Aislinn’s eyes fluttered shut as she leaned toward me. This was a bad idea.
For countless reasons.
I cupped her face and pressed my lips against hers. It felt like eternity since I last kissed her. Whatever progress I’d made toward forgetting my wife, I was undoing it now.
My tongue parted her lips, and I pulled her against me, one of my arms snaking around her waist and lifting her on my lap. Aislinn complied, her body soft and willing.
We kissed like this for a long time. Everything in me compelled me to take this farther, and I could sense that Aislinn wanted it too. I stroked her back then lower until I cupped her ass.
Aislinn needed this. And I?
I had dreamed about this since I’d sent her away. She took the decision from me when her fingers found my zipper and pulled it down so she could massage my cock through my underwear. I pushed a hand under her skirt and ripped a hole into her tights then my fingers slid under her panties. I stifled a groan at the feel of her, her heat and arousal. We kissed and touched each other, Aislinn still on my lap, our bodies close.
“I need you closer,” I rumbled.
Aislinn gave a jerky nod and freed my cock from its confines. With my help she lifted and positioned my tip at her entrance. We both exhaled when she lowered herself onto my cock slowly. She was tight and took it slowly, making the sensations even more intense. She stopped with my length about two-thirds inside of her and began to move her hips. I tilted her head to deepen the kiss, letting her determine the pace.
Feeling my orgasm building, I reached between us to touch Aislinn’s clit. She gently pushed my hand away, and gave a shake of her head. She twisted her hips, moved faster, and then I allowed myself to let lose in her. Her face against my shoulder, she wrapped her arms around my neck.
She stilled and so did I.
This felt more intimate than all of our previous encounters and that scared the shit out of me.
“You didn’t come,” I rasped eventually.
“I didn’t want to. I just wanted this.”
This.
I didn’t ask exactly what she meant. I knew because I wanted it too.
“Can I stay the night?”
I nodded. We stretched out on the sleeping couch and soon Aislinn drifted off. I grabbed her phone and sent her mother a message, pretending I was Aislinn and telling her I would be spending the night somewhere else. I knew Aislinn would hate to worry her mother unnecessarily.
It didn’t take long for her to reply.
This is a mistake. You should forget Lorcan. Don’t let him lure you back in.
I felt a strange sense of relief that Aoife couldn’t imagine Aislinn spending the night with anyone but me.
I stretched out beside Aislinn for a moment and closed my eyes, breathing in her sweet scent. Soon my relaxation turned to anger at myself. I could only imagine what Seamus would have to say to all of this.
I’d enjoyed my wife. It didn’t mean anything. In the past I often fucked women that didn’t mean anything to me.
Fuck. But this wasn’t like it. It didn’t matter. I’d be back in New York in a couple of days and Aislinn would remain here.
I got up and entered an alarm on Aislinn’s cellphone. Her mother had to work in the morning so Aislinn needed to take care of Finn.
With a last glance at my sleeping wife, I left, half hoping this was the last time I’d see her and knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to stay away.
When I arrived at the old warehouse just outside of Dublin where Balor’s men had taken Aislinn’s attacker, Balor already awaited me. His look of mild disapproval as I entered the vast hall stacked with wooden crates ticked me off.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“In the backroom, but I’d like a word with you first.”
I stopped by his side, hating how his gaze tried to dissect me. “What is it?”
“The events of the last few weeks and what happened today really made me curious. I made some inquiries and it seems your wife might have talked to the police. That’s why you sent her away.”
“You need to learn to stay out of my business. What happens in New York isn’t your concern and don’t say that it could negatively affect business here.”
Balor listened to my rant without batting an eyelash. His ability to remain stoically calm had always driven me up the wall. “Your wife is your business. But if she talks to the police, here in Ireland, that could lead to unpleasant results.”
“I don’t want you to touch her, Balor.”
“She’s your business. But if she knows certain things, we need to make sure she can keep them to herself. Even if you don’t want anything to do with her…” I could hear that he didn’t believe that for one moment. “…we need to keep her in control. And if you decide to give your marriage another chance, then you need to know where she stands, too.”
I gritted my teeth, but I knew he was right.
“What do you suggest?”
“I’ll ask Eddy to approach her. She’ll be spooked after the attack and realize she’s still in danger. He’ll play into her fears and try to offer her protection and a chance to escape the name Devaney.”
Eddy was one of our contacts in the Dublin police force. I gave a terse nod then turned and headed for the backroom. Before I was out of earshot, Balor called, “I never used my chance. If you think she is yours, don’t throw it away. Not without having turned every stone first.”
His chance at love, that’s what he meant. I headed into the room where two men watched over Aislinn’s attacker. He was bound to a chair. His stubborn gaze as he looked at me told me he had been taught to withstand torture.
We would see how long that would last. I needed information and I’d get it.
He proved very hard to crack and what he revealed was hardly worth mentioning. His string of expletives gave away he was Russian, but the only information that he revealed about the people who sent him was that he’d found a parcel with money and instructions on his doorstep in London, supposedly his usual way of finding clients. I didn’t believe that. Maybe he worked like that on occasion, but I had a feeling it hadn’t been the case this time. Frustrated, I eventually killed him with a knife to the heart.
I called Sergej again. He answered right away despite the late hour in New York.
“Lorcan, my friend, what do I owe the pleasure of this late call?”
His jovial act rubbed me the wrong way, but money was raining down on us from our new business endeavor. Maybe Five-Leaf Clover would eventually be able to uphold the business without the Russians but then an ugly war would ensue.
“I’m in Dublin for the holidays and unfortunately I had to kill a Russian contract killer who attacked my wife.”
“Sad news. Have you and your wife reunited?”
My lips curled, but I held back a nasty comment. “My wife is under Five-Leaf Clover’s protection. She is my wife. Russian contract killers are usually linked to the Bratva.”
“They can be, but not all of them are.”
“You’re allowing people to take away your business?”
“I don’t. Where was this killer from? I can tell you that he wasn’t one of mine and I doubt he was from my territory.”
“He was based in London.”
“I don’t have strong connections to the Pakhan there, so if you want information, you’ll have to contact him. He’s less approachable than me, I fear.”
“Have you heard from Maksim again? Could this be about Imogen?”
“I doubt it. Maksim wouldn’t hire a contract killer. Maybe it was the sister because your wife didn’t stop snooping.”
Was he trying to make me angry on purpose?
He continued before I could say something I should regret later, “If this was a freelance contract killer, maybe someone you aren’t taking into consideration set him up. Perhaps your family, because of your separation from your wife.”
“Careful,” I gritted out. “My family and I don’t have secrets, Sergej.”
“Of course. I sincerely hope this won’t negatively affect our business.”
“Not if we don’t let it. I’ll have work to do.” I hung up. I didn’t care if I’d been rude. Sergej was trying to play me against my family and I wouldn’t let him.
When I emerged, Balor was still there. “Nothing?” he guessed from a look at my face.
“Not much. He’s Russian, a contract killer from London. Could be freelance but I’m sure he has contacts to the Bratva. I don’t know why or if they were involved.”
Balor nodded. “I contacted Eddie. He’ll seek her out some time today. I’ll let you know how the meeting goes. Will you see her before your flight tomorrow?”
I was supposed to give her a heads up about the questioning, but if I saw her again today, leaving would be even harder. Maybe I’d even decide to take her with me, and that would be foolish, no matter how Balor’s loyalty test today went. I had to remain in control of the situation and right now, Aislinn made me lose control too often.
“Send one of your men to tell her what we found out and that she doesn’t have to worry.”
Balor regarded me. “You could take her with you. Just to protect her.”
“She stays. I’ll have to go now.”
I didn’t. I didn’t have important plans for today. But I didn’t want to discuss Aislinn with Balor anymore.
I went to a pub in the outskirts of Dublin where tourists were rare and I definitely wouldn’t run across Aislinn.
It was late in the afternoon, and Balor still hadn’t called me. I had drunk a few beers, but still felt disappointedly sober.
“Mind if I join you?”
I glanced over my shoulder at Aran. He nodded a greeting at the pub owner, probably the one who’d informed him or Balor of my presence. That’s what I always hated about Dublin. I couldn’t even take a piss without my family knowing about it.
“If Balor sent you, then you don’t have good news,” I grumbled. “I hope Father doesn’t know.”
“Only Balor and I.” Aran perched on the bar stool beside me. “Good news, I suppose. Depends on the viewpoint.”
“Spill.”
Aran held up two fingers to the pub owner then he turned back to me. “Your wife was pretty rude to Eddy. Didn’t want anything to do with him. Definitely no cooperation. She told him he should stay away.”
I shrugged as if it wasn’t big news, but fuck, did I feel relieved.
“Nothing standing in the way of you taking her back home to New York with you.”
“I’m done with her.”
The pub owner placed two glasses with an amber liquid down in front of us. Aran and I clinked glasses then took a sip.
“We both know that’s not the case.”
“Have I ever shoved my nose into your business?”
Aran smirked. “Do what you want.”
We spent the rest of the evening drinking whiskey and beer in turn until Aran took me home with him because I didn’t want to return to the apartment across from Merchant’s Arch. I was still drunk when I boarded the flight early the next morning.
I had been back in New York for a week when Seamus came into my office with a pinched look. “One of our contacts in Miami just called.”
I leaned back in my chair. “And? Has Miss Killeen returned from her cruise?”
“She has,” Seamus said. “She was found by a hooker a couple of days ago, washed ashore.”
I got up slowly. “She’s dead?”
Seamus shook his head. “No. They resuscitated her, but she went into a coma. Someone beat her pretty severely before dumping her into the ocean to die.”
I slammed my fist down on the desk. “Maksim. I need to call Sergej, and I want to be on the next flight to Miami. I’m going to ask a few questions myself and make sure that Imogen is protected. Whoever tried to kill her, probably still wants to.”
What the fuck was going on here? My brothers and I had used all of our contacts in London to gather information but had only confirmed part of what Aislinn’s attacker had said. He was a freelancer with connections to the Bratva. That left plenty of room for options, and now Imogen turns up almost dead. I’d have to call Balor again so he could add another man to Aislinn’s protectors.
“One of our contacts is with her now.”
“Good. I’ll pick two or three men who’ll guard her indefinitely.”
Seamus narrowed his eyes in thought. “Are you going to call Aislinn and tell her?”
“Not yet. I want to see things for myself first.”
Seamus regarded me with narrowed eyes then he nodded. I knew he had more to say but was waiting for the right moment, which would hopefully never come.
I began browsing the internet for flights and Seamus left to organize all the remaining details for my departure.
Thirty minutes later, I grabbed an overnight bag that I always kept in the office then headed directly to the airport. I had managed to get the last seat on an airplane bound for Miami that left in three hours. Seamus would hold down the fort in New York.
In the car, I called Sergej.
“Lorcan, I heard about Imogen.”
“And you didn’t call me?”
“I found out an hour ago. You’ll understand I needed to make a few calls before I could talk to you.”
“A call with Maksim?”
“That too. He didn’t throw her in the ocean. You shouldn’t try to kill him. It wouldn’t be good for us. Imogen jumped ships, so to speak. She found another stupid man to throw money at her for sucking dick, but apparently that man was less docile than Maksim.”
I wasn’t sure if I believed him. Maksim didn’t seem like someone who had experience killing, but pretty much everyone was capable of killing someone if given the right incentive. Maybe Imogen had demanded a ridiculous amount of money and threatened to tell his wife.
“Who is the other guy?”
“Maksim didn’t know and neither do I. He must be richer than Maksim. I doubt she left him because she found her true love.”
“I’m heading to Miami now. You understand that I need to talk to a few people myself, Maksim included.”
“Maksim is under my protection, Lorcan. You can talk to him, of course, but I must ask you to be civil.”
“Don’t worry.” I hung up. Being civil wasn’t my strength, but Sergej was an important business partner and I didn’t particularly like Imogen. Still, I wanted to know what had happened for Aislinn’s sake. I wasn’t sure why I still felt like I owed this to her. That woman had twisted my mind into a pretzel.
My first stop in Miami was the hospital where Imogen had been taken. A young man, maybe nineteen, was hunched on the chair in front of her room. I didn’t know his name. He worked for us. Seamus knew his family, but he wasn’t part of Five-Leaf Clover, at least not yet. He’d been on watch for almost forty-eight hours and it showed.
“I’m taking over now,” I said. He jerked upright, reaching for his jacket, where I assumed a gun was hidden but then he recognized me. He stood. “Mr. Devaney. Is there anything else I can do?”
“Grab some sleep. I’ll give you a call in the morning to discuss the situation.”
Two of my men were on the next flight to Miami and would be here in two hours. Until then, I’d keep watch.
He nodded then he walked away. By now my arrival had drawn attention, and a nurse headed my way. She eyed me warily. “I don’t know what’s going on, but—”
“I’m taking care of the patient.”
She narrowed her eyes. “She’s in critical condition.”
“Maybe you can fill me in on the details.” I pulled out a wad of cash and stuffed it in her pocket. She froze.
“I can’t be bought.”
“I bet you have two or three kids who’ll soon go to college. Don’t be hasty. I’m the brother-in-law of Imogen, and I have only her best interest in mind, but I need to know what happened and who did this to her.”
She put her hand into the pocket, probably feeling how big the wad of cash was. I had just given her fifty grand. It wouldn’t get her kids through college but it was a lot of money for someone with her salary. “Did you sent the young man who guarded her?”
“I did. I want to stop whoever beat her half to death from finishing the job.”
She nodded slowly, still mulling over my offer. Finally, she started speaking, “She was beaten severely. A few of her injuries might be the result of her going overboard but the majority were caused by kicks and hits. The police are convinced she’s a prostitute because of her outfit. She wore very high heels with straps around her ankles and calves and a very short dress. They probably won’t be too invested in solving the crime.”
“Did she have other injuries than the beatings? Signs of rape or torture?”
The woman shook her head. She didn’t blanch or hesitate. A nurse would see a lot of ugly things, and most of them weren’t even related to the underworld.
“No, not that we could tell, but she’d been in water for a while. That washes away certain traces.”
I nodded. Water was always a good way to dispose of a body if you weighed it down. Otherwise, things like this happened. The person who’d tried to kill Imogen had either acted in acute anger or he simply didn’t have any experience disposing of a body. Even in anger I couldn’t imagine forgetting the most important basics of getting rid of proof. “Is there a chance of her waking up?”
“It’s hard to say. She has a brain swelling, and she’s been without oxygen for some time. But again we can’t be sure for how long exactly. The water in these coasts isn’t cold enough to prevent brain injuries for long. If she wakes, it’s very likely that she’ll have some brain damage. Once she’s more stable, the doctors will probably attempt brain surgery.”
After my talk with the nurse, I went into Imogen’s hospital room. I wouldn’t have recognized the person in the bed. Her face was discolored and swollen, her head wrapped in a bandage with tufts of hair sticking out. The color was indistinguishable because of the traces of blood in it.
Considering Aislinn’s worry for her sister, this would wreck her.
Once my men had arrived to watch Imogen, I left the hospital and drove to the marina. Maksim’s yacht was anchored at the same jetty again. This time, three bodyguards guarded it. Either Sergej didn’t trust my restraint, or Maksim was trying to guarantee his safety.
The guards barred my way when I reached the end of the jetty. I gave them a harsh smile. If Sergej wasn’t involved, I would have kicked their asses. My brothers always believed I didn’t have any self-control but I wasn’t a teenager anymore. “I’m here to talk to Maksim.”
A couple of minutes later, Maksim appeared on deck. His expression was tense, almost fearful. Even if he’d ruined his face with too many plastic surgeries, he wasn’t stupid. He knew I’d find a way to kill him if that’s what I wanted. There was a reason why Five-Leaf-Clover was hired for the difficult contract killings.
“It wasn’t me.”
“You were the last person I saw Imogen with. Maybe she blackmailed you.”
He gripped the rail of his yacht. His wedding ring flashed mockingly in the sun. “My wife knows about my affairs. As long as she has unlimited access to my money, and I’m discreet about it, she doesn’t care. We’ve been married for a while. There was nothing Imogen could have blackmailed me with.”
I believed him. But maybe his sexual preferences got out of control or he was an aggressive drunk. That would explain the messy job of disposing of the body. “What happened?”
“We anchored in St. Barth and I had a meeting with an old business acquaintance. Things got a bit out of hand. I spent a night at his villa with a couple of prostitutes. When I came back to the yacht the next day, Imogen got angry because my shirt was covered in lipstick and I smelled of other women.” He snickered. “Did she think I would be faithful?”
“Go on,” I gritted out. I couldn’t stand him for long.
“She said she’d met someone else who appreciated her more. Can you imagine? She had been looking for dick even before she knew I had fucked the prostitutes!” He shook his head in disgust. I didn’t think he had any right to judge her but I didn’t interrupt his rant. “I guess she found an idiot with even more money who promised her eternal love.”
“You don’t know who he was?”
“I didn’t bother asking around. To be honest, at that point I was glad to be rid of her. There are more willing girls out there, and many are far less trouble than Imogen was. She packed her things and left. I never saw her again. I don’t know if she boarded another yacht. It would explain why she ended up ashore.”
I nodded, then turned and left. I had a feeling torturing him wouldn’t bring me any closer to finding out what happened to Imogen. Maksim wasn’t the type who killed. My flight to New York was leaving the next morning. That gave me tonight to ask around a bit more.
My conversation with the hooker who’d found her didn’t shed any light on what happened to Imogen, and a contact at the Miami police department left me with the same information I had before. Maybe the only one who really knew what had happened was Imogen. She could name her attacker. It was unlikely she’d wake, and even if she did, it was even less likely that she’d remember, but I would have to keep a guard in front of her room indefinitely.
When I returned to New York, I filled Seamus in on what I’d found out.
“You should tell Aislinn. Maybe she’ll find a way to transport her sister back to Dublin. Then she isn’t our problem anymore.”
“She’s not stable enough. And I doubt Imogen had travel health insurance. Plus, I feel like this is our problem. Sergej and Maksim know Imogen is my sister-in-law. If I don’t try to avenge her, how would that look?”
If Aislinn found out about her sister, she’d get herself in trouble. She’d try to investigate.
“You’re on the brink of divorcing Aislinn.” Seamus paused. His expression told me he only said it to provoke me. The fucker knew I wasn’t close to filing divorce. “Right?”
I ignored his question. I wasn’t sure I wanted to discuss the details of my emotional predicament, even with my best friend. I despised myself for my weakness when it came to Aislinn. “This is Devaney business. End of story.”
Seamus sighed. “All right. But you need to tell her. It’s her sister.”
“She’ll feel obligated to spend every moment at her sister’s side. She’ll want to believe in a miracle and waste her life on foolish hope.”
“That’s her decision to make, don’t you think? Why do you care? She betrayed you. To be honest, I thought you would dispose of her.” He tilted his head and regarded me curiously.
“Don’t say whatever it is you want to say. I’m not in the mood for your shrink bullshit. For once, remember I’m your boss not just your friend.”
Seamus shrugged. “This is your game. I’m just a player.”
I knew he wouldn’t stay silent for long. This was bothering him. “Listen, I don’t care if you’ll be mad, but I need to say this. You obviously still care about Aislinn as your insistence to keep her safe shows. So why don’t you see Imogen as a chance for a reunion. Now you can bring Aislinn back to New York without having to admit your feelings. You’ll keep face and get what you want: her. Maybe this marriage deserves another chance. She can prove her loyalty over the next few months and years.”
I glared. “Balor told you everything, didn’t he?”
Seamus shrugged, as if it was obvious. “Think about it.”
I nodded, not sure what to say. He had a point. This was an easy way to bring Aislinn back to New York, to me. But should I really risk it? Should I risk opening myself up for more weakness?
A week later, I organized a medical helicopter to transport Imogen to New York. She still wasn’t exactly stable, but my men had noticed strange guys wandering around the hospital and the parking lot. They tried to catch one of them, but they were professionals and knew how to get away, which made me believe they belonged to a crime family or someone with very good connections in the underworld. I didn’t think it was Sergej. I hoped it wasn’t. Our business endeavor with the counterfeit guns was off to a promising start. But I couldn’t guarantee Imogen’s safety in Florida. It wasn’t my territory. I didn’t have enough contacts there, and I couldn’t send a large enough number of men over there. The only place where Imogen would be safe from the people who’d tried to dispose of her was New York.
She survived the transport, but of course having her in New York made Seamus only grate on my nerves all the more. And I couldn’t stop thinking about telling Aislinn. I couldn’t stop thinking about Aislinn. Period.
It would mean she’d come back. I was the one who’d sent her away, who didn’t want to see her again, but now the idea of having her close again made my heart throb in the most annoying way possible. Our encounter in Dublin had chipped away at my resolve.
Should I let Aislinn back into my life? For what reason? A few more pleasurable nights? I had a feeling she’d be up for them. She always had trouble resisting my touch. Just thinking about how wet she got when I touched and licked her made my cock fill with blood.
The problem was I wanted more than just fucking. I wanted our marriage to be what I’d always envisioned.
