“I don’t know. Sean has always protected me from Patrick but...you’re like his arch enemy.”
I shrug. “My enemy’s enemy is my friend, or something like that.”
Shannon rolls her eyes at me and then lifts the phone to her ear. She walks on a little way ahead and I hang back, giving her privacy even though of course I can hear every word.
“I’m safe Sean,” she assures him, “But I can’t come home. There are things you need to know about Patrick. I’m with...friends.”
I can hear him demanding to know what friends and I bristle at the tone in his voice, but then try to remind myself that he is her brother and it’s natural that he will be concerned. Even so I resolve to let him know at the first possible opportunity that no one speaks to Shannon like that, brother or not.
When I hear him getting angrier and ordering her to come home I catch up with her and hold my hand out. “Let me speak to him.”
Her beautiful eyes go wide, but she passes me the phone. “Be nice,” she grimaces.
“Sean? This is Cormac Killanney. Your sister is with me, and she’s safe.”
He releases a string of curses that would make a drunken sailor in Temple Bar blush and I curb the urge to tell him to mind his feckin’ manners.
“I haven’t kidnapped her you eejit,” I say as patiently as I can manage. “And it’s in your best interests to not tell your brother.”
“If you’re threatening me Killanney,” he begins and I feel my temper beginning to fray, but Shannon is watching me.
“Will you listen?” I snap. “You’ve spoken to Shannon. She’s safe. And we both know I could snap your neck with my bare hands so stop playing the big man.” As Sean splutters in indignation I drop the bombshell. “Did you know your brother is involved in human trafficking?”
Sean goes quiet, and then he says, in a wary tone, “No.”
“But you’ve suspected it...otherwise your first response would be to tell me to go to hell,” I point out. Sean is quiet again and I say into the pause. “Come and meet us and I’ll explain.” Shannon looks at me in shock and I’m shocked at myself, but the moment the words leave my mouth I know that it’s going to be the best thing to do. If there’s any chance of Sean not getting caught up in this then we need to get him on side. He might hate me but he seems to genuinely love Shannon. As do I. It might just be the time to bury the hatchet.
I give Sean the address of where we are, and then give the phone back to Shannon, who looks at me with something akin to admiration. I like that, the look of approval on her face.
It makes me want to be a better man.
Sean sits opposite us, in the apartment, with his back ramrod straight, trying to look anywhere but at Shannon’s hand nestled in mine. I’m not even tempted to wind him up about it...he looks as though it’s painful enough. But he puts his feelings about it to one side and listens as we both tell him what we saw the night of the docks...omitting of course the nakedness, kissing and pretending to be different people.
When we’ve finished his shoulders seem to slump and he shakes his head.
“I can’t believe this. Pat has always been a heartless bastard but this goes beyond what I thought even he was capable of. So what are your next steps?”
I eye him, wondering how much I should say, but Shannon jumps in before I can stop her.
“He’s planning another exchange on Friday, so we intercept it and challenge him while he’s caught in the act.”
I frown, wondering what this ‘we’ is about. There’s no way in hell that Shannon is coming anywhere near the docks on Friday. I want her well out of harm’s way and nowhere near that bastard Patrick. Sean sees my face and raises an eyebrow at me.
“Seems you might have bitten off more than you can chew Killanney. Shannon is no mouse.”
“I’m aware of that,” I say. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from a sister of yours.” Shannon gives a snort, annoyed that we’re talking about her, but I know this isn’t really about her. Sean gazes at me, showing no fear at all. Of course my senses pick up on the fact that he’s terrified, but no human would know it. He earns my respect for that.
“If you hurt her Killanney,” he says in a measured voice, “then I don’t give a fuck who you are, I’ll kill you.”
“You will try,” I agree, “but you won’t need to. Shannon is in safe hands.”
Shannon clears her throat next to me. “If you two don’t mind, I can speak for myself, thank you very much. And I’m no slouch at looking after myself either. I’m a big girl now.” She addresses the last to Sean, who smiles at her wryly.
“I’m not going to try and talk you out of it,” he tells her, and then he turns back to me, all business again. It’s a shame Sean has belonged to the rival ‘side’ for so long, because he would make a great ally. Especially if he can step out of his brother’s shadow.
“So where do I fit into this?”
“I wasn’t planning on you fitting in anywhere, but Shannon thought you should know,” I say, glossing over the fact that if I had my way he would know absolutely zero about Friday. I can’t blame Shannon for telling him and of course she trusts her brother, but I’m not so sure. Sean has surprised me and he clearly loves his sister, but is he really prepared to betray his brother, even knowing what he has done? He must know that this means Patrick is marked for death. There’s no way that I can let him live.
I wonder if Shannon has fully grasped that fact yet.
“You’re going to kill my brother,” Sean says matter-of-fact. I can sense his anger and grief, although his face gives nothing away. But I can also sense acceptance, and disgust for what his brother has done. I’m pretty sure that Sean won’t betray us, but is it a risk that I’m prepared to take?
“Yes,” I say. I feel Shannon tense beside me, but she says nothing.
“Good.” Sean surprises me again.
“I need you to keep away on Friday,” I tell him. “I’m assuming Patrick hasn’t told you anything is going down?”
Sean smirks, although there’s no amusement in it.
“He told me he has a date. I knew he was lying...but of course I never expected this.”
I nod, trying to sympathize with his plight. If this were Brendan or Aiden, what would I do? But I know neither of them would go near such a despicable trade as trafficking in humans.
“I’ll be there,” he continues. “And you can’t stop me Killanney. He’s my brother...I want him to face me and tell me himself what he thinks he’s playing at.”
I can’t deny him that, but he could still be a loose cannon...not to mention the fact that I have to tell my brothers and our men that our biggest rival is suddenly joining our operation to take down his brother...This is becoming one hell of a headache.
But without it, I wouldn’t have met Shannon. I squeeze her hand under the table.
“What about afterwards?”
I know what Sean is asking. If we take Patrick and no doubt some of his men out, where does that leave him? The O’Donnell crew will have lost a lot of their power overnight and once word gets out of what Patrick was involved in, they will lose a lot of respect too.
“You take over,” I offer. “Keep on your own turf and stop treading on ours and I’ll make sure that you’re left alone. No more fighting...not now that we’re going to be practically family.” I couldn’t resist.
He grimaces at that, his eyes flickering to Shannon and then away. His gaze meets mine again.
“Okay Killanney. Let’s get this over with. What time and place Friday? I’ll bring back up of my own.”
I stand up and shake his hand, but his eyes are as wary as I feel. We don’t trust each other and we have plenty of reasons not to.
Shannon walks him to the door of the apartment and hugs him tight before letting him go. She watches him leave for a moment before closing the door and walking back over to me. I pull her into my lap.
“Well that went better than I thought,” she says. When I don�
�t answer she sighs.
“You don’t trust him do you?”
“Should I?”
“Yes,” she says firmly. “Sean wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. He was as disgusted as I am about Patrick.” She stares at me, her eyes wide. “YOU have to promise me you won’t hurt him,” she implores.
“If he betrays us...”
“He won’t.”
“Then I won’t hurt him...and neither will any of my men. I promise.”
She leans towards me and kisses me lightly, her lips a feather touch against mine, but it’s enough to make my cock stiffen.
“Thank you.” Her eyes look darker as her pupils dilate and she wiggles on my lap, smiling as she feels me growing harder against her.
“I believe we were talking about some kind of ritual...” she teases, slipping a hand under my shirt and lightly dragging her nails across my abs.
“We were. And I think it’s about time we stopped talking about it and got on with some action,” I tell her, very seriously. She kisses me hungrily and I feel the heat rising in my body. I’m going to take her again, and this time I’ll finish what we started. This time I will make her my mate in more than words.
She’ll be mine, body and soul.
Chapter Ten
Shannon
Cormac stands up and takes me with him, carrying me in his arms towards the bedroom, pausing every now and then to kiss me roughly. He kicks the door open with his foot, carries me in and then sets me on my feet, running his eyes over my body in that way that makes me feel like the sexiest woman on the planet.
“Take off your clothes,” he says. “I want to see you.” Fingers shaking I slip my dress off so that I’m standing in front of him in just pale pink underwear that show my boobs and mound to full effect, and pink heels. His eyes sweep my body and the heat in them makes me instantly wet. Instantly I’m craving his touch, my pussy pulsing at the thought of him being inside me again.
“Take the underwear off...but leave your shoes on.”
I like this...the way he’s taking control. Telling me what he wants. I keep my gaze locked on his as I unhook my bra and slide it down my arms, letting it fall to the floor. Then I slide my panties slowly down over my thighs and step out of them.
“Come here,” he growls. I walk over to him slowly, a new found confidence giving me a sway I didn’t have before. I’ve never been all that confident about my body, considering myself just a bit too chubby than is fashionable right now, but Cormac looks at me like I’m all his Christmases rolled into one.
I swallow my nerves about what’s to come, and feel the butterflies in my tummy replaced by the low throb of desire. I know he won’t hurt me, but biting sounds so...primal. Yet exciting too...the idea that we are claiming each other as our own. And for life. I’m going to be his mate for life. This huge, sexy, completely exciting guy that I instinctively trust completely.
As I reach him he gently runs a hand up and down my body, tracing the curve of my waist and hip with his fingertips and then circling around my breast. A moan escapes my lip as my whole body tingles at his touch. Slowly...too slowly...he trails his hand down to my pussy, stroking the outside of my folds until I moan again and push my hips forward, needy for his touch. He dips a finger between my lips, stroking my already wet and aching clit, a look of triumph lights his eyes as I tip my head back and moan with abandon.
Cormac pulls me towards him roughly and kisses me, his mouth devouring mine as his hand works my pussy, rubbing the pad of his thumb over my clit while he dips his fingers inside me. Then he pulls back, reaches that hand to his mouth and gently sucks my juices off his fingers, keeping his eyes on mine the whole time. I gasp, and then he takes his fingers out of his mouth and rubs them over my lips. I can smell my own musky scent, the unmistakable smell of desire, and in response my thighs tremble with lust.
“I want you inside me,” I whisper. By way of answer he pulls his shirt over his head, then unbuttons and steps out of his jeans and shoes. His cock is huge, and I reach for him almost tentatively, running my hand over the silky skin at his tip. Moisture beads at the opening and with a smile I lift my fingers to my mouth in turn, licking his moisture from my fingertips. His eyes widen in surprise, and then he shakes his head, grinning.
“You’re a minx, Shannon O’Donnell,” he tells me. Then he looks more serious. “Are you sure that you’re ready? Once this is done it can’t be undone.”
I already know my answer. “I’m ready,” I say, biting my lip. This is really happening. He cups my breasts in his hands then leans down to take one nipple into his mouth, sucking sharply until I moan and say his name in a pleading tone. I stroke his length again, feeling his cock twitch in my hand as though in greeting.
Suddenly he puts his hands on my hips and spins my round. “Lean over the bed,” he growls into my ear. Now I understand why he wanted me to keep my heels on. I do as he says, resting my hands on the edge of the bed and arching my back so my ass is tipped towards him. I hear him inhale sharply.
“You are so goddamn sexy,” he says in a low voice, running a hand over my butt cheeks, stroking and kneading. He slaps one cheek slightly and the unfamiliar sensation sends shivers through my body. I’m shocked that I like it, but as he gently spanks me again I get so wet that I can feel my juices running down my thighs. He slips his hand between my legs, stretching me slightly with his fingers. There’s no resistance this time...my body is more than ready for his.
“You feel amazing,” he tells me as his fingers stroke the front wall of my pussy, sending shocks of pleasure through my body. “My cock is aching to be inside you.”
“Yes,” I groan, pushing my hips back towards him. He removes his fingers and then I feel the head of his cock pushing against the opening of my pussy. He gently slides himself inside me, inch by inch, until I feel completely filled by him. As he starts to move my breath comes out in long moans and I lean forward with my head between my elbows, muffling my cries in the duvet as he picks up his pace and moves in and out of me...deep and hard.
He wraps his hand in my hair, tugging at it lightly so that my scalp tingles. My body is a riot of senses, each sensation blending into one so that I feel like one huge nerve ending of desire, my whole body craving for release. As his thumbs starts to stroke around the opening of my ass, a strange but pleasant sensation, I hear myself gasping his name.
“Cormac,” I moan, my breath coming in shallow pants as he moves both of his hands back to my hips and starts to fuck me in earnest, driving his hips so that he pumps in and out of me and I move with him, matching his rhythm, unable to focus on anything now except the feel of him inside me and the growing longing at the core of my body.
“Come for me sweetheart,” he says in a raspy voice, which only pushes me further towards my climax. I writhe on his cock, moaning with abandon.
Then he lifts me up and lays me on my stomach on the bed, coming with me so that he’s lying on top of me and his cock is still inside me. He grinds himself into me and it’s so deep and intense I cry out, my hands clutching the material beneath me. He moves my thighs further apart with his own and drives himself into me as he pushes my hair away from my neck, exposing the nape of it.
“Are you mine Shannon?” he asks me and his voice has changed, becoming deeper and thicker. My heart pounds in my chest as I realize that this is it. This moment will change my life forever.
“I’m yours Cormac,” I say and in response I feel teeth graze the back of my neck. There’s a sudden sting as he pierces my skin, but then a rush of euphoria and fierce, intense longing fills my whole body and I feel my orgasm crash over me, ripping through my body. I scream into the pillow as the waves go on and on, flooding my body.
I feel him pulsing inside me and his body tenses against mine. He lifts his head and teeth from my neck and bellows as he comes inside me, filling me with his seed. It pumps into me in waves while he shudders against me, moaning my name. Finally he rolls off to the side of me, pulling me into him
so that he’s spooning me. I lie lazily in his arms, purring like a contented cat. He slides a hand languidly over my body, running his fingers over my hip bones.
“Did it hurt?” he asks. I shake my head. “Not at all...it was even better than the first time.”
He chuckles into my hair. “It’s only going to keep getting better darlin,” he mumbles sleepily. I would tease him about falling asleep, but my eyelids are heavy too. My whole body in fact is heavy with the afterglow of our love making and I stretch and yawn, and then finally I fall asleep in my man’s arms.
Chapter Eleven
Cormac
We take our places in the disused warehouse, hidden amongst the shadows. Down at the docks a boat has recently moored and even from here I can smell the same acrid scent of fear that I smelled the other night. Somewhere on that boat are scared humans, trafficked for God knows what fate. Forced labor, domestic servitude, even the organ trade for all we know...the hair on my neck stands on end in disgust that Patrick O’Donnell has even had the gall to bring this into my territory. Right under my nose. Unfortunately for him my nose is keener than most.
In the shadows behind me are Brendan and Aiden. We’re all armed, even though we rarely need weapons, because we are hoping we won’t have to kill everyone. We also have two of our best men here who don’t know what we are, although the rumors abound. But if we have to shift then we will.
There’s no sign of Sean, which is making me uneasy. He could have cooked something up with Patrick and is planning on double crossing us...while I hope he wouldn’t do that to Shannon, I could sense how angry he was about my claiming his sister. Now that anger has had time to bubble over, perhaps he has decided to throw in his lot with Patrick’s trafficking schemes after all. Shannon will be heartbroken.
Claimed By The Enemy (Irish Wolf Shifters Book 3) Page 5
