Page 61 of Niall

“Welcome home,” he said.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

NIALL

Ishifted in my seat, staring blankly out the car window, the scenery not registering. I was restless and edgy, a feeling I couldn’t shake, no matter how hard I tried. It had started as Finn and I were meeting with some of his senior men, discussing areas and things that needed improvements. Finn looked after his territories, making sure they were kept up. Bad roads? Finn had them fixed. Trouble brewing with a new gang wanting to move into the turf? Finn had them removed. A family business failing? Finn made sure to send people their way. Many in the syndicate did the same in their regions, and it was easy to spot as you went through the city.

Last night, Anna had asked me why there were so many different groups in the syndicate. We were lying in bed, her head on my chest, simply talking. I loved being able to do that with her. I craved sharing, listening to her.

“Long ago, there was one ‘family’ that ran everything. But Toronto grew, and it got too big for one group to manage. There was too much infighting and a lot of problems. Things changed, and it was chopped into territories and different groups. It grew again. It’s still growing. The syndicate has changed with newer, younger generations. It’s evolved like the city. This generation is about peace. Maintaining control using different ways than the past,” I explained. “Finn is tough, but he wants to see his territories flourish. He takes care of them. They, in turn, are loyal.”

“And when they’re not?” she asked.

“Then it is handled,” I said firmly, not wanting her to ask more.

She was quiet, then spoke again. “And you’re willing to leave it?”

“Absolutely. When Finn calls it, I’m with him. I’ll run the hotel if that’s what he wants. Or if he sells it, I’ll find something else.” I chuckled. “Or retire and enjoy life.” I pressed a kiss to her head. “With you.”

“Here or Ireland?”

I thought about it for a moment, running my fingers through her soft hair. The motion relaxed me, and she loved it. “Here. Ireland will forever be my homeland, but this is where I found myself. We can buy a place there to have when we visit, but this is my home now.”

I tugged on her hair, and she lifted her head. I bent and kissed her. “You are my home.”

Her eyes shone with tears, and she pulled my head back, kissing me deeply.

There was no more conversation.

Finn clearing his throat brought me back to the present. He frowned, looking at me and the way my leg was bouncing up and down. “What is up with you?”

“I have no idea. I have this odd sensation something is wrong.”

“With?”

I glanced at my phone. Anna’s tracker blinked, showing her in the hotel. Everything was fine with our meetings. Positive and on track. But still, the pit of anxiety in my stomach grew.

“I don’t know.”

I dialed Anna’s phone, frowning when it went to voice mail. I looked at Finn, who called Una. He spoke and hung up. “She was tired, and George said she looked a bit under the weather. She was cold all day. He sent her upstairs early, so she’s probably lying down. Una will go check on her in a few moments—she’s just waiting for George to come back.”

That made me feel better. Anna wasn’t a huge cell phone fan. She carried hers more to please me than anything. She had no apps, no games, nothing to keep her glued to the screen. She usually plugged it in by the sofa, refusing to take it into the bedroom at night. If she wasn’t feeling well, no doubt she was napping and not hearing the phone ring. She probably forgot it in her purse—it wouldn’t be the first time.

“Great.”

“We’ll be at the hotel in twenty minutes,” Rory called over his shoulder.

I glanced down at the tracker again, confused. It had stopped blinking. It held steady, the light red not green. I refreshed it, the light still red.

I called our security team, demanding to speak to Evan, explaining what had happened. He was in charge of all our toys and was brilliant at it. He tapped on his keyboard. “It shows a malfunction,” he muttered. “I don’t understand. I’m putting you on speaker.”

I looked at Finn. “I need Una upstairs now.”

He called, and I heard him talking, listened to Evan typing. My heart began to race, the feeling of worry I had been experiencing turning into fear.

Evan spoke. “It’s back online.”

I breathed a sigh of relief until his next words. “It shows her somewhere, moving away from the hotel.”