“Yes, boss.”
~ ~ ~
Ronny broke radio silence to report that Ryan O’Reilly and two bodyguards had arrived at the cottage where Megan was being held, and had entered, along with one of the three men who had been guarding him. “Damn it!” Ian cursed. His view at the back of the cottage was limited, so he had to rely on Ronny. “Team, please check in. Our plan has just gotten more complicated, but it’s still the best solution for our problem. Brace yourselves for action.”
As each of the men confirmed they were in place, could hear and transmit through their comm devices, and were awaiting further instructions, Ian quickly reviewed his options. He confirmed to himself that his original plan would work, but the risks to his men and possibly to Megan would be greater. He looked at the men surrounding him and spoke into his comm unit. “All right, team, listen. Roger and Rich will follow the original plan and create a bit of a commotion outside the cottage. I’m hoping the commotion will draw out at least one, but hopefully two or more, of the O’Reilly men in the cabin.
“While the O’Reilly men are distracted by Roger and Rich, my team will approach and enter the cottage. Together the three of us will take out as many of the bad guys as possible, preferably hand to hand, with little to no noise. If all goes as planned, there will only be O’Reilly, his two bodyguards, and possibly one other man in the cottage with Megan. If we’ve done our jobs properly, the men outside won’t know their friends are down until we engage them. Then we will combine forces to take them out. Ronny, you take out anyone who provides a clean shot. Meanwhile, keep your eyes out for Megan. There’s a chance O’Reilly will try to use her as a shield to protect himself when he realizes he’s under attack. You with me?”
“Gotcha, boss,” Ronny replied. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Brilliant! Now, for the rest of you, are you ready?” The team answered as one in the affirmative. “All right, then. Let’s go.”
Chapter 32
Roger and Rich drove slowly up the gravel driveway of the remote cottage, one of the tires on their vehicle nearly flat. Roger stopped the car when he saw one of the two perimeter guards walking toward him, a menacing look on his face. “You’re on, love,” Roger whispered. “I expect an Academy Award worthy performance.”
Rich flipped Roger his middle finger and both men smirked. Rich adjusted his wig, and both men exited the car, walking around to where the damaged tire sat useless. Rich played his part, looking dejectedly at the flat and feigned a whining, petulant female in a high-pitched, falsetto voice. “I told you we should have stopped at the petrol station back in the city, but no, you knew better. Now we’re stranded here in the middle of nowhere with a flat and no spare tire. What are we supposed to do?”
Roger, who relished this opportunity to show off his dramatic talents, gave his pretend wife a condescending look. “Patience, dearest.”
“I’ll give you patience, you jackass!” Rich poked Roger in the chest with a finger. “It’s your fault we’re in this mess. I expect you to get us out.”
Roger looked at the guard as if asking for a rescue. “Kind sir, if you don’t mind, do you happen to have a telephone? My cell phone doesn’t get a signal out here, and I have no other way to contact the auto club for a spare.”
The guard looked frustrated. “There’s nothing we can do to help you. There’s no phone here. You have to leave now. This is private property, and we don’t allow trespassers.”
Roger looked confused and then angered by the guard’s response. “I beg your pardon? How am I supposed to leave when I have no transportation? Walk all the way back to Doncaster? I think not. You must have a phone or some way to communicate with the outside world.”
By this time, the other guard had left his post and approached the pair. Roger and Rich waited for both guards to come a bit closer before they made their move.
As soon as Ian saw the second guard leave his post, he motioned his team to quickly move on the cottage. In only a few moments, they were at the back door and easily picked the old, rusted lock. Ian carefully opened the door and was assailed by the scent of mildew and stale food. He and his team paused for a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the dark, dank interior. As their eyes adjusted, Ian and his men heard voices coming from the next room.
“Murphy, go check and see what’s going on out there.” a strong, Irish-accented voice commanded.
“Yes, boss, right away,” the man called Murphy responded.
“Daniels, O’Grady, you stay here with me. I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all,” said the voice Ian tentatively identified as Ryan O’Reilly.
Ian heard some additional shuffling of feet and then Ryan said, “If I’m going down, I’ll make sure you go out with me, Miss Brady,” Ryan growled. “You’re coming with me.”
Shite! O’Reilly now had Megan, and the risk to her life had escalated exponentially.
Ian looked to his men. “Take out the two bodyguards. I’ll get O’Reilly.” The men nodded and left to pursue their quarry.
Ian crept slowly along a hallway wall toward the voices of Megan and Ryan. As he approached the front door of the cottage, he kept to the shadows, so Ryan couldn’t detect his presence. From his position, he saw Ryan drag Megan outside, holding her closely in front of him as a human shield. Although Ian was behind Ryan, he had no shot because if he shot O’Reilly at this close range, the bullet would also injure Megan.
All of O’Reilly’s men had been taken out by Ian’s men, but O’Reilly was still standing, holding a gun to Megan’s head. He was threatening to shoot her if any of Ian’s men moved. It was a standoff. As Ian took in the scene, his heart began to race, and the now familiar icy chill permeated his body. No! Not this! Not now! But his body didn’t pay attention to his anguished plea. His chest constricted, and his vision blurred so that Megan and Ryan now appeared to be standing at the end of a long tunnel—unfocused and out of reach.
Ian collapsed against the nearest wall, still hidden from the others in the shadows of the now-deserted cottage. He found himself struggling to maintain consciousness, fighting his own traitorous body.
Roger’s urgent voice crackled in his ear bud. “Ian, what’s going on? What’s your plan? The team is waiting for instructions.”
Ian struggled to stand upright, willing his body to shake off the panic, but flashbacks of Afghanistan and Neil’s bloody body, his lifeless eyes staring at the sky, bombarded his consciousness.
Chapter 33
Ian began to lose hope that he could recover enough to provide any assistance to the team. Then, as if sensing his presence, Megan looked up and saw him standing in the shadows. He could tell from her expression that she recognized him, and it seemed she could also tell he was experiencing one of his flashbacks. However, instead of pity or sympathy, Megan’s expression was serene and transmitted only confidence and trust. Ian could feel her encouragement and belief in him from where he was standing, and his heart swelled. Here was a woman who had been there for him even when he pushed her away repeatedly, gave her grief for trying to help him cope with his PTSD, and walked away from her in fear.
Here she was, still loving him with all of his flaws and his weakness there for all to see. There was no way he was going to let this woman down.
She believes in me. I can do this. Ian’s confidence returned, and almost instantaneously, his panic subsided, and his vision cleared. He was now able to take deep, cleansing breaths and focus on the scene playing out before him. He whispered into his comm unit. “It’s OK, team. I’m here, and I’m going to be all right.” He further addressed his men, still in a whisper so Ryan would not detect his presence. “Team, focus on my voice. Robby, do you have a shot?”
“Not a clear one, Ian. O’Reilly keeps moving, and he’s keeping Megan so close, I risk hitting her if they don’t change position.”
/>
“How about the rest of you? Any chance?”
“Nothing clear,” each of them responded.
As if sensing his opponents’ focus on him had grown deadlier, Ryan tightened his grip on Megan and shouted, “If you want her to stay alive, you’ll let us get in my car and leave here unscathed.”
There was no way he would allow O’Reilly to leave with Megan. If he did, her life would certainly be forfeited. Ian decided the only chance he had to save his love was to offer O’Reilly an alternative hostage: himself. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, “Forgive me, love. This is something I have to do—for myself and for you. Roger, if I don’t make it, please tell Megan I love her with all my heart.”
Ian removed his earbud and stepped boldly out of the shadows. He dropped his gun and kicked it away. “If you need a hostage, take me instead, O’Reilly. Let Megan go.”
“Ian, no!” Megan exclaimed.
When Ryan saw Ian step into the light, he spun around to get a better look. Here was the man who had caused his family nothing but trouble, the same man who was indirectly responsible for the death of his cousin, Colin, and who had murdered his friend, Mack. He was such a brave fool, naively offering himself as a hostage. Ryan smiled to himself. He already had a hostage. All he had to do was aim his gun, pull the trigger, and this bastard would be dead. Ryan pointed his gun at Ian and snapped in contempt, “I don’t need another hostage, Stafford, but thank you for your brave sacrifice.” He cocked his gun and took aim. “Goodbye.”
At that moment, Ryan’s body jerked violently, and a red spot appeared in the center of his forehead. His suddenly lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Megan looked with horror at Ryan’s dead body and then moved quickly toward Ian. She didn’t hesitate to throw herself into Ian’s arms and sob with relief and gratitude. “I love you, Ian. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, my darling, so very much. I’m sorry I’ve been such a bloody idiot. You’ll never have cause to doubt my feelings ever again.” Then he pushed her away to arm’s length and gave her a stern look. “Promise me you’ll never pull a stunt like this again.”
Megan looked into his eyes, bright green meeting brilliant blue, “I promise. Never again.”
He held her body close to his, feeling her trembling with the after effects of the experience she’d just lived through. “I believe you. For now.”
The rest of that day passed by as a blur for Ian and Megan. Roger had notified his contact at the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Britain’s nearest equivalent to America’s FBI, about their violent encounter with Ryan O’Reilly and his men, all of whom ended up dead. The SOCA, along with the Irish Organised Crime Task Force, gathered as much evidence from the crime scene at the cottage as they could, including the cell phone belonging to Ryan O’Reilly. To everyone’s surprise, O’Reilly’s phone contained text messages between Ryan and his father that implicated Seamus in the kidnapping of Megan Brady and attempted blackmail/extortion of the Brady family.
Within hours of the discovery, the O’Reilly home base in Dublin and the nearby office in London were raided, and several items were confiscated for examination as potential evidence. Seamus O’Reilly, who had been stopped as he attempted to flee the country via private jet, was arrested and several serious charges were lodged against him, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and extortion. He was imprisoned without bond.
~ ~ ~
Later that evening, after everyone else had gone to bed, Megan crept down the hall to Ian’s room. She knocked softly on the door. Within seconds, Ian was opening the door, standing there wearing nothing but his boxers.
“I was hoping it was you.” He smiled at her warmly and stood back so she could enter. “If you hadn’t come to me, I was prepared to seek you out. I can’t spend another moment without you.” Megan saw the desire in Ian’s heated and welcoming gaze, and she relaxed. Any hesitation she may have felt about her decision to fully express her love to this gorgeous, courageous man had fled. In that moment, Megan felt loved in a way she never had before, and she was eager to return that love many times over.
Megan tried to get a hold on her nerves as Ian led her toward his bed and helped her undress. They may have slept together before, but Megan sensed this time was different. She knew Ian had lowered his defenses to her and made himself vulnerable in a way he never had before. At the same time, Megan felt free to trust him with her whole heart, knowing he would love and cherish her as he never had before.
Ian was soon naked and clearly aroused, and Megan allowed her gaze to travel over his body, moving lower until she took in his very obvious erection. After a brief widening of her eyes when she was reminded of his size, her gaze softened with desire, her breathing quickened, and her nipples peaked under the tight-fitting tank top. Ian cupped her face in his hands and lowered his lips to hers for a long, languorous kiss.
By the time she could come up for air, Megan realized her tank top had been lifted above her breasts, and Ian was caressing them, running his thumbs across her nipples and teasing them to hard peaks. He soon followed with his mouth, caressing each pebbled nipple with his tongue until she moaned with pleasure. Megan allowed him to remove the tank top completely, and then his hands were on the waistband of her pajama pants, lowering them and her panties over her hips and dropping them to the floor.
Ian pulled her close and drew her to the bed. He reached up to brush an unruly strand of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. He caressed her cheek with his hand as he withdrew. He looked directly into her eyes, and Megan trembled when she saw the heat in his gaze. In an unusually husky voice, he said, “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met, Miss Brady, and I’m having a difficult time restraining myself from ravishing you right here and now.” He cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for another kiss.
Megan moaned gently into Ian’s mouth as he kissed her gently at first, but then gradually increasing in intensity and passion. She hadn’t realized how much she had been craving his touch until this moment. She had missed this closeness with Ian and the excitement only he could generate in her. Her body heated, and her senses reveled in her response to him. She took in the essence of Ian Stafford—his scent, his muscular, sculpted body, and his patience and tenderness with her.
She knew he wanted her. It was clear from the way his eyes seemed to devour her when he looked at her and from his obvious physical reaction to her. But now, after everything they had shared today, she knew without a doubt she loved this man more than she had ever loved anyone before, and she was equally certain he loved her too. She felt it in every word and every gaze he had sent her since he had saved her from Ryan O’Reilly. “Ian, I can’t wait,” she whispered urgently. “I want you now. Take me . . . please.”
Ian groaned with what Megan knew was the effort to keep himself under control so as not to overwhelm her with his desire. But she was having none of that and reached out to wrap her fingers around his straining erection and started to stroke him slowly. He hissed at the sensation, but then he grasped her wrist and pulled her hand away.
“Trust me, love, it’s better if we take things more slowly. I’ve waited weeks for this moment, and I’m not going to let it end in a flash, soon to be forgotten. I want to savor this time with you and show you how good things can be between us.”
Ian pushed her back on the bed and started trailing kisses down her body, lingering over her belly to lick and find her ticklish spots. Then moving lower, he focused on the sensitive spot between her legs.
Megan shuddered when he found her warm, wet folds and lapped up her juices as he held her hips in place to ensure she couldn’t escape him. He pressed one, then another finger into her channel, and Megan whimpered with frustration. She was so close to release, but Ian stubbornly avoided licking the one place that would have pushed her over the edge. “Ian, please, I c
an’t take this anymore. Stop teasing me.”
Ian smiled his acquiescence and found the bud of nerves that was more than ready for his touch. He sucked on it gently, and Megan stifled her scream in a nearby pillow as she experienced the most powerful orgasm she’d ever had. Ian continued to milk her contractions for what seemed like forever until Megan finally collapsed, completely sated.
Ian crawled up her body, lingering for a few seconds on her beautiful breasts before capturing her mouth again in a heated kiss.
Megan reached for his cock and ran her hand up its length, drawing another hiss of reaction from Ian. “Stop that, love, or I’ll lose control and won’t be able to pleasure you the way I want.”
Megan pulled her hand back and smiled mischievously. “All right, Ian. You win. Please make me yours. I’m more than ready for you.” She wiggled her hips underneath him and tilted them so there was no doubt she wanted him.
Ian didn’t hesitate. Megan watched as he reached into the nightstand next to the bed to retrieve a condom, tore the packet open, and rolled it on quickly. He positioned himself at her entrance and pushed in slowly, allowing her to adjust to his girth. He groaned at the feeling. “My God, love, you’re so hot and wet. You fit me like a glove. There’s no place I’d rather be at this moment than right here with you.”
When he was completely seated, he checked with her to make sure she was ready. At her nod, he started moving in and out, slowly at first, then gradually increasing the pace.
Megan urged him on, wrapping her legs around his hips and meeting every thrust. She could feel herself tightening around him, another climax very close. She could tell he felt it too. He increased the pace a bit more and reached down to rub Megan’s clit. That was all she needed to push her over the edge. He covered her mouth with his to muffle her scream of pleasure and then let go of his control, stifling his own shout of pleasure into the pillow next to her head. His entire body shuddered with his powerful release.
Racing Toward Love (Horses Heal Hearts Book 2) Page 20
