Page 12 of The Endless Want

“Because I wanted confirmation. And because I didn’t want you tearing into the wrong person.”

“Meaning?”

“The manifests were logged with Ailish’s code.”

That gets his attention. He sets the picture down slowly. “You’re accusing my head of logistics?”

“I’m saying someone used her access.”

Liam moves to the window, hands behind his back. “You realize what it looks like, Declan? You bringing me contraband tied to her name.”

“I’m aware.”

“Who else has seen the container?”

“Ailish. Nobody else.”

He’s quiet a moment too long. “So the only witness to the evidence is the woman the evidence points at.”

The air between us turns sharp. This is the part where we stop being brothers and start being rivals. I can feel it happening, like old habits sliding back into place.

“I’m not protecting her,” I say. “I’m protecting the family.”

Liam turns, eyes cold. “Those things stopped being separate the day you decided you knew better than me.”

“Don’t make this about pride.”

“It’s always about pride.”

We stare at each other, the weight of every unspoken argument hanging in the space between. Finally he sighs, sits, and steeples his fingers.

“Find out who used her credentials,” he says. “If it was her, I’ll deal with it. If it wasn’t, I want the traitor on his knees by the end of the week.”

“And if it leads back to the Italians?”

“Then we cut the alliance. Quietly.”

His voice is calm again, but there’s something behind it—fear, maybe. The kind he’ll never admit to. I nod once and turn to leave. He stops me at the door.

“Declan.”

“Yeah?”

“If you can’t stay objective, I’ll pull you off this.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He doesn’t believe me, and I don’t blame him.

Back in the car, the city lights smear across the windshield. I drive with one hand, the other tapping the steering wheel in time with my pulse. Every street feels like a trap tonight. I keep seeing those crates, the Russian markings, her handwriting on the manifests.

She wouldn’t. Not Ailish. Not the girl who still triple-checks every file before sending it to Liam. But people change. Loyalty bends.

My phone buzzes again. A message from Conor:

Conor; Got something. You’ll want to see this in person. Warehouse 12. Come alone.

I turn the car toward the river, the night closing in like a promise.