Page 9 of The Enforcer's Redemption

"A man like Sebastian won't give a single fuck if her name changes." Ronan looks me in the eyes, and I see the way his brow furrows. The system was set up by old men centuries ago. They upheld the rules and traditions and so do we, but it doesn’t mean Sebastian O’Reilly will. "But there will be hell to pay if he even thinks of touching her once she has your name. And how will he even get close to her if she's under your roof before then?"

Ronan makes a good point. Isla is safe as long as she's in my custody, but she's fighting me. I know that given the first chance, she'll run, and what then?

"And what will we do if he crosses that line?" My chest is tight, shoulders stiff. This isn't just about Isla becoming my wife. Of course she is a stunningly attractive woman, and the fascination I have for her makes it hard to use temperance when I'm around her. I thirst to have her. But that's not what this is about.

Isla O'Connor could die tomorrow and it would be a thorn in my shoe. I'd get over it, move on, find a different woman, one whom I would love. It wouldn't faze me much.

But the alliance her sacrifice—my sacrifice, if you call it that—is bringing both empowers and unites the O'Rourke family to a higher destiny, a divine purpose in this city. And I, for one, intend to make sure my father's wishes are upheld. Even if it means putting my life on the line. The only way Mick O'Connor sticks to his guns and does as he agreed to do is if Isla is safe.

"I'd like to think we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Ronan purses his lips and stares off in the distance. It isn't easy leading the entire organization that has grown and multiplied over the years. I watched the strain it put on my father, thought of taking flight just the way Isla wants to. It's a lot for anyone to cope with, knowing what we do on a daily basis, how much darkness is in my lineage. Ronan carries it with grace, makes these decisions with wisdom and tact.

"But?" I prompt when he doesn't say anything.

"But Sebastian is two steps ahead of us. We can't let him get further ahead." He turns to me. "We have a plan to wed her to you and that should suffice, and should it fail, I have my own plan." I'm not sure if Ronan is talking about a different plan to finish what my father started by arranging this marriage or if it is a plan for vengeance against our enemies.

My plan is to fight like hell to protect my future wife and to continue that mission even long after she is in my bed and bearing me children. If O’Reilly comes after her then, he'll really see the devil rise. I'll bleed him dry and kill his entire organization one by one.

"Oh, there you are," Maeve calls, and I turn to see her beaming smile. Her hair is tied up into a bun and she wears a light yellow, cotton shift. The way Ro softens when he sees his own future wife reminds me that the harsh realities I'm facing don’t have to be the only things in my life. I just have to convince Isla I'm not the monster she thinks I am. I didn't make this arrangement, and I'm a prisoner to it as much as she is.

"Maeve…" Ronan kisses her once then pulls her against his side. "We were just starting to discuss security."

"Oh, good." She smiles and turns to me. "Are you looking forward to this? I know it's so soon. You must be so in love." Maeve is naive, brought here by Ronan in her own little tangled web. She has no clue about the darker side of this family and the way we conduct our business. She only knows that Ronan is the head of the organization, and she chooses to remain blissfully unaware because she loves him.

"I'm eager to get this over with," I say, and while I mean it in the best possible way, she laughs, thinking it's a joke.

"Well, I can't wait. A wedding is such an exciting thing." Her hand smooths across Ronan's chest. I'm sure she's hoping for her own dream wedding and just practicing on mine to pass the time until Ronan decides the heat has died down enough that he has the capacity to have his wedding.

"Thank you for taking time to plan things and make it nice. Isla just isn't up for it." My gratitude toward my future sister-in-law is real, though the pretense would upset her if she knew why she was the one put in charge.

"Oh, I understand. The poor thing… She must be devastated about the house fire. You send her my well wishes and make sureshe knows I’m here if she wants to talk." She looks up at Ronan and nuzzles his nose with hers. "Would you meet me inside soon? I have a few things to go over as far as the marquee goes. The company will have to set up, and I'd rather you be here when they come."

"Of course," he replies, kissing her again. It isn't hard to see how desperately my brother has fallen for her. I turn my eyes away as they kiss again and imagine Isla's lips on mine.

People think the arrangement of marriage is only something that the woman hates, but it's not true. Men want the woman of their dreams every bit as much as a woman wants her dream man. I'm just the lucky eejit who scored the only goddess in Dublin to be arranged to marry. She's perfect, while I'm scarred and hollow inside. I don't deserve this, or her. I want a chance to show her that she's incredible and I'm in awe—the way Ronan's eyes tell Maeve she's exquisite every time he looks at her.

"I'll see you later," Maeve tells me as she walks away, and when she's gone, I sigh and turn back to Ronan.

"Where were we?" he asks. "Right—security."

Ronan dives into the essentials, running everything past me. I don't really get a choice since it's his property and he's the head of this family, but I'm honored that he is going overboard to make sure this thing is a success. I'm not stupid enough to think it's personal, that he's doing it for me. I know he's doing this—beefing up security—because of the stakes. He has to follow through, and that means making sure this goes off without a hitch.

I listen to him and grunt in approval every so often, but my mind is stuck on Brynn now and how he reacted to me. I don't deserveIsla or this marriage. I don't deserve to be the one chosen for the honor of marrying her, aligning our family for greatness. I deserve the back of my brother's hand, or worse, the muzzle of his gun. Brynn was right. I almost betrayed my family.

Shame is the least of my worries. Guilt constricts my throat, weighs me down. To think I almost entertained my cousin Eamon's accusations against Ronan's character, almost walked away from my family. And Brynn knows it all. He can't tell Ronan anything he doesn’t already know, but he can cast doubt on my current disposition and loyalty.

For a moment, I consider telling Ronan about it, about how Brynn is gunning for my position as enforcer. About how aggressive he was with Mick and what he said to me about the family's thoughts about me. This thing—marrying and protecting Isla—is my chance at redemption. It's my chance to show Ronan that I am loyal to this family. I'm not going to turn my back, and I never should have entertained the idea that Eamon presented to me.

"You okay?" he asks, and I realize I've not been listening to him.

"Fine… go on," I tell him with a nod, and he continues talking about where guards will be positioned and how many guns we'll have on the property.

Already, I sense something stirring, something sinister brewing in the atmosphere. I don't need Isla O'Connor in order to prove my worth, but I do need her. I need her to tether me to this Earth before my own desperation to run and find a new path forward kicks back in. I see it in her eyes, that desperation, the fear. I know because I've felt it. And while I'm not afraid anymore, I'm still desperate. I need to prove I'm something someone can rely on, and for some reason, I feel myself needing to prove it to her.

My phone buzzes and I pull it out of my pocket. Ronan stands patiently as I scowl at it and swipe to answer.

"Go," I say.

"Declan, there's an issue. You need to come back." Finn, my younger brother but not by much, has been watching Isla. I have no clue what's going on, but my gut tells me it's not good.

---