Page 58 of Taken By the Mobster

“Stop talking like you’re not coming back,” Drew muttered.

“There’s a chance I won’t,” Declan replied. He grabbed his empty glass and refilled it. He didn’t want to think about not returning to Olivia, but he had to be realistic. In two swallows, he finished the whiskey.

Drew sighed. “Then you should stay here. Let Shane and Conor take care of this.”

“No.” Declan shook his head. “I need Clyde to see my face. He needs to understand that this is payback for what he did. It’s essential that he grasps I am the one who destroyed his life, as he destroyed mine.”

“What if he kills you?” Drew asked. “What then? Are you gonna let Liv lose you after she found you again? Do you really want to do that to her?” He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Listen to me. This is your chance to walk away, to have a life with a woman you love. Don’t throw it away for vengeance.”

“I have no choice!” Declan yelled. He turned on his brother, his fists clenched, his ire rising. “I have to do this, Drew. Clyde took everything from me and destroyed my world. He did it because he could, because he was greedy and power-hungry. I will not let him take anything else from me.”

“He could take your life,” Drew whispered.

“He won’t,” Declan snapped.

Shane stepped into the room behind Declan, arms crossed over his thick chest, his head tilted to one side.

“We good, brother?” he asked. He scratched his thick beard and stared at Drew.

“Yeah, we’re good,” Declan said. “Drew and I were just having a … disagreement. We’re good now. Right, Drew?”

“Yeah,” Drew said. “We’re good.”

Shane nodded and left quietly, without another word.

“I need to do this, Drew,” Declan said. “And I need you to take care of my girl. Can you do that?”

Drew nodded, but he didn’t speak.

“Promise me, Drew.”

“I promise,” his brother muttered.

That was all Declan needed. He went upstairs, leaving Drew in the study. Tonight, his plan was to sleep beside Olivia and hold her in his arms. He prayed it wouldn’t be the last time.

Chapter 27

Olivia

Olivia remembered very little about the trip from the hospital. She didn’t even know where they were. While in the car, the time she spent was in pain and semi-conscious, with her head on Declan’s lap. She was a mess: weak, in pain, terrified, and plagued by nightmares. Pain clouded her mind in the brief moments when she gained consciousness.

She vaguely recalled arriving at a large mansion surrounded by an impenetrable brick wall. When the car stopped, Declan helped her out and carried her inside. Loud voices greeted them, and then someone mercifully put her in a soft bed. Declan convinced her to take a pain pill, and she sank into blissful oblivion.

When Olivia woke up, she was alone in a simple, yet elegant, bedroom. She sat up with minimal pain, then she got her feet under her and headed for the door. Stumbling a little, she reached for the pale blue silk robe draped over a chair. It surprised her to find that the door opened easily. She followed the hallway to a set of stairs, holding tight to the railing as she made her way to the bottom floor.

Olivia paused, heard voices, and followed them to a sunny dining room with a rectangular table.

“Liv!” Declan shot out of his chair the second he laid eyes on her. He crossed the room, took her arm, and led her to a plush chair at the table. After helping her sit, he kneeled beside her with a concerned expression on his face. He rubbed her arm, his touch gentle.

“How are you?” he asked.

Olivia cupped his face and brushed her thumb across his cheekbone. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “Where are we, Declan? Whose house is this?”

She heard someone clear their throat from the opposite side of the room. Declan rose to his feet, put his hand on her shoulder, and squeezed gently.

“Olivia, this is my friend, Shane Kelly,” he said. “We’re in his home in New Hampshire. Shane, this is Olivia Miller.”

Shane smirked. “Miller? Really? Try again, brother. Remember, we don’t keep secrets from each other. Especially with what we are about to do.”

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