Page 56 of Taken By the Mobster

Willet got up, took a business card from her pocket, and set it on the table. “If you change your mind, my cell phone number is on there. Call me anytime.” She moved to the door and put her hand on the knob. She looked over her shoulder at Olivia. “I mean it. Anytime. You take care of yourself, Ms. O’Reilly.” The door closed behind her.

Olivia stared after her. “I think I underestimated you, Officer Willet,” she whispered.

Chapter 26

Declan

Declan paced the fifteen-by-fifteen-foot room, unable to sit still for more than a few minutes. They holed up in a shithole above a bar on the outskirts of Boston for days, waiting for Olivia to wake up. He couldn’t sleep or eat. Whiskey and water were his go-to instead of food.

It killed Declan that he couldn’t be with her, sitting by her, holding her hand while she recovered. He despised the fact that she was in the hospital room, alone, with no one to watch over her. Conor did his best, but he was a poor substitute for the man who loved her. The hospital staff kept him on a short leash, especially since he supposedly didn’t know her. Declan worried that Clyde’s men would find her and kill her. He couldn’t rest until he got her out of the hospital and back with him.

Declan was waiting for word from Shane Kelly, his so-called crazy friend. They couldn’t safely move until Shane gave him the okay, which was why he hadn’t gotten Olivia out of that hospital yet. Two hours earlier, Shane sent one of his men to tell Declan they were ready; it was time to move.

Conor came through the door. “Olivia talked to the police.”

Declan stopped pacing and ran a hand through his hair. “When? What happened?”

“This morning,” Conor said. “Olivia thought everything was fine, but when the cop left, she called her Ms. O’Reilly.”

Declan froze. “What?”

“The cop knew Liv,” Conor continued. “Called her Ms. O’Reilly.”

“What did Liv do?” Declan asked.

Conor shrugged. “Nothing. She said that the cop is harmless, maybe a little ambitious, but she thinks she’ll keep quiet.”

Declan shook his head. “I hope she’s right. But if somebody knows who she is, then we need to get Liv out of that hospital.” Declan poured himself more whiskey. “How is she?”

“She’s in pain,” Conor replied. “Doc says she has a concussion, and he’s worried about the blood loss and how it might have affected her. She’s weak, and it hurts every time she moves. Walsh did a number on her.”

Declan grimaced. “That’s why he’s dead. It will be a cold day in hell before I let anybody hurt the woman I love again. I’m done playing the fool. Walsh got what he deserved, and Clyde will too. I guarantee it.”

Conor nodded. “The doctor wants to keep her for at least two days. She argued with him, but he’s insistent.”

“Dammit,” Declan mumbled. He sat in the nearest chair and put his head in his hands. “I heard from Shane. He’s ready for us. We can’t afford for Liv to be in that place for two more days. We have to move now.”

“She could check herself out against the doctor’s advice—.”

“No.” Declan shook his head. “That might raise a red flag with that young, ambitious police officer. All we need is some overzealous cop on the hunt for Olivia Miller, a woman who doesn’t exist. We’ll go get her. Tonight.”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that?” Conor asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll figure something out. Find Drew.” Declan shoved himself to his feet. “We have work to do.”

Visiting hours ended two hours before they arrived, which was exactly what Declan wanted. Hospitals were notoriously easy to enter, thanks to the dozens of entrances that were left unguarded. Nobody thought to watch for an open door of a hospital. It should be easy to walk in and get to Olivia’s room. Getting her out would be the hard part.

It was easy to get in, just as Declan thought. He and Drew walked through an open side door next to the parking lot while Conor waited in the car. They didn’t see anyone until they got to the nurse’s station on Olivia’s floor. A lone nurse sat in front of a computer, her back to them as she typed, her head bobbing to the music coming from a pair of wireless headphones in her ears.

“Stay here,” Declan whispered.

Drew nodded and eased into the shadows in the hall. Declan checked the room numbers, noting Olivia’s room was on his side of the nurse’s station. He moved quietly to her door and slipped inside.

Olivia slept on her back, her arms at her side, bandages covering both arms and an IV in the back of her hand. Dark purple bruises covered her neck and upper chest. Declan couldn’t see her legs, but he could imagine how they looked after what Walsh had done to her. Seeing her like this made him want to kill Walsh all over again.

Declan walked across the room and took her hand. He brushed the hair from her face and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Olivia? Liv, honey, wake up.”

Her eyes popped open, almost as if she had been waiting for him. “Declan,” she mumbled. “Is that you?”

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