While I Breathe: The Veiðimenn Mob, Book One

Thirty-Six

His eyes wide, David relaxed in the booth. “Wow. So, she finally came around?”

“Two weeks ago, actually. We’re trying for another baby upon our son’s request, and I’ve never slept better. You were right about me needing her to finally heal for good, too. Even Dad is over the moon about everything ending on a positive note,” Callum sighed. He looked at Declan, his eyes noting the way the man always seemed to be ready for anything on a moments notice.

Declan sipped his coffee, his azure gaze fixated on the sky outside as he thought about his life. He was happy for his sister, but the small, deceitfully sweet voice in the back of his mind made him wonder when he’d catch a similar break, and find someone worth holding onto for the rest of his life. So far, he'd been out of luck in the love department, but he didn’t want to give up hope now that their lives were finally settling into a comfortable routine.

“Here you go. Poutine with extra cheese, Clubhouse platter, and the house soup and sandwich of the day,” the waitress chirped as she laid their food out on the table. “Will there be anything else?”

Declan looked up, only to have it feel like someone had turned up the heat. His eyes widened, his mouth going dry as his heart pounded like he’d just finished a five kilometer run.

Her red hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her cerulean blue eyes reflected the low-hanging lights. Eyeing her discreetly, he noted that she had all the right curves in all the right places. Biting his lip, he noted the adorable splatter freckles that were scattered over her face, highlighting her small nose and delicate cheekbones. He didn’t like make-up, preferring a woman’s full naturality over anything else. Yet, she somehow managed to wear the offending cosmetics without taking from her natural beauty.

She glanced at him, shock and desire fleetingly echoing in the depths of her eyes. She licked her lips, obviously fighting the tension between them as if it frightened her to feel something for anyone of the opposite gender. The hand holding the coffee pot trembled, the tendons flexing as she gripped the handle tighter.

He beat back the rising heat that was making his pants tent as she shakily offered to top up his cup. Declan smiled warmly at her, attempting to put her at ease. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one that felt the attraction. “I would love a refill, thank you.”

She left the table, returning in a few moments with a freshly brewed pot to refill their mugs. She bit her lip, “And for you other gentlemen?"

“I’m good,” David replied.

Callum smiled, “As am I, thanks.”

David started eating while his free hand flicked through his phone as Callum sat back in his seat, his food untouched. He knew if he waited long enough, Declan would do something to make David regret opening his mouth earlier at the office. He found it hilarious when they fought, mostly because Declan would wait until the moment was just right before striking back.

The auburn-haired man continued sipping his coffee in silence. As soon as the waitress was gone, Declan slammed his hand on the table. David gasped, coughing as a piece of his food lodged in his throat from being startled unexpectedly.

“Choke, you bastard,” Declan muttered as he finally started eating. Callum laughed, knowing that this was how they got along with each other.

Callum laughed as started eating. “So, Declan, no objections to me marrying your sister?”

“No, and stop asking. I honestly couldn’t care any less about it as long as she’s happy. Are you really okay with me being around so much?” Declan asked, an edge of caution to his confident voice.

“Absolutely,” the blond said. “You’re the only family she can really count on, and I won’t take that from her. I wasted enough time looking, so now I’m going to take what I can get. If that means I get a brother out of the deal, then I guess welcome to the family, Declan.”

Amused, David smirked, “You should go talk to that girl, Declan.”

Declan chewed his food carefully before responding. “Yeah, not happening. She doesn’t look old enough for me.”

“Awe, is someone having a bit of stage fright?” David cooed at him getting a sharp kick to the ankle in the process. “You hit like your nephew.”

“Who do you think taught him,” Declan shot back.

“Santa Clause,” David said, making the other two men groan.

“GTFU, Dave,” Declan said as he drank his coffee. He knew the ex-Social Worker didn’t keep up with the modern jargon the kids used, and took great pleasure in confusing the man every chance he had.

The brunet’s hazel-blue eyes moved between them, “Can I get a translation?”

Callum glanced over at him, “It means grow the f**k up. I'm going to the bathroom.”

As he disappeared around the corner, David checked his watch and grinned. “I bet my next pay that he’s going to talk to the girl for you.”

“Nope; you know his habits better than I do, and I don’t feel like losing my hard-earned money,” Declan replied with a growl.

“Come on, you just made me look like an i***t in front of all these people,” David sulked.

“You do a great job of being an i***t all on your own,” Declan argued.

******

Callum stopped at the door in front of him as he passed the office on the way back to his table. He heard a man’s scathing voice just before a female screamed. He pulled out his gun and checked the safety. He kicked the door hard, his booted heel slamming into the door’s weak point.

Wooden shards splintered from the frame, scattering in different directions as the manager turned around. He watched, terrified as the man holding the gun switched off the safety. "Who…"

Cal held the gun to the man's head, "Give me one good reason not to blow your brains all over the desk."

Sneering, Callum pulled out his cell phone, “Declan, I need you. Back office. Your orders are to take the waitress to Toronto General, and keep me posted.”

When Declan arrived on-scene, he immediately shrugged off his jacket. Wrapping it around the sobbing woman, he gently lifted her into his arms, quickly getting her out of the situation as Callum called David and told him to lock the place down. Unimpressed with his unexpected findings, he also contacted his father.

The man was obviously pissed off over the news. “We're on the way. Ross is contacting the owner now.”

“Understood,” Callum replied. His blood began to boil when he spotted the Black Market contracts for the same group his father spent the last year trying to take down. A movement in the hall caught his attention as he moved to grab the files. Leaving them, he looked up to see a little girl standing in the shadows. Getting down on one knee, he asked, “What you doing here?”

“I was waiting for my big sister in the storeroom ’cause she couldn’t find a sitter. Not that I need one,” the little girl replied. She glared at the man behind him, “He tried to threaten me, and Tempy got mad. He dragged her in here to hurt her, so he’s a bad man.”

Callum grimaced at what she described, knowing that someone so innocent shouldn’t have seen what she saw. “Don’t look at him, baby girl. Look at me. How old are you, kiddo?”

Her red brows furrowed, "I don’t have to listen to you. You’re a stranger to me."

Amused, he decided to humour her. "Well, I’m Callum Hansson. Now, will you tell me your name and age, sweetie?"

“I guess if I know your name, then you're not a stranger anymore, huh? It’s Kennedy. Kennedy Françoise Rubin, and I just turned ten,” she replied.

Callum noted that she wasn't afraid, which was strange for a child her age. She either didn’t know fear or she’d been desensitized considering she was too calm for his liking. Callum cursed quietly. “Do you have any parents that can come pick you up?”

“They died," she said sadly.

He smiled sadly, "You two are all alone, huh?"

She nodded, “Where did that man take my sister?”

"She’s going to the hospital," he told her. Then, “Hey, Kennedy? How old is your sister?”

The little girl gave him a blank stare, “Oh, Tempy? Well, she’s twenty-one.”

“Okay, well, you can come with me for a minute and sit out front while me and my people settle some things, okay?” He mentioned cautiously, holding out his hand to her.

Obviously nervous, she scowled. “I’ll come with you, but I won’t hold your hand.”

“That’s fine,” he promised, leading her out to the main room. “Listen, Kennedy, I know you might be a little scared with everything happening at once, but I’m not going to hurt you.”

Unperturbed, she gave him a pointed stare, “What if that man runs away?”

“Hm, good job noticing,” he said lightly. Moving back into the room, he closed the door to block her view before adding a silencer to his weapon. He smiled, completely unbothered by the job he was doing. “So, I could kill you right here and now, but I have someone I’d love to get you in a room alone with. That said, I’m simply going to maim you for now.”

Aiming at the man’s feet, Callum shot him. As the man cried out in pain, Callum ripped the phone cord out of the wall, removing any chance of the guy calling in any kind of backup. “Now, you sit tight until my father comes for you.”