Suits and Scars

Chapter Thirty-One: Suits

Matt's Point of View

I hated that the Murphy's wanted to have a two-hour meeting with us. The Murphy's weren't just a client of Chris's they were close with the O'Leary's and wanted everything from us. We didn't have any deals with the Murphy's at the moment all we wanted was for them to take their businesses out of the heart of the city.

I didn't want Taylor out of our sight today but she insisted I was being silly. She would be in the room right next to Chris's with Declan and me just down the hall, she swore there would be nothing to worry about. Chris told me he gave TayTay a codeword to use if she had an emergency but something deep down told me she wouldn't use it.

I wanted to go check on her after an hour of arguing with these people. My gut told me she needed us but the second I started to get up Colm Murphy had to open his fucking mouth.

He rubbed his palms together with a stupid smile on his face, "We will pull one of the speakeasies if you offer up partial control of the shipping yard."

Sure we needed their speakeasies out of town so they didn't compete with our clubs but not that fucking bad. Besides, my dad would wring my neck if I made that kind of deal.

"Fuck that." Declan started, "There's no world in which those two things are equally balanced in any way. Not to mention, why should you have any control over the shipping yard, to begin with?"

"Fine then," Colm paused for a moment and I could see the wheels turning in his stupid fucking head before he chuckled to himself, "We won't come after the shipping yard, but you have to give us your little plaything. Give us the girl."

Chris was trying to keep his tone professional but I could see the anger in his eyes. "She's not property that can just be thrown around."

What did they even want with Taylor anyway?

Colm's brother, and second hand, Noland attempted to mutter under his breath, "I'm sure I could throw her around a bit."

I slammed my hands on the table, "She's not for sale. The shipping yard is not up for grabs. You have until the end of the year to move your speakeasies to the north or west side of town or they will burn with you locked inside them." I turned my attention to Chris, "I'm going to check on her. I want this handled by the time I get back."

Chris just nodded and I walked towards the door that separated me from the love of my life. I knew it wouldn't be handled when I got back but I couldn't kill people in Chris' office so instead, I walked away.

When I pushed the door open Taylor wasn't there. I walked down the hall to the bathroom and pushed the women's door open just enough to call her name. An older woman's voice told me there was no one in there but her. Not sure where else she would have gone I walked to the other side of the building where there was a kitchen and break room but it was also empty aside from some intern making coffee.

"Sophia," I questioned walking back to the lobby, "Have you seen Taylor?"

"Yes sir." She responded, grabbing a sticky note from the edge of her computer screen, "Ms. Carter received a call from her dad who said he was hurt and she needed to come home."

"Did she say her dad or did she say Greg?"

"Her dad," she nodded, "I don't even know who Greg is, sir."

"Fuck. How long ago did she leave?" I needed to know how much of a head start she had on the twenty-minute drive back to our old neighborhood.

"Not very long actually, maybe five or ten minutes ago."

I quickly walked back to Chris' office and slammed the door open, "This meeting is over. There's an emergency with The Family."

Chris and Declan were quick to their feet, both panic, and anger on their faces. The Murphy's' only smiled. I'm sure they thought it was something the O'Leary family had done but little did they know it was so much worse.