Raptor (Fury Vipers MC: Dublin Chapter #2)

18. Raptor

Chapter 18

Raptor

I quietly lie Shay down in his crib. Mallory's fast asleep and hasn't moved since I walked into the room. She needs the rest as her body recuperates. I'm still fucking pissed about everything that went down today. She shouldn't have been touched, not fucking once. I'm going to find Micah O'Leary and I'm going to enjoy killing him. Hearing her recount what happened the night she returned home from the hospital after giving birth to our son was harrowing. I could hear the fear in her voice. It was like she was back to that time, reliving it all over again.

She's so fucking strong. Time and time again that cunt has hurt her and she's picked herself up and focused on our son. It doesn't matter that she's hidden away. I'm proud of her. She's done everything she can to ensure that our son is safe. There's nothing I could ever do to thank her for what she's done.

I press a kiss to her head and leave her room. I know she's checked in with her mom. Denis messaged me earlier to tell me that Callie's mom had let Callie know that Jayne's okay and she's spoken with Mallory.

I make it downstairs and reach for my cell. I've had multiple missed calls, the majority from Pyro. My brother fucked up and he damn well knows it. There's absolutely no justification for what he said today, especially with Mallory in the room. Just as I'm about to hit dial on Py's number to ream his ass out, I see headlights in the window. Someone's here.

I reach for my gun, something they don't use much here if at all. But with all the shit that's happened with Mallory, I'm not taking any chances. A gun is going to do a lot more fucking damage than a knife would. I open the door and see Maverick and Freddie walking toward me, both looking grim and pissed the fuck off.

"Sorry to disturb you, Rap, man, especially with what today is for you, but we've got to talk. You got a minute?" Maverick asks, his gaze assessing everything around him.

Since I moved to Dublin, I've learned a lot about the hierarchy of the criminal world here. The Gallaghers are the most powerful family, but that's due to the size of them along with the way they have their organization spread out. It spans through Ireland, the UK, Spain, and the US. The Houlihan Gang has a lot of ties throughout Europe. They're next on the hierarchy, but since they work closely with the Gallaghers, they've grown in stature. Everyone is entwined in the businesses. Denis' wife, Callie, is the niece of the head of the Houlihan Gang. Jerry Houlihan loves his nieces and nephew, which is why Maverick is now his right-hand man. He'll be the one to take over the organization once Jerry steps down.

Not only is Callie Jerry's niece, Jessica is also, which means Mallory is close to Jerry through both of her girls. And that's what fucking angers me the most. She's tied to so many powerful people and yet not one person has been able to help her.

I open the door wider for them, letting them into the house. "Mallory and Shay are sleepin'."

Freddie nods. "Good. She looked dead on her feet earlier. How is she doing?"

I glare at him. "How the fuck do you think she's doing? She's in pain and terrified."

"We know you're pissed, Raptor, and we're going to make sure that Micah doesn't get away with this," Freddie says, raising his hands in surrender.

"Tell me somethin'," I growl low. "How long have you known Mallory?"

"Years," Maverick replies. "Since she was a kid. She and Jess have been best friends since they were in junior infants. They’ve been inseparable since then."

"So explain to me why no one, not one fuckin' person, knew that she was in hidin'? I mean, you saw that her house had been ransacked and that Mallory and her mom had left in a hurry, so tell me, Mav, why the fuck did no one try to find her to help her?"

"There's no excuse. We should have known."

"That fuckin' Maguire," I snarl. "He started this shit. Where the fuck is he?" He's not been mentioned at fucking all since we found Mallory.

"He's got shit goin' on right now," Freddie snaps. "His wife is also in hiding, something that Mallory knows. Jess' father is a fucking cunt and has been severely torturing his daughter for years."

"He killed that fucker's brother, and now when that bastard comes to the surface and beats my woman almost to death, he's nowhere to be fuckin' seen. Tell me how that makes sense." My anger is at the forefront. I was never going to unload this on Mallory. She's been through too fucking much to have me spew shit at her. I need her safe and I need to ensure that I'm that safe space for her. There's no fucking way I'd jeopardize that by being a fucking ass to her.

"Like I said," Freddie says, "he's dealing with Jess right now. If you knew what she's been through you'd understand why he can't be here. But he knows what's going on and wants us to assure you that he's looking for Micah, along with Fintan—Micah's father. We're not going to let Mallory get hurt again."

My laughter is icy cold. "Excuse me if I don't believe that shit. I'll make sure my woman isn't found by that cunt again."

Maverick sighs. "I get it. If it were my woman, I'd be the exact same. We've all fucked up when it comes to both Mallory and Jess, but we're going to do everything in our power to ensure we rectify that shit and make sure neither of them are hurt again."

"Any idea where the cunt is hidin'?" I ask, needing to get a lead on the fucker so I can track him down.

"Nothing, but we've got all our men on it and I know Denis does too. With the Houlihan Gang, the Gallagher men, and the Vipers, it's going to be hard for him to stay hidden," Freddie tells me. "We'll find him, and when we do, he's going to be in for a painful death."

I know the smile on my face is anything but pleasant. I'm going to enjoy stripping strips off that cunt's skin. I'm going to take my time and be methodical as I kill him. He tortured Mallory; beat her over and over again. There's nothing about that fucker's death that will be easy. It's going to be painful, and I'm going to enjoy every fucking second of it.

"You've got our number. If there's anything you need, just call. If we hear anything about his whereabouts, we'll let you know," Maverick assures me. "We'll leave you be. I'm glad you're with her, man. She's one of the best and she has a deep capacity to love. Don't hurt her."

"I won't," I rumble, pissed that he thinks I'd ever do that. They don't know me.

He nods. "I'll see you around."

I wait for them both to get into the car before I close the door. That conversation didn't help ease my anger at fucking all. Fuck.

I sink down onto the sofa. I'm fucking tired, bone-ass tired. It's been a long-ass six months trying to find her, and now I have her back I can finally, fucking finally, have what I've wanted for a long time. My woman is under this roof. She and our son are safe, and that's what I'm taking solace in right now.

My cell rings, and I don't even have to look at the screen to know it's Pyro calling me.

"Finally," he growls. "Fuckin' finally. I've been tryin' to call you, brother."

"Been busy. What's up?" I ask. My tone isn't welcoming. In fact, it's clipped. He's pissed me the fuck off and he damn well knows he has.

"I ain't goin' to apologize for what I said, but I should have waited until we were alone."

I grit my teeth. Fucking A.

"How is she?" he asks. "She looked like she could pass out at any moment."

"She's asleep, as is Shay. She's in pain, but she's been so scared that fucking bastard will come back that she's not been sleeping. I'm not leavin', so I'm hopin' she'll sleep through the night."

"Wrath's none too pleased with us," he says. "He called me an ass and told me that Mallory's been a part of Chloe's life for years and we should have done more to find her."

"We all should have. It's just not us. The Gallaghers should have too. Everyone fucking failed her. It's fucked up that she's been through so much trauma and she's done it all by herself."

I hear his heavy sigh. "Why did she never reach out?"

I have a few ideas, and when she's feeling better I'll be delving into it and finding out what's going on. I know that when she was younger, her mom wasn't around much. She's not spoken about her dad, and when shit goes south, she's alone and has no one to help other than her mom.

"Any idea on where the fuck this asshole is?" he asks. "Denis has no idea. All he heard was that the O'Learys were up north in Belfast. Since Jarlath died, they've been in hiding. Fintan and Micah haven't been seen by anyone in months."

"Except Mallory," I snap. "She thinks that cunt is following her. I've got to say, with how good she was at hiding herself, he has to be keeping tabs on her."

"We need to have her vehicle and cell checked for trackers."

"Yeah, it's on my list to do."

"Brother, I know you’re pissed, but we've got to sort this shit out," he says. I know he’s right, but fuck... How can I let slide what the fuck happened?

"You fucked up, brother. You made my woman feel like a whore," I snap. "Tell me, if the tables were turned, what would you do?"

His silence is enough of an answer for me. "I'll apologize. Fuck, Chloe's goin' to kill me. She's already pissed that I kicked her out when Mallory was injured. When she finds out what I said, she'll go for my balls."

I can't bite my tongue any longer. "Mallory was the one who put a stop to Chloe bein' bullied. Mallory has put her friends above herself every fuckin' single time, and you practically call her a whore. Brother, you owe her more than an apology." I shove a hand through my hair. "She should never have felt alone. She should have been able to call any of us."

"I get it, brother," he says low. "We should have done better. We'll make it right. Whatever you need, we'll make it happen."

Fuck yeah we will. I'm not leaving Mallory alone. Fuck no. She's been through enough, and I'm not letting that cunt get to her again.

"I want that cunt found," I hiss. "I need my woman and kid safe, Py. I need them safe."

"We'll make sure they are," he promises me. "Anyone who tries to harm them will be taken out, brother. On that you have my word."

"Right, brother, I'm goin' to let you go talk to your woman and let her know that Mallory is okay. She's sleepin'. I'll have her call her in the mornin'." I end the call and take a deep breath. Fuck, today has been a fucking day.

I have my woman and my son, and right now that's all I'm focusing on. It's been a long time fucking coming, but tonight, I get to hold my woman in my arms.