Page 30 of Taken By the Mobster

“Our prisoner?” Declan finished. He glanced over his shoulder at the other people in the room. “Could you excuse us for a minute?”

Walsh, Murphy, and Ezra got up and left the kitchen. Walsh hung back, probably hoping he would overhear something. Declan waited until Walsh walked away before he continued.

“It’s Liv, Conor, not some random woman I barely know. She’s a … friend and someone I’ve known for eight years.”

“No, you knew her eight years ago,” Conor said. “She’s not the same person. You know nothing about this woman. You remember the girl she used to be. Be careful.”

Declan sighed. “I’ve kept her cooped up for more than a week. I’m taking her out to the backyard to get some fresh air. It’s not like there’s anywhere for her to go.” He pulled back his jacket to reveal his gun. “Olivia won’t run.”

Conor crossed his arms over his chest. “At least let me go out there with you.”

Declan snorted. “I’ll be fine. If it makes you feel better, hang out on the porch and watch. I’m not worried about Olivia overpowering me and taking off, though.”

Conor rolled his eyes. “You’re the boss,” he muttered. “But you need to remember, Olivia is the daughter of a mobster. She is not innocent. Far from it. She manipulated her bodyguard into helping her get out of her marriage to Clyde. She’s a lot more cunning than that innocent face would have you think.”

“I’m not easily manipulated, Conor.” Declan downed the rest of his coffee and tossed the cup in the sink. “But your opinion is noted.”

Olivia stepped into the kitchen. She had put on a too-tight sweater and the sweatpants he had given her. She had wrapped her arms around herself and refused to make eye contact with either of them. As she walked past Conor, she kept her head down. Declan took a jacket off a hook by the door, handed it to Olivia, and ushered her out the back door.

Olivia walked down the porch steps, stopped, and turned to look at Declan, who stood on the porch, watching her.

“Are you coming?” she asked.

Declan nodded. “The best we can do is walk around the backyard.”

It was a large backyard with a high fence. No one was in sight, so they could wander around the yard without worry.

They walked in silence around the yard, side by side. Declan couldn’t help but wonder how Conor expected Olivia to manipulate him when she didn’t even talk to him.

They’d walked around the yard several times when Olivia stopped, tipped her head back, and dragged in a deep breath.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I was going stir crazy locked in that room.” She cleared her throat. “I’m guessing your men gave you grief about this, huh?”

Declan chuckled. “What makes you think that?”

Olivia looked over her shoulder. Conor was on the porch, leaning against the railing and attempting to look like he wasn’t watching their every move.

“Yeah, they think—well, Conor thinks—you’re trying to manipulate me.”

Olivia laughed. “Does he know about us? Your feelings for me?”

Declan shook his head. “No, he doesn’t.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it,” Olivia said. “Manipulating you, I mean.”

“Oh, really?”

“It wouldn’t do any good, though,” Olivia said. “You never appeared to be a man who can be easily influenced. Trust me, I’ve known both types. There are men who will do anything you ask if it means getting you into their bed. Then there are men like you. Strong-willed, determined, and unwilling to let anything or anyone sway them from the path they are on. You have a destination in mind. I doubt you’ll change your mind because of a woman in a short skirt.” She paused and looked down at herself. “Or maybe I should say, a woman in oversized blue sweatpants.”

Declan chuckled and nodded. “You’re right. I will not turn from the path I’ve set myself on. I won’t stop. Not until I’ve reached the end and I’ve done what I need to do.”

Olivia put her hand on his arm and stared up at him. When he looked into her eyes, it transported him to the past. He resisted the sudden urge to pull her into his arms while Conor watched them.

“What do you need to do, Declan?” she asked. “What do you mean when you say you won’t stop?”

Declan closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath.

“I won’t stop until Clyde Braniff is dead.”

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