A Seductive Beauty: Knights Of Purgatory Syndicate, #1 6r2a3d

A Seductive Beauty

Knights of Purgatory Book 1

E.M. Shue

Copyright © 2021 by E.M. Shue

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means— electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design by KL Donn of Alluring Write Productions

Editing by Nadine Winningham of The Editing Maven

Cover Photo from DepositPhotos

www.authoremshue.com

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Created with Vellum

Contents

Synopsis

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Also by E.M. Shue

Synopsis

One look. One glance. That is all it took for Aidan to claim her. She is innocence and purity rolled into one seductive package. He’s the beast that owns the underbelly of Belfast. But he’d make her his, even if it meant destroying himself for her. Fiona can’t believe the man that is demanding her attention. Watching her every move. Sure, she’s pretty, but she’s no beauty. She’s content living a quiet life away from the spotlight. When evil threatens to come after Fiona, Aidan will call in all his favors to protect her. Because what is a beast without his beauty. This is the start of a new dark mafia romance series written by award-winning author E.M. Shue.

For Shaun I love you more than words can say.

Prologue

Ilift my eyes at the clicking sound and look through the barrel of a revolver. As the gun cocks, I watch the chamber rotate, and the next bullet moves up in line. Fear prickles along my skin as I worry my bottom lip. My heart clenches at the thought of never seeing the ones I love again. I’m not sure how I’m going to survive this, but maybe I can keep him distracted until help arrives. Because I know they will come for me. “Please. You don’t have to do this.” I look up past the gun and into his eyes. Eyes I’ve known for a while now. To a man I was supposed to marry. All I see is anger and hate. “If I kill you now and take off, he won’t ever find me. I can leave Ireland. He only has power here.” “He’ll never stop. He’ll find you, and he will end you after he tortures you. You’ll beg for death, and he’ll continue to hurt you.” “Not if he can’t find me, he can’t.” His smile is too big. His confidence is faltering. “He has a man you can never hide from. He’ll find you no matter where you go. You can’t hide from cameras; they are everywhere nowadays. Besides, you can’t live without money.” “I can. I will.” He straightens his back and paces the room. He sounds like he’s trying to convince me along with himself. “But why? Why do you have to kill me?” The tears start again. “To get even with him.” “What?” My voice rises. “You are his only weakness.” He raises the gun and fires.

Chapter One

Fiona

Almost Ten Months Earlier

Isway my hips as I roll out the dough and laminate it for the croissants I’m making. It’s a technique I learned from my French instructor when I went to culinary school in London. The thin layers are tedious, but when they are done correctly, they make for a perfectly flakey croissant. “Higher” by the Saturdays blares through the single earbud in my ear. I step back and dance around as I mouth the words. In my mind, I’m a good dancer and singer when in reality I suck at both, but I like to dream. It’s all I got. I work, work out, and sleep. Sometimes I go out with my flatmates, but mostly I’m a quiet girl. Some might think my life is boring, but not to me. This is exactly what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m working at a bakery. I have my culinary arts degree, and I’m no longer under the thumb of my family. My parents didn’t want me to go to culinary arts school. They wanted me to marry for a title or money. It might be the twenty-first century, but in their minds it’s still ancient times and women only exist for status and birthing babies. Don’t get me wrong, I want children. I want to marry and have love, but that isn’t going to happen for me for a while or ever if my life keeps up the way it is. I let go of the rolling pin and hold up my hands, then I twirl around and catch my boss in my eyeline. “Oops, sorry.” I pull the earbud out of my ear and let it hang from its cord down the jacket of my black uniform. I still think it’s weird I’m required to wear a black uniform with all the flour I work around, but it keeps the stains from the dyes I use in the frostings from showing. “You have an emergency call.” Mrs. O’Sullivan points at the phone on the wall. I click the line and pick it up. I never get calls at work. “Hello?” “Fiona, this is Jean George. Kayla has been in an accident. They took her to Royal Victoria Hospital. We are on our way to the airport now.”

“Oh my goodness! Okay, I’ll get there and send you an update.” I hang up with my blood pounding through my veins. My cousin Kayla is one of the few family who associates with me still. She is the reason I went to Le Cordon Bleu. She ed and helped me and gave me a place to stay. My parents disowned me when I was seventeen because I wanted to be a baker. Since Kayla has been here in Belfast, she’s spent a lot of time with me and my flatmates. “I need to go. Mikayla was in an accident.” I turn back to Mrs. O’Sullivan, and she nods. “I’ll finish the croissants.” She moves over to the workbench I was at. “They only need to be shaped. They are all laminated. These are unfilled ones.” “Okay. Call me when you know what your plans are going to be and when you have an update. If you need tomorrow off, let me know so I can call in someone to cover for you.” “I will.” I race to the employee break room and open my locker. I yank out my street clothes and change into them before I drop my uniform in the bin to go to the cleaners. My white jeans hug my curves and long legs. At five foot three, I’m longer in the legs and short waisted. I slip on my blue velvet boots and then the matching blue cowl-neck sweater over my white tank top I wear under my uniform. I smell like baked goods, but I don’t want to take the time to rush home and take a shower. I need to get to Kayla. “I called you a cab; it’s waiting for you out front,” Mrs. O’Sullivan says as I make my way to the front of the bakery. I climb into the back of the cab and give the driver my destination. I pull the band from my honey-blonde hair, letting it fall down my back. After a while of keeping my thick hair up gives me a headache. I lean back and say a quick prayer that Mikayla is safe and not hurt too bad. I realize I should let the girls know what’s going on too, and I text Moira. She will let the others know. Me: Kayla was in an accident. I’m on my way to the hospital now. I’ll send you updates. Won’t be home until late probably.

Moira: Keep me posted. I have to work tonight. Moira has been a friend of mine since we both entered prep school at five. She was in the day program, and I was in the boarding school. Her family would let me come stay with them sometimes when my parents were off traveling. Now, she and I along with three of our friends all share a flat together. It’s only a fourbedroom but Moira and I share a room. Giselle, Brigid, and Arianna have their own rooms. We have a good time and are all very close to each other. But Moira I’m the closest too. She’s been with me for everything that my parents have put me through, and she’s the only one who knows I was disowned. The cab pulls up in front of the hospital and I see the press already converging around the entrance. My tears start rolling because of my fear of them and because I’m worried about Kayla. I can’t lose her too. Mikayla is the granddaughter of an earl and a cousin to the Queen. She’s famous and followed around because the paparazzi and press want to know everything they can about her. I hate being in the spotlight. Kayla usually protects me from the press, but she’s not here and I have to find out if she’s okay. Time to pull up my knickers and be a big girl. “Ma’am?” The driver is looking at me in the mirror. I nod and pay him, then I step out of the cab. I can do this. I swipe at my face and focus on the doors. "Ms. Griffin, aren't you the cousin to Lady Griffin?" A reporter shoves a microphone in my face. I jump back in fear as more tears roll down my face. I’m going to have puffy eyes and my mum is going to see this and criticize me. I try to move around the reporter, but she follows me again. "Please. Please no comment." I try again to push by her, but she continues to force the microphone in my face. I step back, needing to get away from her. My skin is starting to crawl, and I feel the panic rising. I don’t want to have a panic attack in front of her or the others. This is about Kayla, not me. "Ms. Griffin, can you give us an update? How do you feel about Lady Griffin risking her life all the time? Is it true that she spends a lot of time with you? Do you know who she's dating? Is she dating Mr. Tiernan?" the reporter demands. The press always wants to know about her personal life. Kayla avoids giving them information when she can, and I’m going to stick to that. I know she isn’t seeing Mr. Tiernan because she still has feelings for the man she moved away

from. I force myself to stand my ground. The intrusive reporter is a bit taller than me. "No, she's not. I don't know. Please stop asking me questions. Move, please." My voice comes out soft instead of the forceful strength I intended. The reporter smiles, and I see in her eyes that she thinks she’s got me. Again, I try to step around her, but she steps fully in front of me. I take a step back as she advances on me, then another when she doesn’t stop. I sense the curb behind me, but I don’t take my eyes from her. As I’m about to step off the curb, she’s pushed aside by a man in a suit with dark hair. He wraps himself around me while a taller man with blond hair holds the reporter back. As soon as he has his arm around me, I smell cigars, whiskey, spicy musk, and leather. Shocks of electricity roll through me, and my body instantly comes alive next to him. I lean into him as the feelings of being safe and sheltered settle over me. He guides me into the hospital. My heart rate returning to normal. I don’t normally like people touching me. Once we are through the doors, he turns and watches the blond man yell at the reporter. I want to stay here in his arms. Safe. I can’t help myself; I lean into him more and take a big sniff of him. His body shudders and I look up into his baby blue eyes. His dark brows are dropped down as he takes me in. His eyes move over my face and down to my lips. “You’re going to want to make a call,” the blond man says as he s us. The blue-eyed, dark-haired stranger steps back from me but still continues to watch me. “Thank you,” I say softly, my voice cracking. I bite my bottom lip and again his eyes move to watch me. He reaches for me but stops and focuses his eyes over my head. I turn and see more cars pulling up outside. I decide to take off and head for the counter before I make myself look dafter. “Mikayla Griffin,” I say, and they direct me to the OR floor. I try not to turn to look at the man again until I board the elevator. I look out and see he’s watching me from the spot where I left him. He’s almost six feet tall. His body is built, I could feel it as he held me. His dark brown hair is wavy on top. It feels like his eyes are caressing me as he continues to watch me. Then the doors close and I’m

slammed back into reality alone. A chill works through my body. When the doors open again, I make my way to the waiting room and pace with the others. Lord Percival Wright, Mikayla’s grandfather, arrives not too long after. “Percy.” I walk up to him and he pulls me into his arms. “No one has been out to give us an update.” He holds me for a moment. “I was called before I got out of the auto. She is currently in surgery. The wreck was bad, but because I insisted she wear all that protective equipment, she’s not hurt as bad as she could have been. I saw what that reporter did to you. Are you okay?” He gently rubs my arms. “I’ll be fine. Kayla is what matters.” We sit down together and hold hands. We are both worried about her because she means so much to us. I don’t know where I would be without her or Percy. They’ve taught me that not everyone in this world is mean. That I can survive the hateful things my parents have said and done to me. After a while the door to the waiting room opens and in walks the dark-haired man with the blond guy who helped him. They take a seat across the room from us, but the dark-haired man tips his head to Percy in a nod. I lean over to whisper quietly to Percy. “Who is that man?” “That is Mr. Tiernan. He owns the racetrack Kayla was injured at.” I sit back and continue to wait for an update. I bite my lip and try not to look up as I feel his eyes on me.

Aidan

Iwatch as the doors to the lift close and I can no longer see the beauty that is Fiona Griffin. Lady Griffin, Mikayla, has mentioned her cousin several times when we’ve spoken. My security team would have searched her background, but I never saw the reports. So when I overheard the reporter call her Ms. Griffin and I saw her for the first time, it was like a full force punch to the gut. She’s beautiful beyond her cousin. Mikayla is sexy, but I never thought of her as anything more than a racer for my Ducati team. Fiona, however, with her doe shaped hazel eyes and pillowy soft looking lips is gorgeous. Something about her calls to me and I want to hold and protect her. Things I don’t normally want from a woman. She fit against my body like she was meant to be there. I don’t usually let people get close to me except on my . That’s why I have Shane; he keeps people at an arm’s length. As big as he is, most people take one look at him and step back. Although, a lot of people are afraid of me too. But Fiona looked up at me and didn’t show any fear, the same when she looked at Shane. In my world women are only used as a necessity to take care of needs, but with Fiona I slipped my arm around her and pulled her into me. I cuddled her to me and wanted it to never end. Just watching that reporter go after her gave me the urge to knock her and her camera man away. Fiona smelled like sweet cakes and bread. But not like she would give me a cavity, more like I couldn’t wait to bite into her. My mouth watered to taste her lips and body. Wanting to know if she was sweet everywhere. Her hair that brushed against my hand at her back was soft and reminded me of honey over a glazed pastry. When she looked up at me, I almost leaned down and kissed her lips to see if they are as soft as they look. The urge to suck that fuller bottom lip into my mouth and bite it was almost too much for me to bear. I groan and turn away. I can’t have her. She is too pure for me, and I won’t ever have a woman as my own. I can’t ever settle down with a woman. They would become a target and would be a weakness I won’t allow. I tune back into what Shane is saying. “Here comes Lady Griffin’s grandfather.”

I turn to watch as the thin man with gray hair walks by without taking notice of me. I understand he’s concerned for his granddaughter. He has several guards with him that push people aside, and others stare as they recognize him. Mikayla was injured on my racetrack, and it wasn’t an accident. Someone tried to kill her by shooting her. I know my men and I can end whoever it was, but I also know she’s going to need more protection than what I can give. I won’t call in my favor for her, but I can pay them to protect her. I slip my mobile from my pocket and unlock it, then I click on the and wait as the phone rings. They will want to protect her because they are her old employers. They are also friends of hers. "Securities International.” A husky and strangely accented female voice answers, and I know who she is. Lex says she’s extremely talented. I wish I could get her to come work with me, but she’s married to one of the owner’s brothers. “Hello, Mrs. Williams, I’d like to speak to Mrs. Preston and Mr. Donovan.” “Just a moment." She puts me on hold, then I hear another click and know I’m on speakerphone. I’ve studied them but don’t know what their office is like. I’d be interested to see what kind of setup they have. We are going to have to team up eventually if we want to end the man who has set his sights on ending them… and myself too. "Mr. Donovan and Mrs. Preston, I'm calling to hire you," I say as I step away from everyone, not wanting others to overhear my conversation. "Mr. Tiernan," Joshua answers, not giving me anything. He’s studied under some of the best strategists, including a former Royal Navy iral. But I studied under the strongest man to ever run the Irish mob. He united all of Ireland under one boss. I can hold my own against Donovan. "I'd like to hire you to protect Lady Griffin. I believe you are aware that she was injured on my track today." I know they’ve probably been watching the news. According to Lex’s research, Bekah Williams is in charge of keeping an eye on all current and former employees’ news and internet coverage. Mikayla would have been the number one news today shortly after the accident. That’s what everyone needs to believe it was, an accident, and not what it really was. Only myself, my team, and her crew chief knew she was shot until she got on the ambulance. The whole crew and medical staff here are required by law not to

share her information. I’ve got Lex keeping an eye on everyone in close with Mikayla. I need him to get the footage her manager leaked before someone looks too closely at it. "Mr. Tiernan, we have already been hired." Joshua’s voice breaks me from my thoughts. "Ah, the grandfather, I'm guessing. Well then, if you need any help, let me know. I'm having all the footage from the track sent to Mrs. Williams for you to review." Which means they will delete that footage so I don’t have to worry about it. I’ll have Lex keep an eye on it too though. Their hackers are good, but I know what Lex can do. "Thank you, Mr. Tiernan. We aren't going to have issues with our team being there, are we?" I understand what he’s really asking. Am I going to give him a problem? He now knows who I am really. The first time we worked together was when a serial killer took one of their . I’d kept my true identity from them. I’m not ashamed to be the head of the Irish mafia, but I don’t broadcast it. That’s why Fiona and I can never be together. My enemies are always looking for a weakness. "No, Mr. Donovan. This was no accident, and I want whoever hurt Mikayla taken care of." I assure him. "Are you seeing Mikayla?" Daniella Lopez’s Irish accent comes across the line. I didn’t expect her to ask me that. I know there is a guy there Mikayla was seeing. I expected this question from him, not Daniella, and I wonder why she’s questioning me on this. "Mrs. Lopez, I assure you that Mikayla and I are just friends. I don't allow my friends to be hurt. I especially don't like my friends being hurt when they are around me. You just let me know who it is, and I'll have an associate take care of them permanently." Seamus will kill anyone I ask him to. That’s his job. He takes care of my enemies, and anyone who decides to take a potshot at one of my racers is an enemy. But I have a bad feeling this has something to do with me and not just the fact she is a former S.I. employee. "Then why are you sending us the footage if you want to take care of them?" Joshua asks. An excellent question that I expected. He knows I’m only giving them a peace offering.

"I'm thinking if there are a couple of us searching for this wanker, it would be better.” "We have a team heading that way. They should be there in a couple hours." "I'll have my guys secure the premises until yours arrive. We will call this even as no one owes the other, but I still have a couple markers out there with you." I remind him. I’m hoping to never have to call in those markers. "Mr. Tiernan, why don't you tell us right now what you want from us?" Maya Preston’s voice comes across the line. Shane says she’s a true badass with her shooting and fighting skills. A woman who knows Israeli knife fighting. My love of the blade makes me interested in knowing more about her. "Mrs. Preston, the suspense is better. Now I have to go." I look up as Lord Wright’s assistant is accosted by Mikayla’s manager, Fletcher Calvin. I can’t believe she hired him, but I know she was trying to get back into racing after taking a hiatus to work with Securities International. “How dare you remove footage I have access to! I’m Mikayla’s manager. The public deserves to see what happened. She needs this publicity.” He raises his voice, and I hang up the phone. There is my proof that the footage has been removed. “I’m her grandfather’s solicitor. You won’t be using that video for anything. I served you with a cease and desist order. Don’t make me give you the form that renders your contract null and void.” “You can’t do that.” “Oh, believe me, sir, I can, and I will do whatever is necessary to protect her and her grandfather. Now, you are not allowed near the family until Mikayla can speak to you.” “I’ll go where I want,” Fletcher yells. I turn to Shane and nod, and he walks over to Fletcher. “Mr. Tiernan would like you to leave the premises now. You are not allowed near the track until after Lady Griffin has cleared you again. You used footage

that is the exclusive right of Tiernan International without his permission.” Shane strong-arms him to the exit and shows him out. I wait for him to return before we head up to the waiting room on the OR floor. Stepping through the door, I sense her immediately and my eyes zero in on her. She’s sitting with Lord Griffin on one side of her and his personal assistant on the other, each holding her hands. I nod at the lord, knowing he knows who I am. Fiona leans up and whispers something to him, and he leans down as his eyes flick toward me. I imagine she’s asking him who I am. I never introduced myself. She wouldn’t know who I am as we don’t run in the same circles. My eyes never stray from her. Not even when she gets up and walks out the door to take a call.

Chapter Two

Fiona

My mobile vibrates in my purse and I pull it out to see Patrick is calling me. I send him to voicemail. I met Patrick when he came into the bakery shortly after I moved back to Belfast. He’s asked me out, but I’ve never been attracted to him. He is cold and worries what everyone thinks. I’m pretty sure he knows about my relation to Mikayla and wants me to introduce him to her. She wouldn’t be interested in him. Not only is he five foot five and she likes tall men, but he’s all about titles and appearances. Mikayla is attracted to men who don’t care that she’s related to the royal family. She hates that people use her because of who she’s related to. Furthermore, she doesn’t like people who are all about status; she doesn’t care about that ever. My phone vibrates again. Obviously, he’s not going to accept me sending him to voicemail. “Just a moment.” I look at Percy and hold up my phone. I stand and make my way out into the hall. Two men standing nearby stop and watch me. They don’t scare me, but I don’t want to have anyone witness me getting upset. I walk down the hall away from them. My phone stops ringing and starts right back up again. I take a deep breath in through my nose like my roommate Brigid says to do for a cleansing breath. I let it out my mouth, pushing out the bad energy. “Hello.” I answer the phone, hoping my voice doesn’t tremble with anger. “Fiona, I’ll be there shortly,” Patrick says, and I hear traffic in the background. “How do you know where I am?” I pull my phone away from my ear and look at it. I must have raised my voice because I notice movement and turn to see one of the two men walking toward me. His dark hair is longer than the other guy’s and curls around his head in waves. His eyes are so dark they almost look black. Even from this distance I can feel the energy coming off him. “Fifi, did you hear me?” Patrick yells into the phone and I look at it. I hate that nickname. I’m not a bloody dog. “I’ve asked you numerous times not to call me that.” The man moves closer to me as I raise my voice again. I walk further down the hall, embarrassed he’s witnessing my argument. “Stop trying to argue with me. What floor are you on? I watched you on the tele. I’ll be there to comfort you soon.” His words jumble even as he bosses me

around. I don’t want him here. I don’t need him. Or want him. He only wants to come because Percy is here. “I don’t need comfort from you. I’m fine with the people I have here, and Moira will be here if I need her to be.” “Nonsense. I’m practically your boyfriend. You need me.” My eyes flare wide. My boyfriend? I look up and find the guy standing a few feet away trying to act like he can’t hear me. I look down, even more embarrassed than before. I can feel the blush hitting my cheeks. “Patrick, thank you for your concern, but please don’t come here. I’ll call you when I’m allowed to give updates to people.” My voice sounds calmer than I feel. “Need I remind you again that we are just friends? You are not and have never been my boyfriend. Now goodbye.” I hang up the phone frustrated with him. I’ve told him over and over again I’m not interested in him that way. He just doesn’t do it for me. He tells me I don’t know what I want because I’m not smart enough to know and I’m a virgin. I hate that he figured out I’m innocent like that. Besides, he wasn’t even interested in me until he found out who I was related to. Now, he wants to date me. Again, not like I ever was interested in him. I look up from my phone and see the dark-haired man is even closer to me now. I give him a slight nod and tip up my lips slightly so he doesn’t think I’m afraid of him. I notice people give him a wide berth in the hall as they move past us. “Some men can’t take no for an answer.” I chuckle in case he heard our argument. “Be more forceful,” he says, his voice gruff, almost scratchy sounding. I move back toward the room as Mr. Tiernan makes his way out. We collide in the entrance, and I step back. He reaches out and grasps my arms to keep me from falling. “Oh, I’m so sorry, sir.” I try to keep the breathless quality out of my voice but something about him sets me off. I want his arms around me again. I want him to kiss me. Maybe I want a man like him to want me. I pull the corner of my bottom lip between my teeth and look up at him through my lashes.

“My fault.” His voice is rough, sending a shiver through my body. My breathing increases. His hands squeeze as he looks down at my lips. “Family for Griffin,” a sharp voice says, and I’m shaken from the trance I’ve fallen under. “That’s us.” Percy stands. I rush over to the OR entrance on the opposite side of the room. Jean George wraps an arm around me, and I try so hard not to compare it to the last man who had his around me. How Jean George’s arm isn’t as strong. How he smells like clean soap and not cigars. The doctor gives us an update on Mikayla’s injuries. Her collarbone was surgically repaired due to multiple fractures. She also fractured a couple of ribs. Her shoulder is tweaked. And she has what they call road rash but is lucky to be alive. “We’re moving her to the ICU because of the severe concussion. Only one family member at a time will be allowed with her until we move her to a private room.” “Thank you very much.” Percy shakes his hand, then pulls me into his arms. I didn’t realize I was crying until the sob breaks free. We are so lucky. She’s lucky. We return to our seats, and I watch people leave that must be her racing crew. Mr. Tiernan stays but remains across the room. I surreptitiously watch him with my head down through my hair as he makes phone calls and works on his phone. Finally, a nurse takes us to the ICU floor where there is another waiting room. Percy decides he’s not ready to see her yet. It’s too much and reminds him of when he lost his daughter, Kayla’s mother. I go first and move through the hall toward her room. The room is dark and filled with equipment that I don’t know what it’s for. My roommate Arianna would know. She’s an ER nurse at Belfast City Hospital. She texted me earlier and offered to come sit with me, but I said I was fine. I don’t want to seem weak to anyone. Now that I’m standing here and see the reality of what happened to Kayla, my heart stops. She was so close to being killed. Carefully, I walk to her right side, the other side is bandaged up. I wrap my fingers around her hand. She

and I look so much alike people think we are sisters instead of cousins. “Please stop hurting yourself like this. I don’t want the next call to be that you’re gone. I wouldn’t be able to live without you. You are the only family I have left. Please, Kayla,” I say softly as tears roll down my face. I choke on the words. “I don’t want to be a disappointment to you too. I love you.” I’ve always heard I’m a disappointment. It’s why people leave me or push me aside. I stand there with her for a few more minutes before returning to the waiting room on rubbery legs. I text my boss when I sit down. Me: I’ll be in late tomorrow. She’s still unconscious and I want to be here. Mrs. O’Sullivan: I understand. I have everything set for you to take off tomorrow, if you need too. Keep me posted. Me: Thank you. Mrs. O’Sullivan: Don’t worry about it. She’s a great boss. I’m so glad I got a job at her shop. She was wanting to expand her bakery into offering more French pastries when she hired me. Not only did I have my training, but I’d also apprenticed with a French pâtissière who taught me techniques I didn’t learn in school. Mrs. O’Sullivan has been an exceptional boss. She acts like I’m her daughter and protects me. She doesn’t like Patrick at all and chases him off whenever he comes around the shop anymore. Tears roll down my face again. I look up and see Mr. Tiernan watching me. He stands and walks toward me. My body locks up. Everything in me wants to rush to him, but I stay seated and wait to see what he’s going to do. I want to feel those arms around me again. I want to feel him against me. He reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a handkerchief. Our fingers brush as he hands it to me, and that zap happens again. I lick my lips, and his eyes zero in on the movement. “Thank you,” I say softly, my words almost a whisper. He nods and turns his back to me as he returns to his seat. I watch his arse through his slacks. The way the muscles move. For the first time ever, I feel my body reacting to a man. I’m turned on. My nipples pebble behind my bra and ache. My body starts to respond. I lift the handkerchief to my face. It smells like him, and I try to hold the sigh in as I wipe my eyes.

I sit there wondering if I should return it to him, but then I’m distracted by new waiting room arrivals. A tall man with dark blond hair enters, his body ripped under his suit. Two dark-haired men with olive skin follow in next, and then I see her. I’m up and rushing across the room. Her mahogany hair and ice bluegray eyes are recognizable even though it’s been a couple years since I’ve seen her. I plow into her and one of the dark-haired men holds us up from me knocking her down before he moves on toward Percy. “Dani, I thought I lost her. I wouldn’t have anybody if she’s gone.” I cry in her arms. “Fi, darling, you’d have me and Percy, you know that. Plus, I have a family now and they’d take you in too. But you also know she’s tough and wouldn’t just leave you.” Her arms squeeze me tightly. “You should see her. She’s so broken. I just wish she wouldn’t do this to herself.” I know why she does it. I wish I could say I have healthy ways of dealing with my own parents, but I don’t race around a track playing with death. “You and I both know why she does this.” Dani nods and I drop my head. “I’m going to go wash my face.” I turn from her as the two men I saw in the hall earlier walk in and approach Mr. Tiernan. I make my way to the restroom where I splash my face and decide that since Dani and the other guys are here, I’ll head out for now.

Aidan

After I talk with Wesley about him and his team taking over Mikayla’s security, I watch as Fiona turns and heads out after Seamus and Grady enter. They both have been friends with me since we were young bairns. I trust them with my business and my life. I watch as Fiona returns and walks over to the S.I. group. Daniella introduces her to the guys, and when the young man, Luca Trevino, takes her hand, I feel like storming across the room and ripping his arm from his body. Nobody should be touching her. “Seamus, I have a job for you.” I try not to grind my teeth together when I talk to him. “Boss?” He looks at me and then follows my line of sight. “She was telling a guy he wasn’t her boyfriend earlier.” He supplies and I see red. “What?” “She said some wanker wouldn’t take no for an answer. I told her she needed to be firmer.” It takes everything in me not to knock him out for talking to her. “Follow her and keep an eye on her.” I grit the words out through my teeth. “Why?” “She’s Mikayla’s cousin, and if Mikayla was targeted, maybe she will be too.” It’s a lame excuse but I’ll use whatever I can to make sure she’s taken care of. “Can’t you just have Lex hack her security and the cameras around her place?” Shane adds.

“No. Just do as I ask.” I swallow and try to relax. “Please.” The guys look at me like I’ve lost my mind. I never beg, but I need to know she’s safe. That she’s not being targeted because of Mikayla. I can’t protect her myself, like something inside me wants me to do, because I’ll make her a target too. My enemies will come after her. "Dani, I'm going to head back to my place. The girls are asking for an update. I can give you my key and codes for Kayla's place so you can stay there tonight." Fiona's soft voice floats across the room to me. Her voice is so soft most people would demand she speak up, but I love the gentle quality of it. I watch her as she talks to Daniella. "Fi, that would be amazing." She gives them directions to Mikayla’s condo along with her key. I’ve already got a man on that location, and I’ll keep one there for them because they have a small team and will secure the hospital as long as Mikayla is here. "I can't wait to meet your little one soon. I'll drop off some biscuits and pastries tomorrow before I head into work." Fiona and Daniella hug. Their size difference very apparent as Daniella stands at least five inches taller than Fiona. "It was nice meeting you, Raul and Mr. Nash." She looks down, and the urge I have to walk over and comfort her is almost all-consuming. "Call me Wesley, Fiona." He offers her his hand and she takes it. Her small hand in his large mitt. I can’t stop the growl from coming out. I can feel my guys looking at me like I’m crazy, but when Wesley turns to look at me with a smug smile on his lips, the need to knock him out comes over me. But it’s the flush on Fiona’s cheeks that holds me back. It’s as if she likes me being jealous. I turn away from them, trying to ignore her. “Grady, head to the track and see if there is any footage we missed. Shane and I will be heading out shortly.” I order my guys. "Well, I better get going before it gets later. Moira is already panicking because it's dark out and I'm by myself. She's too protective." I hear her chuckle as she walks out the room. I tip my head at Seamus and a moment later he’s out the door following her. He’ll send me updates and make sure she makes it home safely. I don’t know who this guy is she said wouldn’t take no for an answer, but I’ll

find out. I pull out my cell and send a quick text to Lex. He’s my hacker and the best I’ve ever seen. He saved me when I was a stupid teenager, and I turned around and returned the favor. We are indebted to each other now. Me: I want a deeper check into Fiona Griffin. All access. I want to know who has been sniffing around her. Lex: You think this is about her? Me: Just do it. Lex: On it. I listen in as Daniella and Lord Percival talk about Fiona, and I want to rip her parents apart for disowning her. For hurting her. “Boss, we should go.” Shane’s voice breaks me from my thoughts. “Yes, we should.” I stand and nod at Raul Lopez and his wife, Daniella. Wesley has gone into the room to see Mikayla. We exit and head out. We pull on to the main road into my compound. It’s a sprawling piece of land with six houses, all of them behind gates with guards. We pull into the driveway of my home and Shane parks the SUV in the garage. I step out and head for the doors, but before I get to them, they open and my youngest brother, Rory, is standing there. I take him in for a moment. His brown hair is lighter than mine, more like our mum’s was. He has her green eyes. He’s the same height as me but leaner. He’s probably about the same age as Fiona. I’m too old for her, another reason I need to stay away from her. The house I use as an office is only partially behind the high fences. My security doesn’t just consist of men walking the perimeter. It’s made up of dogs, cameras, and in some areas electrified fences. Lex and Shane take our security seriously. Especially since another organization has been trying to take us out. My father built this family and business from nothing to what we are today, and I’m not going to let any bloody American take it away from me. I’ve worked hard to build it into a multi-million-dollar company, and the racetrack is only a small part of it. I’ve legalized aspects of the business so not everything we do is illegal. I own clubs and other companies too. Yes, I’m the head of a mafia family, and I have a motorcycle club aded with me that my other brother

Brody runs, but I’m still a businessman. The Hierarchy is nothing but old-school racist wankers wanting to own everything, and I won’t let them have my island. “Hey, Lex said there was a wreck at the track today. That Mik is in the hospital,” Rory says as I make my way through the house and toward the kitchen at the back. “Yeah, she was shot by a sniper and was lucky her grandfather makes her wear so much safety gear.” “Shot? That’s not what the news said.” “Don’t believe everything you hear on the news, kid.” I slip my jacket off and hang it over a chair at the table as I make my way to the liquor cabinet. I need a shot of Jameson badly. I need to drown out the need to text Seamus and find out if Fiona made it home safe. “I’ll have that background check you needed by morning.” Lex strides into the room. His accent is different. It has a touch of what I’ve been told is New Orleans Creole from when he lived there for years before he came here. He’s a couple inches taller than me and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt with a band on it. Usually, he’s in a suit like I am. All my guys are dressed in suits except for my brothers. Speaking of them, my other brother Brody walks through the back door. His heavy biker boots clomping across the floor. He’s in jeans and a button-down shirt and leather jacket. His cut over it. When our father created the Knights of Purgatory MC, he assigned his number two man to run it. And that’s what I did when I took over the syndicate; Brody is the president. He works for me on the illegal side of most things. “Shame you let her wreck that beautiful machine,” he says as he grabs a glass and pours himself a couple fingers too. I take the bottle back and pour more. The edge still hasn’t left me. The need to know if Fiona’s safe. The need to taste her sweet lips and hold her against me again. “Damn, big bruv, you trying to get drunk?” Everyone knows I don’t drink much because I can’t run this family if I’m not functioning on all cylinders. I shake my head. “What’s for dinner?” I look at Rory, who lives downstairs. Each of the guys could live in a house but most of them other than Brody live here with me. Rory

and Seamus have rooms downstairs, while Shane, Lex, and Grady stay upstairs opposite of the house from my suite. They say when they decide to settle down or I do they’ll move out. I’m never going to settle down, so they can stay here as long as they like. They are my family. My father lives outside Belfast now since he retired. He too is on a large estate. “The housekeeper made stew. It’s on the stove.” Rory points. Both my bothers have lighter brown hair than mine, and they both have Mum’s green eyes while I have our father’s blue. But the family resemblance is strong amongst us too. We all have the same mannerisms at times, the other guys say. “I’m going to take a shower.” I put my glass in the sink before I grab my jacket and head upstairs. At the top of the stairs, I turn left to head for my suite. I walk past the bed to the closet to put my jacket away. I slip off my holster with my gun and the knives I have at my back and at my ankle. I enter the bathroom where I strip, dropping the rest of my clothes into the hamper before I step into the large shower. The multiple shower heads kick on and beat on my muscles. My head drops as I let the water dampen my curls. An image of Fiona standing before me naked with water sluicing off her body causes my already hard cock to weep with precum. I wrap my hand around myself and think about her on her knees before me. Me teaching her how to please me perfectly. Her submission to me causes my balls to pull up as I stroke myself. Her mouth with those full lips wrapped around my cock. I’d push so far into her mouth her eyes would water as she held back from gagging on my length. But she wouldn’t pull away and she would watch me completely. Her small breasts would jiggle as I continued to move in her. She’d lean back slightly until I came on her full bottom lip. She’d lick me clean… I come, shooting all over the wall of the shower as I groan her name. I know she’s innocent, and I’d dirty her up with my ugliness. When I step into my room, I look around the area. My home is a fortress, not a home for a beauty. I rake my hands through the longer curls on the top of my head. I need to get her out of my system. It hits me, and I turn to my closet where I dress in an all-black suit, my gun and knives are back on. I move through the house and downstairs on a mission.

“Shane, I’m heading to the club,” I holler out, hoping he wants to stay in for the night. A drive to get her out of my head would do me some good. “Okay, boss.” He moves from the dining room and slips his jacket back on over his double rig holster. “Problem at the club?” “Nope, just need to go.” We pull up behind my main night club, and I open my door myself. I noticed as we drove around it’s packed for a Monday night. We make our way through the back entrance, and I take the stairs by twos to my office that overlooks the main floor. As I look out the one-way glass, I see many women. Most of them sexy, some even blonde, but none are Fiona. Maybe I should head down to the floor and move amongst them. I head out and Shane follows me. I know if I suggest he stay back he won’t. In the last year there have been numerous attempts on my life. Bodies move around to the loud music. Women move their hips in a suggestive manner, and still my cock stays flaccid. I fecking can’t have Fiona and that’s what it wants. At the bar, I order a whiskey and check in with the manager. “Hello, handsome,” a purr comes from behind me. I turn and take in the darkhaired woman as she moves seductively. Her black dress barely covers her arse or her knockers. I look for a moment, but when her hand brushes my chest, my body recoils from her. “Want to party?” “Not interested.” I lift her hand off me and turn her around as I give her the cold shoulder. “Fecking arsehole.” She curses at me and I smile. Women call me an arsehole most of the time, but most everyone calls me a beast. I’m not as big as Shane in height but just as muscular. People don’t call me beast because of my size though, they call me that because of my attitude. I don’t like most people. I very rarely come down to the floor, and when I do, this is what usually happens. I’m not a priest, but I’m very discreet, and at this moment, I don’t have a current partner. I wish that would help, but it’s looking like Fiona is the only woman my cock wants.

Chapter Three

Fiona

Kayla woke up after four days of being unconscious. I went up to the hospital several times and saw her. Then yesterday, two weeks after her accident, they unexpectedly flew back to Surrey, to their family home. Dani stopped by and checked on me but didn’t tell me what was going on. I’m tired of everyone thinking I’m too frail or weak and can’t take the truth about what’s happening to them. I pound the dough for the loaf, taking my aggression out on it. I don’t normally make bread. I do the fine pastries and cakes, but today I asked if I could make some loaves to get this energy out. For a couple weeks now I’ve felt like someone is following me. I can’t see them, but I can feel them. It’s weird, but the hair on the back of my neck rises all the time. I’m deep in thought and into kneading the dough when my phone goes off next to me, startling me. I hold in my scream. The name that scrawls across the screen makes me take a couple of fortifying breathes before I answer it. “Hello, Mum.” I try to keep my voice even. This is the first time she’s called me in over three years. I haven’t heard from her since the day she and my dad told me I was dead to them, all because I was going to culinary arts school instead of finishing school to prepare for a marriage to a titled man. “Fiona, darling. I was wondering if we could have dinner in the next couple of weeks.” No “Hello. How are you? How have you been?” None of that. Just “Let’s have dinner.” “I’m busy for a couple of weeks, but I can try to fit you in after next Friday. Mikayla wants me to attend a couple parties with her.” I shouldn’t have said anything to her, but I don’t want her to think I’m available and just brushing her off. “Interesting that you would still be attending those functions when you’re just a commoner now.” The dig hurts. I wasn’t titled before, but my family has money. They left me with none though. Every bit of money I make now pays my bills, just like everyone else in this world. “Mum, Kayla doesn’t care about that.”

“Well then. I’ll you after next Friday and we can decide when would be a good time to have dinner.” “Why?” “Fiona, don’t be ridiculous. You’re our daughter and we want to spend time with you.” Her voice is so haughty sounding. She hangs up, and I set my mobile back down and resume kneading the dough, trying not to think about what they could possibly want with dinner. Hours later I’m walking home after work. The feeling of being watched overtakes me again and I decide not to head home. I make my way down the next block toward the gym. I’m able to practice kickboxing that Kayla got me into there. I enter and sign in, then make my way to the dressing room where I change into gear I leave in my locker sometimes. I hit the bag, then hold it with my fingerless quick-wrap gloves as I bring a knee up into it. My abs curl and I feel the burn across them. I’ve been going at this for an hour after doing hanging crunches. I let go of the bag and pivot away before I spin back and leap into a kick at it. When I drop to the ground, I’m breathing heavily, and my hair is stuck to my head. I stand up and raise my sore arms above my head as I take big breaths to help control my breathing. For as small as I am, I can defend myself because of Kayla. I shower at the gym before I head home, feeling better than I did earlier. Stepping through the door of my flat into the entrance hall, I see a piece of paper on the floor. I pick it up and find my name written on it. I continue to the living room where I hang my jacket on one of the hooks before I step into the kitchen. “Howya doin?” Moira is standing at the counter with a cup in her hand. She has a thicker accent than I do. My parents didn’t let me use a lot of slang. “Hello.” I nod. “What you got there?” She points at the paper in my hand. “I don’t know, it was in the entry.” I open the folded paper and my blood runs cold. I’ll touch you someday and you will adore it.

“What the bloody feck is that?” Moira was raised with brothers and doesn’t care that she’s effin’ and blindin’. She likes to curse. She pulls the paper from my hand and flips it around. “You have a bloody stalker, Fi.” “What’s going on?” Brigid walks in. She’s dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a loose tank top. At five-foot-six, she is taller than both of us. Her red hair a complete contrast to Moira’s dark brown and my blonde. “Fi has a stalker.” Moira waves the paper around. “You going to call the coppers?” Giselle walks in behind Brigid. She is the same height as Brigid and has light brown hair and green eyes. She’s even quieter than me most times. “I don’t think it’s anything important.” I shrug it off and take the note. “I’m going up to bed, I’m knackered. I took a shower at the gym and have to be at the shop early.” I move past all of them. The only one missing from the group is Arianna, who is on shift at the hospital. “Fi, you can’t just brush this off.” Moira follows behind me. “I can and I will. It’s nothing. Probably some kid playing jokes.” “Could it be Patrick?” “No. I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore after the hospital incident.” Making my way up to the third floor where Moira’s and my room is, I continue to ignore it. I don’t want to think about this. I was perfectly calm and relaxed before I read it. Now my body is tight again and I’m scared. After changing for bed, I climb into my twin bed and roll toward the wall. “You can’t just go to sleep and think this is going to go away.” “Yes, I can, and yes, I will.” Moira and I don’t argue often, but when we do, it’s usually because of this. She likes to pressure me into making decisions by nagging me. I try to ignore her most of the time, and right now I don’t want to think about what that letter could mean.

Aweek es and I’ve received a couple more letters. I haven’t showed them to the girls because I know they will be gutted with me. The feeling of being followed or watched has gotten worse, and I’m about to come out of my skin. The gala for the racetrack that Kayla wants me to attend is later tonight and I don’t want to go. My cell buzzes from the counter, and I expect it to be Kayla but it’s my mum’s number again. She’s called me a couple of times now and wants me to go out with a gentleman from London, who I can already guess is a prat. When she describes him, I know he’s full of himself. I let the call go to voicemail, not wanting to hear any more about him. “Fi, you have company.” Mrs. O’Sullivan steps through the door and I turn to her. I’ve just put the finishing touches on a birthday cake I did for a customer. “On my way,” I say, and wipe my hands after I clean up my workstation. I step through the door into the storefront where Moira and Brigid are chatting excitedly with Kayla and Wesley. It was just announced today that they are engaged, and I’m happy for my cousin. "Kayla," I say softly. It’s now or never. I stand up as straight as I can and try to get out of tonight. "I don't think I should go with you tonight. I’m knackered and just want to turn in early. Take one of the girls in my place." "No backing out. Come on. What's going on?" Kayla steps toward me and takes me in her arms. She’s always one to show me affection. My parents barely hugged me growing up, but Kayla has never had a problem with it. She’s like my big sister. "I'll talk about it later." I look around them and out toward the street, worried my stalker is out there and will hurt Kayla. "Hello, Wesley. Congratulations." I smile at him. "Thank you, kiddo. Let's get you both out of here." He’s perfect for Kayla; you can see his love for her when he looks at her. "Can you find out what is eating at our girl?" Mrs. O'Sullivan asks Kayla as if I’m not standing here. "She won't tell me." All of them have been bugging me to tell them what is bothering me. I just work, go to the gym, and sleep. I haven’t

gone out with the girls even though they’ve been trying to get me to go out. "I will, Mrs. O'Sullivan," Kayla says before turning back to me. "Now get your stuff, let’s get going. The stylists will meet us at my flat in thirty minutes." "Okay," I grumble before I head back to the locker room where I change into my leggings, long blousy dress top, and heeled brown boots. I slip my long coat over everything and head back out to the front. After loading up in the limo outside where the hair on my arms rises again, we make our way to Kayla’s condo in a secure high-rise. I finally spotted someone this morning and I’m not sure what to do about it. Once we are inside Kayla’s condo, I feel more comfortable. I show Moira and Brigid the room I’ll be staying in. The once lavender walls are now white, and I notice the bed is new too. Kayla had the condo redone since she was last here. I hope that doesn’t mean she won’t be staying here as often as she used to. I’ve heard that Wesley has a small boy, and I know the condo isn’t set up for kids and he has a place somewhere in Scotland, but I wouldn’t survive without seeing Kayla regularly. It was hard last year when she would only call me and see me once in a while. I leave the girls to gush over the dress we found in the garment bag in my room. I don’t know how I’m going to wear it, so instead I move through the condo back to the main room where Kayla and Wesley are embracing. I overhear them talking. "Maybe we should tell her." "Tell her what?" I ask, knowing they are talking about me. Kayla steps out of his arms and walks toward me. “I put some security on you.” Her words stop me. In all the years we’ve known each other, and all the time when she worked for MI6 and I wasn’t supposed to know, she never put a security detail on me. “I don’t like it and I want it to stop. I can’t afford them, and I don’t need them.” This explains the feeling of being watched. "See, this is the problem right here. First, you're in an accident. Then all of a sudden, my parents decide that I'm

important to them again. And finally, not only do I feel like I'm being followed, but someone is leaving me notes." I vent out everything that’s going on. All the pain and fear leeching from me. "What?" Wesley barks at me. I know he’s not angry with me but upset with the situation. "I saw a very tall man following me the other day, and then I saw him again this morning," I say. "That sounds like Andy," he says, and I’m glad that one of my problems is fixed. "Why would you put security on me? I don’t understand.” I turn toward Kayla again. "Because I want to make sure you're safe. My accident wasn't an accident. This condo has been all redone," she says as she swings her arms around. "Yeah, I noticed it wasn't the same as before. What do you mean it wasn't an accident?” I want to ask if she’s selling the condo and if I’m losing her, but that would seem childish. "We didn't tell anyone, but I was shot. That’s what caused the accident." She acts like it’s no big deal. "You need to tell me these things. Father wants me to go out with this man he knows. And then a friend, well, someone I thought was a friend, has been acting really weird." "He's not a friend. He only sees you as a ticket to Mikayla," Moira says from behind me. "Who?" Kayla asks. "Patrick. He and I met right after I got back from culinary school. Don't you him?” "Yes, sorry I forgot. He's the guy we had dinner with one night." "Yes. But he's only a friend."

"Who is the man your father wants to set you up with?" Wesley asks me. "I think his name is Landon or something like that." I barely listened when they were bugging me about going out with him. "Bloody hell. How did your dad say he knew him?" Kayla swings on me again. Her eyes flaring wide, and I can’t help it, I step back. "Actually, he didn't. Why?" "That's the man who is going after my grandfather's lordship. He's claiming to be Uncle Durwin's illegitimate son." I’ve heard the rumors, but I don’t read the gossip rags because I know most of them are lies. "Yuck," Brigid says, and I turn to nod at her. That’s wrong. I don’t want to go out with a man old enough to be my father. The bell rings, interrupting our conversation. Wesley answers the door, leaving me with Kayla to stare me down. "Hey, Hound," a deep voice says from the doorway. "Hey, Colossus," Wesley says. He steps back and in walks the man I saw. "That's the man." "She saw me," he says, his voice gravelly. He’s huge. Like six-foot-eight with brown hair and a beard. "Yep." He walks across the room to me. “I’m Andrew Edwards, you can call me Andy. I was assigned to protect you. I’m sorry if I scared you.” He holds out his large hand to me and I shake it. Now that I know who he is and why he was following me, I’m no longer scared of him. I think about the letters I’ve received and the fact that Kayla was shot as the stylists get us ready. With my mind preoccupied, I’m not prepared for the reflection in the mirror when they are done with me.

“OMG, Fi, you look amazing,” Brigid exclaims as she stares at me. The strapless trumpet style dress is white with a black stripe down my left side. My breasts look like they are about to spill out of the bodice. The slit up my left leg gives just a glimpse of the garter tattoo on my thigh when I walk. The artwork was an act of rebellion that I’m glad I did. The band of black flowers is delicate and beautiful. Normally no one can see it unless I’m in a swimsuit. The dress isn’t a style I would wear, and I don’t think I can pull this off. The black satin ribbon platform heels with a red bottom are sexy and bring me up an additional five inches. I’d be afraid to walk in them if my mum hadn’t made me wear heels from a young age. My hair is up in an intricate messy bun style with wisps of hair strategically pulled out. The stylist did a heavy eye and brow for my makeup with a very pale lip, making my fuller bottom lip look to be pouting. I tried to get out of going again. I really did. I tried to have Moira or Brigid wear the dress and go in my stead, but that didn’t cut it, so now I’m sitting in the back of the limo across from Kayla and Wesley. They look perfect together. He’s in an all-black tux and she’s in a long black shimmery barely there slip dress. She has a long black cape on while I only have a thin shawl. Good thing we are going straight from the car to the venue, otherwise, I’d freeze. As the limo pulls up to the hotel where the banquet is taking place, I see all the press and know they are here for Wesley and Kayla. Just don’t trip and fall, I say to myself. The door of the limo opens and Wesley steps out. He reaches back in to help Kayla, then pulls her into his body. I wait until Andy reaches in and I take his hand. My nerves get the best of me and I tremble slightly. As I step out of the limo, I take a deep breath and follow Kayla and Wesley inside. Andy follows behind me. I feel like a third wheel next to their obvious couple image. We check her cape and my wrap before we enter the large banquet room. My body instantly comes alive. Little shocks of awareness cross my skin. I look around the room and my eyes find him immediately. In the weeks since I last saw him, I’ve thought of him often. He says something to the men near him before he moves across the room toward us. Most men look at Kayla with that predatory look in their eye, but he is staring me down. It’s like a caress down my skin, and I’m warm all over. I shift

slightly and his eyes roam down to my leg and his jaw locks tight.

Aidan

Abuzz fills my ears, the voices of the room dim as I take her in. The dress hugs her curves and molds to her knockers. I watch as she moves behind Mikayla and Wesley, their engagement just announced. I’m happy for them, but why she let her cousin wear that dress should be illegal. If she were mine, she wouldn’t leave the house without me on her arm so every man would know who she belongs to. “Seamus.” I grind my teeth. He steps up beside me as her eyes focus on me. From across the room, I see her fuller bottom lip, and I want to bite it and suck it into my mouth. “Boss?” Seamus breaks me from the sexual tension building in my body. “You will stay at her side tonight. If anyone speaks to her, tries to sit with her, or otherwise engages her, I will have your balls. No one gets near her.” “Boss.” He nods. I watch as he moves away from me, then I start across the room toward them. I need to focus on tonight, not the beauty that demands my attention. In the weeks since I last saw her, I’ve tried to exercise her from my mind, but all it’s done is bury her in me more. Her leg shifts and I see a hint of black on her thigh. A tattoo. My little beauty has a bit of bad girl in her. My mouth waters to lick it. I’ll kill the man who touched her thigh to mark her. My palms itch for my knives to gouge out the eyes of every man in the room who’s looking at what is mine. I can’t have her, but no other man will either. It’s a fecked-up thought, but it’s what I have to do to control my insanity. I should just have her and purge her from my system finally. The decision has been made tonight when I see her like this. The wisps of hair hanging around her face demand that I use them to angle her head where I want as I take her. Those sexy heels still on her feet as they dig into my back. I almost trip over my own feet when she takes a deep breath and her perfect handful of knockers swell over the top of her gown.

The man behind her moves slightly and I focus on him for a breath of a second, not wanting to take my eyes from my beauty. Seamus told me he was following her, and I’m wondering why all of a sudden she has protection. I know who he is and even worked with him just last month when Dr. Russell was kidnapped. Andrew Edwards had better only be a bodyguard and nothing more, because he will die on my knife if he’s got thoughts of my Fiona. His blood will run down my arm as I slice his skin from his body. "Hello, Lady Griffin." I take Mikayla’s hand in mine and kiss the back of it as I try to keep my eyes from Fiona. "Welcome, Mr. Nash. Congratulations to you both." When I finally get a close-up look at Fiona, I know I’m fecked. Royally. She’s more beautiful than any woman in this room. I clench my teeth and feel my face harden. I look over her head to Seamus and nod. "Hello, Ms. Griffin." I take her hand, and when I bend to kiss it, the feel of her skin on my lips causes me to linger longer. Her body trembles slightly and I hear the soft intake of her gasp. I can smell her sugary sweet smell and her innocence. If I can, so can other wankers. The need to mark her as mine overwhelms me. I stand back up and take her in. Her cheeks flush, her eyes drop slightly, a perfect submission to me. "I'd like you to meet an associate of mine, Seamus. He'll keep you company tonight while your cousin is busy." Seamus approaches, he’s dressed in all black tonight, while I have maroon accents to my tux. His long hair is pulled back into a knot at the back of his head. I hold myself back as he reaches out to take her hand. She smiles at him, and I really want to punch him because that’s my smile. "No, my cousin will stay with us." Mikayla breaks me from my thoughts of homicide of my best mate. "But, Mikayla, you'll be meeting with sponsors and other racers. She'll be bored." I forget myself and call her by her first name. Something I very rarely do. "She'll be safe with me," Seamus adds as he smiles down at her. "No." Mikayla’s voice brooks no argument, and I turn to her. Something is going on. I’ve been focused on my beauty instead of reading the room and the correct issues. "Besides, like I told you before, Mr. Tiernan, I'm not going to be racing with your team after all. I'm here to show and to help with promotion." She changes the subject, but I know there is more going on. I raise an eyebrow slightly, trying to get her to confess, but she’s trained and doesn’t intimidate

easily. I’ll give her this for now. I tip my head toward her. "I agreed to that. I also wasn't insinuating anything. If you don’t want Ms. Griffin with us, I understand." I head back across the room, leaving them all alone. My body screams for me to turn around and take my beauty in my arms. To protect her from whatever Mikayla isn’t telling me. Seamus stays with them but at a distance. As the night progresses, I watch as Seamus engages her several times in conversation, and I want to know what is being said. I want to hear her thoughts and get to know her mind as much as I want to know her body. My brothers finally make an appearance and stand at my side after the meal is done. I don’t eat much as my only appetite is across the room from me. She nibbles at her food too, nervous around all the people. If she were mine, she would feel safe and comfortable in her skin. The tables have been pushed back; the announcements made. No one is dancing but everyone is mingling. I keep finding my eyes on the beauty across the room. “Who’s the sexy little creature with the Lady?” Brody’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “I think I know her from campus. She doesn’t attend but she has friends who do,” Rory says. “That is Lady Griffin’s cousin.” I don’t offer her name. “I think I’ll go introduce myself.” “You do and I’ll cut off your fingers,” I growl. “Okay, so it’s that way.” “It is.” I turn to see Mikayla and Wesley making their way across the room toward me and my brothers. "Lady Griffin, Mr. Nash, how can I help you?" I try for calm, but I can hear the bite in my voice. Tonight has been a test of my will power and it’s fraying at the

seams. "We'd like to ask you a couple of questions." Wesley cuts to the chase. "Is this the right time and place?" I worry that what they are going to say has to do with the fact Fiona has a protection detail now, and I know I will lose my cool quickly. I watch as Wesley reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a picture. I take it when he offers it too me. My muscles lock and my vision focuses on the image. Seamus is in the background. But it’s the bullseye over my beauty and the fact the photo reminds me of some I’ve received in the past that holds my attention. It’s too late, he’s found her. But is it because of me or because of Mikayla? "Shane, get Lex," I growl at him over my shoulder. I hold the picture in my palm and curl it as I close my eyes, reality hitting me hard. She needs protection and taken in, now. I look over their shoulders and make eye with the deadliest man in the room. I nod slightly and he knows what to do. He’s telling her it’s time to leave, and her panic filled eyes find mine. I vow I will never see that look again in them. As she moves with Seamus toward the entrance, Andrew moves to stop them. Seamus doesn’t waste a moment. He flips Andrew instantly to his back on the floor, doing what I asked him to do. Protect Fiona with his very body. I don’t care that everyone starts to panic. I only care about the most important person to me in this room. The reality that she is that important to me already should make me angry, but all it does is cause my gut to clench with worry. I should push her away. I should walk away from her. "Tell your man to stand down before she's injured." I turn toward Wesley. My hand slips behind my back, preparing to pull my blade. My brothers tense, knowing what I’m preparing to do. "You'd hurt her?" Mikayla’s eyes flash to me and her voice raises in panic. "I'd never hurt her. Seamus is taking her home." I don’t say that home will be my place. "She's staying with us." Wesley moves so he's between me and Mikayla, thinking I’m going for her. "I'm not trying to hurt either of these women. But this isn't good." I hold the

picture up between us. "Really? That's why we are talking to you. What is your man doing following Fiona?” he asks, and that’s when I realize they don’t understand the true significance of this image. "He's protecting her." "Why?" I take a moment before I answer them. I hear Wesley telling Andrew to bring Fiona to them instead. In protecting her, I don’t want her to know that this is because of me or what I truly am. Because when she learns what kind of man I really am, she will run and I might not ever find her again. A part of me knows that’s what she needs to do. I can’t jeopardize her like my father did with my mum. "Ms. Griffin doesn't need to be a part of this conversation." I grit out her name as I watch the fear in her eyes morph and her body tremble as she looks around. I nod to Seamus again so he’ll allow her to move toward us instead of stopping her like I want. The makeup covered it up earlier, but as she moves closer to us, I see the dark circles under her eyes. Something is bothering her. She is meant to be protected, not a part of the darkness that follows all of us. Lex s us and I hand him the picture as Fiona s our group. She can’t see the photo. Seamus moves to the side between all the parties. "Hey, Sea, you got busted." Lex chuckles, but I know him well enough to know he is concerned about the image too. His eyes flick to mine briefly and he nods before he walks off with the picture. "Why did you just give it to him?" Wesley demands. "That is a colleague, Lex. He’ll check it out." I assure them. "He's the hacker," Wesley says. "Among many things.” I nod. “He'll do some research. Maybe you should take the ladies home for the evening." I pray they can protect her because I’ll have her at my compound before the sun rises if they can’t.

"Yeah, we'll do that." I hear the sarcasm in Wesley’s voice, but I don’t address it. As Andrew turns to Seamus, he shoulder checks him, barely moving him. Andrew has a good six inches on Seamus, but they are both solid muscle, and Seamus doesn’t move unless he has to or chooses to. He’s not bulky muscle, but long and lean and deadly trained. "Next time you'll be picking your own ass up off the floor, fucker," Andrew says as they lead the women from the ballroom. “Seamus, you and Grady are switching off and on now. She will have twentyfour-hour protection. I won’t let the Hierarchy get their hands on her.” “Is that really necessary?” Brody asks, and I turn to him. “She will not face the same fate as our mum. She is innocent and pure. She doesn’t deserve that sentence because I’m not strong enough to stay away from her,” I growl. “You think Da ever thought it was a death sentence for Mum? Do you think she would have changed it if she thought she would die?” His words hit me hard because I know my parents really loved each other, and Mum would have never regretted it. I shake my head slightly. “I like her. I don’t think you should bring more attention to her,” Seamus says, and I turn, not even thinking about what I’m doing. My knife is out of the sheath and pressed to his throat. I feel the other guys moving around us, blocking us from view. “She is mine,” I growl. A man I’ve known most of my life has my deadly knife at his throat. My other hand bunched in his tuxedo, holding him from moving. He could disarm me before I kill him, but I would still get a good slice on him. He doesn’t pull back though, instead he stares me down. He tips his head, not afraid of me. “Bruv, I know. I like her because she’s not afraid of us. Of me in particular. She’d make a perfect match for you, but you and I both know you won’t claim her. You won’t make a move because you’re afraid.” “The feck you say.” I raise my voice. “I don’t want her. I don’t want her exposed

to our fecked-up world, but I can’t stop it now. You didn’t see those pictures.” “Do what you must, but if you hurt her, you’ll go against me,” he says and pulls away from me. We’ve never been at each other before. He was there when my mum was killed; her murderer was his first kill. I trust him more than any man that works for me. He just claimed he’d protect her over me, and that’s what I want. I want the woman who would stand at my side, if I ever chose one, to be protected by my men. To have the loyalty of my men just as I do. “Protect her,” I say, and he nods his head then walks out of the room. “She’s yours?” Brody chuckles, and I turn my back on him, ready to leave.

Chapter Four

Fiona

Another day of dres and pretending I’m okay in crowds, that I’m comfortable with people gawking at me. Andy helps me out of the car and then proceeds to leave with it. Last night I had both him and Seamus to entertain me. Seamus was nice and sweet until he leaned down and told me that Mr. Tiernan thought I should go home now. I almost freaked out right there. I wasn’t sure what I had done for him to force me to leave. I worried I’d embarrassed Mikayla in some way or him. But I guess it had something to do about safety that they didn’t want to tell me about again. At least today’s outfit is better than last night’s. I’m in a pair of tailored camelcolored slacks with a matching see-through sleeveless wrap blouse and a lacy cream camisole beneath. I actually really like this outfit and will be wearing it after today. The cream-colored suede calf boots are butter soft and about four inches in height. This is all paired with a cream watch and handbag that Kayla gifted me with too. Kayla had said the room will be warm, so the sleeveless outfits would be best. Even she’s in a sleeveless black dress. Today is all about introducing sponsors to the team along with giving a tour of the grounds. We step through the entrance and take off our winter jackets, then hand them over to the coat check people set up near the door. I can tell from the tension that Kayla and Wesley are arguing today. I hope it’s nothing major, but I think it has something to do with the gala last night. I think she’s angry because Aidan and Wesley took the choice of us leaving the gala out of her hands. Kayla doesn’t like to be dictated to, she takes suggestions and ideas better than orders. She talks to me but is cold and distant with Wesley, giving him the cold shoulder. I’m shocked when Seamus steps up to me. He’s dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and tie. All the black with his dark hair and eyes makes his already dark features even darker, yet something about him makes me trust him. I imagine he could hurt people if he wanted with the way he flipped Andy last night, but I’m sure he wouldn’t hurt me. Something about him makes me calm. He’s been nothing but kind to me, even sweet. He treats me with respect, and I like that. He treats me like a little sister or relative. He asked me questions last night and we got to know each other. I learned he’s been friends with Aidan

since they were young boys. That he has no family alive except for Aidan and the guys. He didn’t tell me what his job with Tiernan International was, even though I asked him. "Hello, Ms. Griffin, do you mind if I walk along with you?" I smile at him and nod. He, like me, doesn’t talk much. We are able to communicate what we want to say without saying much, and I like that about him too. Kayla is led off to take pictures and model with the team. I notice there are some pictures on the wall of her in a bikini top lying across her motorcycle that was wrecked and another bike. She likes to model and show off her body. A tremor rolls through me because I’m scared to show people my body. My mum used to say it’s nothing to look at, so I barely show it off. Last night was the most I’ve ever exposed. We are shown around to more rooms and how the VIPs at the track will have boxes. Everything is elegant without being overstated. Each VIP box has a bar with a small kitchen, and Aidan tells them servers will be present at additional fees. Aidan has thought of everything, and I really like that he’s so conscientious of what people will need. He even has a couple of private boxes that aren’t as nice for those that want privacy without spending everything. It makes me more attracted to him because of how smart he is. I can imagine him sitting at his desk with his shirt sleeves rolled up. My heart starts beating faster and I bite my lip as I think about walking in and disturbing him for a kiss. “I’d never be this far from the track. The true adrenaline rush of watching the races is down there.” Seamus points to where spectators sit, shaking me from my thoughts. I drop my eyes and hold in the smile. “With Mr. Tiernan you could be up here though.” “Aidan likes to be down there too. Don’t let the suit fool you. He’s just like you and me, a commoner too.” Seamus chuckles. “What do you do for fun? Watch your cousin race?” “Oh no, I don’t watch her race. It scares me that she’ll get hurt. Plus, there’s too many people. I like to bake and cook.” “You bake?”

“I’m a pastry chef.” I give him the layman term for my job. “Une pâtissière,” he says in perfect French. “Oui. Tu parles Français?” I ask if he speaks French. “Fiona,” a voice says from behind me, interrupting us before Seamus can respond. I turn to see Patrick. “Oh, hello, Patrick. Just a moment.” I turn back to Seamus. “One moment, he’s a friend.” I turn back to Patrick, who takes my elbow and grips it tightly. I bite my lip to keep from crying out or cringing. “What are you doing with him? Do you know who he is?” Patrick hisses in my ear, and I turn back to see Seamus watching us. His gaze focused on Patrick’s grip on my arm. “He’s my friend. I met him last night at the gala.” “He works for Tiernan.” He sneers and points up at Aidan. “Yes, I know that. Aidan, um, I mean Mr. Tiernan, introduced us.” I pull my arm away from him and step back. “You know who they are?” “Mr. Tiernan owns this track.” Isn’t that obvious. He guides me over to a bar area a bit away from everyone. I’m nervous because I can smell the alcohol on his breath, plus he’s angry with me for some reason and I don’t know why. I turn back to see Seamus is still watching us, and that comforts me because I know he’d interfere if something happened. "I'd like to welcome all of you here today to celebrate the grand opening of my new track." I hear Aidan say, and I turn to face the podium where he and Kayla are standing. "The lovely Lady Griffin earned a spot on this team, but after the severity of her accident and family issues, she's decided not to race with us this year. She is an honorary member of this team and will help with exhibition races and events." He answers questions from reporters and others here.

“I’m talking to you, little girl.” Patrick grips my chin and turns me toward him. My eyes land on Aidan’s for a moment before I’m looking at Patrick. I jerk my chin away from him. “Patrick, you’ve had too much to drink. I think you should leave. I don’t even know why you are here.” “Why I’m here? I’m here because you are. I’m getting control of you before you embarrass us both and your family.” “I don’t understand. What do you and my family have to do with today?” “Fifi, you’re so naive.” I hear a snicker and look at the bartender, a woman whose breasts are on more display than the liquor bottles behind her. “I’ve told you not to call me that. Now, I’m here with friends and would like to get back to them.” I take a step back, but he grabs my arm again and pulls me to him. “You will be leaving with me. You are mine and I won’t allow you to sully your family’s good name with scum like him. I can’t believe you’re dressed like a whore for him.” Patrick pours a drink down the front of my outfit and I gasp. He grips my arm tighter and starts to pull me away. I’m so angry that tears are rolling down my face. “That’s enough.” I hear the deadly calm voice and turn to see Seamus standing there. He gently takes my arm and pulls me away from Patrick. But Patrick pulls again. Faster than a flash, Seamus’s hand flies out and hits Patrick in the throat. Patrick lets go of my arm as he chokes and holds his throat. Wesley s us and pulls me toward him and away from the fray. I curl into him and softly cry because my blouse is ruined. The red wine staining it. Another man walks up and drags Patrick off. "I thought he was my friend." I tremble as Wesley pulls me into his arms and hugs me for a second. "I'll take her to get cleaned up." Seamus offers and reaches out for me. Wesley

nods and goes to look for Kayla. “Come this way.” Seamus directs me, his hand against my back. “I don’t understand what he was talking about.” “What did he say, bn d?” “Why did you call me lady bird?” I know Gaelic. My parents didn’t want me to learn it because they don’t want anything to do with our Irish heritage, they say we are English. After they disowned me, I identified as Irish on my port. “You know Gaelic?” “Yes.” He doesn’t answer my question but leads me down a hall to a set of large wooden double doors. He opens them and directs me inside. During the tour, we didn’t come down this hall. It’s an elegant office. I’m distracted by the smell of whiskey and cigars. Could this be Aidan’s office? This is his building, so maybe. “The water closet is right there.” Seamus points to a closed door. “I’ll be in the hallway.” “Wait.” I hold out my hand to him and bite my lip. “Thank you for defending me.” He bows his head slightly as he steps out the door. I take another big breath and enter the bathroom. I look in the mirror. My makeup is staying—thank goodness for waterproof mascara—but my eyes are puffy. I pull a cloth off the rack and dampen it. After untying the bow at my waist for my blouse, I slip it off and set it on the counter. I proceed to blot my camisole, but it’s already stained. My slacks and even my boots are ruined. The wine is starting to stick to my skin. I start to cry again and throw the cloth into the sink. I slip my camisole off and grab the cloth again. The door flies open as I swipe at my bare breasts. I turn around and gasp, dropping the cloth to the floor. I wrap my arm around myself and come face-to-face with an angry looking Aidan. “Aidan,” I say, and he growls before he pulls me to him. My hands come up to his chest as he pulls me into his arms.

“Who was the man that accosted you?” His voice is so gravelly sounding, I shiver and stare up at him. “Beauty, I will only ask this one more time. Who was the daft wanker?” I’m shaken by his words. “He was a friend.” “A friend. The same friend who can’t take no for an answer?” he demands, and I look toward the closed doors where Seamus must be. He told him about our first encounter. I nod, unable to speak. Aidan gently lifts up my chin so I’m looking at him. He stares into my eyes for a moment as I bite my lip unsure what he is seeing. He shifts and looks down my body. “I don’t have a shirt on.” Obviously. “Who bruised you?” His voice is rough again. “Patrick grabbed my arm, but I bruise easily.” I defend him. “He’ll die for touching you,” he says, and I gasp. “Don’t do that, please.” “Do you care for him?” “No.” I turn my eyes downward. He’s still holding my chin. “Look at me. Why should I spare him, beauty?” “I’m not beautiful,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. I keep eyes lowered. “You are more beautiful than any woman I’ve ever met. It’s why I can’t stay away from you even though I should. I’m a dangerous man, beauty. You should run and never turn back.” I look up at him now, opening myself up to him and showing him what I feel. “I don’t want to stay away from you,” I confess, and he leans down and takes my lips in a soft kiss. I can barely feel the warmth of his lips, so I push up to feel him more. He groans and licks along my lower lip. I open my mouth and he

sucks my bottom lip between his teeth, then lightly nips it. I moan at the . He lifts me up and moves us. My back hits something cold and hard, but my front is on fire from his heat. His lips mold to my mouth and his tongue sweeps in, commanding my tongue. I’ve never been kissed like this before. He turns his head and I mimic him, turning the opposite way so we can get a deeper . My hands move up and wrap around his neck, my naked breasts pressed to the front of his jacket. He lifts me up higher into his arms and holds me against him. I feel his erection against my core, and I moan again. I don’t want him to stop. I want this feeling to continue. He moves his hand into my hair, angling my head with his grip. Aidan suddenly pulls away. I move in for another kiss, but when I look up, I find anger on his face. “What?” he growls, and I realize someone is knocking on the door. I was so lost in his kisses I didn’t hear the knock. The door opens. “Eyes to the floor and don’t enter.” I squirm in his arms, trying to cover myself. “Don’t move.” He looks down at me. “Boss, there is a problem at pit row.” “Shane, take Ms. Griffin home in a moment.” “Yes, boss.” He turns his back and stands at the open door. Aidan carries me back into the bathroom and closes the door behind us. He releases me when my arse hits the surface of the counter. I cover my breasts and watch as he reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a shirt. “Put this on.” He hands it to me. “Okay.” I take the soft black shirt and slip it on over my head. It bunches at my hips. I wait for him to say something about what we just did, but instead he exits the bathroom. I jump off the counter and follow him out into the main office. Shane has his back to us still, and Aidan walks to the desk and rests his hands on it. He takes a deep breath, his muscles tight under his suit. “You need to leave and never come back here.” He doesn’t turn toward me. “I’m no good for you.”

“But—” “No buts about it, Fiona.” He raises his voice, still not facing me. “You kissed me.” I reach up and touch my swollen lips. Aidan swings around, his eyes blazing blue fire. “Any man would kiss a beautiful half-naked woman.” His voice is gruff. I gasp and turn toward the door. I stop before I reach the entrance. “You really are a beast like I’ve heard you called.” My voice trembles. Yeah, I did some checking up on him, and I learned this is a nickname people have given him. “Come,” Shane says, and he leads me out to the coat check where I retrieve my jacket and purse. The whole ride back to the flat tears roll down my face. Between Patrick calling me a whore and Aidan insinuating I’m one, I’m broken. I drop my phone on the bed and take a shower, crying until no more tears come. My first real kiss was nothing like I thought it would be. My heart crumbles in my chest.

Aidan

After dealing with the situation in the pit, I head home to the compound. I’m barely through the door when security s me. Mikayla is demanding to know about Fiona. Shane still hasn’t returned, and I know Seamus headed out to watch over her too. He’ll keep an eye on her until I know she is safe. I shouldn’t have kissed her, but I couldn’t stop myself. She was in my arms and all I could do was smell her sweetness, feel her small breasts pressing against my chest. Her full bottom lip was pulled through her teeth, and all I wanted to do was mark her up. When she looked up at me, I looked into her hazel-colored doe eyes, and in that moment, I was the beast ensnared by the beautiful creature before me. I wanted to eat her alive. Devour her purity and never let her go. But I can’t be the cause of her demise. I can’t sentence her to death just to be with her. So instead, I showed her my true colors. My true self. It was the only way to keep her away from me. She called me a beast, which means she knows who I really am. What the underbelly of Belfast calls me. Of course, they don’t say that to my face because they wouldn’t survive it, but I know they call me it. I text Brody as Mikayla is now demanding to be let out of the compound. I swore I would protect her, and I won’t allow anything to happen to her. The attack at the pit was meant for her. I drag my hands through my hair, and I can still feel Fiona’s small hands wrapped around my neck. Me: Bring them to me. Brody: Okay. I watch as they come up the back staircase from the lower driveway. Mikayla tries to push past Wesley when they reach the top, but he keeps her back. "We'd like to know where Fiona is. Why our other security guard hasn't been shown here? And finally, why were we brought here?" Wesley demands. "Come in and I'll answer your questions." I turn and head back into my home.

"Drinks?" "Water," they both say. I grab them glasses and fill them with water, but I need something stronger. I can still taste Fiona on my lips, and if I’m not careful, I’ll be going to her soon. I pull out the Jameson and a tumbler, then pour myself a couple fingers. I swallow it back, feeling the slight burn and dulling of my nerves, then I turn back around to them. I’m going to need to numb myself for this conversation because I know what Mikayla’s most upset about. I slide their glasses to them and pour myself another two fingers of whiskey. I swirl my glass, waiting for her to bombard me with questions. When she doesn’t ask me right away, I slip my jacket off and place it on the back of a chair in the dining room. "Where is Fiona?" She finally asks. Just hearing her name out loud causes my body to spasm, and I grip the chair tightly over my jacket, my knuckles cracking. I can’t answer her question because at this very moment I don’t know. So I stall by getting comfortable. I unbutton my sleeves and roll them up. They’ll see my tattoos I usually keep covered around business associates, but right now I don’t care. Securities International has checked me out; they know who I really am and what I do. I pull my blue tie loose and unbutton the top button of my shirt. I feel like my suit is constricting me. My body is hyperaware of everything and in need of only one person right now. I take another large swig of whiskey. My phone dings, alerting me that the side door was opened. I turn as Shane enters, my body locking up. He nods at me, and I know he did as I asked. "She's safe," I say without turning back toward them. "For now," I barely whisper. I know Sir would use her against me if he found out. "What do you mean for now?" Mikayla jumps up from the chair at the bar. "May I call you Mikayla?" I can’t keep calling her Lady when addressing the issues we are about to discuss. Also, we are going to become compatriots in this battle soon enough.

"Yes." "Wesley?" I ask him, and he nods too. "Today the attack at the track was perpetrated by a man we have both caught the eye of.” "Why would Terence be after you too?" Mikayla asks. Wesley drops his head, upset that she gave us the name. "Ah, is that the shooter?" I knew Sir would hire someone. He used my local enemies against me the times he came after me. "We believe so. Where is Andy?" Wesley asks. "Mr. Edwards will be brought here shortly. We needed to make sure he wasn't being followed. I respect my privacy. The house your team and Mikayla visited me at before is a front. This is my personal home." My arms open up to indicate my home. "This is where I know my men and family are safe." "I need to make sure that Fiona is safe. I'm sorry, but your word isn't very trustworthy yet." I watch as Mikayla dials Fiona’s number, and when she huffs, I assume her call went to voicemail. "I understand." I pull out my phone and text Lex to us in the kitchen with his laptop. "Lex will be here shortly." "What is Lex going to do? Why can't you just let us go?" She stomps her foot. Looking at her hurts because she looks so much like my Fiona. "Who do you think is after us?" Wesley asks. "I don't think. I know. There was a card attached to the bouquet." I stare them down. "Your manager is dead. Any guests that were exposed were transported to the hospital, but we were lucky. Wesley's observation saved many lives. Sir doesn't care if he hurts innocent people, he just cares about revenge." At least this Sir doesn’t care. My father had worked with the one before, and he was about being discreet. Not this one though. I watch as Wesley stands up and starts pacing.

"The card said Sir?" He stops and looks at me. I nod, confirming the truth. Lex enters the room and starts clicking away on his laptop. "Boss, are you sure?" Lex looks at me for confirmation. They’re about to learn I’ve had surveillance on Fiona myself. "She doesn't believe that Fiona's safe. Is there a way for you to show her without them leaving the compound? They are not safe out there right now, and I don't believe that Mikayla wants to lead anyone to her cousin." Hopefully, Mikayla will never know about my infatuation with Fiona. Lex turns to Mikayla. "Why don't you just check the security system for yourself?" he asks. "What does that mean?" I ask. Does she have cameras on her cousin? Mikayla shakes her mobile at Lex. "I would if I could, but the service isn't working." "You mean this system." Lex chuckles as he turns his laptop toward her. A security fills the screen. From the look of shock on Mikayla’s face, I’d say Lex just hacked the security system to the house Fiona lives in. "As you can see, the system was disarmed almost an hour ago. Oh, and here on this camera, it appears she headed to the water closet. Maybe she's been showering. I bet if you tried now, she'd answer." I try not to chuckle as Mikayla turns away and calls Fiona again. I move toward her, but she steps out the back door and shuts it behind her. I turn back to Lex and the camera feeds in Fiona’s home. I don’t like that she is being watched so closely and doesn’t have privacy except in her room and the loo, but I know Mikayla is trying to protect her. I’m no better having my men follow her around. But again, it’s the only way to ensure her safety.

Chapter Five

Fiona

Icried myself to sleep after I got off the phone with Kayla. I’m so glad Moira was working late or she would have demanded to know what was the matter with me. When my alarm goes off, I roll over and turn it off quickly so it doesn’t wake up Moira. Quietly, I climb from my bed and head to the bathroom where I hung my clothes for today on the hook. Moira has been pulling night shifts at the hotel she works at. She’s trying to pool extra money for university just in case her family doesn’t agree with the degree she wants to go for. As I’m getting dressed, I think of the conversation I had with Kayla last night. She wants me to take the week off of work and go with her to Surrey. I know she’s worried about my safety because of whatever is going on with her, but I have responsibilities, and I’m trying to save up money to pay her back for sending me to school like she did. She’ll complain when I give her the money, but I’m still going to do it because it’s the right thing to do. I’ll tell her today when she stops by that I will go to Jean George and Percy’s wedding but not for the whole week like she wants. Based on my mood today, I’m dressed in a pair of skintight black pants and a black mock turtleneck. I grab my black ankle booties and carry them downstairs so I don’t wake up any of the other girls. My shift at the bakery starts at five in the morning. I like to arrive early so I have time to grab a cup of tea as I plan my day. When I step off the final step and turn into the living room, I see movement from the sofa and cry out before I realize it’s Kayla. "What are you doing here?" "You didn't sound good on the phone. I needed to check on you," she says calmly. She’s dressed in a men’s shirt and a pair of leggings. "Where were you?" "A friend had us staying at his place." I can tell she’s hiding something from me again, but I’m too tired to confront her on it now. I walk over to her and sit down next to her on the sofa. I lace our hands together. "It was awful," I say, wanting to tell her about yesterday since I didn’t explain it last night on the phone.

"What?" She tips her head to lay hers against mine. "The way Patrick reacted to me being there and how I was dressed." "There was nothing wrong with what you were wearing." “He called me Fifi in front of the bartender and she laughed at me. I tried to get away from him because I could tell he was knackered, but he wouldn’t let me go. He poured his drink down the front of my blouse.” “I’m going to have to have a talk with him.” “No, don’t. I already told him I don’t want to see him, and Seamus hit him pretty hard. I think he got the message.” She nods and just stays there holding my hand, giving me the strength I don’t feel right now. "What happened to you? Andy couldn't find you," she says, and I’m not sure how to answer her. "Um." I pull my hand from hers and move across the room. I hate to lie to her, but I don’t want to tell her what happened. I don’t know how to explain what happened myself. One minute I was being kissed and adored and the next I was pushed away. "Aidan," I say, and bite my lip in pause to correct myself. "Mr. Tiernan had his man bring me home. He said it wasn't safe." I give her a halftruth. A pounding sounds on the door, stopping her from questioning me further. I walk over and swing it open without looking at the security camera. "Don't you look to see who it is?" Wesley barks at me before he’s looking around for Kayla. He advances on her and demands to know why she snuck away from him this morning. She told me she was at a friend’s, but I know she’s keeping the truth from me. This must be one of those situations where she thinks I’m safer not knowing. She and I have never had this many secrets between us and it’s bothering me. I wish we could back up and go back to before when we told each other everything. "Where were you?" I ask again as they embrace. They are so in love with each

other they completely forgot I was in the room. "I told you, at a friend’s." She gives me the same line from earlier. "But you snuck away from him?" "Yeah, well, it's for the best. Come on, don't you have to go to work. We'll walk you." Kayla changes the subject. "Seriously." Wesley shakes his head, and I don’t understand why he’s upset walking, it’s only a couple blocks to the bakery. "Come on." I grab my coat and we head out after we arm the flat. Usually, this walk is calming and relaxing. I take a deep breath of the crisp cool air and try to get myself geared up to tell Kayla I’ll come to the wedding on Saturday but I’m not going for the week. We stop in front of the bakery, and I take another deep breath, ready to tell her my decision. Suddenly Kayla turns her head, and Wesley grabs both of us and pulls us to the ground behind a vehicle. I’m about to yell at him when I hear loud banging sounds and glass shattering around us. I scream and cover my ears as I realize the banging is gunfire. Then I hear another sound and turn to see a motorcycle on the sidewalk coming toward us. It’s Seamus. He slips off the bike and pulls me from Wesley’s arms. "I got the lass, take the Lady and get out of here." He holds the bike out to Wesley, and they jump on, leaving me with Seamus. A car accelerates and Seamus pushes me back to the ground. Kayla and Wesley take off around the corner, leading the car away from us. After a moment I hear gunshots in the distance and push away from Seamus to jump up. I start to move in the direction they went when arms wrap around me. “Stay here, bo ́in de ́.” Seamus pulls me back against him as his mobile rings in his pocket. “Why are you here?” I demand as I pull away from him. “Did he send you? Or do you like me now?” I’m confused by all this.

“Fiona, are you okay?” Mrs. O’Sullivan yells from inside the shop. I turn toward her and try to give her a smile, but I can still feel the tears on my face and my body trembles. “I’m okay. Are you?” “Yes, but look at the shop.” “I’ll be in to help you in a moment,” I say, and turn toward Seamus to get answers. He folds his arms across his chest. He’s dressed in all black, including a black stocking hat to cover his dark hair. I force my hands to my hips as I cock my head to the side. “I can’t tell you,” he answers, “but I can say that I’m here to make sure you are safe.” It’s not enough. Everyone thinks they are protecting me by not telling me what the real situations are. I turn from him and move toward the ruined storefront. Seamus grabs for me and pulls me back again. “It will be taken care of, just give me a moment.” His mobile starts ringing again. This time he answers it, and I can tell it’s Aidan. I yank my arm from his grip and push through the broken door. “Let’s get this cleaned up,” I tell Mrs. O’Sullivan as my own mobile starts ringing. I pull it from my pocket and see it’s Kayla. “Are you okay?” I answer. “We are safe. How about you?” “I’m okay. I’m helping clean up.” I look out and see Seamus arguing on the phone. I need to get away from all of this. I look around the shop and take in the mess. The bakery will probably be closed for a few days if not the rest of the week. “I’ll get packed after this.” "Okay, Fiona. We'll meet you at your flat shortly and you can come back to Surrey with us," she says, and hangs up. “We are going to be closed for several days, Fiona.” Mrs. O’Sullivan broaches

the subject I was hoping she would. “I’ll help you clean up and then I’m going to go with Kayla to Surrey early instead of leaving Friday. Is that okay?” “Oh, yes, darling. You’ve got quite a bit of vacation accumulated and we’ll be closed, so now is a perfect time.” We both turn as several men step into the shop and start cleaning up and placing boards over the broken windows. I stand back as Seamus tells Mrs. O’Sullivan that Mr. Tiernan is taking care of everything, and he will help get a crew over to get the shop opened. I grab my purse and head out the door. I make it down a block before I turn and see that not only is Seamus following me but a blacked out SUV is as well. When we get to my flat, I turn toward Seamus. “Tell him I not only don’t want to see him again, but he doesn’t have to help Mrs. O’Sullivan. You don’t have to follow me anymore either. I don’t know why you are, but I got the message loud and clear yesterday.” “Fiona, please wait.” He tries to stop me, but I push through the door and slam it closed. I’m not going to allow any of them to hurt me anymore than they already have. I make my way upstairs and pack a bag to spend the week with Kayla and get away from all this. I tell Moira the bare minimum. Us getting shot at and me going to Surrey for the week. I don’t tell her about Aidan. When I leave the flat and climb into the taxi, I see the same SUV from before but I don’t see Seamus anywhere. Kayla had called me while I was packing and arranged for me to meet them at the airport instead. I’m going to use this time away to lock up my heart. I don’t want to be with someone who can push me aside so easily just like my parents did.

Aidan

It’s been two weeks of not seeing her. Not touching her. I’m an angry man right now. When I took over the organization, I told my father we didn’t need to be so brutal. Yes, I have my nickname, but that was from before I took over the family. When I would kill as my father wanted. Now, I try to run the organization as a legitimate business. Less on the illegal side, but I will kill if I have to. And right now I want to kill everyone. I want to turn the streets of Belfast red with the blood from everyone who is keeping Fiona from me. I look out the windows of my office at the snow-covered track below me. The rain from this morning has changed to snow. This is my mood lately, dreary and cold. My phone vibrates across my desk behind me. I turn to pick it up and see it’s a video call. I connect the call. “Seamus, why are you video calling me?” In the two weeks since I last saw her, she spent a week in Surrey and has been home the other. Seamus is still following her along with Grady. I don’t care what she said about not wanting to see me or Seamus; I’m going to make sure she’s safe if it’s the last thing I do. He doesn’t say anything and flips the camera to face in front of him. I see the bakery Fiona works at. The bakery I not only paid to have repaired but upgraded the security and had a camera installed in the kitchen so Lex can keep an eye on her for me. I won’t deny that I’ve linked into that camera and watched her every day. I also can’t deny that I don’t watch her at home too. I’m a sick possessive man. I lean forward to see if I can see her through the now bulletproof windows we installed, but instead I see a man sitting at a table. My body goes rigid as anger sets in.

“What the bloody hell is he doing there?” I growl into the phone. “He showed up here about two minutes ago. He ordered and has been sitting there waiting.” “I’m on my way.” I hang up and send a text to Shane to meet me downstairs with the SUV. As I walk past the wall I kissed her against, I stop and take it in. My cock is instantly hard with the memories of her naked chest pressed against me. I don’t know why my father is at that bakery, but I’m going to find out. I don’t know how he learned about her either. As soon as the automobile pulls up out front, Seamus jumps into the front enger seat. “He’s still sitting there waiting. He talked to the owner for a moment but hasn’t done anything but sip his tea and look out the window.” I look over, and sure enough, he’s looking right at the SUV. Well, no better time then now. I open the door without waiting for Shane and step out onto the street. I take in my surroundings and immediately spot my father’s security detail. I hear the other doors open and turn to see Shane and Seamus standing there waiting to see what I’m going to do. I’m not afraid of my father and I know he wouldn’t hurt Fiona, but I’m confused as to why he’s here. I make my way across the street and enter the shop. The bell dings, alerting the employees of my arrival. I nod at the older woman behind the counter as she welcomes me. I move to where my father is sitting. In front of him is a cup of tea along with what looks like an éclair. Across from him is a cup of coffee and a pain au chocolat. The flakey viennoiserie is one of my favorite pastries. “Hello, Da.” I take him in. I saw him for dinner a month ago. He stands, and at his six-foot-two height, he tips his head slightly down to my five-foot-eleven frame. He reaches out a hand and folds mine in his as he pulls me in for a brief hug. It’s only since he’s gotten older and retired that he gives me hugs freely. As I pull from his embrace, my eyes move to the swinging doors I know Fiona is behind. Being this close to her and not being able to touch her or see her causes

my chest to ache. “Have a seat.” My father points to the seat across from him. “It looks like you already have company.” “It’s for you. Took Seamus long enough to call you.” His deep chuckle lets me know he’s very aware of my guys watching this place. “I thought I would stop by and check out this bakery. When Paddy told me you called him in to do some work here, I thought I would see what the fuss was all about.” He swings his still muscular arms wide at the shop. Paddy is the foreman I put in charge of the work here. I should have known he would be loyal to my father and was still in with him. I nod my head at my father. “Old gaffer probably ran to you as soon as I hired him.” “He called me right afterward and said you asked him to help you with this job. I was confused at first…” “Can I get you anything else, Mr. Tiernan,” the older woman says as she stands next to our table. “Everything is perfect, Mrs. O’Sullivan. I have to tell you this éclair reminds me of when I was in Paris years ago. You do amazing work.” He chuckles as he tips his head to her. I watch as she blushes at his flirting. At sixty-one, the old man still attracts the ladies, but he’s been single since my mum’s death. “Oh, you’re too kind, but I didn’t make those. That’s the work of my pastry chef, Fiona. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu and apprenticed with a French pâtissière for a while before I hired her. She’s amazing.” Mrs. O’Sullivan brags about my girl and my chest swells with pride for her. “I’d like to thank her personally.” “I’ll get her.” She turns and heads through the swinging doors. “What are you doing, Da?” I quietly growl at him. “I’m going to see this Fiona for myself.” He smiles at me.

I look down and pinch a piece of the flaky crust off my sweet confection. The dough bursts with sweetness across my tongue and I barely hold the groan in. This is one of the best I’ve had myself. My father is correct, Fiona is amazing. I hear the mechanism of the doors as they swing open, and my eyes lift to see her enter the storefront. When she focuses on me, she takes a step back. But Mrs. O’Sullivan says something to her, and she nods before she turns toward us again. Her hair is pulled back from her face in a tight bun at the back of her head. She has a small spot of flour on her cheek and her black uniform has spots of flour and frosting on it too. My eyes devour all of her. Her hazel eyes have dark smudges under them from lack of sleep. She pulls her bottom lip into mouth and bites it. The urge to bite it myself causes my blood to pound through my body. I the feel of her lips under mine. The feel of that full bottom lip as I bit into it. Her hands twist in front of her body. She looks so tiny with the flats on her feet. Everything about her is delicate, and the urge to protect her overwhelms me. “H-hello.” Her sweet, soft silvery voice washes over me. “Hello, Ms. Griffin, I’m Niall Tiernan.” My father stands. She extends her hand and he pulls her in and kisses each of her cheeks. She blushes, the soft pink rises up the collar of her uniform over her face and into her hairline. “I have to tell you this is the best pastry I’ve had since I went to when I was barely out of knee pants.” His booming laugh echoes off the walls of the little shop. She looks down, avoiding my eyes. “Thank you, sir,” she starts, but he interrupts her. “Niall, please, my sweet.” “Niall, thank you. I’m glad you liked it.” “Would you my son and me for a spot of tea?” “I can’t, but thank you for the offer.” She finally turns to look at me. I watch as her eyes shutter and her face falls slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Tiernan, for helping with the repairs to the shop. Kayla and Mrs. O’Sullivan told me you brought in a crew and took over. I really appreciate it. Your tab is on me today.” She starts to turn but I jump up. I need to hold her. I need to breathe her in for a moment.

“Fiona, it wasn’t your fault the store was shot up, and it was the least I could do. I agree with my father, this is the best pain au chocolat I’ve had in years.” I hope the complement keeps her with us. The bell to the door dings, and I watch as her eyes move in that direction. No longer shuttered to me, I see anger flare in them. She looks back at me and then to my father. “Please excuse me, gentlemen. Thank you.” Her body is tight, and I turn to see who she’s looking at. I realize immediately it’s the man who assaulted her at the track. I’ve never seen him up close. He turns his eyes to me and they are dark with anger. He’s short, maybe only five-foot-five, but he’s stalky. He grips Fiona’s arm and pulls her away. I start to move toward them. “Son, sit.” My father commands and I turn back to him. “Give them a moment.” I can’t hear what they are saying but I watch her body language. She pulls her arm from his grasp and places it on her hip. Then she raises a finger and points at his chest. “I can’t let him…” I don’t know what I want to say, but I sit back down angry with him and myself. “You can’t let another man talk to her, but you won’t claim her. You won’t let others know she is yours.” “I can’t do that to her. She’s innocent. Sweet.” “But she’s strong. She would make a perfect match for you. A perfect queen for your empire.” “I can’t sentence her to that. I can’t soil her that way.” “Oh, but a wanker like that can soil her?” He waves his hand in the direction where Fiona and her friend are standing. “No.” I clench my teeth. I’m so angry right now that I can’t seem to the wanker’s name. I hear her make a noise and turn my head to check on her again. She’s struggling to get

away from him, and I’ve had enough. I stand and walk over to them. “Is there a problem here, Fiona?” It takes everything in me not to slip my hand to my back and pull my knife when I see the panic in her eyes. “I’m okay, Mr. Tiernan.” She drops her eyes, and I turn to him and flick my gaze to his hand still gripping her arm. He releases it. “Thank you,” she stammers before she flees to the back. The wanker grips my arm. My eyes flip down to look at his hand on me, but he doesn’t remove it. “Fifi is my girlfriend and has been for a while, so back off.” I lean down into his face. His fingers flex on my arm. If he gripped her this tight, he would bruise her skin. I want to bruise him just like he bruised her. My hand flashes out before I think better of it and I grip his neck tightly. My fingers digging in. “She has never been yours and never will be. If you go near her again, I’ll skin you alive. And her name is Fiona or better yet Ms. Griffin to you.” I squeeze tighter, cutting off his air supply. He’s released my arm and is now clawing at my hand, trying to get me to let go. “And don’t ever touch me again.” I push him away from me as I try to control the anger rolling through my body. I return to my senses and see that my men and my father’s are all standing outside the window waiting to see what will happen next. My father is standing behind me. His hand lands on my shoulder and I start to calm. “Leave now before I change my mind,” I growl. The wanker stumbles to the door, coughing and hacking. “It’s already arranged, you’re too late.” He slams out the door and I take off after him. My phone is in my hand and to my ear before I cross the threshold. “Lex, I want everything on that arsehole who assaulted Fiona.” I disconnect the call as he runs down the street. I turn to head back into the shop. Mrs. O’Sullivan is behind the counter with a huge grin on her face. I return to the table and sit back down with my father. “She’s yours and there is no denying it now.” He chuckles, and I take a big swallow of my coffee. I realize it’s an Irish coffee and the Jameson calms my

nerves. I look over to see Fiona watching me through the window in the kitchen. She doesn’t have any fear in her eyes, instead I see desire and something I don’t want to think about right now.

Chapter Six

Ilook out the window and watch the city fade away as we enter the countryside west of Belfast. We Belfast Castle and head away from the water. “I’m glad I was able to have the night off so I could go with you.” Moira’s voice pulls me from my daydreaming. “I’m happy you could come too. They won’t be so critical with you around.” I sigh. When my mum kept messaging me about having dinner, I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell her no much longer, so I talked Moira into going with me. I still don’t understand what they are up to. They had told me they never wanted to see me when I left, and now, they seem to can’t see me soon enough. “Are you going to tell me what happened yesterday at the bakery? Mrs. O’Sullivan said it was quite a lark.” I turn in my seat to look at Moira. She’s dressed in a pair of white slacks and a blue wrap shirt that is mine. She didn’t have a skirt and I knew my mum would be judgmental if we didn’t dress impeccably. I’m in a black-and-cream skirt, black shirt, and cream sweater. My four-inch cream-and-black pumps will give me the height my mum always says I don’t have. My mum is five-foot-seven and thin as a beauty model. She hates that I didn’t get hers or my father’s height. “I’m sorry, what did you ask?” “I asked what happened yesterday.” Moira rolls her eyes at me. “You can only avoid it for so much longer.” She teases me. “Mr. Tiernan came in with his father yesterday.” I’m not even sure what happened. I watched from the doorway as Aidan almost choked Patrick. “I only heard part of what he said because he wasn’t very loud, but he told Patrick to leave me alone.” I don’t tell her he said he’d skin him alive. After all, her family are all coppers. After I finally told her what happened at the racetrack, she told me Aidan is the head of the Irish mob. I had already learned that part on my own. He doesn’t scare me though. If anything, he makes me feel safe. I don’t understand how after he said the things to me that he did. Or even after everything Moira told me. But to me he’s just a man. He makes my body tremble

and my heart flutter. Yesterday when he held Patrick by the throat, it turned me on. “Well, I guess he can’t be all bad if he doesn’t like Patrick.” “He told Patrick not to call me Fifi anymore.” I giggle now because it was funny watching Patrick’s face turn red as Aidan squeezed the air from him. We joke for a bit. I keep the conversation light and away from more details about Aidan or Patrick so the driver doesn’t report anything to my parents. The car pulls into the estate and follows the stone wall to the large circular driveway. My parents’ house is a large stone home built back in sixteen hundred. My father bought it after it was refurbished and restored when I was seven. It’s about thirty minutes from Belfast. “I always forget your parents practically live in Downton Abbey.” Moira chuckles as the car comes to a stop and a man rushes out into the snow to open our door. He holds an umbrella open as Moira and I exit the vehicle. “Welcome, Ms. Griffin.” The man tips his head to me and walks with us to the door. “Thank you.” I don’t know his name because he’s new since I left. I’d heard they hired all-new staff after I left because they didn’t want everyone to know they had disowned me. Every employee has to sign a nondisclosure agreement to work for my father. We enter the first door then step through the next into the main entrance hall. The man takes our coats and bags from us to put in the cloakroom. “Your parents are in the drawing room with the other guests. Dinner will be in the formal dining room shortly.” He opens the door to the drawing room and we enter. The room is done in soft creams and dark woods. But it’s so cold and unfriendly. My mother is perched on the edge of the sofa, her back straight and her legs bent back against the sofa with her ankles crossed. She’s dressed in a black cap sleeve tight dress. When she stands, I see that it’s V-necked and showing her cleavage slightly. Her blond hair is pulled back in a severe bun, pulling back on her face, but I can tell she recently had Botox injections. “Fiona, it’s about time you arrived. You missed the whole cocktail hour,” she

says. I haven’t moved from the entrance into the room as I see the man my father is with. “What is Patrick doing here?” Moira whispers from behind me. He walks toward us and my body stills. I clench my jaw, ready to yell and rail at him. I have no clue why he’s here, but I’m going to find out. “Fiona, don’t be rude, step in and let your friend enter too.” My mum leans down to kiss me on the cheek. It’s all a show for Patrick and Moira. As soon as she’s against my ear she hisses in it. “I didn’t know you were bringing a guest. That’s very rude of you.” She pulls away. “Hello, Mara.” She slaughters Moira’s name as she’s done since the first time I brought her home years ago. “I’ll let the butler know to set another place setting. Fiona didn’t tell me you were coming too.” “It’s Moira, ma’am, and thank you.” Moira nods but doesn’t extend a hand to her. “Darling, I could have driven you out if you had told me you needed someone to ride with you,” Patrick says as he tries to put an arm around my waist. I step away from him. “Hello, Patrick. I didn’t know you were going to be here.” “Well, of course your intended would be here,” my father says as he walks over too. “My what?” I stammer. “Your betrothed.” My mum smiles. I feel Moira’s hand on my arm, and it keeps me partially calm. “I’m not sure what Patrick has told you, but we are not engaged, intended, or even dating. He was just a friend.” I don’t say more because I don’t want to give my parents any more ammunition against me. “Don’t be foolish, Fiona. Patrick came and asked for your hand like a proper gentleman.” My mother reaches out and grips my other arm, her nails digging

into my flesh. “Come with me.” She pulls me away from Moira and guides me back into the hall. She closes the door on Moira when she tries to follow us. “Mum, I’m not even dating that man. I won’t marry him.” “You listen here, you little spoiled brat, I won’t have you ruining this for your father and me. He wants to marry you and has a good job with lots of potential. You will stop this foolishness and marry like you were meant to. Quit this hobby you think is a job and come back home.” I’ve had enough. I turn to see the butler making his way back toward us. I know he’s about to announce dinner, but I’m done. “Please get my and my friend’s jackets, we will be leaving. Mother, thank you for the invite, but I will not quit my job and I won’t marry that man. He’s vile and rude. Plus, I don’t even like him like that.” “Fiona, if you leave right now, you will regret it.” She threatens, but I’ve already turned my back on her and opened the drawing room door. “Moira, we are leaving,” I tell her, and she nods, not even fazed that I’m upset. “You won’t be using our car to leave,” my mother says from behind me. “That’s okay, I’ve already got a lift on the way,” Moira says as she holds up her phone. “Fiona, don’t you dare do this.” My mother threatens again, but I take the coats from the butler and slip mine back on. “Mum, I was hoping this dinner was going to be a start, but I can see you haven’t changed your mind. Father, it was nice to see you, but my friend and I are leaving. I have an early shift tomorrow.” “Fiona, I think it would be best if you stayed and heard what your parents have to say.” Patrick tries again to get close to me. “I told you yesterday that I wasn’t interested in you. I told you not to come to the bakery anymore. Now I’m telling you to stay away from me.” I turn and walk outside. I know our ride isn’t here yet, but I’d rather take the snow than the ice-

cold feeling of this house. “I wonder why they think you’re engaged?” Moira says as we start down the long driveway toward the road. My feet are cold and my toes start to chill from the wet snow, but I won’t turn around. This is my life and I’ll choose who I marry and love. We only have a short wait once we get out to the main road until the auto pulls up to take us back to town. By the time we get home, I’m tired and hungry. So when we step through the door, I only want to change into something comfy and make something to eat. Maybe I’ll order delivery instead. “Hey, thought you were having dinner at your parents’ house?” Arianna says as she steps from the kitchen into the living room. I give her a half-smile. I don’t want to discuss what happened at my parents’ yet. I look at her five-foot-six slim build and perfect golden blonde hair and brown eyes, and I see the image of what my mum would be proud to call her daughter. Except for the fact she likes to work as a nurse, she’s what my mum wished I looked like. “It didn’t happen, they only wanted to try to marry her off,” Moira says as I make my way up the stairs, ignoring the conversation. I collapse on my bed and want to cry but the tears won’t come. I can’t be upset anymore. I knew they were up to something because they hadn’t tried to talk to me until now. With a big sigh, I stand up and change into a pair of leggings and a baggy T-shirt along with my favorite fleece lined fluffy slippers, then I make my way downstairs again. “Let’s just order in instead of making something,” I say as I hit the bottom step. When no one answers me, I look over to see Arianna and Moira both staring at something. “Crikey,” I exclaim when I see the note. It’s on the same paper as the others I’ve received. “What is this, Fiona?” Moira shakes it at me. “It’s like the other one you got.” “Is it? Let me see.” I try to play dumb, but she’s on to me. “Have you got others?”

I avoid her eyes and try to reach for the note, but she pulls it back. Her hands go to her hips, crumpling the paper in her hand. “Okay, I’ve gotten a few,” I it. “A few. How many is a few?” “Not more than a dozen.” “Not more than a dozen. Are you knackered! This is a threat.” Moira swings the letter around again and this time I grab it away. I turn it so I can read it. You’ll regret ignoring me. “I didn’t think it was that bad.” I try to explain, but the letters have been getting worse and worse. “Tomorrow we are going to see my father or one of my brothers. This needs to be taken care of. And no more secrets, okay?” “Okay. I promise.” We order dinner and watch a romantic comedy together until the other girls come home.

It’s been two weeks since the failed dinner with my parents and since I’ve seen Aidan or his father. The day after I got that letter, we went to see Moira’s brother, but he told us there was nothing he could do since I did not know who it was and it wasn’t a threat. I’ve ignored my parents’ calls and Patrick’s too. I spent Christmas at the flat with Giselle, who like me doesn’t really do much with her family. Today is New Year’s Eve and Brigid talked all of us into going out to a party at one of the clubs in town. She got all of us tickets along with her sister and friend too. I’m not sure going to a big party is something I want to do, especially since Brigid picked out my dress and like Mikayla won’t let me see it until tonight. The bakery closed early and won’t be open tomorrow. I head home, walking in the crisp December air. A chill rolls through my body and the hair stands up on the back of my neck. I look around but don’t see anyone, and I know Kayla didn’t put a detail on me again. I haven’t seen Seamus in a long time, so I don’t think it’s him. I feel better when I step up to my door. As soon as I get inside, I bolt the door closed and set the alarm. I know Giselle and Brigid are around here somewhere, but Moira and Arianna both have to work until later. I take a deep breath and try to calm my nerves from the scare. “Hey, wait until you see what we picked out for you tonight,” Ronan says from behind me, causing me to jump and almost squeal in fear. I’ve been jumpier in the last few weeks. I can’t seem to get the fear from that last letter to leave me. I turn to see the petite redhead. Her hair is redder than her sister, Brigid’s, and she gets asked all the time if it’s natural. She’s already got her makeup on, her eyes very defined with liner pulled out to the corner of her eye in a cat-eye. Her lips are a bright red, and her hair is in loose waves down her body. She’s still dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Brigid said Deandra and I could get ready here because her da hates her dres too much.” “It’s okay.” My lips tip up slightly as I move past her to head upstairs. “I’m going to lie down for a bit.” “But we need to get started on your hair and makeup.” I take a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to find that calm center I haven’t felt in a while. Even the gym isn’t helping me lately. When I open my eyes, I see

the excitement in Ronan’s and know I’ll give in because I don’t want to hurt her feelings. “Okay. Where do you want me?” “Right here,” Brigid says from the kitchen, and I look to see our table covered in hair and makeup products. It takes them over two hours to do my hair and makeup. I barely recognize myself. My hair has soft curls as it hangs down in waves around my shoulders to my breasts. My makeup is dark with my eyes defined in dark lines and my lashes are thick from the mascara. My lips look fuller with a touch of pink on them. “Okay, let’s get you in your dress.” They all laugh, and I cringe because I know this is going to be just as bad as Kayla’s dress was for me. They all get upset that I don’t wear sexier clothes, but I just can’t. I don’t see myself as beautiful or sexy. I was right. The maroon V-neck satin dress has a side split and spaghetti straps. The draped material sits over my breasts with a view of my cleavage. The skirt is similar to a wrap with a high split over my left leg. It’s not as high as the dress Kayla got me, so my tattoo doesn’t show. But if I take long strides, it could be seen. The dress won’t allow for a bra and I have to wear a skin toned thong for no lines. The empire waist shows how much I’ve been to the gym lately and the lack of food I’ve been eating, accentuating the weight I’ve lost. The other girls are all in sexy club wear too. They constantly challenge each other in who can wear the sexiest outfit, except for Giselle and me. Giselle is in a green single shoulder dress that is fitted to her. I know that Brigid picked it too, but it doesn’t show the cleavage that mine does. Giselle has some scars that she hides, so she won’t wear anything too revealing, no matter who tries to make her wear it. We pull up to the busy club that you can only get into tonight with tickets. I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard it’s the “it” club to be at lately. We show our tickets and get our hands stamped, then we step inside. The club is packed. The dance floor is filled with bodies moving close. Tables with wraparound booths ring the area on each level, making the dance floor the center focus. We make our way to a table, and I sit down, not really up to celebrating. “Nope, no sitting. Drinks first, ladies, then dancing.” Brigid laughs as she waves a waitress over. She gives her our order and the shots are brought over quickly.

We shoot them, the burn of the alcohol hits my system and my almost empty stomach. My body starts to loosen up and I’m on the dance floor before I know it. The shots keep coming. Ariana makes sure I’m alternating with water too.

Aidan

The SUV pulls up to the back of the club. I’d let Rory arrange tonight. Normally I run the club like any other night on New Year’s Eve, but Rory had this idea of tickets only. I have to it, it appears to be working. When I step into my office, I see the club lights flashing and know the dance floor is packed. My mobile vibrates in my pocket and I pull it out. “Seamus, what’s up?” I hear lots of music in the background. “Aren’t you on Fiona tonight?” “That’s why I’m calling. Look out the window.” “What are you talking about?” “I know you just got here, so why don’t you take a look out onto the dance floor.” His words hit me like a sledgehammer to my chest. I walk over to the window and look down. I locate him at the bar and he points toward the dance floor. In the center amongst a group of girls surrounded by men is my beauty. She’s got her head thrown back, and her hair moves against her body as she moves to the music. Her arms are over her head. Her unrestrained knockers under her dress jiggle, making my cock instantly hard. “Fuck,” I growl into the phone. “Why did you let her come here?” “I just watch her. You tell her what she can and can’t do.” He challenges me. I throw the phone against the wall. It shatters as I turn and storm out of the office. I take the stairs down, jumping over several. No man but me should have their hands on her, and no bloody wanker should see her knockers like that. I push through people, trying to see her in the crowd. I’ve lost her until a group of men split. She twirls around with her eyes closed, her body moving seductively to the beat of the music. A man approaches and wraps himself around her, but she pulls away and wags a finger at him. Her eyes look glassy

even from this distance, and I know she’s drunk. I pull the guy away and he goes to swing at me, but I nod over his head to Shane, who pulls him back. I wrap my hands around my beauty’s satin covered hips. She turns and starts to pull away until she sees it’s me, then she almost stumbles. I lean down into her space. “Beautiful, what are you doing right now?” I growl against her ear, and she trembles. “Mr. Tiernan,” she says, her voice breathless. “Call me Aidan when I have my hands on your body,” I demand, and her doe eyes flare wide. “I’m celebrating with my friends, Mr. Tiernan.” There’s a slight slur to her words. “You’re dressed too sexy without a man to take care of you. How much have you had to drink, beauty?” I pull her in tight and move my hips with hers, mimicking what I want to do in the bedroom to her sweet innocent body. The song changes to a faster beat and she starts to pull away, but I keep her close to me. I spin her around so I’m against her back. I lean down and drag my scruff against her neck, leaving a burn so other men know she has a man already. I look up and see the group of girls she must be with, most of which I recognize as her roommates from the background check I had done on her. They are watching us. A couple have smiles, but one who I know is her best friend, Moira, has her jaw locked. I raise a hand over my head and spin my finger to draw attention to us. My brothers and Shane surround the girls, moving the men away from them. “You didn’t answer my question, beauty? How much have you had to drink?” “That’s none of your business.” Her body stiffens. My cock digs into her arse through my slacks as she moves her hips against me. I lean my head down again and kiss her neck. My hand reaches down to the slit in her dress exposing her thigh. “When other men see this tantalizing tattoo, then it is my business.” Her body stiffens more, and she starts to struggle against me. I must have reached a line because Moira grabs her hand.

“Come on, Fi, time to take a break.” She pulls her away from me. Fiona turns to watch me but follows behind Moira and the other girls. “Want me to tell the bartender to cut them off?” Rory asks as he watches them move away, his eyes on a girl that isn’t mine. “No, let them have fun. Seamus will keep an eye on them.” I turn toward the bar in desperate need of a drink. “Who were all the girls with her?” Rory asks. “Mostly her roommates. The other two, I don’t know, but I’m sure Lex does.” I watch them move to a booth across the room. Brigid leans in and talks to Fiona. She nods her head, her honey blond hair shines in the lights. I feel someone come up behind me. A hand slides across my shoulder, and that’s the moment Fiona’s eyes land on me. I see her jaw clench from this distance. I yank the woman’s hand off me and push her back as Fiona turns and storms away down the hall toward the loo. I wait, watching for her to return. Seamus is at the head of the hallway keeping guard. When he turns and starts moving down the hall, I’m in motion knowing something isn’t right. He’s supposed to keep his distance without her knowing he’s there, so he must feel that she’s in danger. I push my way through and into the hall not far behind him. “Where is the blonde?” he asks a woman. “A man grabbed her and pulled her out the door. She screamed and fought him until he hit her.” Her words are ice in my veins. I barrel through everyone and slam open the door. I hear a commotion and another scream across the parking lot. A large guy has Fiona by the arm as he punches her in the face. He kicks her in the side when she falls to the ground, and I see red. My blade is in my hand as I move without thought. He’s so engrossed in beating her he doesn’t hear me approach. I slide my knife down his back, cutting through his clothing and to his skin below. He screams, and Fiona looks up at me. Her face is starting to swell, one eye already swollen shut. I bring the knife around his throat, ready to slice it when she finally focuses on me. Her hazel eyes take me in. I stop and push him away from

me. “Take him,” I bark at Seamus as I bend down to Fiona. “I’m going to take care of you and protect you.” My voice cracks with emotion from seeing her like this. She looks broken as I carefully lift her in my arms. Her dress is torn and muddy. I didn’t get to her fast enough and he beat her more than I saw. “Seamus, don’t kill him until I talk to him.” “Yes, boss.” I look around at my guys. Rage burns in my eyes, but it’s reflected in theirs too. They don’t like to see women abused. I focus on Shane and Rory standing there. “Shane, car now, and call the doctor after you check her over. Rory, tell her friends what happened and escort them to their home along with Grady.” “Got it, bruv.” Rory turns away. Shane makes his way toward us, making sure she is watching him. “Ms. Griffin, I’m going to need to touch you, okay?” She nods, and I hold the growl back as he moves his hands over her body and face. “No broken ribs that I can feel. I can’t probe her face too good without causing her pain. I’ll get the car.” “Why did he do that?” Fiona cries as she buries her face in my neck. I lock away the emotion of needing to kill the man for touching Fiona as I focus on her. If this has something to do with me, I don’t know what I’ll do. I practically taunted people on the dance floor to come after her with my claiming of her, but I couldn’t stop myself if I wanted to. When it comes to Fiona, all reason leaves my brain and all I want to do is mark her and claim her as mine. I want her by my side forever, but this right here might be why I can’t have her. Why she isn’t meant to be mine. As I stand there in the parking lot empty of other people, a feeling of being watched overcomes me. The hair on the back of my neck standing up and the urge to pull Fiona in closer are like a warning against my skin that this isn’t over

with. Shane pulls up and jumps out to open the back door. I slip in with her in my arms, not wanting to let her go. “To my house, now.” The feeling of being watched stops as soon as we pull away. “Aidan, I’m scared,” Fiona whispers. “I know, beauty. I’ll protect you.” Her eyes close and I kiss her forehead. “Even from me,” I whisper against her skin. Her soft skin that I want to mark up with my bites, but right now all I can think about is killing the man who touched her. A man who thought he could hurt my woman. We pull through the gates to my house. “The doctor is on his way. I’ll text him to come here instead of the office,” Shane says as he stops the car in front of the large double doors to the house. “Please.” A guard steps forward and opens my door. I step out still holding Fiona to my chest. She has been unconscious for a bit. I’m going to need to rouse her soon just in case she hit her head, and I need to get her out of her wet and muddy dress. Entering the house, I walk straight to the staircase and make my way upstairs. I take her to my room instead of the lone empty bedroom. If she’s under my roof, she’s in my bed with me. I carefully lay her on the bed, but she cries out and clutches the lapels of my jacket. “Beauty, I need to get you laid down and changed before the doctor gets here to check you out.” She nods and tries to sit up, but I gently push her back. “Let me take care of you.” Her eyes widen and she bites her bottom lip but immediately flinches. Her hand flies up to carefully touch it. One of the thin straps of her dress is ripped and hanging down, causing her knocker to almost fall out the top of her dress. She looks down and carefully adjusts it. I turn my back on her for a moment, trying to get control of my raging hormones. I stride into my closet and grab a shirt. When I return to the bedroom,

she is looking around her. “Let me help you up and into this.” I hold up the button-down shirt. “I’ll get it dirty.” Her voice quivers. “I don’t care. This will be the easiest to put you in without going over your head.” As I reach the bed, I set the shirt down and carefully lift her up again and help her stand. “I’m going to cut your other strap.” She doesn’t flinch away in fear when I pull my knife from my back. I cut the strap, drop the blade on the bed, and reach around her to release the zipper. The dress pools at her feet and I groan when I step back and see her nearly naked body in front of me. Her pale skin is already bruising across her ribs. She shivers and covers herself. Carefully, I pull her hands from her knockers. “I want to see all of you, mo áilleacht.” The Irish words for “my beauty” flow from my tongue. Her hands fall away as she looks up at me. Leaning down, I gently kiss her lips. I want to push for more, but I’m afraid to hurt her already bruised lips. I reach for my shirt and help her into it, then I roll up the sleeves so her little hands aren’t covered. I button up the shirt and then lift her back into the bed after I pull the duvet back. She snuggles in and groans in pain. “After the doctor looks at you, we can maybe give you something for the pain.” I sit on the bed and take her small hand in mine carefully. One of her hands is bruised and I worry that her knuckles could be busted. “Whose room is this?” She looks around. “Mine. I’m going to—” A rap on the door stops me from saying more or from her arguing about being in my bed. I make sure she’s covered before saying, “Enter.” “Boss, the doctor is here. Seamus messaged that he has the package set up for you.” Shane steps inside.

“I can’t leave her tonight. Tell him to have some fun until I can come by.” “Yes, boss.” I watch as Shane steps back and my personal physician enters the room. “Hello, Mr. Tiernan, what have we got here?” I look at Dr. McGowan. He started working for my father years ago and I retained him. He’s very good and I’ve set him up with his own private practice, which keeps him from reporting certain injuries that usually need to be reported. “This is Fiona. She was assaulted.” “You poor little lass.” He approaches the bed, and I stand and move to the sitting area, not wanting to leave her alone. I listen as she answers all his questions and allows him to examine her. “Okay, nothing broken, just very bruised. She needs to rest. I’ve got some meds here, but she said she drank this evening, so wait a couple hours to give them to her.” I nod, and he walks out of the room. I continue to sit and watch her as she drifts off to sleep.

Chapter Seven

Fiona

Icome awake, my body aching everywhere, the soft sheets rub against my bare legs. I move slightly, pushing my arse back into the heat behind me, and hear a groan. I whip my head around and see Aidan looking back at me. His blue eyes take me in as I grunt from the fast movement I made. “Careful, beauty.” His voice is gruff and raspy sounding in the morning. “I thought it was a nightmare.” My voice cracks as the memories assail me. I the man grabbing me after I walked out of the loo. I tried to fight him, but he smacked me across the face. After he dragged me out the door into the parking lot, he punched me several times. I fell and he kicked me before yanking me up by my hair and dragging me further away from the door. He continued to beat me until I looked up and saw my savior. Aidan stood there with blood dripping from a sharp knife and vengeance in his eyes. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me, but the man who attacked me was lucky to survive that moment. I close my eyes as the memories and words the man said fill my head. I feel Aidan’s warm hand press against my cheek, but I still jolt in fear. “Shhh, Fiona, it’s just me. You need to be careful so you can heal.” I open my eyes, trying to blink the tears back. My face hurts along with my ribs and my left hand. I look down so Aidan can’t see how nervous I am. My hands tremble slightly as I brush the blanket, smoothing it out. “Why did this happen to me?” I don’t know the man. I’ve never seen him before, but his insults made me think he knew me. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. You can take some pain meds now. Would you like me to get you some food and tea before you take them?” “Why am I here?” He rolls from the bed, wearing only a pair of fitted black boxer briefs. Muscles move across his back. His legs are long and trim. He turns to look at me and I see the smattering of chest hair. My eyes move over him, devouring everything until he clears his throat. I look back up to his mesmerizing blue eyes. His thick dark hair falls across his forehead.

“You’ll want to keep your eyes up here, beauty, because you aren’t ready to see what you do to my body.” I don’t understand what he means, but I nod and keep looking at him. “You are here because this is the safest place for you. No one can get to you here.” “So this is your home?” I sit up and the blanket falls away. I him putting me in his shirt, but during the night it came unbuttoned. When his eyes focus on my chest, I look down to see one of my breasts is peeking out the opening. I quickly adjust the shirt and drop my eyes. “Yes, this is my house.” “But this is your room.” I don’t look up because I’m afraid of what I’ll see. What if I’m only here because of my safety? What if it’s only pity? Can I take that? I doubt it. I know how this man makes me feel. I know what I want from him. I bounce on the bed slightly as he pounces on it. I look up and see him crawling toward me across the bed. I can’t look away from his eyes. Those blue pools that I feel myself drowning in. His hand reaches out and lifts my face up toward his. “If you are under this roof, you’re in my bed,” he growls before his lips land on mine gently but firm. He pulls away. “I will kiss you like I did in my office again, but not until this lip is healed.” His thumb brushes under my full bottom lip and I nod. I want that kiss again. I watch him as he moves off the bed. He turns his back and drops his briefs before he steps through the door into the washroom. His arse cheeks are firm, and the image of my fingers digging into them as he moves over my body causes my heart to stutter. “Ugh.” I lie back and pull the pillow over my face to hide the blush I know is there. A little later he steps out in perfectly pressed suit pants and a black shirt. His closet must be off the bathroom. I climb out of the bed and make my way around

him so I can visit the loo. I smell his spicey soap and close my eyes as I take in a deep breath of him. I use my fingers to comb through my crazy hair. Then I use my finger to brush my teeth and the soap by the basin to wash my face. I him and the doctor using a washcloth to clean the makeup off my face last night. When I step out of the loo, he’s standing at the doorway. “I’ll be back. Climb back in bed. You are resting today.” “But I can come down and sit with you. I’m not in pain.” I try to go with him. “You have no tros, and I don’t want to kill any of my men who see your legs like that. Last night at the club with that dress was bad enough.” “Do you have some sweatpants or shorts I can put on?” I try again. “Just a moment.” He steps into the closet and comes out with a pair of black shorts that tie at the waist. I slip them on quickly and tie them tight. He reaches out and takes my hand. I follow him out the door. The landing wraps around the floor with rooms coming off it. He leads me down the stairs. I hear voices when we get to the main floor, and I pull back, not sure about this now. I fidget and pull my hand from his and twist mine together. “You look beautiful, Fiona. It’s only my brothers.” He assures me as his hand brushes gently down the side of my face. He’s careful not to touch any of my bruises. I lean into his touch, craving it. He takes my hand again and leads me through the family room into a large breakfast nook and ading kitchen. Sitting around a large table are six men. I recognize most of them from the gala, but I didn’t get to meet them all. I look over and take in the kitchen. It’s all stainless with a large commercial range, ovens, and refrigerator. This is my dream kitchen right here. “This is Fiona. Fiona, these men are my brothers.” He points to a guy with brown hair similar to his and green eyes. He’s dressed in jeans, a T-shirt, and a leather vest. “My brother Brody.” The next guy has dark blond hair, almost a brown, and green eyes too. He’s dressed in jeans and a sweater. His hair is longer than Aidan’s and hangs in his eyes. I recognize him from Uni. “My youngest brother, Rory.” He points to Seamus next. “You already know Seamus and Shane, and that man between them is Lex.” This man has brown hair but his hair is more curled and he has very light eyes. Finally, Aidan points to a tall red-

haired guy. “That is Grady.” “Hello,” I say quietly and hold onto Aidan tighter with my right hand. I use my other hand to pull my hair forward to cover my face, and forgetting my aching fingers, I cringe. “Gentle, beauty,” Aidan growls next to me. “I need to call Moira and let her and the girls know where I am.” I look around and don’t see my purse or phone. “They know you’re with me and safe.” “I need my phone.” “We found your phone on the ground last night. It’s not broken, considering.” Lex stands up and hands me my phone. “Thank you.” I send a quick text to Moira and let her know I’m okay. She’d tear apart Belfast looking for me if I didn’t message her. I turn back to the guys as they watch me. “Do you all live around here?” I try to distract from the attention of them staring me down. “Yeah, around here.” Brody chuckles. Aidan looks down at me and I look up at him. My insides tremble from how close he is to me. “Brody lives in a house next door. The others all live here. Speaking of that, why are you all in the kitchen?” Aidan looks back at them. “We were trying to figure out what we could make for breakfast.” “Today is Cook’s day off. I told her we wouldn’t need anything because I figured you all would be hungover instead of wanting food.” “I can make something.” I pipe in. “You should be resting. I’ll figure it out.” Aidan pulls out a chair at the island and lifts me up to sit in it being careful of my ribs. I watch as he opens and

closes cupboards and then the fridge. “What do you have?” “Some leftover ham.” I can tell he’s frustrated. I climb down from the chair and walk around the island to him. I open the cupboard I saw baking products in and pull out the things I need. “You’ll cut that ham into small dices. What cheese do you have?” “I told you, you need to rest.” “I’m not going to sit there watching you defile this beautiful kitchen when I know what to make. You have the fixings for ham and cheese crepes, and a hollandaise sauce. If you cut, because I know my fingers won’t be able to do that, I can cook for you.” “Let her cook, you’ll only burn it.” Rory laughs, and I turn to see all the guys watching us argue as they stand where I was just sitting. “Beauty, that sounds amazing, but again, I told you to sit. I’ll make it. You tell me how.” He advances on me. I straighten my spine and stand up to him. “Do you know how to make crepes?” I place my hands on my hips. “Or even a classic hollandaise without breaking it?” “I don’t even know what that means?” “Then do as I say and cut the ham. You can fold the crepes after they are done if you are that serious about helping, but roll up those sleeves.” “Bloody hell, Aidan, she’s not afraid of you.” Lex laughs and the other guys chuckle, but I don’t take my eyes off Aidan. “You heard me.” I point to the knife block. “I know you know how to use a knife.” I seeing him cut that man last night. He steps back shocked that I mentioned it. He expects me to be afraid of him, but little does he know that it turns me on in a huge way when he gets aggressive like that. “Fiona.” He shakes his head at me.

“Aidan.” I raise an eyebrow and tip my head to the side slightly. “I’m used to dealing with demanding customers, Mikayla, and my stubborn parents. I’m fairly certain I can stare you down too.” I don’t know where this extra moxie is coming from, but I’m going to use it. “Okay.” He turns and rolls his sleeves and prepares to cut the ham. I twist my hair up and back, then realize I don’t have a hair tie. “Here.” Seamus hands me one out of his pocket. I finish pulling my hair back and then wash my hands and get to work. “That was amazing.” Brody leans back in his chair as he sips his coffee. I notice both he and Aidan drink it instead of tea as the others do. “Thank you for breakfast,” Grady says as he steps away from the table and takes his plate to the sink.

Aidan

It’s been ten days of her in my bed beside me. Ten mornings of waking up hard as feck with her wrapped around me, her sweet cunt so close to my cock. Ten nights of slipping into bed and pulling her into my body because I can’t have her away from me for long. Ten days of my house finally feeling like a home. I’d destroy the world to keep her. She’s everything to me. Every need, urge, breath, and desire to me. Her body calls to me and I find myself constantly by her side. I haven’t been to the office at the track in more than a week because I won’t be away from her. I enter my house through the gun room. Safes line the walls locked up in case my guys can’t get to the main armory at the main office. As I step into the kitchen, the sight before me not only gives me pause but it causes my cock to become steel. Fiona dances around, wiggling her hips as she rolls out dough. Music is playing in the kitchen and she’s singing along to it. I watch her for a moment, enjoying the view and the smell of my home. She’s cooked every day and made fresh bread or pastries every couple of days. The guys are liking it too as they are here every night, and I just want them to go away. I know she’s still healing. Her ribs don’t cause her as much pain now. I’m watching as she uses her fingers to work the dough into a fold. She wraps it up and turns toward the fridge when she sees me standing watching her. I can’t stop myself. I’ve said I won’t go to her until she asks me, but I’m in motion. I reach her, stalking her as she backs up against the fridge. My hands go to her face and tip her head back. Her breaths come in pants. She pulls that full bottom lip into her mouth between her little white teeth. As I lean down to her mouth, her hands go to my jacket and she pulls me to her. She pops up on her toes at the last moment and her lips are under mine. I devour her mouth. Taking everything and demanding more. She opens and my tongue slips inside, branding her as mine. I reach down and pull her up and press her harder against the fridge. She moans into my mouth, and I turn my head to deepen the kiss. The need to own

every part of her consumes my body. A throat clearing from behind us has me stopping with a growl. I don’t take my eyes from hers. She drops her head, hiding them from me. “What?” I demand. “I’ll have the car ready for you in two hours,” Shane says, and I want to knock him out for interrupting us again. “Thank you.” She looks up then, her eyes brimming with a shine. How she doesn’t know how beautiful she is kills me. How she doubts that I want her makes it even worse. “You won’t be here for dinner?” she asks, her voice breathless. “We won’t be.” I correct her. “What?” “I have a charity event we need to attend tonight.” “I don’t have anything to wear.” The day after I rescued her, I had a personal shopper get her a full wardrobe. Everything she could need so she wouldn’t have to leave me. She kept asking to go back to her place. I kept telling her it wasn’t safe. The man who attacked her didn’t know who hired him. He died screaming his innocence as my hot blade slipped between his ribs and stabbed into his heart. No one will ever hurt my beauty. But I know she still isn’t safe, so I keep her here hidden from the world. However, now it’s time for the world to know she is mine, and I can’t stand the thought of attending this event without her. It’s a charity that is close to my heart and I know she would like it too. “We are attending the event together. There is a gown upstairs for you. I had Brigid help me pick it out for you.”

“Brigid helped?” “Yes. Now run upstairs and get this flour off your cute nose then change into it. We only have a couple hours. I’ll be up to shower shortly.” “Okay.” I set her down and she heads out of the kitchen. I hold myself back from chasing after her. “Oh.” She pauses. “Tell the guys I made dinner. It’s in the oven.” It’s the little things like that that make me fall for her more. She takes care of my brothers. Cook hasn’t had to make a meal since Fiona has been here. “I’ll let them know.” I know Seamus is waiting just inside the gun room doorway to talk to me and Shane will be back soon, so I look at the fridge and count backward in my head to control the erection that is almost constant. “I like her,” Seamus says from behind me. I whip around and have him pinned to the wall with my blade at this throat. “I like her for you,” he continues. “She complements you. She is what you’ve needed for a long time.” I pull the blade away. “Sorry.” “Don’t worry about it. I know how it feels.” He mumbles the last part. I look at him. He’s been running off every night. He doesn’t have to guard Fiona any longer, so I don’t know where he runs off to. I turn away from him and wait for Shane to return and tell me who our detail will be for the night. An hour and a half later, Fiona walks down the stairs toward me. She’s in a longsleeved black dress that comes to her ankles. The dress is mostly a see-through black mesh except for a black miniskirt that lands mid-thigh and a black over her breasts and abdomen. It’s elegant and alluring in one package. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she turns around to show me the back. It’s completely see-through mesh except for the miniskirt. All the important parts are covered, but I want to slip off my black tuxedo jacket to cover her still. She is

wearing a pair of black cage style five-inch high heels with a closed toe. Her hair is up in a smoothed bun at the back of her neck. Her eye makeup is dark and her long lashes are darkened to accentuate their length and make her look more doeeyed. Her lips have a touch of pale pink; the fuller bottom lip is begging me to suck it into my mouth. I reach out and pull her along out the door. I hold her hand so I don’t ravish her the whole way to the gallery where the event is taking place. We pull up and Shane opens the door. I exit and reach in to help her out. We walk toward the entrance with me holding her against my body, and a chill runs down my spine. We are being watched. I knew this was a possibility. I want whoever is after her to know they will have to go through me to get to her. We step through the double doors into the crowded space. The gallery is a large industrial building with exposed beams. Art lines the walls. “What is this event for?” Fiona asks. “All the artwork and photographs are by veterans. It’s all being auctioned off to help veteran programs.” She smiles, her face lighting up. I knew she would love this as much as I do. “What are you looking for?” “I was looking for a couple pieces. One for the drawing room at the house and a piece for the hall of the office.” “Can I help you look?” she asks, her voice so soft I barely hear her over all the noise in the open space. “I was hoping you would.” I lift her chin to look at me. The urge to kiss her consumes me, but I can’t in front of all these people. “Hey, Aidan,” a deep voice says, and we turn to see David Jarieth walking up to us. He’s dressed in an all-black tuxedo. His hair is longer than the last time we video chatted. “Hello, David, welcome to Belfast.” I reach out and shake his hand. “This is

Fiona Griffin.” I introduce Fiona as I wrap my arm around her and pull her to me so he doesn’t get any ideas. He chuckles as he takes her hand. “Hello, I’m David Jarieth.” “You’re an American?” She smiles at him, and I regret bringing her here. She is charming him when she should only be charming me. “Yeah. A New Yorker now. I met Aidan when he reached out to me to help him put this together. I work in the States promoting veteran causes.” I watch as he steps closer to her side and I decide that’s enough of him moving in on my girl. “We are going to go in search of a couple pieces.” I pull her away. “I’ll catch up with you later. This is amazing. Thank you for setting this up, Aidan,” he says as another person grabs his attention. “You set this up?” She looks up at me with a gleam in her eye. “I did.” “I like that.” “I’m not all bad,” I say as we turn to face a wall with several paintings. An image catches my eye instantly and I move toward it. I want it in my office. It’s of a beautiful woman but you don’t see her face. She’s in a short white slip dress. Her hair hangs down her face to her shoulders. She’s in profile as she leans against an office chair. It’s a pose I know Fiona would look beautiful doing. “That’s beautiful,” she says, and I look at her, imagining her dressed like that in my office. She reaches out to my face, her hand sliding across the scruff, her thumb rubs across my bottom lip. “I’ve never said you were bad.” Her eyes are soft, and I pull her to me and kiss the tip of her nose. If I put my lips on hers, I’ll press her against the wall and take her right here in front of everyone. “I want you like that in my office.” She blushes at my words and lowers her head. “Come on, I want to look for the other two I mentioned earlier. This one will be for my office.” We continue through the gallery and come up with two more pieces.

Chapter Eight

Fiona

Iwas shocked when he asked me to come out with him tonight, but I was more shocked that he organized this. He doesn’t leave my side all night, even when I have to go to the loo. He stands outside the door waiting for me. I’m stunned by his attention, but my body is on fire with every look he gives me. My panties are wasted from my desire for him to do more than kiss me or hold me. For ten days he’s only held me and kissed me on the forehead until today when he practically attacked me in his kitchen. I want him so much that I’ve resorted to touching myself in the shower. A man walks up to him and tries to pull him away from me. “I’m okay, go ahead.” I nod. I know I’m safe here. Shane is at the front exit and Aidan’s other guards are at the back door. No one will get to me here. I continue looking at the pieces in the lineup we are currently looking at. My stomach grumbles. I’ve only had a couple canapes and a glass of champagne. I want more food and I need some water. I stop in front of a piece and can’t take my eyes from it. The person is looking up with their eyes closed. A hand pressed to the canvas as if they are on the other side of the glass in front of me. “It’s a beautiful piece, isn’t it?” A voice I recognize comes from behind me. I turn to see Patrick standing there. “It is. What are you doing here?” “I figured you’d be here.” How did he know I was with Aidan? The girls know where I am. Mrs. O’Sullivan does too because I took time off until I wasn’t bruised anymore. I no longer have visible bruises. “Why did you figure that?” I try to hold the shiver in as his eyes move over my body. I step back from him in fear. “Fiona, want me to introduce you to the artist,” David says as he steps up to me, and I’m glad he came over.

“Yes, please. Nice seeing you again, Patrick.” I nod at him and move away. I didn’t realize I got so far from Aidan. Aidan turns and his eyes are frantic as he looks for me. He sees me and instantly is on me. His hand takes mine and he pulls me into his body. He stiffens as he looks over my head. I’m sure he sees Patrick. I know he re him. “Thank you, David,” he growls, and my body starts to come to life with need for him again, forgetting about Patrick. “Don’t let beautiful creatures such as this from your sight, my man, because there are predators everywhere.” “I agree. Thank you. Add the piece she was looking at to our order, please.” “You don’t have to buy images from your own event.” “I want to our veterans.” “Thank you.” Aidan holds me against his side tightly as he continues to talk to David. David is six feet tall with brown hair that hangs over his blue eyes. He only looks at me with kindness, and I don’t feel the need to cover myself as I did when Patrick looked at me. You can tell that the tuxedo is cut to perfection to his body. He’s muscular and his hands are strong. His shoulders are wide, and if I didn’t have Aidan, I would be attracted to him. But he also has a darkness to him, different than Aidan’s. His is more domineering. When he came up to me when I was with Patrick, he didn’t pose a question but a command. “Who was the jerk you were talking to?” David’s question breaks me from looking him over. “It was an old friend of mine.” “I can ask him to leave if you’d like?” “No, it’s okay.” Aidan’s body stiffens again, and I look in the direction he’s focused on. Patrick is watching us as he talks on his mobile.

“When do you head back to New York?” Aidan asks him. “Next week. I’m going to do some exploring around. I need some time to myself.” “Let me know if you want to get together for dinner before you leave.” “Thank you.” He walks away and I catch a slight limp in his gait, but he covers it instantly with his next step. “He’s very nice.” “He is. He works hard as an advocate for veterans. When I decided to do this, I ed him and asked him to come help me out.” “Was he in the military?” I don’t know why I ask because it’s pretty obvious by the way he carries himself. “U.S. Army. Come, beauty, I’m ready to take you to dinner.” “Thank goodness! I was worried I was going to waste away.” I chuckle, and he leads me from the gallery and out to the car. I slide in and wait while he talks to Shane. We pull up to an exclusive restaurant. He leads me inside where we are seated near the back but not by the kitchen. He sits next to me in the same booth, keeping our backs to the wall and facing the entrance. When the waiter approaches, Aidan orders for the both of us. I just sit there knowing he’ll make sure I like what he’s getting and that it’s enough. I turn slightly while he’s talking to the waiter to observe him. His face already has a thicker scruff, and I know he shaved this morning. His hair is in need of a haircut, but I like it longer. When he kissed me earlier, I wanted to reach up and slide my fingers through it. He took off the tie to his suit in the car and unbuttoned a couple of buttons at his collar. His sparse chest hair is visible and I want to lick and kiss his chest. I squirm in my seat, moving my legs back and forth to get some relief for my throbbing sex. I want this man. I want to give him my virginity and make him my first. His sleeves shift slightly, and I see the edges of his tattoos peeking out. I didn’t know I liked tattoos on a man until I saw him shirtless that first morning in his home. He has a large back piece that is

the same as the insignia on his brother’s cut. Celtic knots run down each arm from his shoulders to his wrists. Over his heart is a green-and-black shamrock made up of a Celtic knot with a name and date interwoven through it. I haven’t gotten close enough to see whose name it is, but I have a feeling it’s his mum. “If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t make it through dinner.” His voice is gruff as his hand traces along my face. “You are the most beautiful woman. You take my breath away. The first time I saw you, I wanted to kill everyone who was looking at you.” My breath catches at his confession. He’s so controlled and serious. He keeps his feelings buried, but I do realize that with me they are always right on the edge. He appears more out of control with me. “I wanted to stay in your arms and never leave them,” I confess. The skin around his eyes tenses up and wrinkles slightly as they flare. “I wish it were that easy,” he says as he looks away across the room. This time I reach up and turn his face toward me. His scruff tickles my hands. “Why can’t it be?” “Because I can’t risk your safety. I won’t allow you to become a sacrifice for my business.” He starts to pull away, but I hold him there. He’s stronger and could pull away from me, but he craves my touch as much as I crave his. “It’s not a sacrifice to be with you. I care about you, and I believe you care for me. I don’t care what you do. What business you’re in. Who you are. I just want to be with you. I care about the fact you protect me and make me feel safe. I want you to be my first.” I whisper the last part. His breath catches and he looks around before he flags down the waiter. “To go,” he demands, and stands up and drops some notes on the table. “My driver will be waiting for it.” He reaches for my hand and leads me from the restaurant. “Wait for our food.” He orders Shane and opens the back door. I slide in and turn, not sure what he wants. He slides in next to me and lifts me up to straddle his lap as the partition rises between us and the front of the car.

“I won’t be gentle. I can’t be. I’ve wanted you too badly. Your body has been pressed to mine for days now and I’ve held back the beast inside me that demands you under me and my cock in your sweet cunt.” His voice is gravelly and causes my core to spasm. “I want you just the way you are. I want the beast.” My voice is breathless sounding to my ears. He leans in as he pulls me toward him, and our lips collide. I open immediately, wanting him to consume every part of me. Needing him to breathe life into me. He devours me. His tongue slides across mine as if they are dancing, and I moan. I press my core into him, needing to feel some relief against my clit. The throbbing is so intense that I know the slightest pressure will send me over. He pulls away from my mouth and starts working my neck. “I’m going to give this little cunt every inch of my hard cock,” he growls against my neck as he licks and sucks it. He bites me and I cry out. I feel the slight suction as he nibbles my neck behind my ear. My hands slide into his jacket and grip his sides, feeling his muscles and the gun he carries to protect me. I’m turned on knowing he’s armed for my protection. I lean back slightly, keeping my pussy close to his tro covered cock. I unbutton his shirt and open it, then I lean in and kiss his chest. His head falls back against the seat and he moans. “Beauty, I love your mouth on me. More.” I kiss down his chest as I slide off his lap onto the floor. He looks down at me between his spread thighs. “You don’t need to do this.” “I want to. All week I’ve thought about this.” I bite my bottom lip that is swollen from our kisses. I reach out and unbuckle his belt, then I unbutton and unzip his pants. His cock is peeking out the top of his boxers. I lean forward and press a kiss against the tip. It glistens with precum. I lick it up and lick into the seam as more comes out, needing more of his taste.

“Feck, beauty. I’m not going to last.” His voice is gruffer than I’ve ever heard it. It causes my core to spasm with need. I pull his boxers down and wrap my hand around his cock. I’ve never seen a cock in person before, and for a moment I wonder if he’s in pain because the tip is ruddy looking. I lean forward and lick the tip again, lapping up his precum as it leaks. “Take it in your mouth,” he demands, and I slide my lips down his cock until they meet my hand moving up from his base. He’s too long for me to take him completely in, but I take him back as far as I can. The other girls talked about blowjobs several times and I’ve read many romance novels, so I think I can figure out what to do for him. But just in case, I pull back and look up at him. His eyes are hooded, and his strong hands are gripping the seat next to him. “This is my first time doing this. Please tell me if I do something that isn’t right.” “You suck it like you just did and I won’t ever complain,” he says, and I lean back down to suck him. “Open your throat and swallow the head.” I do as he orders. “Move your hand, I’ll guide you. Rest your hands on my legs.” Again, I do as he says, feeling him push back into my throat deeply. His hands go to my hair and push me down more. I choke and tears come to my eyes. “Relax, beauty.” I moan around his cock as he pulls back and pushes in again. He continues to work his length in and out of my mouth and down my throat over and over. “I’m going to unload between your beautiful lips before we get back to the estate, then I’m going to eat that pretty pink pussy until you beg me to take your virginity.” He voice is almost animalistic. I moan as the images flash through my mind. I swallow him down my throat again, deeper this time, and groan as he holds himself there. Tears pop into my eyes. I need to breathe as jet after jet of cum splashes the back of my throat. I pull back slightly as he falls back against the seat. I slide to my knees and look up at him as he watches me with a predatory look in his dark eyes. The blue darker than ever before. His pupils dilated. “You are mine. I’m going to fecking own this cunt tonight,” he says as he reaches for me. He yanks me back onto his lap and takes my lips in a fierce kiss. His teeth gnashing with mine, bruising my lips. I can feel the burn of his scruff

against my skin, and I don’t care. I want to wear every mark he puts on me. He pulls away when there is a knock on the glass. I slide off his lap and wait while he redresses himself. He gets out of the auto and reaches in for me. I know the others will know what we were doing back there, but I can’t find a reason to care. I crave this man so much that all reason escapes me. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, he bends and lifts me over his shoulder. He moves fast for the house with my arse in the air. I hear doors slamming and look up to see we are back in his room.

Aidan

She unmanned me in the car. She branded herself as mine as soon as she said she wanted me to take her virginity. I don’t care about anything right now. I don’t care about my business. About my brothers. About Sir. I only care about the woman over my shoulder. The woman who has buried herself into my cold dead heart. All reason has left my mind. I drop her onto the bed. Pins fall from her hair. Her face is flushed. Her eyes wide and she’s biting that sexy as feck bottom lip. Her breasts heave over the top of the of her dress. I want to keep her completely to myself. I want her to be all mine forever. “Take it off or I’ll cut it off you. Leave the heels on,” I growl as I strip off my jacket and toss it across the room to the chair. I pull my gun and knife free and set them on the nightstand, then I rip off my shirt, sending buttons flying around us. She scrambles off the bed and I watch as she reaches behind her to unhook the buttons of her dress. She reaches down and pulls it up her body and over her head. She shakes out the last of the pins from her hair and shyly looks back at me. Fiona is standing there practically naked in front of me. She isn’t wearing a bra and her rosy nipples are erect and pointed at me, begging for my mouth. Her stomach quivers and her hands move to cover herself. “Don’t hide from me.” She lowers her hands and keeps her head down, her hair falling around her. My hand shakes slightly as I lift her chin. I step in close to her and lean down to kiss her. I taste myself on her tongue and my cock turns to steel knowing I’m in her body. I need to plant my cock in her tight cunt and unload everything I am into her. I twist our bodies and push her back onto the bed. She falls with a sigh, and I push her up the bed as I climb over her body. My body aches to feel her against me, but I need to taste her first. I kiss her neck and her head falls back. Her skin tastes like innocence and sweetness. Every time I smell her, she smells like the pastries she makes. I know it’s ridiculous, but I’ve figured out her body lotion and soap are a blend of

almond milk and honey. They remind me of a sweet treat. I want to eat her up. My tongue skates down her chest until I get to her nipple. I take it into my mouth, wanting to swallow her whole. She moans and her hips and legs start moving across the bed, trying to get some relief. I reach down and slide my hand across her soaked flesh-colored knickers. She cries out as I press against her clit. “Please, Aidan,” she begs me, and I move to her next breast. “Don’t rush me. I want my dessert.” I suck her other nipple in deep, pressing it against the roof of my mouth. I pull away and see both nipples are harder and bear my teeth marks. Now to mark her. I suck on the delicate skin of each breast until a hickey forms, marking her as mine. I nip, bite, and suck my way across her stomach that flattens as she sucks in a breath. At her hips, I nip the skin and rip the straps of her G-string. I pull the thong from her body and stuff it in my pants pocket. Finally, I’m where I want to be and where she needs me. Her bared cunt has a trimmed light sprinkling of blond hair. My mouth drools to taste her, and the sweet smell of her overwhelms me. I look up her body from between her legs. She’s watching me and biting her lip, waiting to see what I’m going to do next. I kiss the beautiful garter tattoo on her thigh. I’ve gotten glimpses of it for weeks and now I can really look at it. Delicate flowers make up the band. “Fiona, I love this delicate design, but I will kill the man who was this close to what is mine.” I lick across the tattoo and smell her arousal. “It was a woman.” She sighs. “Good.” As I lean close to her cunt, I keep my eyes on her. I slip my tongue out and slide it through her wet slit. Her essence bursts on my taste buds and I growl, breaking eye . I look at her clit; it’s erect and begging for me. Her juices leak from her body. I take her like a starved man and lick up everything because it’s all mine. I suck her clit into my mouth as I push two fingers into her tightness. My cock is rock hard, wanting to bury itself deep in her. I press it to the bed as I continue to eat her out. She’s moving across the bed, moaning and crying out. Her body starts to tighten around my fingers and I suck her clit a bit harder as I bite down. She screams, her knees slamming into my ears, her back bowing from

the bed. “I can’t wait anymore.” I pull away from her and drop my tros. My belt hits the floor with a clang. I crawl up her body and hold myself over her. She reaches for me. Her soft hands slide down my ribcage to my arse where she presses me toward her more. “Before I take you. You need to know I’ve never had a woman without a condom, but you will be marked from the inside out as mine.” I hold her chin so she’s looking at me. “Yes, Aidan. I need you. Now.” “No man will have you but me from now on.” “Yes, Aidan, only you. Only ever you.” “You beg so pretty, beauty. Now I’m going to make you mine.” Using my free hand, I guide my cock to her entrance. I release her chin and bury my hand in her hair, holding her where I want her. I slowly press into her tight cunt. She tries to tip her head back as I enter her. She’s so tight I fight not to close my eyes as they start to roll back, but I need to watch her as I make her mine. She stares right back at me, her eyes expressing everything. She moans and chants my name until I’m completely buried in her. She holds her breath. I hold still for a moment and allow her body to adjust to my girth. She releases her breath and starts breathing harder as she starts to squirm. Her nails dig into my arse cheeks. Her legs wrap around me. I slide out until the tip of my cock is kissing her entrance and then slam into her hard. She cries out but not with pain. Her cheeks pinken as the flush from her breasts moves up her body. “More.” I start moving inside her harder and faster. Holding her where I want her. Her eyes still focused on me. The need to control everything and every part of her takes over. My hand on her hip keeps her pressed to the mattress. Over and over, I slam into her, and she takes it all. Never asking me to be gentle. Her eyes never showing any fear of my aggression causes the beast in me to roar with satisfaction and desire to do more. I pull out and flip her over. I slam back into her tight heat before she can move. Her face is turned to the side, my hand against the back of her head in her hair. My other hand holding her hip tight. My

marks will be there too. I continue to work my length in her until I feel her body starting to tighten up. She’s close. Again, I pull out and flip her back over. This time I press my chest tight to hers, holding her down. Both my hands are in her hair as I nail her to the bed with my cock. She cries out, her eyes fluttering closed. “Eyes always on me, beauty.” Her eyes flare wide, but I can tell she’s lost to her desire and not focusing on me. I lean forward and bite her lush bottom lip. Her eyes focus on me as I slam into her one last time. I bury myself deep as I unload everything I have inside her tightness. She cries out again as she comes once more. I growl her name. I hold her there for a moment and think about the fact that she could be carrying my child now and the danger I’ve put her in. Regret slams into me, but I can’t find a reason why she shouldn’t be here and be mine. I slide out of her and help her up. I lift her up into my arms and carry her to the shower where I gently clean her off. As we fall asleep with her naked body pressed against mine, I decide this is what I’ve always wanted and needed. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her from me. I would destroy everything for this woman. She’s mine now.

Several times through the night, I woke her up and fed my lust with her body. Never once did she complain. She was always willing, and even once I woke up to her straddling me with my cock deep inside her. Her hair flowing around us. Right now she’s in the kitchen making breakfast for us. Her cup of tea on the island next to her. Me with my coffee watching her and thinking about what I can move in my schedule so that I can have her again all day long. “Boss, we have a situation.” Shane breaks me from my thoughts. I look over at him standing at the side entrance. “I’m busy,” I bite out. “I’ll keep it warm for you if you need to go.” Fiona’s sweet voice cuts the tension. “You both need to stay here.” Shane stands with his back to the door, his thick arms crossed over his chest. His jaw locked. “Okay, I’ve got the delivery man on his way to the ER now. They don’t know what poisoned him yet, but it looks like it’s staph,” Lex says as he crosses the threshold into the dining room-kitchen area. He stops when he hears the gasp from Fiona. “I’m sorry, boss.” “What happened?” “Do you want me to talk freely?” He looks over at Fiona. She’s going to be a part of my life; I need her to know what happens in my world. “Well, um, boss.” He looks uncomfortable and I realize he’s trying to keep this from her. Lex sets his laptop down on the counter beside me, and I look at Fiona to ask her if she can give us the room. “I’m going to step away and call Kayla back,” Fiona says, and I nod at her. She moves behind us toward the door to the patio.

“The delivery was a jar of chocolate kisses. What I think happened was the delivery driver must have stolen one and he was poisoned.” “Why would someone send me chocolates?” “They weren’t meant for you, boss.” His eyes move over my shoulder to where Fiona is standing talking on the phone. “This is the card.” I look down at his laptop to the image of the card. The threat to my woman. The fear takes my breath away. You’ll never find happiness with him as long as I’m alive in this world. My blood runs cold. Between the message and the poisoning, there is only one person who is doing this. “You mean that fucking wanker Sir has set his sights on Fiona and is coming for her.” I raise my voice, my hand slamming down on to the counter. I hear her gasp and then yelling across the phone in her hand. "Beauty." I rush to her side as her eyes get big, fear evident in her body. I pull her phone away from her and put it on speaker. "I can't come to you for the wedding. I'm sorry, but something has come up here." Her voice quivers and tears roll down her face. I did this to her. I put her in the crosshairs of a man. Not Kayla. Not anyone but me. My business. I hold her to me, trying to figure out what I’m going to do to fix this. "Fi, what's going on? What did Aidan mean by Sir is coming after you?" Kayla’s voice comes across the line. "We don't know much, but there are things going on here, and if we come, we could bring more danger to you. I can't risk you or the baby." I confirm what Fiona said. I don’t want to share too much information because I don’t know how secure her mobile is. "What do you mean 'we'?" Kayla gasps. "Kayla, don't worry. I'm safe and protected. I love you and I'll be in touch soon." Fiona hangs up the phone before she clings to me. I hold her tight as she cries.

After a moment, she pulls away. “Tell me what happened.” I take her hand and lead her over to Lex’s laptop. She looks at the image. “I’ve been getting notes like this for months now. I don’t know who they are from.” “How long?” My body locks up. He found her months ago. “I started getting them in November. Here.” She picks up her phone and clicks around for a moment before turning it toward me. She shows me image after image of the notes. All similar to this one. “Just the notes? Nothing else?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “I’ve felt someone watching me, but there’s been nothing else but the notes.” “Call Seamus and meet me in the office in twenty. Fiona, stay here for the day until I can get this figured out. I’m taking your mobile with me.” I pocket it and lean down to kiss her softly on the lips. “I’ll make you safe again, no matter what happens.” “I trust you, Aidan.” She grips the lapels of my jacket, wanting a deeper kiss, but I can’t focus on anything but the fact she’s in danger. I make my way out the door with Shane and Lex following me. “Shane, I want guards increased around the compound. She doesn’t go anywhere without a full detail.” “On it, boss.”

Chapter Nine

Fiona

Icome awake after tossing and turning all night long. Aidan never came home last night, and I didn’t see him at all after he left me. I know he’s concerned about this Sir person, but I don’t even know who that is or why he would come after me. I roll from the bed and make my way to the shower where I get ready for the day. I’m going to hunt him down and find out what is going on. I’m tired of everyone thinking I’m a weak little girl. I enter the kitchen in the hope he’s there waiting for me, but he isn’t. No one is around. I haven’t seen any of the guys, and I’m frustrated because it feels like he’s pushing me away. He constantly told me before that he didn’t want to put me in danger. From what I heard yesterday, it sounds like a man was poisoned because of me. I pull out the platter of pastries I made yesterday to break the boredom. I put several on a plate along with a thermos of coffee I made for him. I walk through the side door, noticing all the guns and weapons on the walls as I make my way to the exit. I open the door and see a pathway leading to the garage. There are guards walking the fence line and moving around the grounds. I notice another path that goes behind the garage. I’ve watched from the back patio as Aidan has moved along this path over the last several days. There’s a gate in the fence that leads to the property next to it. I make my way through it when a guard stops me. “Where are you heading, Ms. Griffin?” His voice is gruff, but he smiles at me as I step back from him. “I wanted to surprise Aidan with breakfast.” I hold up the goodies. “I’ll let him know you are on your way.” “I wanted to surprise him. Can you just point the way?” “Yes, ma’am. Go through those back doors. His office is at the front.” He points at the back of another house that is smaller than the other but still huge. I make my way across the lawn and through the doors. I step into a garden room and then another large kitchen. I wonder why he has two houses. I hear raised voices and make my way through the dining-family room combination just like at the house he lives in. This house doesn’t have the touches of people living in

it. The decorations are neutral and plain. I enter a large hall and the voices rise again. “I knew she wouldn’t be able to be in my world.” Aidan’s voice drops as someone says something. “I told you the only way she’ll be safe is away from here. Take her to my father’s place in the country.” His voice is hoarse sounding. He stayed here all night because he doesn’t want to be with me. The other person says something, but again I can’t understand it. “It has to be this way. She’ll be safer away from me.” Everything in me crumbles. I back up with my hand to my mouth so the sobs don’t come out. I need to get away from here. As I walk back through the dining room, I set the goodies down and then move back through the house. I’m almost to the gate when the guard stops me again. “Everything okay, Ms. Griffin?” I stop and look at him. No, it will never be okay again. The man I love just pushed me away. Oh my God! I love him. “I’m fine.” I continue back through, but I don’t go into the house. I stand on the patio and stare through the glass doors into the kitchen I thought would be mine one day. The home I was trying to make for us while he was trying to find a way to get away from me. He only wanted my virginity, not me. I pace the patio for a bit. I’m tired of everyone assuming I can’t take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a long time. Even if Kayla helped me in the past, it was me who made it through school. It was me who got a flat to stay in. It was me who got a job, and I pay my own bills. I’m an adult. I’m not a child anymore. I don’t need Aidan. I hear voices again and this time I move down the stairs to the main driveway. Looking across the fence line as I walk down, I see a guy working on a motorcycle. I’ve never seen him before. It’s not one of Aidan’s brothers, and he isn’t a guard. He has on a black leather vest but not like Brody’s cut. I walk through the gate that s these two properties. I don’t want to be here if he doesn’t want me anymore, and I’m not going to his father’s. I can take care of myself.

“Hello! Who are you?” The guy’s eyes move up my body, checking me out. I’m in jeans and a sweater and tank combination. I look down at my boots. “I’m Moira.” I lie about my name just in case. “Can you give me a ride to town?” “On my bike?” He points to another bike behind him. “Isn’t this yours?” I point to the bike he’s working on. “Nah, this is the Prez’s. Are you his from last night?” “I just need to go to town.” “Sure, I can help you. Come on.” He directs me over to his bike where he hands me a helmet. “I only have the one.” He helps me put it on, then helps me get on the bike. I don’t have my purse, keys, or even my phone. I hope someone is home to let me in. I tell him to drop me off at the grocery near my flat because I don’t want him to know where I’m going. Hopefully, Aidan won’t realize I’ve left until after I get home. I slip my arms around his body and feel wrong for being so close to another man. I’m going to have to get over that because Aidan’s made it clear I’m not his anymore. The guy starts up his bike and we make our way down a short road to a large gate. The guards move aside when they see him. I hide my face so they don’t see me. When we are finally out on the open road, I relax a little bit. I can’t believe it was that easy to get away. I could have left days ago. But then I would have never known what it was like to be consumed by someone. What ion really felt like. Or even love. But maybe I don’t want to know what love feels like as my heart shatters the further we get away from him. The ride to town doesn’t take that long. I slide off his bike when he comes to a stop. My first time on the back of a motorcycle and all I wanted to do was cry for the loss of Aidan. I give him the helmet and start to walk away. “Hey, Moira, can I get your number?” He grips my arm, stopping me.

“No.” I shake my head as I look down at his hand. I yank my arm back and walk into the store, hoping he’s gone when I come out.

As I move toward my flat, the hair on the back of my neck rises. I can feel someone watching me again. I hold my head up. I’m not a weakling, I can protect myself. I’m almost to the door when a black Bentley pulls up. I jump at first until I see my parents’ driver get out. “Fiona, darling, I’ve been looking for you for days.” My mum’s voice comes from the back seat as the driver holds her door open. “I can’t talk right now.” I need to get away from her. I just want to cry in a hot shower and drink a lot of wine to forget what a tosser Aidan is. “Darling, come with me for a bit. We drove all this way so I could spend time with you.” “Fine.” I slip into the back of the car. “Oh, wait. Let me grab my purse.” I start to get out but the door is slammed closed and I feel a prick in my neck. Everything goes black. I come awake and look around am. The flowered antique wallpaper and large four-poster bed bring back memories. I’m in my old room. As I sit up on the bed, my mother moves from where she’s seated in a chair facing the bed. “Took you long enough to wake up. I only gave you part of the syringe.” “What did you do, Mum?” I jump from the bed and my head swims. I grab onto the edge to brace myself. “What did you give me?” “Just something to calm you down.” “Why?” “You’ve been brainwashed by that hoodlum. He has you thinking you have to be around him. I’m just trying to protect you.” Her words give me pause because she’s never tried to protect me like a mother should. She’s only ever looked out for herself. “Dinner will be served in an hour. Clean yourself up and meet us downstairs.”

“I want to go home.” “You are home, for now.” “Mum. I have a life to get back to.” “No.” She stands and walks out of the room. “Ugh!” I yell as she turns the key and locks me in the room. An hour later the door is opened. I expect my mother but instead it’s a woman I’ve never met. “I’m the new housekeeper, Marian. I’ve been asked to bring you down.” I follow behind her and stop when we cross into the dining room. “There is some mistake here.” I look around the room where my parents are seated, and so is Patrick. “Sit, darling, your fiancé was telling us all about his day.” “I’m out of here.” I turn and rush through the hall to the door, but a large man steps from the shadows and stops me. I look at him and then the door. I need to get out of here. I don’t have my phone to call for help, but I’ll escape no matter what happens. I’m not marrying Patrick. I just want to be by myself. I make my way back up the stairs and lie on the bed until the tears come.

Aidan

My heart has been in my throat since I made the decision that she would be safer at my da’s. I don’t want to send her away, but until I get more security and find out more about these letters, she’ll be safer there. “Boss, we have a problem.” Shane steps through the door with Seamus and Brody following him. “What? I don’t have time. I need to go next door and talk to Fiona.” I slam the drawer closed I was looking in. “I’ve already called Da and told him I’ll be bringing her out there tonight.” “Well, there’s been a change of plans.” Brody steps around the desk and I turn my head to look at him as Seamus moves to my other side. I look between them and realize I’m trapped. My stomach drops. “What happened to her?” I go for Brody, thinking he’s the weaker link between the two, but he pushes me back. “She’s with her parents.” Shane’s words stop me. “How? She’s at my house.” “No, she’s not. She left here about two hours ago. I didn’t know it until one of the guards stopped me to say he directed her here earlier.” “What?” I sink into my desk chair. She was here earlier? “I had Lex do a search and he found she left the compound.” I bolt out of my chair. She’s out there and someone is trying to hurt her. I go for Seamus this time. “How did she get off the compound? Did you help her?” I blame him. I know he’d help her because they are friends. But I’d hope he wouldn’t put her in more

danger. “No. I’d never do that, but if she overheard you say you were sending her away…” The image of her lying under me as I fucked into her, telling her she was mine, flashes before my eyes. Her saying I made her feel safe. Her not caring about the danger. I know she craves someone to care for her, and if she thought I pushed her away again… “No,” I bellow before I start fighting, trying to get away from them. To get to her. I need to fix this. “One of my prospects took her to town.” Brody’s words break through the red. “I’ll kill him.” “Don’t do that, but maybe show him some pain for letting your girl ride behind him.” He chuckles. “I confronted him. He said she told him her name was Moira. He thought she was with me. He dropped her at a grocery in town.” “After that Lex has her on camera getting into the back of her parents’ Bentley in front of her house. She never went into the house. She might be hiding out from you for a bit if she’s upset. She’ll be safe there until we get this all figured out.” “I’m going to end this prospect of yours, Brody. Shane, I don’t like the idea of her being there. her through them. I need to make sure she knows I was only trying to protect her.” “Are you sure you want to focus Sir on her there?” I don’t like it, but I agree if I message her there, he will find out and then go after her. I decide I’m going to relieve some of this anger on Brody’s prospect and try to focus on work and not her. I head into the dining room and sitting on the table is a basket with pastries along with a carafe of coffee. Hopefully she’ll give me the chance to explain why I made the decision I did. After I beat the prospect and break his fingers for touching her, I head into my

house. I smell something good cooking. I walk over to the oven and in there on warm are individual meat pies. “She made Irish stout pies,” Rory says from behind me. “I asked her if she could, and she said she would. Bloody hell, dude, you need to marry that girl.” I slam the door and walk out, unable to face what is right in front of me. I head back to the dungeon to torture the man who put his hands on my beauty.

Chapter Ten

Aidan

It’s been almost two months since I saw her. Two months of not touching her, kissing her, or even smelling her. I’ve been angry with everyone. Every message I send to her is ignored. Her parents say she doesn’t want to speak to me and doesn’t want anything to do with me. No one has seen her. “Let me go right now, you arsehole. My family will arrest you for manhandling me.” A feminine voice screeches from the hall. “You wanted to talk to him, spitfire. This is where he works.” “It’s a bloody house. Most people do business from an office. He wasn’t at the track, so I came to you.” “What do we have here?” My voice booms and echoes off the walls. Brody swings around with a small woman in his arms. Her dark brown hair is in disarray around her face. I recognize her immediately. “Moira?” She goes on the defensive and punches Brody in the gut. When he doubles over, she grabs his head and slams it into her knee. Normally, no one would get the upper hand on him, but she surprised him. He falls back and she advances on me. “You arsehole.” She starts yelling at me. “If you hadn’t have hurt her, she wouldn’t be in trouble now. I can’t even speak to her without her being under guard. She’s lost weight and looks like she isn’t sleeping. How could you hurt her? What did she ever do to you? She cared for you, probably loved you, but you had to just use her. You are like all men, a fecking wanker.” She swings at me, but I’m prepared even though her words slam into me. I grab her hand and pull her, twisting her into me. Her back goes to my chest and I hold her tight. She’s flailing around, trying to break the hold. Her feet try to stomp on mine. “Don’t fecking hurt her,” Brody groans from the floor. His nose obviously broken. I look up as more screeching comes from the entrance and in walks another one of Fiona’s friends, this one is being held by the prospect who helped Fiona

escape. He isn’t allowed on the compound, but the girl he’s holding on to is spitting angry too. “Do you know who my father is? He’s going kill you when he finds out you touched me.” Her warm tawny skin is flushed and her hazel eyes flash. “Settle down, both of you,” I yell. “What are you saying, Moira, about Fiona?” My brother stands up with blood rolling down his face, and he reaches for her and pulls her from my grip. “And you leave her and go now.” I point at the prospect. “Boss.” He pushes her in his haste to get out, and I step forward so she doesn’t fall. “Now, let’s go into my office and discuss this like adults.” I direct everyone. “I can’t believe you. Acting like you didn’t use Fiona,” Moira spits from Brody’s grip. “And you, arsehole, let me go.” “You going to be nice, spitfire?” “If he’ll explain himself.” I stand leaning against my desk and offer them seats. Both girls sit while Brody stands behind Moira’s chair. “If you really thought I was so bad, you wouldn’t be here, Moira. What are you trying to find out? What’s going on?” “Did you just fuck Fiona for her virginity?” I take a big breath and look down. I don’t want to have this conversation with anyone but Fiona. I was worried this was what she thought when she rushed off, and I’ve tried to clear up the miscommunication, but she won’t talk to me. “No. I care very much for Fiona.” “You were sending her away.”

“For her protection. I was only sending her to my father’s estate where I knew she would be safe until I could neutralize the threat, or until I could get more security here on the compound.” I let her take in the information before I ask my question. “What trouble is she in now?” “Her parents are making her marry Patrick. They have the wedding set for April sixteenth.” I turn from them, afraid the anger I’m feeling will scare them. Keeping my back to them, I squeeze my fists and try to calm myself. I’ll kill him for this. “Brody, get Shane and Lex, now.” My voice sounds animalistic with my anger. “What are you going to do?” Moira asks me. I turn around and face her. “Whatever it takes to get her back.” “How?” “First, how did you get here?” “I helped her,” the other girl says. “I’m Deandra. I knew where the Knight’s clubhouse was, and I knew if I could get her to him”—she points to Brody as he returns—“he would get her to you. Can you really help us?” “How do you know where our clubhouse is, and who’s your father?” “I’m her father, you bloody wanker.” A deep voice comes from the doorway, and we look up to see Brody’s sergeant-in-arms, Carson. “Daddy, I had to help Moira and Fiona.” Deandra jumps up and rushes to him. “Daddy?” Brody looks at me, and I shake my head. I didn’t know he had a daughter. “I’m taking Deandra out of here.” He takes her hand and starts to take her from the room. “No. I want to find out if he’s going to help Fiona. She’s my friend, Da, and I’m not going to allow you to keep me hidden from this part of your life anymore.”

“Fine.” He stands back with his arms crossed over his massive chest. His dark brown eyes are focused on me. “Well?” “I don’t know what’s going on yet. They were just getting ready to explain.” I sit in my chair, not intimidated by him at all. He slightly nods, showing his respect. “Go on, Moira.” “Her parents drugged and kidnapped her. Yes, she got in the car, but they drugged her and took her back to their home where they’ve kept her a prisoner.” “I’ve tried to talk to her, but her mother states that she doesn’t want to talk to me.” “She doesn’t know you’ve called. She thinks you’ve moved on. The only reason I came here was because I overheard the housekeeper giving your message to Mrs. Griffin.” Lex and Shane are in the room now and listening in. I notice Lex working on his laptop as he listens. Double-checking what Moira is saying probably. “They let you see her, but no one else?” Shane asks. She turns to look at him. “I threatened to call the coppers if they didn’t let me see her.” “Feck,” I exclaim as I stand up. I don’t know if she’ll ever forgive me for what she thinks I did, but I can’t let her be forced to marry that fecking tosser. I pace behind my desk as I try to come up with a plan. “I’ve talked Mrs. Griffin into letting me throw Fi a hen party, but they want their guards with her. Can you help her?” “I’ll help her. We need to come up with a plan. When is this party? How much time do we have to plan this?” “Next month, a week before the wedding.” “Okay, let me and my men come up with something. Carson, could you and Brody help these ladies home?”

“I’m not leaving until I know the plan. I came to you because I know the cops won’t do anything.” “How do you know they won’t do anything?” “Because I already tried. My father and brother said that her parents haven’t done anything illegal, and when they went to question them, Fiona didn’t contradict their statement. Something is keeping her there. So that’s why I’m here.” “They must be threatening her in some way, boss,” Lex says, and I nod. “There’s only a couple things that Fiona would sacrifice herself for. You and Kayla,” Moira says. “And you.” I nod at her. She takes that in for a moment, digesting my words. “I doubt it’s me because Fiona knows that wouldn’t stop me, but if you were threatened… She won’t be able to return to your flat.” “Why not?” “Because her parents would just go after her again,” Brody says. “Can we bring Moira here too? She can stay at my place.” “Oh bloody hell no am I staying with him.” “We can’t until we bring in Fiona. We don’t want them to know Moira came to us for help. They know she would do everything above board because she’s a copper’s kid. It’s our only way to surprise them,” Lex says. “Hello, she is right here. I’m not moving in with him. You have plenty of rooms here. I’ll stay here with Fi when she’s safe.” She cocks her head to the side and pops out her hip. My brother is going to have his hands full with her if she’s the one he wants. “I agree with Lex, we can’t pull Moira into here yet.” I turn to Brody. “As for staying here, this isn’t my home. We’ll get you a safe place to hide out.” “She can stay with us,” Deandra offers.

“No, she can’t, Dea.” “Why? Because you don’t want your business to come to our door?” Deandra turns on her father. “Enough, everyone. Carson, you and your daughter can take the northeast plot with the other girls when we need to pull them all in.” I raise my voice again. Carson nods his head, agreeing to the home I suggested. “I’m not moving from my home.” Moira stomps her foot. “You will need to once I get Fiona out, just until we can confirm you all are safe. I might have to open the plot across from that one too for the overflow of girls. Lex, confirm that place is ready. No one’s stayed there since Mikayla and Wesley.” “Wait, this is where Kayla stayed after the attack at the racetrack?” “Yes. I have several homes available for people as needed. This is just the office.” “Now, go with Carson. I’ll be in touch as soon as we have a plan.” I pause and think about what Lex said. “Carson, can you drop them somewhere and let them go to the house without you just in case it’s being watched? I’ll have Seamus and Grady doing sweeps of the area.” “Yes, boss.” He nods and directs the girls out. I sit back down and start working with Lex and Shane on a plan to save my girl.

Fiona

In the last three months, I’ve avoided Patrick every time he’s come to the house. I won’t marry him, even if he’s threatening Moira. My parents aren’t doing it, but Patrick is. He’s become even more crazed than he was before. He told me if I don’t marry him, he’d kill Moira. He even showed me pictures of her going from her job to home. He’s constantly trying to get me alone, but I’ve kept my distance. Just yesterday he tried to corner me in the library, but I stomped on his foot and pushed him down as I ran from the room. I was shocked when my parents finally let Moira come see me, and now, they are letting her throw me a hen party. But the two bodyguards Patrick hired must attend with me. My mother loves the idea that I’ll get out and people will start talking about me, and thus her. Somehow the girls sprang for exclusive es to a brand-new club that just opened. Memories of the last time I went to a club run through my mind. But I push them back. I can’t think about that now. I still don’t know who attacked me or why. I haven’t gotten any more letters here, and sometimes Patrick says things that make me think he was my stalker. But would my parents marry me off to that crazy of a man? That’s a question I’ve asked myself several times. The announcement for the wedding was put out yesterday, and part of me is praying Aidan sees it and comes to talk to me. It hurts that he used me that way, but I’m hoping he has some feelings for me and really follows through with his statement that I’m his. What hurts the most is that he’s never tried to get a hold of me. I still cry myself to sleep most nights trying to figure out why he used me that way. I know I’m naive, but I thought I had a better handle on things. I thought I understood where we stood. But I also thought he got over his fear of me being a target. I’m in more danger without him in my life. “Okay, the dressers are here to get you ready.” My mum steps into the room and two ladies follow her. My mum picked out my dress for the hen party. One of these days I’d like to pick out something I want to wear out in public. The black knee-length sleeveless stretch tube dress is very modest in not showing skin, but it is so tight that it leaves nothing to the imagination.

I dress in my closet because my parents don’t know about my tattoo. I don’t want to do anything to make them change their minds about me going tonight. I need to see my friends. Even if I have the two shadows. The ladies pull my long hair back into a slicked back ponytail. It’s so tight it pulls on my face and head. They make up my eyes so dark they don’t look hazel but brown. I insist on a pale lip even though my mum tries to talk me into a red. The gaudy diamond earrings and large engagement ring are definitely not my style. I hate them. Same with the black platform over five-inch spike-heeled shoes. This dress and style are the kind of wife that Patrick wants to show off to his friends. I slip on the gray fur collar long wrap coat. The April weather is a little chilly tonight. Looking in the mirror, I don’t like the woman I see, and I’ll do anything to not be her. This is my mum’s look, not mine. I grab my clutch and walk downstairs where my mum, dad, and Patrick all wait for me. “ to be on your best behavior. There will be photographers there, and everything you do reflects on poor Patrick,” my mum scolds me, and I purse my lips together to hold in the anger. Patrick steps toward me and I cringe back, but he pulls me into his arms. I turn my head at the last moment and want to gag when he presses his lips to my cheek. He whispers in my ear, “I’ll kill her if you do anything.” My heart clenches and I hold the tears back. I step back from him and nod my head. When the car pulls up to the club, I see the girls waiting outside for me. The first guard—I call him Ugly and the other Uglier since I don’t know their names— opens the door while Uglier hands the keys to the valet. They both have hard faces and never smile. They look angry all the time. I’m reminded of mercenaries from action movies when I look at them. I hold my head high as I step toward the girls and try not to cry when they engulf me in a hug. We smile, mine is forced for the cameras as we walk the red carpet for this exclusive club. I’ve heard it’s the first of its kind in Belfast, but they have others like it around the world. Not like usual clubs, this one is by reservation only with bottle service for every table. When I was doing research online about it, I found the starting price was over a thousand pounds. This included VIP service, two bottles of a

major alcohol, and reduced rates for every bottle after that. The club is set to cater to elites, and I’m not sure I want to be here. I’ve never considered myself elite. I don’t know how the girls afforded this. I wonder if Patrick or my parents arranged it just so they could get the photos in the society sections. I’m shocked when we step through the doors. Everything is crystal, black leather, and shiny. There are crystal chandeliers over the top of each table surrounded by a large black leather sofa. Part of it reminds me of the VIP section at Aidan’s club and my heart does a flop at the memories. I almost stumble when a man catches my eye near a set of private doors. Something about him looks familiar, but I know it can’t be him. One of the things that Patrick was adamant about was that if I was seen anywhere near Aidan, it was grounds for him to go after Moira. All the booths wrap around the three sides of the outer edge of the club with a large bar against one wall and a stage next to it. Everything is beautiful and it takes my breath away. Music is playing through the speakers, but I know that soon the stage will have one of my favorite singers. Adele is on her tour of Ireland and is performing a private concert here for the grand opening. We are led to a booth by a woman wearing a tuxedo coat dress and high black heels. She introduces our server, and I take a seat. We have a perfect view of the stage and dance floor but are off to the side near a stairwell that goes up. Our first bottle is champagne and already chilling. We slip off our coats and hand them to the server. “I’ll pour you ladies your first drink.” The server offers when she returns. She’s also in a black tuxedo jacket dress. She hands us each a glass. “I’d like to propose a toast.” Brigid giggles. I can guess that the girls had shots at the house before they left to come here. None of them know that I don’t want to marry Patrick. I couldn’t risk their safety by telling them either. “To Fiona for finding her forever man. Although the guy from New Years was like her Christian Grey and Patrick is like her take home to mum guy.” The others all raise their glasses. I force a smile as I look over my shoulder to see the guards, then I raise my glass too. The night goes by with the girls drinking and dancing. Adele is amazing and I’m so glad I get this chance to see her, but I’m frustrated that this is what my life has

been reduced to. I stand and make my way out of the booth toward the loo. Memories from the last time in a club doing this wash over me and a chill works its way up my spine. As I’m making my way back to the booth, I’m pulled into a room, and I start to fight. “Beauty, it’s me.” Aidan’s gruff voice comes from behind me. “I only have a moment to say this. I wasn’t sending you away because I was done with you. I was trying to protect you and you would have come back to me. I love you, Fiona.” He spins me around and his lips are on mine before I can say anything. My hands grip his jacket and pull him to me. His words wash through my mind. “I love you too.” I sniffle. “I thought you didn’t want to be with me.” “I want you every day. I swear I was only sending you there until I could get more security. But we will discuss this later. Go back to the table and keep celebrating.” “I can’t marry him, but I can’t be with you either.” “Moira’s in danger, isn’t she?” He guesses and my eyes flare wide in shock. How did he know that? “I guessed it. Don’t worry, I’m getting you and all the girls out of here tonight. You’ll know when.” “Aidan, I want to, but there are two guards here, they’ll kill Moira if I leave with you.” “I told you to trust me. Do you, Fiona? Do you trust me?” His eyes bore into me, and I see the love and emotion in them. “Yes. Yes, I do.” “Good. those words because you’ll be saying them again.” His cryptic words wash over me as he opens the door and carefully pushes me out. The guard I recognized earlier steps over and takes my arm to lead me down the hall. Now I know where I recognize him from, he’s the guard who helped me find Aidan the day I fled. “Just act normal,” he says quietly when I spot my guards. I hold my head high and make my way back to the booth.

“You trust us?” Moira softly whispers when I sit down next to her, and I lift my glass to my lips as I nod slowly and take a sip. “How?” I whisper back as I lean forward to place the glass on the table. “I’ll explain later. Just wait for our signal. All the girls know what to do.” After Adele leaves the stage, a local band comes on and we dance some more until the club starts to close. But we continue on, and I wait until Brigid stands up and starts talking loudly. “I want to see a manager,” she demands, and I look around, trying to figure out what’s going on. “I’m the manager.” I look over and see Rory approach us. He’s dressed a lot like Aidan dresses in a black suit with a dark blue shirt and vest. His hair is hanging in his eyes as normal. He doesn’t look at me, but I watch as he looks at the other girls. “Is there a problem?” “Why is our tab showing a balance? I was told that everything was on the house.” She holds up a slip of paper. “Ma’am, your first two bottles are covered by your entrance but not the rest. If you’ll stick around for a bit afterward, I’ll help you.” He turns and walks away, leaving us there. My guards move toward us. “Ms. Griffin, it’s time to leave,” Uglier says, then he asks the server for my coat. “I’m not leaving until all the girls leave, and Brigid needs to wait to talk to the manager.” I stay seated. I watch as he sends a message. His phone immediately rings, and he hands it to me. “Fiona, don’t cause an issue. Leave the girls, right now,” Patrick says over the phone, his voice full of grit. I look up and see Ugly standing behind Moira, and the fear spikes through me. I trust Aidan. I trust Aidan, I chant in my head. “I will be leaving here shortly,” I tell him and hang up. The phone rings again, but I ignore the call. Ugly tries to grab the phone, but I keep ahold of it. I watch as the club is completely emptied, even the servers have disappeared.

“Ms. Griffin, now,” Uglier says as I hear the sound of a gun cocking. All the girls turn at the sound. I turn, my eyes flaring wide as Seamus puts the barrel of a gun to the back of Ugly’s neck, who is holding a gun at Moira’s head. “Drop it.” Seamus’s voice is so low it sounds deadly. Uglier reaches for me and yanks me toward him and pushes a gun into my side. I scream as his hand goes lax. His eyes flare wide just before they close, and he slumps to the ground, pulling me down with him until Aidan pulls me toward him. “Never touch my woman,” Aidan growls as he leans over and wipes the bloody end of his knife off on Uglier’s pant leg. “Seamus, take care of him.” He points at Ugly. “Rory, Carson, and Brody, get the ladies to the compound. Come, my love.” He directs me, and we step around Uglier’s body. Aidan stabbed him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. It doesn’t scare me because I know he would have killed Moira if given the chance. I squeeze Aidan’s hand and he looks down at me. “You’re taking her to the compound too, right?” Moira asks, stopping us, and we turn to look back at her. “She’ll be with me in case there is another attack. I told you I would take care of all of you,” Aidan says before the girls are led out the back and I’m led upstairs to an office. “Why aren’t we leaving yet?” I look at him. “Because we need to talk before we leave, and I want to know they are safe on the compound before we leave here. That way we only have to protect one vehicle at a time.” “Okay.” He drops my hand as he makes his way across the office to a desk. He doesn’t sit but moves behind it. He picks up a midsize box. It’s a jewelry box and my heart starts beating faster. “I had these made before you took off, and I kicked my own arse for not giving them to you sooner.” He opens the wooden box and nestled inside in the velvet

are three bracelets and a white gold diamond ring. “Take off that ring.” He points to Patrick’s engagement ring. “I’ll send it back to him, but my ring should be the only one on your finger.” I pull off the ring, hating it. “Take off any jewelry he gave you too. They have trackers in them more than likely.” “Why would he put trackers in the jewelry?” “So he’d know if you were near me, also so you could never escape him.” A chill runs over my body as I realize I was never going to be able to get away from him. “But this is your club, how did he not know that?” I wave my hand around. “For one, it’s not actually mine, it’s Rory’s, and two, it’s owned by a company that won’t lead back to me. He didn’t know. It’s why we picked this as the location to get you away from them.” “How though? How did you figure this all out? Why didn’t you come for me? Why didn’t you try to get ahold of me sooner?” I slip off the earrings and necklace my mother insisted I wear tonight. I watch as he puts them in a bag and turns to hand them off to Lex, who walks in right then. “Give us a moment, Lex.” “Yeah, boss.” He walks out and pulls the door closed. “I’m going to put these on you now just in case we are separated between here and the house. Yes, they have trackers in them, so I’ll never lose you again. But when we get home, I want you to strip so I can fuck you in nothing but them. As for the rest of your questions, I’ll answer them soon. But know this, I tried to reach you every day. I called and your mum or da would say you didn’t want to speak to me.” “I was upset but I would have spoken to you. I shouldn’t have run without confronting you.” “We’ll discuss this soon, okay?” “Okay.” I sigh.

He drops to his knee in front of me. “I’ll protect you with every fiber of my being. I want you to be my queen. My wife. The beauty to my beast.” He pulls my hand to him and slips the ring on my finger. “We are getting married as soon as possible. Patrick and your parents will never force you to do anything again.” “Yes.” I nod at him. I love him, and I want to be with him. We still have a lot to discuss and work out, but he’s everything to me. He slips the ring on to my finger. He was right, his is the only ring that feels right and should be on my finger. He then puts the special Cartier bracelets that require special jewelers screwdrivers to lock them on my wrists. Both are white gold. One has small diamonds. The third bracelet looks like a nail and wraps around my other wrist. All three bracelets can’t be taken off easily and look beautiful. I pull him up to me and take his lips in a soft kiss. “I love you, Aidan. Only you, and you aren’t a beast. You’re my man. You’ll rule over Belfast and Ireland, and I’ll be at your side,” I swear against his lips. He takes my lips deeper as his tongue works through my mouth, claiming me again. When he pulls away, both of us are breathing heavily. “I want to take you right here, but it’s not safe.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his mobile. “Are you here?” he demands into the phone. After a moment he pulls the phone away and leads me over to the bar. “You’re shaking, my love. Did I scare you when I killed that man?” I shake my head, the emotions taking over everything in me. “No, I was so scared I’d never see you again,” I confess as he hands me a tumbler with amber liquid. I shoot back the whiskey, knowing it was Jameson. “Come.” He orders me, and we make our way out of the office, down a back stairwell, and out into the chilly night air. He guides me into the back of a BMW SUV. This isn’t his normal automobile that Shane drives him around in. There is no partition separating the front from the back, and I look up to see Shane in the driver’s seat and the guard from earlier in the enger seat. “Fiona, this is Gael. He’s the head of your personal guard. He’ll accompany you whenever you are off the compound and will remain nearby. His number is programmed in here along with mine and all my brothers.” He hands me a new mobile phone. “Never go anywhere without him.”

“Okay. Nice to meet you, Gael.” He turns and nods at me. “Hello, Mrs. Tiernan.” His use of the name causes me to gasp, and I turn to Aidan. “I’ve been planning this for a while. It’s why he was at the gate that day. But I didn’t know until that day when you escaped that I would make him your primary guard. I thought at first I was going to kill him, but then I thought better of it. He directed you to me and made sure you were safe. He’ll never make a mistake of letting you go again.” “You’ve planned to marry me?” “Since the moment I made you mine, beauty.” As we under streetlights, I stare at the engagement ring he gave me. It’s a large round diamond on a white gold band of smaller diamonds. It sparkles on my finger enough that people aren’t going to miss it, but it’s not as gaudy as the one Patrick had me wearing. I turn to look at Aidan as he texts on his cellular. I reach over and turn his head toward me so he’s looking at me. “I’ve always been yours and I always will be,” I say softly, his lips tip up and he leans in toward me to kiss me. “Boss, we have company,” Shane says. We both swing around to look out the rear window just as a car moving fast slams into the back of us. I scream and Aidan pulls my head down to his lap as guns fire around us. “The car is armored, but I’m not taking any chances with you, Fiona,” Aidan growls as he pulls a gun out of his jacket. The car swerves as we are hit again from behind, harder this time. The sounds of metal clashing and grinding, tires squealing across the pavement, and gunfire break through the night. I cry out again as the car is jolted. “Boss, they are blocking the road.” “Back up should be here in a moment,” Aidan says calmly. I can’t see what’s going on, so I carefully lift my head and peek out the front

window. We are coming up on several cars fast, but Shane isn’t slowing down. The car accelerates and we barrel toward the roadblock. An explosion rocks the night, and a fireball is now in the place where the cars were before. Shane slams through them, driving through the flames. I grip Aidan’s leg tightly as I shake in fear. We make it through to the other side where several more cars are waiting. I turn to look behind us as two break off to follow us and the rest stay back and stop the car that was chasing us. Aidan pulls me up and wraps his arms around me. “I told you I would protect you.” He kisses the top of my head and I cuddle into him more. “No one will ever hurt you, or they will die,” he vows. We make it back to the compound without further incident. “Tomorrow the girls will be over, but I have plans for you now.” He leads me through the house and up to the room we shared before. “I couldn’t sleep in this bed after the smell of you wore off the sheets. I stayed at the office house.” I look at the made bed, and the memories of him and I wash through me. “Strip, beauty,” he demands, and my body trembles as I turn to look at him.

Chapter Eleven

Aidan

Iwatch as she trembles. I know it’s not from fear but desire. The sleeveless black dress she’s in called to me earlier. I couldn’t stay away from her even though the plan was that she wouldn’t see me until the end. I had to have a taste of her. I needed her to know I was there. I couldn’t stand the fear in her eyes any longer. Every time she looked at the guards, she was scared, and I knew it. She reaches behind her and pulls the zipper down her back. The dress slides down her body, exposing her black bra and matching panties. She slips the black heels off and stands before me barefoot. She flips the clasp on the front closure bra and lets it fall down her arms to the floor. Last, she slips the black thong down her legs and is finally standing in front of me in nothing but my ring and jewelry. The beast in me roars forward and I dive for her, needing my marks on her again. Needing to be buried in her tight little cunt. I know I’m not good enough for her. I know I don’t deserve her, but I won’t give her up. She’s mine. My beauty. My heart. The buttons of my shirt abrade her delicate skin as my mouth devours her moans and I pull her up to me. She wraps her legs around my hips, holding me to her. The heat from her core is pressed to my slack covered cock and I can’t wait to bury myself in her. I push her back and on to the bed. I rip off my cloths, not carrying if I destroy them. The gun sits on the nightstand because I will kill anyone who interrupts us. “I need to take you fast and hard, my love. I need to be inside you, now.” I fall on to her body, pinning her to the bed. I guide my cock to her wet entrance. I push into her in one long thrust until my balls hit her arse, and we both cry out at the connection. Her head falls back, exposing her neck. I suck and bite at her skin, leaving my marks on her. “Aidan, I missed you so much.” She cries and I see the tears in her eyes. “I never want to be apart from you again.” “Never, my beauty.” I start moving, slamming into her. My mouth finds hers and we kiss, my tongue thrusting into her like my cock. I claim her mouth and cunt. “I don’t care if I’m wrong for you. I don’t care if you deserve better than me. I’m keeping you.” I move back to her neck and gently suck the soft tissue into my

mouth, giving her a hickey. I don’t care how crass it is. She’s mine and everyone will know it. Soon she will have my name and men will fear me if they look or touch her. She pulls my face up to look into her liquid hazel eyes that appear more green right now than brown. “I don’t care what you do. I don’t care what you think is bad. I love you and want to be with you.” I stop moving and hold myself still as her words wash over me. “I just killed a man in front of you. I’ve killed others and I will kill more before this is all over with.” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and her face softens. “I’m not scared of you.” She looks down, avoiding my eyes, but I lift her chin to look at me. “Tell me, beauty.” “It actually makes me want you more when I see you like that. It turns me on to know I’m the only person you’ll lose control for. That I’m the chaos to your controlled environment.” I look at her for a moment, again her words wash through me, and this time they heal something that was broken a long time ago. The pain of a young boy who lost his mum too soon. My eyes move between hers as the reality hits me hard. “I love you, beauty,” I tell her right before I take her lips. I don’t dominate them. I give her what she’s given me, acceptance. Love, and finally peace. I take the kiss deeper, telling her everything with my lips as my hips start to move against her again. Taking her higher and myself to that edge where only she can take me. Where I feel healed and loved. Her orgasm rolls through her body and I fight not to lose my battle with mine. I need more from her. I pull out and flip her around and enter her from behind. Pulling her up with her back to my chest, I cup her breasts as I move my hips, hitting that spot that will continue her orgasm, and I go over this time. My cum pulled from my balls as her tight cunt spasms around me. I groan her name as I hold her tightly. I make love to her over and over throughout the night. Needing to mark her from the inside as mine. Someday she’ll carry my child. But right now, all I’m

concerned about is keeping her safe and marrying her.

We make our way downstairs hand in hand and head to the great room. The noise level of everyone causes both of us to stop and take it all in. Surrounding the table are not only all my brothers but her friends too. They aren’t paired off, but the girls are sitting across from the guys. I notice Brody and Moira are glaring at each other, and I smile. She is going to give my brother a run for his money. Especially considering her major at university is criminal justice and my brother runs one of the deadliest biker clubs in all of Ireland. It still shocks me that she came to me for help and didn’t trust the legal system to help her with getting Fiona safe. She’d said it was because, according to her father and brother, Fiona’s parents weren’t doing anything illegal, but I believe there is more to it. I wonder if she is doubting the justice system and realizing that sometimes you do need to step out of line for justice. I look over to my beauty, and she turns to look at me with a soft smile on her lips and her eyes shining. “Fi, can you make breakfast?” Brigid asks. She’s the most outspoken of the girls along with her sister, Ronan. “I can.” Fiona starts to pull away to head for the kitchen. I keep a hold of her hand and pull her back into me before she can get away. “I need your lips, beauty,” I say before I kiss her hard. When she pulls away, she is flushed and her eyes dazed, her pupils big as she stares up at me. The urge to take her back upstairs and continue where we left off is almost too great. Only the chuckles and chairs moving behind us at the table stop me. I let her go and watch as she makes her way across the room to the counter to start making food.

It’s been five days since that breakfast and since she moved back in with me. A total of six days since I moved her friends into two houses on the compound. They are all chomping at the bit to get off the compound, but for their safety, I haven’t let them roam far. Arianna is returning to work soon along with the others. But today isn’t about them, it’s about the woman who has emerged from the back of our home. She’s dressed in ivory over a pale mauve wedding dress. The dress molds to her curves in lace with a small train. The long veil flows down her back and past the train of the gown. She’s never looked more beautiful to me. Seamus leads her toward me and gives her away. She has never denied her friendship with him, and I know how important it is to both of them. He’s always been so dark, and to see him with my beauty and her bringing a light to him makes me love her more. When the priest declares her my wife, I know I’ll do anything for her. I’ve already killed a couple times, and I’ll do it again to protect her. I pull her to me and kiss her lips, moving mine over hers gently knowing that we still have pictures to take and don’t want to bruise her lips.

Fiona

“A re you really okay with all this?” I look across the room at my husband as he stands with his brothers and father all talking. I can tell from their expressions it’s a serious talk. It turns me on when I think of how much he’s willing to do for me. I watched him kill a man to protect me, and just the thought of that causes my pulse to increase, my body to flush with desire, and my barely there panties to dampen. As if he can sense my eyes and desire, he looks over at me. His blue eyes flare wide, and I know he wants me as much as I want him. “Did you hear me, Fi?” Giselle asks from next to me, shaking me from my dirty thoughts and the stare down with my husband. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” I turn to her, blushing. Brigid giggles when she sees where I was looking. “I asked if you really are okay with all this,” she says as she swings her arms around. “Okay with what?” “You didn’t just marry him to be safe from Patrick, did you? Or to spite your parents?” “Giselle, I love Aidan. I want to be his wife. I wanted him before Patrick and my parents did what they did. It’s always been Aidan since the moment I saw him.” “But he killed a man the other night. That doesn’t scare you.” I watch her body shiver. I can guess that her fear comes from whatever is in her past she isn’t telling us about. “No, because I know he’d never hurt me. I’m perfectly safe with him.” I can feel his eyes on me, and I look at him again, ready to follow him wherever he wants to take me.

“It was kinda hot.” Moira chimes in, and I turn to her with my eyes wide. I didn’t expect that from her. “Well, it was. To have someone love you so much they don’t care about the consequences to protect you.” I watch as she turns to look at Aidan and his brothers. She drops her eyes when his brother Brody looks toward us. “I agree.” Brigid pipes in, and her sister, Ronan, nods her head too. “If he’s willing to kill, what makes you so sure he wouldn’t hurt you?” Giselle’s voice trembles and I watch as she gently rubs her chest over her left breast. “I know in my soul he’d never hurt me. I also know he only killed that man because he was evil and would have killed me or Moira if he had a chance.” “But even someone who professes to love you could and would hurt you given the right circumstances.” She pleads with me. “Giselle, that man never loved you if he was willing to hurt you. Aidan loves me very much, and the thought of me in pain makes him crazy. He wouldn’t do that.” “Okay.” She turns and walks away, and I’m sure I didn’t convince her of Aidan’s love for me, but I’m distracted when I feel his hands slide around me. His fingers lace together and pull my back into his chest. He leans down into my ear. “You have exactly ten minutes to get out of this dress and be ready for me or I’ll shred it, wife.” His voice is gravelly, and my body trembles with desire. The words get trapped in my throat as I think about him seeing me in the nighty I bought for tonight. I nod up at him and look at the girls all trying to hide their smiles. “I’ll see you all in a couple of days.” They each hug me and then the guys come over and congratulate me again. I make my way up the stairs, feeling like I’m floating. The minute I through the doorway into our room, I look at the bed covered in rose petals. The room aglow with flameless candles. The girls outdid themselves; it’s a beautiful escape. We can’t go on a real honeymoon because Aidan is afraid I’m still in danger. The closet is now full of clothes and my things from my flat with the girls. I reach behind me and lower the hidden zipper at my mid-back. The dress slips

down my body, and I carefully step out of it and hang it up. My hand lovingly slides down the lace of the beautiful A-line dress I picked out. That’s the key to me. I picked it out myself. It’s not the monstrous ball gown wedding dress with a train to rival Princess Diana’s that my mum picked out and was hanging in the closet at their house. The look in Aidan’s eyes when I stepped through the door was worth everything when he first saw me in the gown. Pulling open one of my drawers, I reach in and pull out the tissue paper wrapped outfit. I move into the ading bathroom where I quickly wash my face, removing my makeup, and pull out the combs that held the sides of my hair back in curly waves down my back. I brush my hair to remove any products and make it shine. Looking in the mirror, I see my cheeks flushed with excitement. I don’t regret marrying Aidan. I don’t care what he does or has done. He is mine. I carefully unwrap the tissue paper, exposing the sheer lacy negligee. The top has a deep see-through plunge between my breasts. The bottom ends just below the bottom swell of my arse. The sheer material will allow him to see the matching white thong. I step out into our room and see my husband sitting in the chair by the window. A tumbler of whiskey in his hand. From across the room, I can see his blue eyes darken with ion as he takes me in. His shirt is opened across his beautiful chest, the tattoos showing. His jacket is gone and his belt is undone, but his pants are still closed. “Is that special for tonight?” His voice is gruff. “Yes.” He swigs back the last of the whiskey and sets the glass on the table next to him. He uncrosses his legs and spreads them bent in front of himself as he leans forward. “Come here.” He points to the floor between his spread legs directly in front of him. I move without pause and stand before him. “You’ll only wear this tonight because the urge to rip it from your body is strong right now.” I nod because I didn’t expect it to last more than that. He points again to the floor, and I start to kneel when he stops me and looks around for a moment. “Grab that pillow.” He points to the matching chair next to him. I take the pillow and hand it to him. He sets it on the floor for me to kneel on. “I want to see my wife’s lips wrapped

around my cock.” I reach forward and unzip his tros. They open and reveal his sexy boxer briefs, his hard cock pushing against them. I slip the material over it and brush my fingers across his satiny smooth skin. He groans. Leaning forward, I lick up his cock, ing the last time I did this to him. My hand wraps around the base and I slowly move my hand up as I slide him into my mouth. His taste bursts across my tongue as precum leaks from his tip. I slide up and lick it off and then press my tongue into the slit, trying to grab more of his taste. I how he likes it deep, so I don’t move my hand up as much on the next but move him deeper into my mouth. His legs tighten next to me, his body locking up as I continue to take him in and out. With each , I take him deeper into my throat, swallowing around his head until my hand isn’t moving. I control the gagging by breathing through my nose. “Enough.” He pushes on my shoulder to stop me from letting him finish in my mouth. “Every time I come tonight, my cum is going to coat your insides.” He reaches down and lifts me up to straddle his lap. He rips the thong from my body and lifts me up again, then impales my body on his cock. “Feck.” He throws his head back as I slide down his length. It’s still a tight fit and I cry out from the intrusion but not for long. I start to move as soon as I feel my body accommodating to his girth. Aidan grips my waist and starts moving me faster over him. His thumb slips between us to play with my clit. I throw my head back and cry out as the climax builds. Suddenly, I’m empty, and I look at him as he lifts me off him and sets me standing next to him. He stands and yanks his shirt off and then lets his pants fall to the floor. His cock standing in all its glory, the tip ruddy. I start to kneel, wanting to take him in my mouth again, but he grips my arm and pushes me toward the bed. I climb up and roll over, watching him as he steps toward me. Gripping my ankle, he flips me over and pulls me down the bed, my legs hanging off as he enters me from behind. His hand fists my hair and he pounds in and out of me. I moan, ready from the feeling of him and the slight pain of my hair being pulled. He grips the negligee in his other hand and I hear the lace rip with the force of him. Over and over, he moves in me as my climax builds, and I come screaming his name, but he doesn’t slow down his thrusts. My orgasm rolls into another and I claw at the bedding, my body becoming hypersensitive to him, until he finally slams into me hard and comes with a grunt of my name. He holds me there, both of us trying to come down from the high. Our breathing still erratic. He slips from my body and releases my hair and nighty. I roll over and

slide up the bed. “Take it off. In our bed, you’re naked,” he demands before he climbs up next to me. I bare my body and slip under the blankets to snuggle in next to him. Throughout the next couple days, we stay in our room having food delivered and get to know each other and make love. Aidan’s ion for me only increases as the time es.

Chapter Twelve

Fiona

Ilook down at my phone, my finger hovering over the number, wanting to call her back and finally talk to her. I feel bad for hanging up on her like I did yesterday, but I wasn’t sure how to explain Aidan to Kayla. I love Aidan, but I also love Kayla. I won’t give up my husband if my cousin has an issue with him. I need to pull up my knickers and stand up to her. Yesterday I implied the line wasn’t secure, but I know it is. Aidan told me that one of the hackers who works for the company that she does probably found my number. In the front seat of the car are Seamus and Gael. True to Aidan’s word, Gael is with me all the time. He’s at the house if Aidan isn’t there, and like today, my one day a week that I still work at the bakery, he is with me. In the four months since we married, our lives have moved into a sort of normal. Aidan wakes up and goes to the office or the track. I take care of our home and go to the bakery once a week. The girls have moved back to the flat, but I still see them. They come to me though instead of me going to them. Moira has been pulling away and I don’t understand why, but I hope she’ll tell me soon. I can’t stall any longer, I need to call her. I owe her that much. I owe her the truth. After Percy died and I couldn’t be there for her, I’ve felt the chasm between us growing. I can’t and won’t lose her. The phone rings over and over and finally the voicemail kicks in. No name, just a leave a message robotic voice. “Hello, Kayla, I’m sorry about yesterday. Please call me. I have so much to talk to you about. I’m sure you have a lot to tell me too. I love you.” I hang up and slip the phone into my bag, ready to get some pastries done for the weekend crowd. An hour later I’m working through the dough for croissants when Mrs. O’Sullivan steps through the doors. “Fiona, there is gentleman out here asking to speak to you.” “Who?” I grab the towel and wipe the dry flour and small chunks of dough from my skin. “I don’t know. An American.”

“Okay.” I walk over and wash my hands in the sink before I step out into the main shop. Gael is sitting at his normal table in the back where he can watch everything. I don’t see Seamus but it’s not uncommon for him to take off for Aidan throughout the day. Mrs. O’Sullivan points at a man sitting at a table by himself. He’s older with reddish hair and a receding hairline. He’s dressed in a suit and reminds me of one of Aidan’s men. I turn to look at Gael, but he’s looking down at his table instead of watching me. I stop for a moment as a trickle of fear climbs up my spine. Gael constantly watches me. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was sleeping. I stopped too close to the other man’s table. His hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me toward him. “Mrs. Tiernan, I’m Rusty. I have a note for you.” He slips a piece of paper into my hand. “Don’t share it with your guards or you will lose someone special.” He releases my hand and stands. “Be quick or another dies.” I gasp in terror and look over at Gael. I see the lack of movement and know he gone. He’s dead. I can’t form words as I turn back the man and nod. I slip the paper into my pocket and start to turn away from him. “Thank you for such a wonderful treat,” Rusty says, and he walks out the door. I rush to the back, plastering a smile on my face, and go straight for the loo knowing that Mrs. O’Sullivan will call Aidan if she suspects something is up. It was one of the promises she had to make in order for me to work here. I open the paper. Go to your old flat right now or two of your friends will not live to see the morning. Tell no one. Leave your cell phone and any jewelry you are wearing here. You have fifteen minutes. We’ll be in touch once you get there. Sir I start to panic and drop the note on to the counter. How do I get my bracelets off? I can’t remove them without the jewelry screwdriver Aidan has. I slip my wedding ring off and set it on the counter next to the sink. I pray I’ll see it again. I jerk on the bracelets, trying to pull them off without unlatching them and hurting my wrists in the process. I manage to squeeze one over my thumb, but it marks up my hand to get it off. The other two are stuck tight. My cell phone, earrings, and necklace are next. Carefully opening the door, I check to see that everyone is distracted and Mrs. O’Sullivan is out front. I slip out and head for the back door as I hear my mobile

ring. I push open the door, glad the alarm is disengaged during the day, and take off running down the alley, heading for my old flat. There is no way I can get a hold of Aidan, and I know I could be causing the death of one of my friends because of the bracelets. I make it to the front door and reach over the doorframe to pull the key from the hiding spot up there. After the day I ran from Aidan without my keys, phone, or purse, the girls decided to stash an extra key up there just in case any of us ever needed it. I open the door and step into the flat I spent so much time in and realize it’s still the same. They didn’t redecorate when I moved out. “Hello, is anyone here?” I yell, but no one answers. The quiet is so intense it makes the hair on my arms rise. The tension ramps up in my body. What if I’m too late? What if they know I have the bracelets on still and they kill them anyway? “Hello, Sir, are you here?” Again, I’m greeted with quiet and no noise as I rush from room to room. I make my way back downstairs and stand in the living room with my back to the kitchen. Arms wrap around me, and I struggle to get free but they hold me tight. I try to turn to see who it is, but their hand closes over my throat and they start squeezing. I can’t breathe. They’re going to kill me. I think of Aidan and how he will blame himself and never move on from me. But I also know he will torture and kill whoever did this. With that thought, I reach up and fight with my last reserves to get away. I claw and scratch at them. A voice tells me to stop as I fade into unconsciousness, and I recognize it.

Aidan

As I make my way from the office to the house, I that my beautiful wife isn’t going to be home. She’s at the bakery today. I hated sending her back to work, but she wanted to go, and Mrs. O’Sullivan said she couldn’t survive without Fiona’s talent. I gave in, but I’m glad she always has her guard with her. Stepping through the side door into the gun room, I make my way to the kitchen. I smell the baked goods Fiona must have made before she left, and the slow cooker is simmering with dinner in it. I don’t regret marrying her and bringing her into my home. She takes care of me and my brothers every day. She brightens my dark world. My phone rings and I pull it from my pocket. “She’s gone and Gael is dead,” Seamus yells before I can say a greeting, and my heart stops. The phone slips from my fingers. I backtrack my steps, leaving the mobile where it fell, and grab the first gun from the room as I run out the door and head back to the office. The loud report of gunshots rings through my brain fog and I drop to the ground. I aim my gun toward where the shots came from as guards surround me. I look up at the office as more guards drag Lex between them out the back door. I jump up and race toward them as I see blood blossom across Lex’s chest. I’m barely at their side when a loud explosion erupts around us. I’m thrown backward, my head slamming into something hard. My eyes fall closed but my body won’t let me relax into unconsciousness. My head is spinning, and a fog floats over my eyes as a memory of something important, someone important flashes before my eyes. I see my beauty as she was this morning, moving over my body as she rode my cock. I know she’s keeping a secret from me, because every time I squeeze her breasts, she cringes. My beauty is pregnant with my baby. I don’t know if she’s figured it out yet or if she’s keeping it secret from me. But I know I need to get up off this ground and find out where she is. I feel someone pulling on my arm and I’m slid across the ground away from the burning hulk of my former office. “Aidan. Boss, come on.” Shane’s voice breaks through the fog.

“Where is Fiona?” My voice is rough and gravelly. “She is missing. I’m getting you out of here before the police and emergency services show up. Can you walk?” “Yes.” He stops and changes his grip to help me rise up. I stand and lock my knees so I don’t fall over. “What about Lex?” I look around. We’re between the fence and the garage by my home. I don’t see Lex, but I look through the fence and see a group of men surrounding someone on the ground. I try to move toward them. “No, don’t, boss. He needs the hospital, and you need to find Fiona. I can’t reach Seamus either or Grady.” Whoever attacked us knew who to go after to cut me off. “What about Brody and Rory?” Fear grips me that I’ve lost them too. “Rory is at the club. His guards just messaged that someone tried to come in and attack him. Brody is with your father.” “Call them,” I growl as I feel something dripping down my face. I reach up and my hand comes away bloody. I pull out a handkerchief from my jacket pocket and wipe the blood away. “Let me help you. Come on, we need to move. The ambulance has pulled up.” We move toward the house, away from the activity, and step into the gun room. My mobile chimes from the kitchen and I head to the sink to wash my face and wipe the blood off me. “It’s Seamus and Brody,” Shane says as he hands me my phone. I look at the messages and call Seamus first now that I know my brother and da are safe. The clubhouse was blown up too, but no one was badly injured. “Where is she?” I growl into the phone. I can hear the report of gunfire across the line. “Just a moment,” Seamus yells. The phone sounds muffled. I can hear him

talking to someone, then quiet. “Boss, she was taken from the flat. Some of her jewelry was left at the bakery but she still has two of the bracelets on. Her phone was left at the bakery too. She has a missed call from an unknown number. There was also a note from Sir.” My blood slows as the ramifications of what he said sinks in. Sir has my wife. I’ll destroy him and the Hierarchy if one hair is hurt on her head. But then reality sets in. My men are hurt and scattered. He simultaneously attacked my men as he captured her. It was a brilliant plan, but he didn’t realize one thing. I will call in every favor I have to get my wife back. “Boss, you there?” Seamus’s voice shakes me from my thoughts. “Meet us at the warehouse.” I hang up as I move out to the driveway. “Shane, let’s go. Round up as many men as you can but leave some with the injured to protect them.” “On it, boss.” I climb into the enger seat and dial the number that will get me the help I need to get my beauty home. “Securities International. How may I direct your call?” “Joshua and Maya,” I demand, skipping the formalities. “They are in a meeting.” “Now,” I growl. “I’m sorry, sir, they aren’t to be interrupted. I can take a message.” “Tell them to call Aidan back as soon as possible.” I hang up and call Seamus back. “Boss?” “Do you still have Fiona’s phone?” “Yeah.” “I’m going to need it.” I hang up as Shane races toward the Belfast harbor where we rebuilt a warehouse we destroyed last year. A serial killer had taken one of

the S.I. captive and held her there. I destroyed the building after she was rescued. We rebuilt it be another place for us to conduct business. It’s mostly empty right now, but it contains all the equipment I’ll need once I know where Fiona is and we set up a plan to get her back. I need to protect Fiona’s friends. The last time she was taken a friend was threatened. I dial Brody because, even though Moira hasn’t itted it yet and Fiona hasn’t caught on, Brody knows everywhere that Moira is. He’s had her followed since that first time he saw her. I guess it runs in the family because he’s taking cues from me on what I did to protect Fiona. “Yeah.” His voice sounds gravelly and tight. “Do you have eyes on Moira and the other girls?” “Um, about that…” He pauses and now I know why he’s stressed out. “Moira’s detail hasn’t checked in for a couple hours. I was with Da and didn’t want him to catch on about her, but now I’m heading that way. Da is secure.” “Okay, after you get it figured out, call Rory and have him and his detail keep the girls safe. I’m going to need you.” I hang up and send a group text requesting any of the men that are able to meet us at the warehouse. “Update from his detail, Lex is being taken into surgery for a bullet in his chest.” “Feck, I need him to track Fiona’s bracelets.” “What are you going to do?” “I’ll figure it out.” A plan starts to form in my mind, but I’ll be breaking his trust to do it. I’ll have to reveal a secret I’ve kept since I met him. Since he told me about his past and how it ties to a certain S.I. member. How he never forgave himself for his actions. But as I’ve said before, I’ll pay the devil himself to get my beauty back. We pull through the large automatic door into the interior of the warehouse. Some of my men are already here. Seamus is doctoring up wounds on Grady, and I take in his own bloody pant leg.

“How are you?” “We were attacked. I had two come after me, but they met the wrong end of my gun and knife. Grady had a couple come after him too,” Seamus supplies. “Boss, I had to destroy a car, but I got away.” Grady’s deep voice sounds like he gargled glass. He looks up at me from where he’s lying on a table. “It’s okay, bruv.” I carefully pat his shoulder. “Do I need to call in the doctor?” “No, just scrapes and bruises mostly.” “What’s the plan?” Seamus says as he wipes his hands clean. Shane takes over stitching up a wound to Grady’s arm. “I need Fiona’s phone.” Seamus hands it over and I scroll through her recent calls. I notice a number that called her yesterday morning called her again today and she called them too. Fiona was trying to get a hold of Kayla. She must have called back after Fiona left her phone. This is the only way I’ll be able to interrupt Joshua and Maya’s meeting. I dial the number and start pacing as it rings. “Fiona, I tried to call you earlier. What is going on?” Kayla’s voice comes across the line. “This is Aidan. Fiona has been taken. I need your help.” “What? How? Why were you with her yesterday, and why do you have her phone?” “I have her phone and she was with me yesterday because she’s my wife. Now get to the office or get Joshua and Maya. I need you and your team’s help. Sir has her and I need to get her back.” “You’re married? Since when? Why?” “Kayla, we don’t have time for this. Fiona was taken about an hour and a half ago. You and I both know what he is truly capable of, and we don’t want her to endure any more than she already has. I have a tracker on her, but I can’t access it because the laptop it was linked to was just destroyed. Plus, Lex was injured.”

“Just a moment.” I hear rustling and then her talking to someone, then the noises get louder. “You’re on speakerphone with everyone here,” she says, and I only think for a moment about what I’m doing. I’m getting into bed with a company that runs on the good side of the law while I don’t. I knew I would have to team up with them eventually, it’s why I’ve been collecting all these favors. “I need several things. I’m calling in my favors.” It’s all that needs to be said. “Favors? You only helped us out once, as far as I know, unless you are counting all the things with the Duchess.” Joshua doesn’t know what all I’ve done for them. “No. Much more than that. You might want to connect with your New York office too.” I wait as I hear cursing and then a click before Noah Caine’s deep voice comes across the line. “Hey, boss, what’s up?” “Noah, I have a call here from an Aidan Tiernan. He says you might have some favors owed to him.” “I didn’t quite say that.” I correct him. “I don’t know an Aidan.” “Let me refresh your memory. Last year your wife was attacked, and before that she had two mob families after her. A hacker with top notch facial rec gear was after her.” “Fucking hell,” Noah says, and I hear the voice of the one I expected to be there. “Oh my God.” Her accent reminds me of Lex’s. “Bekah, Lex did that. You know his facial rec software; you even use it. Last November Lex helped Marco Graco with a situation with his wife. We have been working in the background for a while now. Ever since Sir came to me and I realized I would need your help to bring him down, we’ve been guiding the underworld around your company, Joshua. Now I need your help. My wife has been taken by him and I want her back. My office was destroyed, and my men and family were attacked today. I’m short of men, missing a hacker, and ready to

kill anyone who steps in my way.” I leave it all hanging out there. “What can we do?” Maya’s voice comes across the line. “This Sir is much more dangerous than his father ever was.” “I know that. Bekah, I need you to hack Lex’s gear and get me the tracking info on Fiona’s tracking chips in her bracelets. I need you to—” The words die as I turn when a loud bang hits the building. My brother Brody stomps toward me, his longer hair in complete disarray. “He has Moira and one of the other girls too. I’ll kill him,” he barks. “It sounds as though Sir has three women now.” “Why the fuck is my name his ?” Bekah shouts, and I pull the mobile away from my face and look at it in shock. “How did you get in so fast?” I’ve heard Lex talk a lot about how good she is and how he wouldn’t be surprised if she’s sured him. “What do you mean your name is his ?” A voice I recognize as Bekah’s husband comes across the line. “That is something you’re going to have to ask Lex when he’s conscious.” “Oh, I’ll be asking him alright,” Derek growls. “Honey, I swear I don’t know why Luther would use it. We were never romantic. He was like a big brother to me. He watched out for me.” She tries to calm her husband, and I smile knowing this is the secret I won’t have to reveal since she byed and hacked the system without further encouragement. “I will ask him as soon as I can. Mr. Tiernan, I’ve got the tracking information and will send you the coordinates. Anything else?” “Joshua, I could use a couple of your team for the night.” “I’ll send some. I’ll also have Bekah and Timothy running video security on your man in the hospital.” “What can I do from here?” Noah asks.

“Have your hacker check for any new arrivals from the East Coast to Belfast in the last twenty-four to forty-eight hours.” “We are on it. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find his real name or one of his guys.” “I’ll have the team text you when they get on the helicopter to head that way.” Joshua hangs up and I turn to give the guys the coordinates. Waiting for more men is going to be the hardest part.

Chapter Thirteen

Fiona

Ilift my eyes at the clicking sound and look through the barrel of a revolver. As the gun cocks, I watch the chamber rotate, and the next bullet moves up in line. Fear prickles along my skin as I worry my bottom lip. My heart clenches at the thought of never seeing the ones I love again. Aidan and Mikayla. My unborn baby I just found out I’m carrying. I’m not sure how I’m going to survive this, but maybe I can keep him distracted until help arrives. Because I know they will come for me. Aidan will find me. He’ll blow up everything to get me back. “Please. You don’t have to do this.” I look up past the gun and into his eyes. Eyes I’ve known for a while now. To a man I was supposed to marry. All I see is anger and hate. He knows I never loved him, that I’ve loved Aidan since the first moment I saw him. “I have to do this. It was all supposed to be so easy. He told me it would be easy. You and I were already close, so all I had to do was get you to fall in love with me. We had a wedding planned. Your family wanted us to get married. But you made it so difficult when you had to fall for him. And now he and his men are going to kill me. Or the other guy will.” Patrick’s voice wobbles and cracks. I don’t understand what he’s saying, but I know I need to find out why he took me. I was supposed to work with Sir to get the girls back, and now that’s all changed because Patrick took me. “Please don’t,” I beg again as tears start to roll down my face. Then a thought occurs to me. He’s scared of Aidan. He’s scared of the “Beast of Belfast” that I love. If I can fuel that fear, I might have a chance to save myself. I rub my bound hands against my face and wipe the tears away. “If you do this, he’ll make you regret it.” I hope to instill some fear in him. “What does that mean?” Patrick sounds panicked, shaken. “He’s going to kill me for just taking you. For touching what is his. Or he’ll have his men kill me. I’m a dead man no matter what happens. I made a deal with a man who doesn’t care who he kills or who he hurts in the process of taking over everything.” “Killing you is the easy part for him and his men. He’s going to do worse than kill you.” “What’s worse than death?” He leans down toward me, keeping the barrel of the gun near my neck. He brushes my hair back. My body trembles in fear. “I’m

going to die anyway. I should use you like I want before I kill you. You’ve teased me long enough. You gave your virginity to that damn man. I should get something of your body.” I notice he never says Aidan’s name, but I don’t understand who this other man he speaks of is. The most feared man in Belfast is my husband. I try to hold in the shiver of repulsion. “You kill me or touch me, and he’ll torture you before he kills you. He’ll make you beg for death. He’ll flay the skin from your body before he kills you. I’ve seen him kill before. You won’t even feel the knife slice into you.” I sneer. He steps away from me, and I watch as his eyes bounce around the room. A fine sheen of sweat appears on his forehead. His hands tremble more, causing the gun to wave around. “They call him a beast, after all.” I smirk. “Look, Patrick, I need you to take me back. A very bad man has two of my friends and I need to get them back.” “You mean those two friends.” He points to the side, and I turn and take in the room around me. Moira and Giselle are lying on the floor, both unconscious. Their clothes are disheveled. “How do you have them? I thought they were taken by someone else?” “Oh, they were, but I got them away because I knew you wouldn’t cooperate without a little incentive. Now, if I kill you and them before I take off, he won’t ever find me. I can run from both. I can leave Ireland. He only has power here.” “He’ll never stop. He’ll find you, and he will end you after he tortures you. You’ll beg for death, and he’ll continue to hurt you.” I pray this works. “Not if he can’t find me, he can’t.” His smile is too big. His confidence is faltering. “He has a man you can never hide from. He’ll find you no matter where you go. You can’t hide from cameras; they are everywhere nowadays. Besides, you can’t live without money.” “I can. I will.” He straightens his back and paces the room. He sounds like he’s trying to convince me along with himself. I can’t believe I once called this man a

friend. This man right here isn’t nice and isn’t my friend. “Besides, Sir had Aidan’s men attacked today too.” My heart clenches in my chest. I think of Aidan and his men. I know my husband is still alive, I can feel it in my heart. But what if his men are hurt? His brothers. His father. “But why? Why do you have to kill me?” The tears start again. “Why were they attacked?” I worry about my new family. My husband’s brothers have all become my family. “Because Sir wants you dead now. Before he wanted to use you against your cousin. But now, he wants you dead because that bloody wanker had to marry you. He wants to run the Knights of Purgatory. He was going to take you from me, so I had to get to you first. You embarrassed me. You ruined me.” I don’t know who Sir is. I just know Kayla has mentioned him. He’s the reason Aidan wanted to send me away. He’s the man I thought took my friends. And I know he’s the man who sent men after Kayla. But why her? Why would he want her dead? Why would he want me dead, for that matter? I don’t even know him. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would he want to kill me?” I ask. “To get even with him.” “What?” My voice rises. I start to panic as I worry I’ll never see my husband again. I’ll never see the baby I’m carrying. Aidan will never know he was going to be a father. “Because you are his only weakness.” He raises the gun and fires. I scream as I feel the burn and impact against the side of my head. I look up at him in shock. He shot me but I’m still looking at him. I can still think. I reach up and touch the side of my head. I gasp when I pull back my hand and see blood. The bullet skated the side of my head before it blasted into the brick wall behind me. He missed. “Ahh,” he yells, and raises the gun again.

Aidan

Agunshot sounds and we rush into the building. I freak out because in my heart I know when I see Fiona it will never be the same. I pray she’s still alive. I pray I get to be the father of the baby she’s carrying. I watch as Zach, Andy, Derek, and Raul—all from Securities International—rush through the doors in perfect military fashion. I come in behind them and hear more gunshots along with screams. I push past them all and see Patrick rolling on the floor. He’s holding his arm where they shot him to get him to drop the gun. My wife is sitting against the wall with blood flowing down the side of her head. She is handcuffed and red marks in the shape of hands mar her neck. I kneel down and carefully take her cheeks in my hands. “I’ve got you, beauty.” “Aidan. Sir sent a note that he was going to kill them if I didn’t do as he said. I couldn’t take off my bracelets. But Patrick attacked me before I could talk to Sir.” She babbles as tears roll down her beautiful face. I gently examine her head and take in the damage to the brick wall behind her. It looks like Patrick shot and thank God missed her, but the bullet still grazed her head. “Shane, take him to the dungeon. I want to kill him myself after Fiona is taken care of.” When Shane doesn’t respond, I look over and see him rocking a hysterical Giselle in his arms. Brody has Moira and is already moving her out to the car so we can take her to the doctor. Someone hands me a handcuff key and I remove the cuffs before I lift Fiona into my arms and we move out too. Hours later my men have surrounded the compound. The biker club is taking over other houses on the property. The S.I. team is on its way back to Scotland, and I’m lying in my bed holding my wife. My hand strokes over her barely there stomach as she sleeps against me. Her head has a bandage on it. The scars will

be in her hair, so she won’t have to constantly be reminded of what she suffered today. But I know she and I won’t ever get over this. I won’t let her off this property without a full horde of my soldiers to protect her. She and my child are the most important thing to me from now on. Fiona trembles in my arms. I hold her tighter and whisper to her. “Beauty, I’ve got you. You are safe.” She turns her head to look up at me. “Is he dead?” “Who, my love?” “Patrick.” “Not yet. I didn’t want to leave you.” “Then take me with you and kill that bloody arsehole. I won’t sleep until he’s dead.” Her jaw locks as she grits her teeth. I rub my thumb down her cheek. “Beauty, I’ll do whatever you want, but I don’t want to expose you to that part of me.” I search her eyes, needing to make sure this is truly what she wants. She has such a soft heart, and he was once her friend. She pulls away and sits up, then turns to look back at me. “I want our child to be safe. That means killing Patrick first and Sir next.” I nod at her because she’s correct. “Okay.” I move off the bed and make my way to the closet where I grab her robe to slip over the sleep pants and T-shirt she’s wearing. I’m in a pair of sweatpants. I slip a T-shirt on myself and then lift her into my arms. I carry her down the steps and through the dining room where Grady and Seamus are both sitting. “My queen wants to watch us execute her abductor. Where is he?” “The dungeon is still buried under the rubble of the office. He’s in the garage.” “Then let’s go.”

We head to the garage, and Grady carries in a chair for Fiona to sit in. Patrick is chained to the wall, his head lolled down from the beating Brody and his men gave him for what he did to Moira. He looks up when he hears the chair scrape against the floor. His face is swollen and bruised. Blood drips from his mouth where he’s missing teeth. I walk over to the wall where several tools are. I don’t have my knife on me, so this won’t be a clean kill. I’m going to torture him for touching what is mine. I grab the bolt cutters off the bench and walk back over to him. “Did you touch my wife?” “Sh-She was mine first.” He drools. “She was always mine. Did you touch her with this hand?” I grab a finger on his right hand. “No. No. Don’t do this,” he begs. “Did you touch her?” “Yes.” He drops his head. I slip his finger into the bolt cutter and cut it off. The clicking sound of it muffled by his screams. I turn back to see my wife watching in rapt attention. But she isn’t watching him. She’s watching me. Every move I make as I grab his thumb and cut it off next. I take his other hand and cut off his pinky before he es out from the pain. “I get him next,” a gruff voice says from behind me, and I turn to see Shane standing there. “He beat Giselle. I get to beat him now.” “No. He is my kill. Knife.” I hold out my hand knowing Shane always has a blade on him. He hands me it without saying another word. I take in the British special forces blade in my hand. It’s a double-edged knife that I know is extremely sharp. I slide the blade down Patrick’s raised arm to his armpit, opening a long wound. I continue down his chest. He jolts and comes to screaming again. I slide the knife across his chest over to his heart. “You touched what is mine. You touched the women my brothers have claimed. You will never hurt another woman again. Watch me.” I order him, and he looks down at the blade now poised over his heart. I slowly push it into his chest. He cries out as the blade slips between his ribs and into his heart. I leave it there and stand up.

“Seamus.” I don’t say another word but hold out my hand waiting for him to give me one of his two short swords he always has on his back when he is on security duty. The hilt hits my hand and I spin, swinging the blade, and decapitate Patrick. His sightless eyes take in nothing as his head rolls along the floor. I hand the blade back over and go to my beauty. She is still watching me, but I see the desire in her eyes. She is turned on by what I did. I found the one person not afraid of the beast that lives inside me. Together she and I will rule the Knights of Purgatory. Thank you for reading A Seductive Beauty. The next book in the series is A Temptation Too Great, coming in early 2022. You can find a complete list of my books, along with series lists and reading orders on my website . Please consider g up for E.M.'s Cocktails & Friends for a free story as well as first chance at cover reveals, releases, contests and more.

Acknowledgments

Thank you, readers, for taking the time to read and review this story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. Thank you, Mr. Shue, for ing and encouraging me through this process. I love you more today than the day you married me. My girls, Paige, thank you for helping me with music and ing my business as you have. Kelsey, love you and congratulations on the marriage and little bean. Daniele, my baby girl, love you always and thank you for also helping with the music. Thank you to my silent partner for always being there to talk to me. Koda, thank you for help with the knives. Mom, grandma, my brothers, sisters, girls’ significant others, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, my aunts, my uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, adopted family, foster family, doggies, and grand doggies, you all help and in your own way and I appreciate all of you. Nadine, thank you for helping me bring Aidan and Fiona to life. You are awesome. Alluring Write Productions, thank you for the beautiful cover. I love it so much and get complements on it all the time. To my new PAs thank you for taking me on, you’ve been awesome so far. Ladies of my ARC and Street teams thank you for sharing and ing me. Surprises, hope you enjoy this book as much as the others. To all the authors, bloggers, Pas, and readers that me, I appreciate all your hard work in sharing, advice, and help. Thank you!

Finally, to my Lord above, thank you for giving me this talent and the ability to write these stories.

About the Author

Writer, wife, mother of three girls, doggie mom to one, and doggie grandma to four. This multi-published award-winning author likes her whiskey Irish, her chocolate dark and her hockey hard hitting. She’s an avid reader and you can find her Kindle packed full of all sub-genres of romance. When she isn’t writing action-adventure, suspense, and strong woman she’s spending time with her family exploring Alaska. She’s currently writing several series and standalones in multiple sud-genres of romance all are hot & steamy and action-packed. Three of her books have won the Colorado RWA Beverley contest, Sniper’s Kiss in 2018 for Suspense, Angel’s Kiss in 2019 for Contemporary, and Accidentally Noah in 2020 for Suspense, while many others were finalists in this same contest. E.M.’s favorite saying is don’t piss her off she’ll write you into a book and kill you off in a new and gory way. Cocktails & Friends to be kept up to date on all her new releases and appearances. https://bit.ly/EMDrinkswithfriends

Also by E.M. Shue

Securities International Series

Sniper's Kiss: Book 1

Angel's Kiss: Book 2

Tougher Embrace: Book 2.5

Love's First Kiss: Book 3

Secret's Kiss: Book 4

Second Chance's Kiss: Book 5

Sniper's Kiss Goodnight: Book 5.5

Identity's Kiss: Book 6

Hope's Kiss: Book 7

Forever’s Embrace: Book 7.5

Justice’s Kiss: Book 8

Duchess’s Kiss: Book 9

Kiss of Submission: Book 9.5 (Coming 2022)

Knights of Purgatory Syndicate

A Seductive Beauty

Stand-alones

Her Empire: Mafia Made 2

Confined Space: KB Everyday Heroes World

Eternal: Salvation Society (Coming 2021)

Until Tucker: HEA (Coming 2022)

Forever Finn's Kisses (Coming 2021)

Santa Claus, Indiana Stories

Coal for Kiera: Christmas of Love Collaboration

Hanna’s Valentine: A Santa Claus, Indiana Story

Hailey’s Rodeo: A Santa Claus, Indiana Story (Coming August 2021)

Caine and Graco Saga

Accidentally Noah

Zeke’s Choice

Lost in Linc

Marco’s Salvation

Marco’s Redemption

Completely Marco PB Only

Jackson Revealed (Coming November 2021)

Distracting David (Coming 2022)

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