Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole

25

Scarlet

"Should I be nervous? What's he going to ask me at this meeting?" I question Alaina.

She waves her hand in front of her face. "Nah, it's not like we follow our religion, and neither do the O'Connors. Getting married in the church is more for show."

"That's exactly why I'm nervous. What if he asks me things about Catholicism I don't know and then he won't marry us?"

"He won't."

"I didn't have to have any meeting with Tommy. I still don't understand why this is necessary," I say.

Alaina's expression darkens. She states, "Ya were forced to marry him. Nothing was done the right way."

I stay quiet, remembering how horrible it was standing before three men in my white dress. I wish I could erase the memory, but I'm unsure how.

Alaina slides her arm around me. "Really, ya don't need to worry. I've met Father Michael and he's a lovely man."

I release an anxious breath. "Okay."

She admits, "But if it makes ya feel any better, I was a little nervous before my meeting too."

"Ya were?"

"Of course I was," she insists.

"Nothing makes ya nervous."

She gives me one of her knowing looks and chirps, "That's what ya think, but that's not the truth. There are lots of things that give me anxiety. You're one of them."

I smirk. "Ha ha, funny."

Since finding out a few days ago that she's pregnant, things have gotten slightly less tense. She's gotten off Aidan's back, and they seem to have come to some sort of truce. Although, we'll see how it is later today because I know I have another fight on my hands.

I question, "What will the priest have me do?"

"Well, when I got it done, I was in America, but all he did was discuss some things I'd have to do during ceremonies. And, of course, they want ya to get involved in the church based on our influence in the clan."

"I don't know anything about the church to volunteer for anything," I fret.

"Don't worry about it. Just tell him you'll do it. Ya don't have to do anything ya don't want to once you're married."

"That seems dishonest," I say.

Aidan enters the room. "What's dishonest?" He leans down and gives me a kiss on the head.

Alaina states, "I'm explaining to Scarlet how the church works in this family."

Aidan grunts. "Don't add any morals into it, petal. Now, Father Michael confirmed he'll be here in the next hour."

Here's where the fight starts.

I rise. "Aidan, I want to go to the church. I don't want to do it here."

"We don't have security set up," Alaina states.

I cross my arms. "Then get it set up."

She tilts her head. "We were doing so well. Do we have to fight today?"

"I have to get out of here, Alaina. Ya can't keep me prisoner. We've talked about this."

"I'm not keeping ya prisoner."

I look at Aidan. "Please, whatever ya have to do, let's go to the church."

"Out of all the places ya want me to take ya, ya want to go there?" he questions.

I nod, challenging, "Yea. Is that a problem?"

Alaina interjects, "Yea, it is a problem. There are a lot of logistics that go into making sure that you're safe."

"I didn't ask ya. I asked my soon-to-be husband," I smirk.

She shuts her mouth but her emerald eyes shoot me a disapproving look.

I refocus on Aidan. "Please."

Aidan looks smug as he says, "Aye, my dear soon-to-be wife. I will make sure that it's set up. It might take a few hours though."

"I don't care how long it takes. I want to get out of here and go to the church to meet with the priest. I don't want to do it here," I restate, lifting my chin higher.

His lips twitch. He kisses me and then assures me, "I'll take care of it."

"Ya two are going to be the death of me before I even have my baby," Alaina curses.

I accuse, "Since when are ya the dramatic one?"

Aidan states, "Let me take care of some things." He steps toward the exit.

Alaina starts to follow.

"Nope, I have this handled, Alaina. Ya just rest."

"I'm not an invalid," she says.

I burst out laughing.

She wrinkles her forehead. "It's not funny! I'm pregnant, not physically hurt in any way!"

"That's exactly what I used to tell Aidan all the time."

He freezes in the doorway and turns around, lecturing, "Brody said ya needed your rest. He said ya needed to stay de-stressed. Let me handle this, Alaina."

She opens her mouth and then shuts it.

I state, "Ya have the baby to think about." I put my hand on her stomach. "Hey, little baby. It's Auntie Scarlet. Tell your mum that she needs to keep out of my business."

Alaina gives me another disapproving look.

Aidan slaps the side of the doorframe. "On that note, I'll take care of things and be back. Enjoy your time together, ladies." He shuts the door.

Alaina crosses her arms. "Ya don't need to be taking risks."

I firmly assert, "Conversation's over. Now, are we going to look through this baby book or not?"

She tilts her head.

I hold up the book. "Come on. We have decisions to make."

A tiny smile forms on her lips as she relents. "Okay, fine."

We sit on the couch and look over all the books the baby planner had left us for the next few hours, deciding what we'll order for the nursery.

Aidan returns to the room, announcing, "We're all set."

"How many men do ya have out there?" Alaina questions.

He answers, "Brody took care of it with me. Ya don't need to worry."

She crosses her arms. "I asked ya a question, Aidan. I expect an answer."

He sighs. "We've got two hundred men surrounding the church for over a mile. The police have been notified as well. It's taken care of."

Alaina stares at him in silence.

"Is there anything else, Alaina?" he questions.

"No, be safe." She hugs me and asks, "What time will ya have her back?"

Aidan growls, "When we're back."

She looks at Aidan. "Ya know this makes me uncomfortable."

He rolls his eyes. "I'll text ya."

"Thank ya."

Aidan guides me out of the house, and we get into the car. The driver takes us through Belfast, and I look around in awe, still mesmerized by the surroundings and how different it is from Dublin.

We don't say much. We get to the church, and my anxiety starts to grow again. I fret, "What if I say the wrong thing?"

Aidan grunts. "Ya can't. I paid him. It's all good. Don't worry."

"So there's nothing I can say wrong?"

"No, just don't ask him any Would Ya Rather questions. I don't want to be here all day."

I stifle a giggle. "But it might be entertaining."

He grunts. "Not with Father Michael. Trust me on this." He gets out of the car, reaches for me, and leads me into the church.

I catch my breath, glancing around, then exclaim, "Wow. This is beautiful."

The windows are made of stained glass and a large crucifix hangs over an altar. A man wearing a dark robe is kneeling in front of an assortment of candles. His head is half bald, just a ring of white hair around the bottom of his skull. It's similar to Tommy's, except this man's is cleanly cut instead of grown out.

Aidan leads us to him, kneels, and takes out his lighter. He ignites several of the wicks, tosses some cash in a box, then nods for me to kneel next to him.

I obey.

He hands me the lighter, puts more cash in the box, and holds out three fingers.

I light three of the candles, and silence ensues.

Father Michael finally turns, booming, "Aidan O'Connor." He sets his rosary down and makes the sign of the cross, then prays, "Dear Lord, please protect this man's soul. He knows not what he does. Amen."

Aidan states, "Amen. Good to see ya too, Father Michael. This is my lovely bride-to-be, Scarlet."

Father Michael's eyes narrow on me. There's a slight disapproval in them.

I blurt out, "I have no ties to the O'Learys."

Aidan puts his arm around me. "He already knows that, and there's no question about it, is there, Father?"

Father Michael straightens his shoulders. "No, there is not." He makes the sign of the cross again and then says, "Dear Heavenly Father, we ask ya to protect this woman and make her the best O'Connor she can be. Amen."

"Amen," Aidan states, then nudges me.

"Amen," I softly repeat, my anxiety building.

Father Michaels rises, leading us through the church and into a side room. He sits down at the desk and motions to the two chairs. "Please have a seat."

Aidan pulls mine out, and after I'm seated, he takes his.

Father Michael questions, "How active were ya previously in your church?"

I wince, confessing, "Not very."

Disapproval fills his expression. "Why weren't ya active in your religion?"

"Is this necessary?" Aidan questions.

"I'm just trying to understand why a lass of her stature isn't more active in her church."

"She just told ya she wasn't. No need to keep beating a dead horse."

I stifle a laugh. I can always count on Aidan to protect me, even in a situation with a priest.

Father Michael sits back in his chair and drums his fingers on the armrest. "There are a lot of committees in our church. The health of our institution should always be a concern of yours. Are ya committed to making it a top priority?"

Just say yes to everything,Alaina's voice says in my head.

But instead of doing what she told me, I blurt out, "I'm sure that's important, but I'm not sure how I can help. I'm really a nobody."

"Oh, I can assure ya, ya are not a nobody, Miss O'Leary. Especially after ya become Aidan's wife."

"Do not call her Miss O'Leary," Aidan barks, his face hardening.

Father Michael clears his throat. "Miss Scarlet, you're going to be married to an O'Connor—a man who's nearly the head of the O'Connor clan. This is your church going forward. Ya and your sister—and I really would like to see more of Alaina, besides at baptisms and marriages—have a responsibility and duty as heads of the clan to help ensure the health of our church. Are ya committed to doing that?"

"Aye, she is," Aidan states.

Father Michael scowls at him. "I didn't ask ya. I asked her. Do I need ya to leave the room?"

"I'm not leaving my wife."

"Soon-to-be wife," Father Michael corrects, arching his eyebrows.

I grab Aidan's hand. "It's okay. I can answer. Yes, I'm committed. I don't know what I can do, but ya can help me figure that out after we're married." I give him my most dazzling smile.

He seems to like my answer. "Very good, then, and I assume ya know about how the ceremony works since ya got married previously?"

My gut flips.

Aidan scolds, "I told ya she was forced. Let's not discuss it ever again."

"Well ya still need to deal with that situation," Father Michael adds.

"Next topic," Aidan orders.

The two men pin their challenging stares on one another.

I jump in, "I really don't know what to expect. Do I need to know all that before I get married?"

"Well, it'd be good if ya two started attending church."

"We're not going to start coming to church, Father. That wasn't part of the deal."

"Deals can be tweaked."

"The fifty thousand pounds I gave ya did not include that, and there will be no tweaking," Aidan states, his eyes narrowing on him.

"Fifty thousand pounds!" I shriek.

Father Michael winces, covering his ears.

"Sorry, but that's a lot of money," I blurt out.

His cheeks heat. "It would be good for the congregation to see your faces."

Aidan insists, "Not happening. And our deal is already negotiated. You're not getting any more either."

"This isn't about the money."

Aidan scoffs. "Sure it isn't."

"I guess if we're talking about money, if ya wanted to make another donation, I could talk with the bishop about annulling Scarlet's previous marriage."

My chest tightens. "What would that do?"

"An annulment would make it so it never existed."

I stare at him and blink hard.

Never existed?

But it did.

Aidan tightens his arm around me. He interjects, "Scarlet and I will discuss that privately and get back with ya."

Father Michael nods. "We're looking to build a new library for the school. It would be a wonderful gift to your future bride to have it named after her."

Aidan grunts. "I'm sure you'd love that. Now, if you're—" Aidan's phone rings. He glances at it and then freezes.

"What's wrong?" I question.

He picks up the phone, answering, "What's going on?"

A moment of silence follows.

Aidan booms, "What do ya mean he's alone?"

The hairs on my arms rise.

Aidan states, "Scarlet is with me. The police better be holding them back with our men."

My chest tightens.

"Aidan," I quietly say.

He glances at me, then tugs me closer, stating, "He's got balls coming on our turf, especially our religious turf. Make sure he's unarmed. Don't ya dare let him go."

My heart races so fast it feels like it will beat out of my chest.

Aidan grazes his fingers over my biceps. He stares at me, then states, "You're sure he's unarmed?" He kisses the top of my head and then says, "That's fine. I'll meet ya outside." He hangs up the phone.

I fret, "It's Tommy, isn't it?"

He nods.

Father Michael declares, "We can't have trouble here. This is the house of God."

"We won't, and I'm assured he's secure. Our guys and the police have stopped his men farther back. But he wants a word, and they aren't going to leave unless he gets it. In order to avoid it getting ugly, I need to go out there, and ya know it," Aidan informs, locking eyes with Father Michael.

"Scarlet will stay inside with me," Father says.

I blurt out, "No, I'm going with Aidan."

His eyes widen. "Ya aren't going with me, lass."

"I need to face him. I want to show him he has no more power over me. Please," I beg, suddenly needing to face Tommy.

"Absolutely not."

I grab his arm. "Please? I need to do this."

"We've not talked about this before, petal. Where is this coming from?"

"I don't know, but I may not have another chance. Let me face him if you're saying it's safe."

"Things aren't always a hundred percent reliable," Father Michael comments.

Aidan turns his head toward him. "It is safe. My men have assured me."

"Then please, let me go with ya, Aidan. Don't deny me this," I plead, lifting my chin.

Aidan ponders it a bit more.

"Please?" I quietly beg.

He finally nods. "Okay, petal, but we aren't staying out there long. If I tell ya to go back inside, ya need to listen to me."

"I will," I assure him.

We leave Father Michael's office, and Aidan ignores his protest. He cracks open the church door and says, "Stay here for a minute." He steps outside and assesses the situation.

My insides quiver, and I almost chicken out.

What am I doing?

It's now or never.

I don't need to do this.

I do!

Aidan returns. "Are ya sure ya want to do this? This isn't necessary."

"I have to," I tell him, my nerves skyrocketing.

A mix of understanding and disapproval crosses his face.

I put my hands on his cheeks. "If you've ever given me a gift, this will be it," I claim, once again unsure why I'm pressing him to face Tommy.

Aidan sighs. "Okay, petal." He kisses me, then leads me out into the cold air. A burst of wind swirls around us, and the closer we get to the wall of men, the more Tommy's pungent smell of tobacco fills the air.

I put my hand on my stomach.

Aidan stops. He mutters, "Are ya okay, petal?"

I force myself to overcome the nausea and square my shoulders. "Yea."

He waits.

"Let's get this over with," I say.

He hesitates another moment, then leads me to the middle of the wall of men. He snarls, "Ya have a lot of nerve coming here, Tommy."

Several men step aside. Two hold Tommy by the arms, so there's no way he can fight them.

My insides shake harder, and maybe it's because Aidan is next to me, and I've never seen Tommy not in control, but he looks pathetic.

He's aged since I saw him last, and represents a shell of the man I remember. While I'm sure he's still stronger than me, there's no doubt Aidan would kick his ass.

The wind picks up, and more tobacco scent swirls around us. I swallow hard, trying not to get dizzy.

Aidan tightens his hold on me.

Tommy's bloodshot, beady eyes narrow on me. He threatens, "Ya got a lot of nerve sleeping with the enemy, especially when you're my wife."

"I'm not your wife. Ya forced me to marry ya. I didn't say those vows."

"Your da said them for ya. That's good enough."

"It's not," I seethe, filling with a wave of anger I haven't ever allowed myself to feel.

Aidan pushes me a tad behind him. "Ya do have balls coming here, Tommy. And your days are numbered. But ya said ya had something to say to me? So go ahead, say it."

Tommy's lips curl into a sinister smile. "I came to give ya and my whore a warning."

"She's not yours! She never was!" Aidan barks.

Tommy's arrogance rises. "That's funny since I marked her pussy way before ya did."

My knees lose the ability to hold me up. Fire explodes on my cheeks. I wobble.

Aidan tightens his arm around me, not taking his eyes off Tommy. He threatens, "The only pussy who's going to get marked is ya when I show ya my wrath."

Tommy snorts, locking his eyes on mine.

The air in my lungs turns stale. I do my best not to flinch.

Aidan orders, "Ya have two seconds to say whatever ya want. Then you're going back. Unless you're ready for a bloodbath? " Aidan points over Tommy's head.

More O'Connor men and police litter the entire area, creating a human wall. Men I recognize as O'Learys are posted up on the other side. It's clear the O'Connors outnumber them.

Tommy keeps his leer on me and snarls, "I'm going to get my wife back. Ya will be mine again, Scarlet. And ya…" He refocuses on Aidan. "I'm gonna feed her your balls."