Page 4 of The Enforcer's Redemption

"Let him. We aren't the ones who took his money." Ronan nurses his whiskey with alert eyes scanning the room constantly.

"But we're harboring the woman who did," I point out, having a sip of my own drink. To him, this is cut and dry. He hopes to throw his weight around and scare them off, but if they're coming back so quickly after we took out their leader, this isn't going to go as well as my older brother thinks.

"And soon, she'll be an O'Rourke wife and he'll have to back off." Ronan's coolness is partly due to the fact that he has zero fears. The only time I've ever seen him ruffled was when someone threatened his partner. But some of it is because he's completely convinced that the old ways of doing things are still fully upheld in this world, which for the most part, they are.

But men like my late cousin don't always respect the rules, written or unwritten. We fought hard to protect Maeve from Eamon's antics, and now we might have the same fight on our hands for Isla. We've never had a woman in this world be a player in the game. Isla stole from them.

The door swings open and three men in dark suits enter. Their burly beards and dark swathes of hair give them away. They're not our family. And they're not the man we're waiting for, either. But they are here with him.

Sebastian O’Reilly follows them through the door. He undoes his suit jacket and loosens his tie as he nods at us and approaches where we sit. I can tell by the scowl on his face and how he flicks his hand, dismissing his men, that he's angry. Though, we knew he would be when we arranged this meeting. He walks with achip on his shoulder, gripping his belt buckle as if he intimidates us.

Ronan doesn't even stand or raise a hand to shake his. With stern eyes, he watches Sebastian sit across from us and cross one leg over his other. No one says anything at first. It's the unspoken communication that we wait for—Sebastian's deepening scowl, the way he pulls his weapon out and releases the clip, then clears the chamber and lays it on the table. It's his sign that he's not here for violence—this time.

"I'm angry, Ronan." Sebastian is the first to speak, not mincing words.

"And?" Ronan sits straighter as he sets his tumbler on the table. My brother doesn't handle anything the way I would, but I'm here to observe and absorb. I have to read this man, learn his personality type, know what he might be thinking ahead of time. It's my job. If I'm going to enforce the arrangement we have with Isla's father and protect her at the same time, I have to know what I'm up against.

"And you understand what this means. Hand over the girl to me and we'll call it a day. She stole from me. I don't take that lightly." Sebastian's arm drapes over the table, fingers tapping on the wood surface next to where his weapon lies. His men hover just out of earshot behind him.

He sits coolly, not overly stiff or aggressive. His posture is laid back, but he isn't letting his guard down either. His hand so near his weapon is a warning to us that he's not afraid to use it if he needs to. Sebastian O’Reilly had no qualms about goading our cousin to attack us. There's no telling what he's capable of now that he's in charge.

"You're not getting the girl, Sebastian." I lean forward as I speak. I don't need Ronan's approval to do my job, which is protecting her. She'll be my wife, and I'm taking the stance right now that no man will lay a finger on her. Ever.

Sebastian's eyes track to mine. They're cold and hollow, the type of evil reserved for the devil. I've looked into eyes like his and seen the vile things men do in this world. There is no doubt in my mind that if this man got ahold of Isla, he'd kill her without remorse. Which makes me want to stand between him and her even more.

"You know the price she has to pay, O'Rourke. It's an honor thing." He nudges his gun clip with his finger and it spins in a circle. "I'd hate to have to get your family tangled up in this. Her father too… It would be a shame." He looks down for a second, and when he looks back up, his pupils seem to take over the whites of his eyes, making him look even more evil.

"You heard my brother. She's off limits." Ronan backs me up with the escalation of standing and buttoning his coat. I follow his movements, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Most men tremble before even one of the O'Rourke men, and two of us make all men cower.

But Sebastian returns the free round to his clip, then slips it back into the magazine of his weapon and clicks it into place by slamming it on the heel of his hand before holstering it on his chest under his coat and standing up.

"You don't seem to understand. I will have what I want. She will pay for what she's done to me." He narrows his eyes on Ronan and then looks me up and down.

"She'll be my wife," I say with authority. "And if you lay a finger on her, your blood will join Eamon's in watering the earth." I wrap one hand around the opposite wrist and stand with my shoulders squared, staring into the beady eyes of my newest mortal enemy. The list is short, but this man made it.

He shakes his head, making his loose blond hair tousle around his face. "You're a funny man, Declan. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Sebastian extends a hand, which I stare at coldly. I'm not touching the fucker.

But Ronan takes his hand and shakes it. "Stay away from my family and we won't have an issue." Ronan's threat is backed by five brothers and more than a dozen cousins who will all—along with dozens of other loyal men—fight to protect Isla and any other woman Sebastian thinks he owns.

"I will get that woman," Sebastian says, gloating. "And when I do, she will receive just punishment for humiliating me and stealing from my family. And I'm not sorry for the collateral damage since you all seem foolish enough to run into battle for a wench like that." He withdraws his hand and nods at us. "Good day, then. And good luck."

Sebastian heads for the door, and his men follow him out in the same single-file way they came in. Ronan stands watching after him with his jaw tight and his eyes narrowed. I wait until they're gone and wonder what's going through my brother’s head. He can't possibly want to go to war with this idiot over Isla regardless of any promise made to her father from ours.

"Go to her. Don't let her out of your sight. Make sure no one learns where she is, and for fuck's sake, get the wedding plans finished. She'll be safer when she carries our name." Ronan doesn't move, but I do. Swiftly.

"Got it," I tell him. I know what I have to do, which might be harder than I want it to be. Isla has a stubborn streak in her, and she won't take marrying me easily. I'm not happy coercing her, but if it's what I have to do to save her life, I will.

I walk out the door and see Sebastian's car's taillights as he pulls out of the parking lot while I walk to my car. He isn't going to get a chance to lay a finger on her because I’m going to protect her with my life. She reminds me of myself at that age. Twenty-two is so young and naive. She doesn't understand the dangers of this world. Neither did I. I wanted out at one point, and I almost made it out.

Then I realized what this family could do for me, how I was better off here. I have to show Isla that this is the best thing for her, to marry me and let me protect her. If not, she'll die and there will be nothing anyone can do to stop it.

4

ISLA

Afew birds fly past the window as I pace, staring out at the cerulean sky. Three days they've kept me here under lock and key. Three days without contact with my family, without working, without seeing the sky except from behind the glass of this window. If I didn't know they'd come running and potentially harm me for doing it, I'd break the window and be gone.

But Declan and his brothers would know exactly where to find me. They may even be there before I get there. I want out of this house, out of this situation, but I have to plan carefully, think carefully. The O'Rourkes aren't wrong. Sebastian O’Reilly's men will kill me for what I've done because I was stupid enough to get caught.

---