Page 53 of Taken By the Mobster

The front door opened, and shouts of surprise filled the room when Drew and Conor saw the scene in front of them. Drew froze while Conor rushed to help Declan with Walsh.

“Conor, you and Drew get Liv out of here!” Declan yelled.

Walsh tried to stand up, but Declan lunged forward and grabbed his foot. Walsh fell to his knees.

“What about you?” Conor yelled, as he sprinted across the room to Olivia’s side.

“Forget about me,” Declan said. “Get her out of here.”

“Touch her and you fucking die, Sullivan,” Walsh yelled.

“Andrew, now!” Declan didn’t care what happened to him as long as they got Olivia out.

Drew seemed to wake up, darted across the living room, and set to work helping Conor untie Olivia. When they finished, Conor scooped her into his arms and rushed out the front door, with Drew right behind him.

Walsh cursed, turned around, and punched Declan, his fist connecting with Declan’s chin, rocking his head back. Declan lost his grip on Walsh, allowing him to break free. Walsh scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees, trying to get to the door.

With an unearthly scream, Declan pushed himself to his feet, picked the gun up off the floor, then he slammed Walsh to the floor, his entire body covering the other man. Walsh fought to get free, to get the advantage. He grabbed Declan’s shoulders and flipped him to his back. Walsh reached for the gun, wrapped a hand around Declan’s wrist and another around the butt of the weapon.

The two men fought, grunts and curses filling the room as they each vied for control of the weapon.

Declan heard the gun go off, though nothing registered for a few seconds, time frozen as he waited for the inevitable pain, the blood, the release, the end.

But there was nothing.

Instead, Walsh’s eyes widened, and his mouth went slack. His head fell back and hit the floor. He gasped once, then nothing.

Declan rolled to his side, pushing himself away from Walsh’s dead body. He was out of breath, and every muscle in his body screamed in agony. Trying to muster enough strength to move, he groaned. He needed to get to Olivia.

“Declan!”

Conor appeared out of nowhere and helped Declan to his feet. He pulled one of Declan’s arms over his shoulder and half-walked, half-dragged Declan out the front door.

“Olivia?” Declan mumbled.

“She’s alive,” Conor said. “Barely. Drew is in the car with her. We need to get her to a doctor.”

Declan nodded in silent agreement. Conor got him to the SUV, opened the door, and lowered him to the seat beside Olivia. Declan reached for her, pulling her nearly lifeless body into his arms, her head on his chest tucked under his chin. His hand rested on her chest, in the space between her breasts. He needed to feel her breathe, feel the rise and fall of her chest, and feel her heart beating beneath his hand. He would hold her and will her to stay alive until they could get her to a hospital. His heart pounded in fear.

“Don’t leave me, Olivia,” he begged. “You cannot leave me.”

Conor got behind the wheel and backed out of the driveway so fast he hit the mailbox and knocked it to the ground. He cursed under his breath as he turned the wheel and took off as fast as the car would allow.

“We need to get Olivia to a doctor,” Declan said. “Then we call Shane.”

Conor glanced at Declan in the rearview mirror, his brow furrowed in concern. “Shane?” he asked. “You’re going to call Shane Kelly? Deck, he’s crazy.”

“Shane is exactly what we need,” Declan snapped. “I am done. We have to end this. I will not let Clyde Braniff live long enough to hurt Olivia again. Shane is crazy enough to help me stop him. I have no choice.”

“Whatever you say, boss,” Conor mumbled. “Whatever you say.”

Chapter 25

Olivia

Olivia dreamed of men with guns and knives, blood, pain, and death. Declan appeared intermittently, never completely there, as he tried to save her from the monster stalking her. Someone called her name, imploring her to wake up and look at him.

Olivia blinked several times, unsure why the room wouldn’t come into focus. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She shifted and tried to put her arms above her head, wanting to stretch and release the aches in her body. Instead, excruciating pain overwhelmed her, the ache so deep in her muscles and bones that it brought tears to her eyes. She grabbed her arm and moaned as more pain bit deep into her. There wasn’t any place on her body that didn’t hurt.

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