William raised his eyebrows and nodded. It made sense. Why else would Fagan pack and Perkins be so concerned?
“But what about Samantha’s interest? She did say that Ava’s safety was important and that Fenly could not be allowed to get his hands on her or it could destroy the Circle of Elders,” Mick added.
“It’s all so confusing. How did she get out of Ireland anyway and evade capture for so long, even from the Circle?” Pat asked.
“She had help escaping. Apparently the family butler and close friend got her out of there and set up here in New York.”
“But she took off in the car with Walt, and as if she trusted him with her life,” Pat stated.
“He’s part of the Secret Order. Perhaps she does know about the Order and her father’s involvement,” Kyle suggested.
William shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“Walt is Brennan’s cousin. He’s been watching over Ava for the past year or so. Apparently she’s been doing some investigative work to locate Fenly and follow his business dealings. That information came from Walt, who also wants to be involved in protecting Ava. Van had contacted him first when they found out that Ava was under our protection,” William told them.
“This is a lot to take in, Willy. How come we were never told about Ava, her importance or connection to the Secret Order, or need to be found? We could have been sent to locate her. Plus it wasn’t that long ago that we were in Ireland. How come we never heard anything about her?” Pat asked.
“You know as well as I do how the Secret Order works. They usually send in one team to do a job. In and out, no questions asked. All they care about is the end result. Besides the new information from Van and Samantha about the Council and the problems they have been having with decisions being passed. Problem with this mission was that no one was able to find her. Samantha even said the Circle of Elders had been searching for Ava. They were beginning to believe that she was dead,” William stated, and then he sighed as he held Pat’s gaze.
“To be honest with you, I don’t like this one bit. I want to know what Ava has been up to these past two years. I want to know what she knows about her father and everything about her life in Ireland. Right now I’m feeling pretty strong about interrogating her,” William added as he stood up abruptly, causing the stool to bang against the wall.
“She’s not the criminal here, Willy,” Mick strongly stated.
“Why was she at the scene where Duggy and Simon were? How come she knew about the bomb, and why did she take off?” William added.
“He has a point, Mick. Ava hasn’t shared a damn thing about herself. The damn IRA is after her besides this Fenly character and our own people, so what the hell?” Pat asked.
“I say we let her rest, we take a look at her laptop we confiscated from her apartment, and then we question her,” Mick offered.
William looked at Pat, Mick, and Kyle. “Agreed?” he asked them.
“Agreed,” they each replied.
* * * *
Van Fagan sat in the SUV as his brothers helped the Declan brothers clean up the mess of bodies around their estate. He took the call from Samantha and her grandfather, Lord Crespin, both members of the Circle of Elders.
“Is she safe, Van?” Lord Crespin asked.
“She is safe and quite resourceful. She took out two men and fought off another,” Van offered.
“We had heard that she is resourceful and very independent. Our concern is how and why other organizations have gained interest in Ava,” Lord Crespin replied.
“It could simply be how much she is worth. People will do anything for a substantial amount of money including rogue wolves.”
“They have heard the stories about the Jewel of Ireland. They think she knows the location,” Samantha stated.
“The Jewel of Ireland? Are we at that again, Samantha? If this Jewel actually exists, how come no one in the Secret Order or the Circle knows of its location?” Van asked.
“Only certain people are privy to that kind of information, but keep in mind that it is a priceless jewel. The one who possesses it has the power of a king over wolf packs worldwide. That is why its location is such a secret,” Lord Crespin added.
“I always thought that was some sort of fairy tale created by wolves to keep up with human tales to tell our children,” Van replied, and Samantha laughed.
“It helps to keep the secret exactly that, a secret. Where are the Declan planning on taking Ava?” Crespin asked.
“Not a clue, but we will remain close by.”
“Good. Please keep us posted. In the meantime we’re investigating why the IRA was after Ava. It could be revenge on Fenly or something more critical to our culture. See what you can find out from your friends in Ireland,” Samantha stated.
“No problem, Samantha. I do believe that IRA members sent here were human, not were. That in itself is a curiosity considering that much of the IRA is of the wolf.”
“Surprising but not completely unbelievable. I am afraid that once word spreads that Patrick O’Brian’s daughter, the only heir to the O’Brian estate, is in fact alive and well, then many will be hunting her down.”
“Then the Declan pack will need us. Have you heard from Dolberg pack yet?”
“They are nearby.”
“Good enough. I will keep you posted.”
Van stared out the window and thought about what Samantha told him. Could other rogue groups come after Ava? If so, then he and his brothers had some serious strategic planning to do along with Declan pack. This was starting to turn into a bit of a nightmare. As soon as they got to wherever Willy had in mind as a safe house, they were going to have to sit down and discuss the plan. Moving her around might be better than sitting in one place and being outnumbered.
Chapter 14
“Out of all the hunters we have in this pack, none have been able to sniff out Ava or this Declan pack?” Fenly yelled, slamming his fist down on the table. His own men, Miller, Pete, and Leo, stood there looking grim.
“No, sir. No one has been able to find them anywhere in the city. We have investigators working in the same precinct that the Declan came out of waiting to hear something,” Pete offered.
“We did catch wind of something else, sir, that may or may not be a good thing,” Leo added then cleared his throat.
Fenly looked toward Leo, the largest of his Betas.
“Spit it out, Leo. I am at my wits’ end here trying to understand why my people are so incapable of finding a small woman and five measly wolves.”
“It appears that the Circle of Elders are trying to locate the O’Brian woman as well. They called in Fagan pack, but we haven’t caught wind of their arrival in the city as of yet.”
“Damn it! They want to get their hands on the Jewel. If the Circle of Elders possesses that priceless jewel everything my family has fought to achieve would be lost. Crespin and Valdamar killed Fidelis in order to keep him from achieving power. They won’t be able to stop me,” Fenly stated, and his cell phone began to ring.
Releasing a sigh and feeling his hackles rise, he answered the phone abruptly.
“It’s Duggy. I just caught wind of a location on Ava.”
“What? Where is she?”
“She’s about forty minutes north of the city in some small-town suburb. I have an address.”
“Give it to me,” Fenly stated as Duggy read it to him.
“There’s more, Fenly. Apparently the IRA has an interest in Ava, too.”
“What?”
“A group of over a dozen men stormed the Declan home. None of them survived. The Declan fought them off and killed them. They also had help from some other group of were called Fagan or something like that.”
“Shit! The IRA is filled with a bunch of mutts and humans. How the hell did they catch wind of Ava’s existence?”
“You’ve been asking a lot of questions around Ireland, Fenly. There are secret agents of the IRA just like the Irish mob here
in New York. They must have figured something was up,” Duggy replied, and Fenly was silent.
“See what else you can find out for me.”
Fenly hung up the phone and relayed the message to his men.
“Form a team and be ready to leave in thirty minutes,” Fenly stated then dismissed the men.
He walked over to his desk and pulled out a picture of Ava. The frustration was building again. Here he was two years after her escape still trying to locate her. She was practically in his grasp and somehow got away. She wasn’t going to get away this time. She wasn’t going to keep him from his ultimate goal to be head ruler of all the were packs. One call to the IRA and they would no longer interfere. He owned them. They would be under his command starting now.
He looked at the picture one last time. Ava stood in a cream-colored wool sweater, her hair shimmering with red highlights in the bright sunshine. She was a stunning woman with a body made to please both wolf and man. He yearned to be inside of her, filling her womb with his seed and making her his prize possession. She would bear a son or two for him to secure the O’Leary and O’Brian bloodline. She would be his soon enough. He placed the picture in the drawer then prepared to join his men for the hunt. The Declan pack would be history in a matter of hours.
* * * *
Samantha stared at the photograph of Alex standing in his uniform as he returned from Iraq. Unbeknownst to her, after hours of lovemaking he had somehow surgically placed a microchip in her body containing many centuries of pack secrets. Although it took finding her true mates, Dustin, Kyle, Adam, Trey, and Donny to help her to see her fate and find her true family, she never expected this end result. Here she was, a Princess and a main part of the Circle of Elders amongst other wolf organizations. She sighed as she thought about all the secrets, the mysteries, and the enigmas that surrounded the wolf culture’s existence. To think that she knew such important information yet couldn’t intervene to save lives and secure happy endings because of destiny and fate was frustrating. Especially now when she held so many answers. She prayed to the gods that Willy and the Declan brothers could protect Ava and secure her rightful place as their Alpha mate. If she could just eliminate Fenly and the threat from other rogue packs yearning for the O’Brian heritage then perhaps Ava would have a chance.
“You cannot interfere, Sam. As much as you would like to rush along the love story and make Ava and Declan pack free to enjoy their bonding, you can’t,” Dustin stated to her as he joined her on the couch. He drew her closer to him, and she immediately embraced her mate, loving his strong hold and embrace.
“It feels so good in your arms, Dustin. I just want Ava and Declan pack to have what we have. It just isn’t fair that Ava has had to go through so much on her own and without her father. If I could just find out who keeps denying the Order to eliminate Fenly…”
“That isn’t possible. Not without breaking the rules and not without jeopardizing your own safety. That is not an option, Princess,” Dustin whispered as he tapped her nose gently with his finger then smiled at her.
She was annoyed, but he was right. She couldn’t risk destroying millions of other packs to save one pack. Even though that one woman’s fate could ensure the safety of millions of packs possibly forever.
“Fine. I will do my part but if I can be of assistance even though I may have to bend the rules not break them then I will do so.”
She looked back down at Alex’s picture. Dustin and her mates were no longer jealous of the bond she had shared with Alex. It had secured her safety and brought them together.
“He was right to choose you, Sam. He knew that you would always do what was right for all packs.”
Chapter 15
“Pack some of the food toward the doors in the back so we can get to them if necessary,” William stated to Sean firmly.
“No shit really? Like I need you to tell me exactly where to put the food.” Sean replied, sounding just as pissed off as William sounded. She wasn’t sure what the attitudes were about nor why they were being short with one another.
Ava stood in the garage watching the men pack the last boxes of supplies into the two SUVs. It appeared as if they packed for months, and as she asked about clothing for her, she received two responses. One response from William, stating bluntly that it was taken care of, and another response from Mick, stating that she wouldn’t be wearing clothes very much anyway. Mick made her blush, but William made her tense with fear. She stood there waiting silently, going over the series of events that had taken place in the last forty-eight hours. She had sex with five incredibly sexy men who could shift into fierce wolves in a blink of an eye, yet she felt detached. Sure, the sex was incredible and she felt every sensation and looked forward to trying some naughty positions, but she still felt detached from them. Was something wrong with her? Had the two years alone without love and affection caused her to become coldhearted? They were perfect specimens, and they continuously expressed their attraction and affection toward her by either touching her as they passed her by or offering to open a door, pull out a chair, or carry her to a different location in the house. They were attentive and intense when they held her gaze, yet here she was feeling like she was having some out-of-body experience.
She watched them move things around, working together and looking sexy in what appeared to be black military fatigues. Her heart beat faster, and damn it, her body tingled with lust for them. She wanted to feel their touch. Any one of them could touch her right now and send her into frenzy. Although the SUVs appeared to be packed for a camping trip, the amount of ammunition and guns told her they would be hunting, or perhaps they realized they were the hunted. The thought frightened her more than when she was forced to leave Ireland and survive here in the States on her own. Perhaps it had something to do with the Declan men. After all, she liked them, was beginning to get attached to them. Oh hell, she killed two men to save one’s life.
A gentle caress to her lower back then a hand on her hip took her from her own thoughts.
“We’re ready, Ava. Hop in,” Sean directed, and as she walked closer to the passenger side on the second SUV, she noticed Sean holding her laptop. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she swallowed hard, hoping and praying that they weren’t as computer savvy as she.
They ignored her obvious discomfort and piled into both vehicles. Sean and William got into the first vehicle alone while Mick got into the driver’s side of her SUV with Pat in the passenger’s seat, and Kyle joined her in the backseat.
“Get comfortable, Ava, it’s going to be about five hours before we’re at our location,” Kyle whispered as he held her gaze.
He sounded kind of upset with her, and once again she sensed that distant feeling inside.
Perhaps she was just overtired from all the craziness that took place earlier. Their silence continued, and finally she decided to close her eyes and ignore the nagging need she felt to explain her life and admit to her computer-hacking past. But the O’Brian family stubbornness kicked in as she clamped her teeth tight and willed away the feelings.
* * * *
“So what have you got so far, Sean?” Willy asked as he continued driving along the tight turns up the mountainside. He kept checking the rearview mirror, ensuring that Mick and the others were close behind. Not too far behind them was the Fagan pack. Van and his brothers had promised to keep a distance and form an outside perimeter to the safe house.
“I don’t have shit,” Sean responded, sounding frustrated and edgy. His brother was great with computers and had a knack for infiltrating most software systems.
“What do you think?” William asked as they approached the long dirt driveway leading up to a large cabin in the woods.
“There’s something here. I found remnants of websites and encoded data which usually indicates that the person operating the computer was covering their cyber tracks.”
“I guess we’ll be adding some questions to the interrogation.”
Sean was si
lent a moment, but he was blocking his thoughts from William.
“Yes, I still plan on questioning Ava.”
Sean began to speak as William placed the vehicle in park and looked at Sean with a stern expression.
Sean was wise enough to remain silent.
They exited the vehicle and began to split up to look around the house. Once everything was secured, they allowed Kyle to help Ava exit the vehicle. She glanced around at each of them, and to William she appeared tired and withdrawn.
One by one, they entered the log home, impressed with its openness and modern décor. No one spoke a word but instead worked in sync to unpack the supplies and stock the cabinets with food.
* * * *
Ava wasn’t sure what was happening as she assisted the men with unpacking. They all seemed so distant, and none of them spoke a word to her. It was as if they were having some quiet conversation with one another and left her out of the loop. Was this what life with them would be like because she wasn’t a wolf?
After an hour of the silent treatment, she gave in to her annoyance.
“Which room is my room? I’d like to go lie down,” she stated more firmly than she intended.
All five men looked at her, then Mick, Kyle, Sean, and Pat looked at William.
“You don’t have your own room. You’ll be bunking with all of us. Go to the room down the hall farthest to the right. I’ll be there momentarily,” William stated with arrogance, causing Ava to feel prickly sensations run up and down her spine. What was he so upset over? She was the one whose life was ruined. A thousand thoughts went through her mind, and a thousand more retorts, but she opted for the simplest.
“Whatever!” she stated then turned and hurried out of the kitchen.
All the way down the hallway, her body hummed with awareness. As if she had some sort of innate ability, she knew that William was upset with her but also wanted her. Flashes of his naked body infiltrated her rational thoughts, winning over any possibility of being calm at all. She had made love to the others twice, but not William. He was the commander, their head Alpha, and he had a bone to pick with her, and it was obvious. By the time she reached the bedroom as instructed, and even that didn’t piss her off as being ordered what to do should be, she began to shake with anticipation.
Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 15
