How could she have not seen this coming? If he could force her into a marriage she wanted nothing to do with and legally claim her as his wife then he would share in the wealth. Then he more than likely would kill Ava to get the entire estate himself. She had seen Fenly’s lavish lifestyle. He enjoyed the company of women and the danger of the drug cartel. He tried to persuade her father to become partners with him. But her father had come from a long line of wealthy landowners in Ireland. There was no way he would resort to illegal drugs.
An all-consuming feeling of defeat traveled through her body as she bounced atop Fenly’s shoulder while he carried her to the estate. The tears rolled down her cheeks, and fear gripped her insides. The beasts walked around her and Fenly, like guards in some wild fantasy story where monsters existed and ruled the world. They growled at her, and she shook, subconsciously gripping Fenly out of fear of the danger. Fenly’s deep chuckle rumbled along her belly.
“Don’t worry, love, they’ll only hurt you on my command or if you try to escape. There’s nothing out there for you, Ava, only an evil world waiting to corrupt your innocence and take everything you have to give. You need me and I’ll protect you, Ava, and so will my wolves,” he stated as he approached the staircase leading to the side entrance to her father’s estate. She felt defeated. He was right. She hadn’t a clue about what was beyond the gates of their estate or outside of Ireland. There was nothing she could do.
She wanted to scream in frustration. This wasn’t fair. Fenly didn’t love her, and she hated him with all her heart. He was a murderer and a thief, never mind some sort of freak animal. She shook again as the fear of the transformation she witnessed flashed through her mind. There was no one to turn to and no one she could trust to help her. Now that Fenly killed her father, he would be a feared man, and no one would dare challenge his authority, especially not the authorities themselves. What about Brennan and the other helpers in the estate? Oh God! She wondered if he killed them, too.
Corruption ran rampant around these parts.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Fenly set her feet down onto the rug. He looked her over, and she crossed her arms in front of her chest to cover her breasts the best she could. Her clothing was torn, and the scratches across her back and side continued to burn. Fenly and his dark, gray eyes held her gaze.
“You shouldn’t have run, Ava. Never run from a wolf. We are superior beasts in both were and human form. You’ll learn quickly and not by challenging me or my men.” He reprimanded her as if she were at fault for his men’s actions as they chased her down and tackled her to the ground.
The tears burned her eyes as she responded in challenge.
“You dare blame me for what those animals did? You killed my father, Fenly. I will never be yours and I will never forgive you!” She screamed the last words with such vengeance and hatred for the man that her voice cracked and her body vibrated with the same emotion. She never saw the hit coming, and never expected Fenly to strike her as the back of his hand made contact with her cheek and jaw. It was fierce and knocked her off balance, causing her to fall to the floor. She cried as she held her cheek while Fenly yelled.
“Do not provoke me, Ava. Never speak of your father again or I will be forced to eliminate you. Now get up. It’s late and I have work to do if we are to be married by this time tomorrow.” Fenly pulled her up from the floor. She slapped his hand away from her and attempted to get up on her own. She didn’t even care that her blouse was ripped open and her breasts nearly poured from her black lace bra. She was angry and scared. Her entire world as she knew it was over.
Fenly pulled her against his hip, kept his arm wrapped around her waist as he personally escorted her to her bedroom. Once inside he pointed at her in warning.
“Do not try to escape again or I will take what’s mine then throw you to my men for them to play with.” He pulled her against his chest, grabbed ahold of her hair, and kissed her hard on the mouth. She pulled away, used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away the stench of his saliva while crying in fear and disgust as Fenly closed the door and locked her inside all alone.
“Bastard!” she grunted then ran to her bed and cried.
* * * *
“Remain nearby. I don’t want anything to happen to her,” Fenly told Pete.
“She means that much to you, boss?” Pete asked, and Fenly held his guard’s gaze.
“She will make the perfect Alpha female to our pack. She is young, only twenty, and classy, sophisticated, and pure like no other. There is an image to uphold if we are to maintain control over the O’Brian estate and all business associates. The power I will have in her name alone once we mate will open up doors to success. Never mind that my wolf has smelled her scent and craves it.”
“She is quite beautiful, Fenly, and you deserve the best,” Pete responded.
“The windows are secured?” Fenly asked.
“She has no means of escape except this door to her bedroom.”
“Good. I will see you in the morning.”
“Yes, sir.”
Fenly walked down the hallway and to the guest bedroom. The master suite would be renovated starting tomorrow. The staff had been notified that he was the new master and Patrick O’Brian’s body was removed. Of course they would have to have a funeral of some sort to save face. These humans could be so ridiculous. He smiled as he thought about Ava. She would be sad tomorrow, and he would remain by her side for all to see the support and commitment he had to offer her. Then the legal documents would be signed by Ava and they would be married and mated all in one night. He entered the bedroom and yawned. Tomorrow he could start making some business plans with his connections in the States. He could expand his drug cartel and gun smuggling into the US all while sitting comfortably on an estate worth millions in Ireland. He could pay off his debt with Porter and get that crazy IRA bastard off his ass. Once he had full control over both Ava and the estate, he could find out more about the Irish Jewel and the secret location. If the tale was true, then once he had the Jewel in his possession, he would be King and organizations like the Circle of Elders and the Secret Order, and every government of every country would be his to control and rule. Yeah, things were definitely beginning to look better already.
He smiled to himself as he thought about the day’s events. Ava was stronger than he anticipated. She didn’t appear as timid as he had thought. In fact, she seemed like she would fight him the entire way. Perhaps when he waved Brennan or some of the other servants in her face and threatened their lives, then she would accept her fate. He thought about it. Ava trusted Brennan and was very close to the butler. He could use that emotion if necessary.
* * * *
Ava dried her eyes as she sat up on the edge of the bed. She touched her cheek, enraged at the fact that Fenly struck her. She had seen men strike women in the movies, but damn, did it really hurt. She could have sworn that her brain shook from the impact. And how the hell did men know to hit a woman across her cheek and jaw? Was that some kind of special code men had to follow? The bastard! She was finished crying and feeling sorry for herself. She had to do something. She had to try to escape before morning. Quickly she changed her clothes, threw on another pair of jeans, a shirt, and a sweater. She was tying up her boots when she heard a noise coming from inside of her walk-in closet. Her heart pounded against her chest as she imagined one of Fenly’s beasts waiting inside for her to go to bed so he could pounce on her. She clenched her thighs together. Fenly had forced his hands between her legs, had touched her intimately without her consent while his men looked on. They would think they had every right to touch her. She felt her chest tighten from the thought.
Looking around the room for some sort of weapon, she rolled toward the side of the bed and grabbed the brass urn. Lifting it above her head, she slowly walked toward the closet when the door creaked open. Just as she prepared to attack, she saw that it was Brennan, the butler and her father’s closest friend. Ava loved Brennan like a sec
ond father. She dropped the urn onto the bed and ran into Brennan’s open arms.
“Are you okay, dear? I was so worried about you,” he whispered as he squeezed her to him.
“I was so scared, Brennan. What are we going to do?” she asked as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Brennan pulled a little bit away from her but held her hands.
“Your father would want you to be strong.”
Ava cried as she squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn’t believe that he was dead.
Brennan shook her. “Listen to me. Enough tears, Ava, this is important. Fenly cannot marry you and get his hands on this estate. He cannot mate with you and cross the bloodlines. There is more at stake here than I can get into with you right now.”
“What can I do? I’m being held prisoner in my own home. He secured the widows with bars. He said that we are to be married by morning. How did you get in here? Were you hiding in my closet?” She rambled on, asking questions, hearing the hysteria in her own voice.
“I will show you. As we walk I will explain a few things to you. It is very important that you follow my orders and do precisely like I tell you to do. If you are caught then Fenly will use you for what he needs then kill you. You are too important to the Order of—”
“Of what? What order? What are you talking about, Brennan?” she asked, feeling confused.
“Follow me. We are wasting too much time.”
“Wait, Brennan.” She stopped him by grabbing his arm. “They are not human. Fenly, Pete, and the other men can change into ferocious-looking beasts,” she whispered and the fear filled her body again.
“I know, Ava, and you must understand that there are many just like him out there hunting and hoping to get their hands on the Jewel of Ireland. You must fear them all. None of them can be trusted. Now let’s go.”
“Jewel of Ireland?” She had heard about the Jewel since she was a young child. She was beginning to think it was just a fable, a story made up to compete with American fairy tales about lost treasures and royalty.
“Now is not the time. Follow me.”
Ava glanced one last time at her beautiful bedroom. Decorated with ornate heirlooms from her ancestors, all her clothing and memories of childhood long gone were left to never be seen again. Her stunning solid-wood canopy bed, a family heirloom passed down from her great-great-grandparents. She swallowed hard and squeezed Brennan’s hand tighter as he unlocked a secret panel in the back of the closet. She never knew of its existence as Brennan began to explain about his plan for her escape and a world of werewolves, government agents, and secret orders, and of the Circle of Elders. By the time they reached the hidden tunnel deep underground and within the security of their estate, Ava felt numb and uncertain of her own capabilities of survival. With forged documents in hand, passports, clothing, and US bank accounts under an alias, Ava accepted one more hug from Brennan.
“I will miss you. Follow the instructions I gave you and put Ireland behind you. It is the only way I can keep you safe,” Brennan said as he helped her into the limo located a good distance from the castle and hidden by a large wooded area.
“Will I ever see you again?” she asked as the tears rolled down her cheeks and her vision blurred. Brennan was a handsome man and had been a loving second father whenever her own father was away on business.
“Only fate will tell, Ava. Be strong as all the O’Brians before you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks as the limo pulled away from the darkness, and Brennan’s eyes glowed like that of a wolf.
* * * *
Fenly awoke early, ready to begin his new life with Ava and the O’Brian riches. It had been said that the estate was worth billions. He had personally interrogated the lawyer to the estate to find out an approximate value. It was more than he had anticipated or could have hoped for. With money and power anything could be accomplished. He had forged Patrick’s signature on numerous accounts already. They contained nearly a million alone that now belonged to him. Once he married Ava, the rest would be his as well.
Fenly walked down the hallway to Ava’s bedroom door. He took in the fine draperies, the custom woodwork and trim molding, as well as the assortment of fine art that decorated the hallway walls. Ava painted some of the paintings, and others were collector’s pieces. She was very talented, and he could recall the numerous times he would watch her painting down by the water or somewhere else on the property. She was quite special and precisely the type of woman he wanted to be his mate.
Pete stood outside of Ava’s bedroom door just as Fenly had left him last night. Pete was a young but experienced wolf. All his men were very large and completely loyal to his authority.
“How did it go?” Fenly asked.
“Not a sound, sir. There is only one way in and one way out of that bedroom. She didn’t make a sound all night.”
“Good job. I think I’ll personally wake my bride-to-be,” Fenly stated then unlocked the bedroom door. As soon as he opened the heavy mahogany door, his stomach clenched and his nostrils flared. The bed was still made, the curtains still wide open, and Ava was nowhere in sight.
“No!” His roar could be heard throughout the estate as his men began a search for Ava.
Chapter 1
Two years later, New York City
Investigator William Declan scooted down lower in the driver’s side seat of the unmarked police van. Without taking his eyes off of the suspect he whispered to his brother, Mick, who remained hidden in the back of the van.
“Simon is headed this way. I think we’re sitting in front of the fucking meet-up spot, Mick.”
Mick chuckled in the back.
“That’s a great informant you had, Sean. He fucked up the building numbers,” Mick whispered even though it wasn’t necessary. William’s other brothers Sean, Pat, and Kyle were hiding out in different locations around the area, ready to charge at a moment’s notice. The fact that they were all werewolves and could speak to one another telepathically worked to their advantage. Seeing clearly through the darkness was a plus as well.
“Well it doesn’t matter now. Lay low and wait for my signal,” William stated softly as he kept an eye on Simon. Being the lead investigator for Task Force Three, which was basically William and his four brothers, he had to keep them in line and remind them that they had to maintain their human persona. They had been working for the antidrug task force for ten years now, while also working as government operatives, also known as Warriors of the Brothers of Were. This current arms dealer, Simon, was just a stepping stone to the larger cartel they were after. Recently, over the past sixteen months, there was a significant increase in automatic weapons reaching the streets of New York and the surrounding area. Kids and crooks were popping up dead, and the regular undercover human detectives needed some assistance.
“Holy shit, look who just showed up,” Pat stated through their link.
“Duggy Doolin, that piece of shit. Why would he be here? ” Mick asked.
William growled low.
“Okay, big brother, let’s try to remain calm here,” Mick stated as he leaned forward and tapped his brother’s shoulder. William released an angry breath. Duggy Doolin was a rogue wolf who was part of some Irish mob that had existed for a hundred years. No one knew his entire family history, and despite all Doolin’s illegal activity, the government and Circle of Elders didn’t give the order for his removal. It had been William who brought Doolin in after the piece of crap issued an order and did a drive-by shooting that killed two innocent kids and their grandmother after he entered the US on a temporary visa. The Irish gangster was nothing but trouble, and if he was involved with Simon, then this meant Simon was dealing in imports.
“I don’t like this one bit. With Doolin here, we can’t move in for a bust.”
“If that asshole is involved selling guns and drugs then I’ll lock him up in a flash. I don’t give a shit about waiting on an order from the Circle of Elders,” William exclaimed. His brothers lau
ghed but agreed that they wouldn’t let Doolin get away if he was caught during the raid.
“Seeing Doolin reminds me of our stint in County Clare and the province of Munster. Man, was that a wild time,” Sean said, and the others moaned.
“How do you even remember that trip, Sean? You were hooking up with every wolf you could sink your teeth into,” William stated, and the others laughed, especially Mick.
“What about Mick? He was wasted most of the time and we had to put up with all those Irish tunes for months after we returned to the States,” Pat added. William chuckled.
“That was insane. If I ever hear another rendition of ‘When Irish Eyes are Smiling,’ I’m going to strangle the singer,” Kyle remarked, and then Mick began to sing while trying to pull off an Irish brogue.
Just then, they saw some action on the street in front of them.
* * * *
Ava stood against the building and watched. She was trying not to be seen and wasn’t exactly dressed for undercover work. She snorted when she thought about leaving Kenny at the pub. She had prayed that he would ask her out soon. After all, he flirted with her relentlessly at the local coffee shop every Tuesday morning. When he finally asked her to hang out three days ago, she was so excited. But when she saw Duggy Doolin enter Lannigan’s Irish Pub and overheard him talking about meeting Simon, she had to dump the date and pursue him. Knowing Kenny, it would probably make him more interested in her. Plus, now she knew where to find Kenny. The fact that his family had owned the pub for three generations was interesting and kind of charming. His great-grandparents came from Ireland and started the business.
Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 2
