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I wonder if maybe I was too quick to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Austin smirks, casually placing his hands into his pockets. “Aleksei Popov doesn’t deal with anyone,” he states proudly. “They deal with him. I handle his Irish affairs, and Brody Doyle was just an arsehole who did what he was told.
“But yer different, are ya not, Puck Kelly?”
“What d’you mean?”
“Yer not all bad,” he states, watching me closely. “I think ya fight for honor. I think ya have morals, and I think yer the rightful leader, not yer dad. I’ve spoken to Alek about yer situation. Ron told me Sean is blackmailing ye. He has yer girl?”
I nod once.
“Alek doesn’t appreciate men who have no balls, and from the sounds of it, Sean has none. Alek also doesn’t take too kindly to men manhandling women. It’s personal.”
He doesn’t elaborate.
“This is why he has a proposal for ya. He wants to deal with ye, only you, and in return, he’ll help ya find yer girl.”
Well, this changes everything.
“If you agree, y’ll not only get back yer girl, but y’ll also be a very wealthy and powerful man.”
Clucking my tongue, I shake my head with a smirk. “I suppose I am different because I have no interest in that. Find Camilla, and Alek can have it all. But I do have one condition.”
Austin waits for me to continue.
“I want Sean dead, and I want to be the one who kills him. I want him to suffer in ways unimaginable. I also want Liam Doyle dead.”
Austin breaks into a loud burst of laughter. “No, lad, yer not that different after all. I’m sure Alek will be accommodating to yer terms.”
I decide not to tell Austin about the haul I’m supposed to intercept. I need to have at least one ace up my sleeve in case Austin is dirty, even though Ron vouches for him. I’ve learned that the hard way.
“Let me discuss everything with Alek, and I’ll get back to ye. Are ye sure ya want to give this up? It’ll be different with Alek and me. I didn’t know Connor Kelly, but he sounded like a good man. He sounds like ye.
“You went to prison to save the people ye love. Alek and I respect that. We could do with a man like you on our side. And Northern Ireland is rightfully yers.”
“I appreciate that, but the only thing that matters to me is findin’ my girl.”
Austin nods, his respect for my honesty clear. “All right. I’ll call on ye soon.”
He reaches into his pocket and produces a wad of money. “You can’t go back empty-handed.”
I don’t know how Austin managed to fool Sean and his goons, but I’m impressed.
I catch the money, bound with a gold money clip, and place it into my pocket. I go to turn, but Austin stops me.
“We want the same thing, Puck. For the good guys to win.”
With a snicker, I reply, “Is there such a thing? Because the line becomes blurrier every single day.”
Austin nods. “Alek is a good guy where it matters, as I’m guessin’ you are too.”
His comment resonates with me because I understand it completely.
With nothing further to say, I leave Austin with a new sense of hope. If he can find Cami, then Sean’s days are numbered.
My phone rings. It’s Aoife.
“Hello, can I call ya—”
