Page 51 of The Irish Rogue

Sean couldn’t believe what was going on. Of all the messed up, devious, horrific paybacks, this one had to be the most warped!

“You kidnap women, force them to wear a red dress, then force them to have sex over and over, pretending that they are whores. Pretending that they are my mother just so that you can feel better about the fact that our father cheated on your mother?”

Liam’s jaw dropped, but he recovered quickly and began shouting again. “Shut up!” he screamed. “Just shut the hell up!” He turned and paced for a moment, then came back, pointing his forefinger in Sean’s face. “My mother is a saint! She didn’t deserve to be humiliated by your mother’s whorish ways!”

Liam paced again, his fury increasing. A moment later, Liam’s arm swung out in a wide arc, striking Sean on the side of his face and knocking him to the ground.

Sean hit the ground hard, but he ignored the pain in his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he looked around and spotted exactly what he needed. A rusted old pipe was tucked underneath some of the other junk in the warehouse.

Ripping off the plastic cuffs, and several inches of his skin, he twisted around and shoved his arm under the pile of rusted junk. His fingers had just reached the ragged edge of the pipe when Liam came up behind him. “You’re trying to ruin me and I won’t let you!” he shrieked, completely out of control now. “You’re just a pathetic bastard who thinks he can beat me! But I’m the heir! You’re nothing! You’re no better than the crap I scrape off of my shoe when I come in from the stables!”

Sean ignored his half-brother, focusing on the rusty pipe. As soon as his fingers closed around the end, he felt Liam grab his ankle, yanking him away from the rubbish pile. He ignored the pain that slashed through his head and shoulder, then rolled. With all of his strength, he swung the pipe and slammed it against Liam’s head.

The man went down like a…well, a lead balloon.

The two other men who were standing by the doorway watched all of this go down. Sean waited, wondering if they were going to shoot him.

“Well?”

One shrugged. “Hell man, if you want to kill him, be our guest. He’s crazy.”

The other leaned against the wall, casually smoking a cigarette. “And he’s cheap too.”

The first man walked over to the prone Liam and pulled out his wallet, then threw it down with disgust. “Man, the dude doesn’t even have any cash!” But he took Liam’s credit cards. “Come on, Ronnie. Let’s get a drink.” And the two left the warehouse, leaving Sean, bruised, bloody, and alone with an unconscious Liam.

Sean stood up, swayed on his feet, and kept the pipe in his hand as he walked over to the table. There was a phone there, but Sean couldn’t access it since he didn’t have Liam’s password. Then he glanced thoughtfully at the prone man, then at the phone. “Could it be that simple?”

He walked back to Liam and lifted his limp hand, pressing his thumb to the bottom of the screen. Sure enough, the phone screen unlocked. He dialed nine one one and staggered backwards.

“What’s your emergency?” the dispatcher asked calmly.

Sean stared down at his half-brother, noting that he was still breathing. “This is Sean Byrne. I have no idea where I am. I was kidnapped earlier today or…” he paused to look outside. “I’m not even sure what day it is. But the man who kidnapped me is here and unconscious. Send police and an ambulance.”

Chapter 18

“I’m leaving!” Sean announced firmly when the doctors and nurses again tried to convince him to stay overnight.

“Mr. Byrnes, I know you think you’re invincible,” the doctor said in a cajoling tone, “but you were hit very hard. We need to ensure you don’t have a concussion.”

Sean pushed the wires away and shifted his legs over the side of the gurney. “I’m fine,” he told them, praying that he was. “I need to see someone. I need to get to my family.”

Someone put a hand to his shoulder, gently trying to push him back onto the hospital bed. “I’m sure that your family is fine. We would be happy to call them to give them the news that you’re safe.”

“No,” he said firmly. “I need to speak with them. I need to…!”

“Sean!” a soft, feminine voice came from the doorway.

Sean looked up and every pain in his body disappeared when he saw Kennedi standing in the doorway, holding Declan in her arms. Behind her, Matteo stood with Levi, looking grim.

“Love, I’m fine,” he promised her.

“Sean!” she whispered again, then rushed into the room, throwing her free arm around him.

Okay, not all of his pain was gone, he realized when she pressed her softness against his bandaged arm. “Ow!” he hissed.

Kennedi gasped and pulled back, holding Declan on her hip with one arm. “What happened? What did I do?”

“Nothing,” he assured her, then ran his good arm down over her hair and shoulders. “Just a few bumps and bruises.”

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