Lia's Return (Mulligan Clan)

The Ring

Liam

   Standing just outside the boxing ring Liam watched the two youths with a critical eye.  These two like so many others came from the worst part of the city.  Poverty, drugs and gangs were just daily life.  A harsh one.  So the Black brothers had openned their doors to any who wished to learn to defend themselve.  Lad or lass both were welcome.

   "You made contact?" Royce questioned coming to stand at his side.  Like Liam he carried the name Black but they shared no blood.

   "Aye" was all Liam offered before calling out instructions to the two lads in the ring.  Then waving for a vollenteer he handed off the watching of the lads and headed for his office.  This was not a conversation for out in the open.

   Like the Mulligan's his family line was Irish and held deep connections to Boston.  Loyal to the Mulligan's they were.  So when his da called them in to help with the Mulligan's found lost lass they had all agreed.  They all knew the story from five years passed but it wasn't till yesterday Liam had felt it more than just a favour.

   "I met her at the gym last night by accident actually.  Gave her the card for the gym then watched her leave.  Our men called an hour later to inform a hit was attempted.  I spent most of last night calling in favours to get information on her these past five years.  Guess who I found?" Liam freely offered behind closed doors knowing none could hear.

   "You gotta be fuckin kidding me!" Royce ground out running his hands through his long blond hair.

   "Aye our brother has known her wereabouts for years.  Which connect the dots...." Liam offered leading his older brother down the rabbit hole he'd travelled the night before.

  "The female assassin he works with, the one he talked of last Christmas." Royce connected the dots quickly then let out a good string of curses.

    Quinn, the second oldest of the Black Brothers had chosen young a different path than the family business.  While they remained close Quinn spent more time out of the country in those first years away.  Only in the past 3-4 years had he returned to the states with his new business partner.  Until last night they'd been made to believe the partner was a stranger.  Not the Irish Mafia Princess who'd died five years back.

   "Aye.  Tis a bloody mess we may be stepping into here depending on how this plays out.  I've got Spence searching for the hole he's hiding in now.  No way he'd let her return and not be close.  From what I learned in the early hours this morning it's not just him either.  Our little brother has his full team in town prepared to keep the lass safe."  Liam detailed as he grabbed a bottle of water and sat behind his desk.

    "Does he nay ken the danger he set upon all our heads" Royce barked his temper coming out.  Liam couldn't blame him as it was truth.  Quinn knowing Lia was alive all this time and not coming forward put the family in a sticky spot. "Has his location been found yet?" his brother final questioned and seeing Royce's fists clench Liam knew his brother would be getting a pounding.

   "Aye.  When Raine gets here we'll go pay our brother a wee visit." Liam stated.

   "What a bloody fucking mess" Royce stated flopping into a chair and Liam silently agreed.  It was a mess. 

Quinn

     Rubbing his aching jaw Quinn looked up from his spot on the floor at two of his brothers.  Royce who had greeted him with a sucker punch and Liam who looked ready to do the same.  Truth, he couldn't blame them as they had odviously put together his connection to Lia. 

   Coming the rest of the way in to his small rental flat Liam closed the door as Quinn got his ass off the floor.  Aye he could understand their anger.  He'd hid the fact that Alister Mulligan's granddaughter was alive.  The why of it was what they were here to question him on and Quinn wasn't sure where to start.

   Three years ago he'd been on a job when he'd caught sight of her.  The eyes.  A week later after simply watching her Quinn had introduced himself and truthfully offered the family connection.  It had been Lia who swore him to secracy.  The one who needed to tie up loose ends.  So he'd helped her take down her demons and watched over the lass. 

   After Lia had been in no shape to face her family.  She'd needed to feel safe in her own skin so Quinn had set her up with a connection of his.  That connection had continued her training.  From there it had been Lia to make the jump into business partners. 

   Every six months or so Quinn had broched the subject of her return to family only to be shot down.  If not for the connection to Oliver he was sure Lia would have continued to remain hidden.  Partly because they hadn't been able to connect yet who had betrayed her.

   Quinn explained all this to his brothers as he made coffee and gathered out the fixings for lunch.  He made no comment to the punch he'd recieved knowing he should have told them earlier.  Quinn just couldn't betray Lia's trust after she'd already been through so much.  Now that he'd been found out he only felt relief that he'd now had help.  Only question he had was how they'd learned of the connection.

   "How?" he simply asked as he handed out coffee mugs and placed out the cream and suger.

   "Alister Mulligan put out a request for my help watching over the lass" Liam answered then added what he'd learned and how he made the connection. 

    Quinn wasn't happy it had been so easy to connect.  Call him a mother hen but if Liam had made it then someone else could as well.

   "We need a plan" Royce stated

Note:

So what do you think so far?  Another connection.  What a mess of names I'm making for myself again lol