“I was supposed to go to Michael Antanov as a birthday gift from the wife. Those rich Irish mob bosses are all the same. If you keep the wives happy, they play the part,” said Tilly as she slumped down to the step of the porch. “I was a virgin—a real delicacy, and the missus wanted to make sure I stayed that way until the boss’s birthday, so she stuck me in a house with a couple of his guards.” Tilly spat off the porch before continuing. “She knew they wouldn’t touch me, not with her husband being who he was.”

“Well, a few days go by, and I see Collins pulling up with a pretty little redhead. I knew from looking at her that she wasn’t like me. She was there for the pleasure, not the payment.”

“So Collins is a whore. We already knew this,” I interjected. “I don’t mean to be rude, but can we hurry this up?”

At my scolding, the girl turned again into a meek creature. Her posture straightened and she stopped chewing the gum in her mouth like a horse. She might have been a virgin at one point, but now it was easy to see the call-girl inside her when she let her guard down. I didn’t like to be harsh with her or anyone else when it wasn’t called for, but I was running out of time. Every second that I was away from Rosa, the danger grew.

“I thought she was just another girl, too, until his men started coming in with others like her. Some of them weren’t as willing.”

That made me stiffen. “He was taking more girls forcefully?”

“Well, now, that’s what I thought at first, but that night, I went snooping. The men who were supposed to be watching me got caught up in some drugs Collins had brought. They didn’t give two shits about their boss’s birthday gift. There were six of them in all. Collins, three of his men, and my two guards. The girls—there were three—weren’t panicked and scared. They were just as high as the men were. I saw them dancing and grinding on each other for a while before a new fella came in.”

“The party seemed to die down when he showed up. I had to slip behind the door just to keep from being seen then. Collins sat down across from him and started talking about money and trading favors. I was starting to get bored. I don’t care about none of that stuff. Like Miss Sherwood says, ‘they pay us well to shut up and lie there.’ So, I was about to flitter on out of there when I heard one of my guards whispering to the other. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that conversation. Hearing something like that gets you shot dead in a heartbeat.”

“Well?” I asked, waiting on the edge of my seat.

“Collins had gotten high while he was out on a date with Skorvol’s daughter. He brought her back to the house because he knew her father would have men watching his place, and when she didn’t comply, he threatened her, but I guess she wouldn’t back down. Told him she would go to her father if he didn’t let her go. All that did was fire him up more. He had his goons gather up her best friends too—just so happens that’s Antanov’s and McLaughen’s girls.”

I shook my head. “That stupid son of a bitch.”

“Pretty much. Fool didn’t even know who they were until one of his men said something. By then, he was so far gone that it didn’t matter. He dragged them back to the bedroom one by one, and when he was done, he paid off each of the men. They worked for the different bosses.” She shuddered at the memory. “Every one of them traded the girls they were supposed to take care of for a payoff and some drugs. It was horrible. I never want to see something like that again.”

I couldn’t speak or move as I leaned back against the chair. If what she was telling me was true, this was what I needed to bring Collins down. If his abusive ways went toward their own daughters, he was a dead man walking. I couldn’t let myself go in the excitement. It was still one hooker’s word against that of Collins’s, who was next in line to take over the southern territory.

“So, what happened to you?” I asked. “It must have been shit to watch, but a girl like yourself doesn’t start shaking just because she’s seen something.”

“No, you are right,” she said with a shudder. “Once the men got bored with the money and drugs, they wanted a little something that wasn’t forbidden fruit like the other girls. They came looking for me.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “To go through that must have been terrible.”

Tilly shrugged. “I’m no saint. It wasn’t Collins who did the most damage. No, that came from the boss’s wife when she found out I was spoiled.”

I didn’t want to push the subject any further. Whatever had happened to her had caused enough damage. The last thing she needed was my asking questions. I needed to keep a steady head on my shoulders. “This is a great story, but that’s all it is—just a story—and while I appreciate the lead, I need to get going.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “The bosses—you know, the ones you call the elders? They treat us ladies good. We don’t cross them and they know that. So what do they care if we have our phones and contact with the outside world? It’s a good arrangement we have.”

“What are you saying?”

Tilly grinned. “I’ve got more than just my word. I’ve got pictures to back it up.”

* * *

I swallowed hard, trying to shake loose the fear that was stemming from my gut. This wasn’t who I was. I didn’t like being the center of attention. There was a reason I was the outside man. Politics and temperamental old men never did suit me. Yet there I stood in front of the three bosses of the Irish mafia. They ran everything that happened in the United States. They only answered to one man, and he was still back in the homeland.

The man in the middle looked like he stopped shopping in the sixties. His large gut hung out of a brightly colored shirt. He was the one I needed to talk to, McLaughen. The other two, the brothers, didn’t hold half the power that he had. I bowed my head in a sign of respect.

“All right, Peyton, tell us what is so important that you would pull us away from Sunday dinner.”

“I’m sorry to have disturbed you, McLaughen. The information that I have couldn’t wait. For the past three years, I have spent countless dollars and man-hours tracking down an old vendetta of Collins’s.”

“Yes, we’ve heard of his obsession, but what is one obsession when he brings in such revenue?”

“One obsession?” I asked. “And what if I were to tell you it went far deeper than that? He has been bribing your men and doing unthinkable things to your own daughters.”

All three of them stopped fidgeting and gave me their full attention for the first time. An Irishman’s daughter was his pride and joy, even though theirs had seen more than their fair share of men. It was an unspoken law among our kind—you never mess with the boss’s daughter. Collins hadn’t just broken that rule. He’d done so and been caught.

“An accusation like that will cost you your head, Peyton,” hissed McLaughen.

“Only if it weren’t true. In which case, I would ask for my freedom and that of those wronged by Collins. Too many have suffered because of his malicious ways.”

McLaughen leaned forward, the gun in his belt gleaming in the light. I knew that I was taking a gamble with my own life, but I’d run out of time. I had given Rosa my word that I would be back in a day, but it was going on three. She was no doubt furious with me since I hadn’t called, but Kane assured me every hour that she was fine. Restless, but fine. I reached into my coat pocket, and every hand in the room reached for a gun. Carefully, I pulled out the envelope with the pictures.

“I told you when I first came in, that I’m not here to cause trouble,” I said carefully.

I slid the pictures out and let them slide across the table to the three elders. There were no more words needed. I watched their faces shift from shock to rage, just as mine had when I discovered what a monster Collins really was. When I’d looked into the eyes of my own dear Shannon and seen the injustice.

McLaughen looked up after several minutes. “You have your freedom and that of the others. I suggest you use it wisely. You can leave this little problem to us to handle. I suggest you go back to your woman and sister. Give our best to Kane. It’s a shame to see him go.”

I grinned. Of course they were keeping tabs on me. I nodded toward him once again. “Thank you, sir. It’s been a pleasure working for the family.”