Page 131 of Illicit Heir

The last few months haven't been great for our spies inside the O'Leary clan. Several of our men were outed, and Caleb showed them no mercy. One by one, their heads showed up in Belfast in boxes.

Plus, Samuel is our spy with the highest rank within the O'Leary clan. He's become Caleb's right hand when it comes to finding Lauren.

Another half hour passes, and my phone finally buzzes. I glance at it, but it's a video instead of an address or coordinates.

Since I need petrol, I exit the motorway and pull into a station. I get out of the car, stick the pump into the tank, and press play on the video.

"Oh fuck," I mutter in horror, staring at Samuel's bleeding face.

Caleb's voice comes in the background, and a knife appears by Samuel's eyes. He seethes, "Was I not clear what we do to traitors?"

Samuel cries out, "I'm not a traitor! I'm an O'Leary!"

Caleb snarls, "Really? Seems like you're awfully close to Devin O'Connor." He presses the tip of the blade into Samuel's eyeball.

Samuel's agonizing scream fills the air. "Stop! Ya don't know what you're doing! Ya got it wrong!"

Caleb flicks the knife, and the eyeball flies out of its socket. Blood fills the screen.

Samuel's painful shout makes me wince.

I continue staring at the screen as Caleb takes a knife and flips it from Samuel's forehead, down the middle of his nose, then over his lips.

The sound of Samuel's screams intensifies.

I don't watch any more. I turn off the video and throw the phone inside my car, screaming, "Goddammit!"

A lady at the pump across from me jumps.

"Sorry," I offer.

Pull it together.

The pump clicks, and I take it out of my tank. My anxiety grows.

He's going to get to Lauren first.

He's not.

I don't know what bed-and-breakfast she's at, and he does.

For the first time since she disappeared, I hope Samuel was wrong. I want nothing more than this Maeve lass to be a liar.

I pull out of the petrol station and speed toward the town. I'm not a God-fearing man, but I pray a miracle happens and I find her before Caleb does.

Disturbing thoughts about what he'll do to her and my child, plague me.

He thinks it's his baby.

He won't do anything to harm his own blood.

I don't put anything past him. He's a monster.

Visions of Caleb touching Lauren, or my child, only make me more determined to kill him. I drive faster, and a garda siren fills the air.

I look in my rearview mirror, muttering, "Fuck." I keep driving and read the exit sign, which says Recess.

This can't get any worse.

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