Page 43 of Taken By the Mobster

Before she knew what was happening, Clyde had ripped her clothes from her body. When she tried to crawl away, he grabbed her by the ankle, yanked her back down onto the bed, and backhanded her. He pressed his arm to her windpipe and leaned over her.

“Do not fight me or you will regret it.” He held her in place as he reached down and unbuttoned his pants.

Olivia closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was anywhere but in the Muldoon compound. Tears poured down her face as Clyde assaulted her.

When it was over, he straightened his clothes and left her lying on the bed, sobbing.

“Ms. O’Reilly? Are you alright, dearie?”

Olivia jumped up from the sofa. She hadn’t realized Ruth had come into the room. She nodded, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, and cleared her throat. “I’m fine.”

“I brought you some brandy,” Ruth said. She set a glass decanter on the small table, along with two glasses, then she sat down and filled the glasses.

Ruth surprised Olivia by staying. She sat down across from her, picked up the glass of brandy, and rested her head against the back of the couch.

“Why are you here, Ruth?” she asked. “Why do you work for a man like Clyde?”

Ruth stared at a spot above Olivia’s head while she spoke, either refusing to or unable to make eye contact. “Well, some people, like your Declan, do it because Clyde gives them no choice.” She tipped her head toward the door. “Others, like Walsh out there, do it for the money or some kind of inexplicable power. Then there’s me. I work for the Muldoons because I want to.”

Olivia cringed and involuntarily flinched at the thought of working for a man like Clyde or Donovan because one wanted to. She couldn’t imagine it. She was a little afraid of Ruth after her revelation.

Ruth must have noticed Olivia’s reaction because she gave the other woman a tight smile and shook her head. “It’s not what you think.” She glanced over her shoulder at the closed door, got to her feet, and moved to sit on the couch beside Olivia. Ruth patted her on the leg. When she spoke, she kept her voice low.

“Donovan Muldoon killed my father.”

Olivia grabbed Ruth’s hand. “What?”

Ruth nodded. “My father came to the United States years ago when I was just a child. My mother and I stayed in Scotland while my father came here to work. We planned to join him when he was settled. Six months after he arrived, my mother received a phone call from the States telling us my father was dead.”

“It was Muldoon?” Olivia asked.

“And his men,” Ruth said. She stared at the floor as she spoke. “My father witnessed a murder. He went to the police. A dirty cop told Muldoon about my father and Donovan had him killed.”

“Oh my God, Ruth, I’m so sorry.” Olivia scooted closer to Ruth, put her arm around her shoulders, and gave her an awkward one-armed hug.

Ruth brushed the tears from her eyes and gave Olivia a weak smile. “Don’t feel sorry for me. Feel sorry for Donovan Muldoon. Someday he will pay for what he did to my father. He won’t see it coming. I promise you that.”

There was a loud knock, and the door opened. Clyde stood in the doorway. Without saying a word, he gestured for Ruth to leave. She rose to her feet, patted Olivia on the shoulder, and hurried out the door.

Olivia curled herself into a ball in the sofa’s corner, her arms around a pillow, unable to look away from this man she reviled.

“Hello, Olivia.” Clyde perched on the edge of the chair. He glanced over his shoulder, then he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “Can I tell you a secret? You’re not going to be here long. As soon as Declan takes care of one small thing for me, you can be on your way. One, maybe two days.”

“What?” Olivia asked.

“Once Declan complies, I will release you.” He pushed himself to his feet, leaned over Olivia, and brushed a lock of her hair away from her face, his fingers lingering on her cheek. “I have to tell you, Liv; I have fond memories of the two of us together. You are so very appealing.”

With that statement, he left, leaving Olivia trembling with fear. She scrubbed a hand down the side of her face where he touched her. Fear made her stumble as she tried to stand up. She kept her feet beneath her long enough to crawl onto the enormous bed and surround herself with pillows in a half-hearted attempt to hide. She prayed for unconsciousness to come over her.

Chapter 21

Declan

“Declan, are you sure about this?” Drew asked. He looked his brother up and down with a critical eye. “You haven’t been here since Sarah died.”

Almost two years after her death and the mention of his sister’s name still caused an ache in the center of Declan’s chest. He missed her, and it hurt to think about her and all the potential she had. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here.

Declan stared at the small yellow house set back from the street. A large oak tree hid it from passersby. If he didn’t know better, he would think someone still lived there, thanks to the exorbitant amount of money he spent on upkeep. He couldn’t bring himself to let their childhood home slip into ruin.

---