Page 3 of The Enforcer's Redemption

I catch a glimpse of a fleeting compassionate expression on his face as he moves toward me. Declan has an imposing presence, I'll give him that. He's a very large man with broad shoulders, thick biceps. I may have undressed him with my eyes a time or two. It makes my body hitch up a degree or two as he closes the gap between us.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, Aisling. Getting out is dangerous. You're better off here."

"My name is Isla," I spit. "Fucking use it." I've heard it all before, Dad's lectures, Ronan's warnings, my mother's pleading. But none of them are a pawn in someone else's game. None of them have to walk down an aisle to marry someone they don’t love just to pay back someone else's debt.

"Isla, I apologize." Declan's smooth-as-butter baritone makes me shudder. These men are animals, not to be trusted, not to be weak around. Hearing him speak like this only feels like a manipulation attempt. He's not sorry. He's loyal—to Ronan O'Rourke.

"Are you, then?" I move away from the window and him. I can’t stand the smell of him—musky and intoxicating. It makes my body want to react to his nearness, the cologne that smells like pheromones intended to turn me on. If I stay next to him, I'll betray myself. As much as I am drawn to everything that is Declan O'Rourke, it's a matter of principle. Women are notpawns. I want to show my father respect, but I hate what he's done to me. The position he put me in.

"Isla, you don’t seem to understand what you've done." He turns, his eyes following me across the room as I throw back the covers on the bed and toss pillows to the floor. I may as well get comfortable. I'm not going anywhere with him looming over me.

"No, I do. I've put together a plan to get the fuck away from you before you monsters force me to do something I never want to do." I'm not a fool. The inevitable looms in front of me, beckoning me closer while I try to find any escape route.

"You're walking down that aisle whether you like it or not. Your father made his debts. I'm afraid you don't get a choice. All you’ve done is make it more dangerous for yourself. Can't you see that?" He follows me, picking up the pillows I've thrown down and tossing them back to the bed. "The sooner you accept your fate, the sooner you'll be safe. No one wants to force you, Isla. This is about respect and honor."

"This," I spit, reeling around on him, "is about control. Which you seem to lord over me." I reach out to push him away, and he catches my wrist, glaring at me. His face is inches from mine. I watch his eyes drop to my lips, and I swallow against the lump in my throat as my pulse picks up. Being close to this man does things to my body that I hate. My temperature leaps up a thousand degrees as I pry my hand away from him.

"No one is trying to control you, woman. We're trying to keep your father's integrity and follow our father's orders. And we're trying to keep you safe." There's something there in his eyes—something he's not telling me. There's always something no one is telling me.

"I don't want your protection. I want freedom." My shoulders square. My eyes lock on his. My expression dares him to lay a hand on me, but he takes a step backward.

"You'll be my wife, and you'll be free, Isla. Just let me protect you." Declan backs away and walks toward the door. I say nothing as he slips out into the hallway and shuts the door behind himself.

For a split second, I think of running out, of getting past him and out the front door, but where would I even go? If I go to my father's house, they'll track me there faster than I could get to my cache and get my family to safety. When the door locks, I know I'm stuck here for the time being. They can't force me to stay forever. At some point, they'll look away for a second, and when they do, I'll be ready to move quickly.

I strip off my jacket and shoes and climb onto the bed. I've nothing else to wear, and I'm not partial to grown men walking in on me when I'm stripped down to my skivvies, so I curl up on the bed in my slacks and blouse and wait. All the rage coursing through my body will do me no good. What I need is calm, rational thought.

I want to scream and rage, pound on the door, demand to speak to my father, but I know how they control him too. The pressure they put on him would have him coaching me to just do as I'm told. I don’t know what specific debt he has to pay back to them, but whatever it is requires my cooperation. It's required my cooperation for years now. Otherwise, I'd have never become their accountant. Now I know way too much for my own good.

If I try running, I have to do it right the first time and make sure I vanish. If not, I won't just have to hide from the O'Rourkes. I'd have to hide from his enemies and the Garda too. Everyone willwant a piece of me when I’m out, and I have friends lined up to help me truly disappear.

I just have to get to the stash buried in my father’s yard and safely to the port.

And I need to do it before they make me walk down that aisle.

3

DECLAN

So many memories filter into my mind as Ronan's car pulls up in front of the pub. It doesn't sit well with me, the newness of it all. I wait until the car stops before I open the door and step out. I can almost smell the ash in the air, though it's been months. My cousin died in the fire that destroyed the old pub. It was a real wakeup call for me at the time, a lesson I needed to learn before I made a huge mistake—a mistake I'm still trying to redeem myself from.

"So different," I mumble as Ronan steps out of his car and nods at his driver.

"New beginnings," he says curtly, though it doesn't feel like a new beginning.

Not so long ago, we were meeting a family member here for a similar reason. Eamon wanted control and fought us to his death. We only just buried him and his successor has a new reason to hate us. We've not met the man behind the mask yet, but he'll be here soon, the one pulling all the strings and who incited our cousin to turn against us.

"Still," I breathe. Burying so many family members in the past six months has challenged us all. We all need things to calm down so we can get our bearings. What Isla has done has only fanned flames to life again where we thought only ash and smoke remained, like the long-gone but not forgotten remnants of our family's meeting place. "Benny would have loved it."

Ronan nods at me, and we move toward the building. Lochlan watches over Isla for me, making sure our enemies don't find her location. For now, she's safe there, hidden within my walls awaiting the nuptials, which Ronan says should be very public. If I can convince her to walk the aisle willingly, it will be a miracle. She doesn't even realize the behind-the-scenes risks we're taking for her.

"Will he show?" I ask Ronan. We've heard his name is O’Reilly, but which of them, we're not sure. Three brothers got into Eamon's head and tried to divide us.

"Oh, he'll show. He has to. Imagine having hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen by a woman. The man's ego alone will be too large for the doorway." Ronan scrubs his hand through his hair and pulls open the door to the pub. I follow him in and breathe in the scents of whiskey and sweat. It's bittersweet seeing the brand-new dining room and knowing things in this family have been shattered so desperately, it will never be the same. But we're building toward a new normal. If we can get past this hiccup.

Ro and I each get a drink and take a seat. A few men mill around the place talking. Two stand in the corner playing darts. They're all part of the clan or know someone who is. We don't get many strangers here, and if they wander in, we help them find their way out. This is our sanctuary, a place we conduct business and relax. Today, it's the former, and I'm not pleased about it.

"He's going to make threats, Ro."

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