to follow them, but he knew better than to think he could stop her. Anything short of handcuffing her to a light pole wouldn’t be enough to keep her away.

Her mind raced as she drove, a million different questions competing for her attention. She had heard, loud and clear, the proclamation Killian had made upon discovering the wire.

If you weren’t me brother, I’d kill ye for this.

There hadn’t been time to dwell on it before as they had been rushing out to follow the SUV, but she thought of it now while she sat in silence. If what Killian said was true, then that meant she and Adam shared at least one parent with these monsters. Surely it wasn’t her mother, who they had played a role in murdering. So that left only her father, in which case why had they been raised by Ned and why were they holding Ty captive now?

None of it made any logical sense, which meant he must have been lying. But then why lie about a thing like that? To convince Adam to help them? To establish a close family tie that didn’t exist?

Cooper’s brake lights suddenly flashed as he slowed his speed. Ava saw several other cars up ahead, all at a dead stop with a few at odd angles, some stuck in the dirt median. Metal and glass were scattered over the concrete and blue and red police lights lit up the night.

She cursed under her breath as Cooper hopped out and ran to inspect the cars involved in the accident. It looked like three or four in total, nothing too serious. She watched him and Marco speak with the police on the scene and rolled her eyes. They were wasting valuable time.

Then Cooper turned and raced toward her truck. She rolled down the window for him.

“What is it?”

Cooper rested his hands on the door frame and bent his head to meet her gaze. “Looks like a hit and run. Witnesses said a black SUV swerved into oncoming traffic and took out a few cars, then drove off. It was probably our guys.”

Ava’s heart stopped. “Adam. Do you think he’s hurt?”

“The damage to the SUV must not have been too serious if they drove away, but in all likelihood they’ll ditch it the first chance they get.”

“We have to keep tracking them,” she snapped, impatience getting the better of her. “We’ve wasted enough time.”

He nodded. “Right.”

She watched him jog back to the car and climb inside. He drove around the collision and sped off, her tailing just a breath behind. All she could think about was what could have caused the crash. The only explanation she had was that Adam, God bless him, had tried to fight back.