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The meeting spot was a quiet park, away from prying eyes. I sat down on a bench and my contact, Anthony Richardson, a fellow agent, arrived discreetly, sitting beside me. I glanced in his direction and greeted him with a forced smile.
“Byrne, we need the information you’ve gathered,” he said, getting straight to the point.
I hesitated for a moment, the weight of my conflicting loyalties bearing down on me. “Look, I’ve got something big. The Murphys are considering a hit on Zhong Wei Ling, the kingpin of the Chinese Triad. It could escalate the situation here in Southie.”
His eyes narrowed, a mix of interest and urgency. “That’s valuable intel. We’ll use it to our advantage. But we need more, Byrne. Anything that can bring down the Murphy organization.”
I nodded, my resolve hardening even as my heart screamed in protest. Bringing down the Murphys was one thing, but taking Liam with them felt like too much for me to bear.
“Would it be possible for our agency to leave Liam Shelby off the table?” I asked, my voice soft.
My emotions must have played out over my face because he gave me a stern look. “You knew what you signed up for, Byrne. Don’t let personal feelings cloud your judgment. The mission comes first.”
“Of course, sir,” I answered.
The truth was, I already had more than I needed. I could hand over my dossier file and that would be enough to get them off the streets for a little while at least, but for some reason, I didn’t offer it.
Liam’s face flashed before my eyes, and I swallowed hard.
“Contact me when you have more,” he dictated, and I nodded once. In a flash, he disappeared, and I sat back against the bench.
My heart hurt and I pressed a hand over it, sighing softly as I slowly came to terms with the fact that my job wasn’t over yet, and I needed to go back in.
I didn’t know how much more my heart could handle.
Truthfully, the more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to complete the job. The Murphys were kind, and the men were exceedingly sweet, so much so that they welcomed me into the fold with open arms. After last night, I felt like I’d found a family within them, and that felt like too much to give up.
And then there was Liam.
There was no going back once I turned over that dossier.
There would be no more us.
In that moment, I chose with my heart.
I wasn’t going to turn in the dossier.
At the first chance I got, I was going to come clean to Liam and confess everything. The Murphys were extremely well connected and as long as I was able to convince Liam that I meant well, hopefully they could help me disappear.
It was only a job.
Liam was a once in a lifetime kind of love, and I wasn’t going to give that up.
Pulling my shoulders back, I stood up and slowly made my way out of the park. With my decision made, my heart seemed to relax. Liam would be angry with me at first, I was sure of it, but he loved me. I knew he did, and with his love would come forgiveness.
At least I hoped it would.
The hair on the back of my neck rose and I looked behind me, unable to shake the feeling of being watched. Cautiously, I took another few steps and a chill raced down my spine.
I walked down the street and turned down the first alleyway that I could. I knew these streets like the back of my hand, and as quickly as I could, I wove through the urban maze.
I didn’t get far.
A sudden hush fell over the air as I entered another secluded alley, the atmosphere thick with tension. A dim streetlamp flickered overhead, casting elongated shadows on the worn brick walls. Before I could react, a group of dark figures emerged, their presence ominous and foreboding. The distinct sound of boots against the cobblestone ground reverberated, closing in on me like a tightening noose.
One of them stepped forward, his demeanor exuding malicious intent. “Eduardo Ramirez sends his regards,” he declared with a cold detachment.
