Page 1 of The Enforcer's Redemption

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DECLAN

Sweat beads on Aisling O'Connor's forehead. It isn't just the temperature either, though we crank the thermostat for moments like this—make them think they're going crazy with how hot it is. Her pale skin and the way her hands continuously wring in her lap reveal her unease. She's not the crying type—that's a good thing. Ronan doesn't like criers., and she's in a lot of hot water.

"So he couldn't just come to my office and bitch at me?" Aisling's a beautiful woman, feisty temper though. She's just like her father, a man we've had some pretty serious business dealings with for years. If he knows what his daughter's been up to, he's never shown it.

The car bumps over potholes. I readjust in my seat, watching out the window but stealing glances at the accountant. She’s playing it cool, pretending she hasn’t been skimming from our enemies for the past few years. If she could get control of that sweating and the hand fidgeting, she'd be a natural in this business.

"That's not how he works." The car is quiet, Nicholas silently chauffeuring us to my brother's home, from where he runs thefamily. It isn't the first time I've been sent out to lay down the law, just the first time I've had to do it within the family.

"Well, I have work to do, so if you don't mind, could we go faster? I want to get this over with." Her lip twitches—her tell. She knows she's being called in to be confronted. I have to admire her grit, especially in the face of the gun barrel she's staring down.

"We work in his timing, O'Connor. You know that. And you should watch your tone when speaking with him." I flick a glance at her scowl. She readjusts herself on the leather seat and squares her shoulders as she stares out the opposite window.

My brother isn’t an easy man to please, and he's not the easiest to upset, either. Unlike my father, Ronan has a very even keel. He runs this family with the same iron grip, but that iron grip also hedges in his emotional reactions. He's so hard to read, I can't even tell Ms. O'Connor what her fate might be. We only just buried the enemy. Ro won't take kindly to her rekindling the fires we just extinguished when we took out our strongest enemy.

The car rolls to a stop outside Ronan's home. Since bringing a feminine touch into his home, things have changed here too. I step out of the car and hold the door open for Aisling to get out of the car. The topiary by the front door has been trimmed, the bloodstains washed from the concrete out front. Things are getting back to normal around here.

Aisling's eyes sweep up over the front of the massive home. She has a determined expression, eyes fixed and wide, jaw set. Her lip still twitches and her hands tug on the hem of her suit jacket. She's intimidated, and she should be. Fucking with men ofRonan's caliber is dangerous. Fucking with his enemies is even more dangerous.

"Well, go on," I tell her, nudging her. She takes a few hesitant steps, her heels clicking on the pavement. It's no secret the bloodbath that went down here. I'm sure she's heard the stories. I shut the door and let my palm ride the small of her back while I guide her up the stairs.

Finn opens the door for us with a silent nod. No one likes that we have to crack down on one of our own, especially not one in this position. His glowering expression, coupled with his stoic silence as we pass, shows he understands the situation more than Ms. O'Connor even does.

"End of the hallway on the left," I tell her. She walks on her own now, looking around at each open doorway as we pass. Ronan's woman, Maeve, sits on the sofa in the family room reading a book. She's at ease now after months of being in turmoil. At least the bloodstains have been washed off the walls now and the paint touched up.

Aisling's eyes track to the open door near the end of the hall. Ronan is waiting for us, but this won't be like other times. He won't go easy on her. She's really fucked things up again, and her carelessness may well start another war we'll have to fight. This one may prove to be worse than the last.

We round the corner into Ro's office. He's seated at his desk and looks up at us as we walk in. His eyes meet mine briefly, and I nod as he stands and gestures to the chairs across from his desk.

"Isla," he says smoothly, but the edge in his tone isn't easy to miss. It isn't easy to run a family the size of the O'Rourke Clan. Being chief fell on his shoulders after our father died, but Ronanproved himself our worthy leader when those less trusting of his skill rose up to prevent him from leading.

Aisling glares at him, but she sits where he indicated. Her lip is still twitching, but she's finally stopped wringing her hands. I stand behind her, watching down on her as Ronan sits back down. If this were any other person, any other crime, he'd have had her head already.

"So just say what you're gonna say and let me get back to work." She rolls her eyes, and Ronan's instant reaction is to clench his jaw.

"You can appreciate what sort of situation you've put me in, Isla." Ro drums his fingers on his desk. He's a man of few words, though at times, words have to suffice.

"Yeah? So…" She rolls her eyes. "It isn't like you've been a saint. Everyone in this city knows what you do. I just followed your lead." She crosses her arms over her chest, forcing her tits upward. I enjoy the bird's-eye view of her cleavage, which I don't even attempt to look away from. Every one of us O'Rourke men knows her position with us, and with Ronan bringing Maeve into his home, I'm pleased to know this beauty in front of me will wind up being mine.

It's not the way I thought I'd meet the woman I'd marry, but our father made an arrangement. We have to uphold that.

Ronan sits forward, steepling his fingers in front of himself as he says, "Isla, the arrangement your father made with mine doesn't give you immunity to do whatever the fuck you want. You can't just steal from my enemies and think there won't be repercussions." His dark glare is fixed on her as she squirms in her seat. If I could see her lip, I know I'd see it twitching.

"I didn't steal from you. Why the fuck do you care?" She's feisty. I like a challenge. So does Ronan. He's not going to go so easy on her at all.

"I care because those enemies are now coming after me."

"Why you? I'm the one they want." Aisling glances up at me, then back to Ronan. "You're not going to let them come after me, are you?" Her pale skin seems to blanch further. It scares her to think Eamon's men might hunt her down.

"We have an agreement with your family, Isla." Ronan sits back in his expensive leather Italian chair and runs a hand down his face. "I'm sending men to protect your family, but the damage is done. We need what you stole. It may be the only way to keep them off your back, and ours."

I don't know how much she stole, but the men who organized against Ronan in the wake of our father's death aren't jokers. Our cousin Eamon had a gun to Ronan's head at one point. They don't mess around. Even if she only took a thousand dollars, she has to pay. There are very few ways to protect her from her inevitable death or dismemberment.

"I don't know what you're talking about?—"

"Cut the shit!" he shouts, standing up so quickly that his chair falls over. He slams a hand down on his desk, and she jumps.

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