Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole

4

Aidan

Arooster crows, and I open my eyes. Dull pain throbs in my lower back, and I groan, glancing around the tiny cottage. I move to get off the couch and realize that the quilt from the bed is covering me.

I freeze, staring at it. I didn't put this on me. I had the crappy blanket.

I lift the quilt to look for the throw, but it's gone. I get off the couch and go to the bedroom door, staring at Scarlet.

She's sleeping. Her slightly parted lips, and her red hair fanned over the pillow, make her look like an angel sleeping peacefully, even with the faint black circles still under her eyes.

She's gorgeous even though she's gaunt. I review the items in the kitchen so I know what I can make her for breakfast. She couldn't eat all the food I put in front of her last night, which is understandable. I'm sure her stomach shrunk from being starved.

She stirs, and I stay frozen. Then she settles back into the bed, hugging the pillow tighter. I carefully shut the door so it doesn't make any noise, then stare at the knob.

I can't believe she locked me out last night. It took everything I had not to kick the door in, but she was upset. I figured if I followed through with my threat, it'd make the situation worse. Plus, I didn't want to be like Tommy.

I tear my eyes off the knob and notice the fire is barely burning. I don't need extra heat, but Scarlet gets cold.

Because that bastard starved her and she has no fat on her body.

I stare at the fire, my fists at my sides, taking deep breaths full of anger. The embers dull further, and I leave the cottage, stepping out into the cold air.

Thick fog stretches over the yard, and my breath forms clouds before me with every exhale. I go to the woodpile and toss a few logs in the wheelbarrow.

A crackle comes through the woods. I spin, then relax when I spot a deer leaping through the trees.

I put my hands in my pockets, staring at it and gripping my phone.

Sighing, I decide I need to face the music. I turn on my cell even though I don't want to. I already know there'll be a slew of messages.

The screen lights up with dozens of texts, mostly from Brody and Alaina.

Brody: Where is she?

Brody: Ya need to bring her back.

Brody: Call me.

Brody: Why is your phone turned off?

Brody: This isn't okay, Aidan. I'm the boss. Disobeying me will have consequences.

Brody: You're pissing me off now.

Brody: Goddamnit! My wife's going nuts. I need ya to contact me immediately. That's an order!

It goes on and on and on. Then I open Alaina's messages, which range from angry to desperate.

Alaina: Where is she? Don't ya dare keep her from me.

Alaina: We can keep her safe here—more than ya can wherever ya are.

Alaina: Bring her to me, Aidan. It's an order.

Alaina: Don't be like them and keep her away from me. She'll want to see me. She has to be asking about me.

Alaina: Tell her I love her and want to see her.

Alaina: Ya have to let me see her.

Alaina: I advise ya to get back here sooner rather than later.

Alaina: Aidan, I'm begging ya.

I continue reading the threats and pleas until I finally send them a joint message.

Me: Stop texting me. She's fine. I won't let anything happen to her. When I finish executing what needs to happen, you'll see her.

I immediately get replies.

Alaina: Bring her back now, Aidan. This isn't okay.

Brody: You've gotten your orders. Do not disobey us.

I groan, scrubbing my face.

"Everything okay?" Scarlet's voice rings through the air.

I turn.

She hugs her chest, and her lips quiver from the cold.

I point toward the cottage. "Get inside. It's too cold out here, and ya can get hurt."

She rolls her eyes. "Are we back to me being a weak woman who can't stand on her own two feet long enough not to break a bone?"

"It's not funny," I state, my worries from yesterday reappearing.

Her teeth chatter. "What are ya doing out here?"

"Getting wood."

"Looks like something else is going on." She glances at the phone as it buzzes with new messages.

I don't look at them, turning the phone off and sliding it into my pocket. I reiterate, "I need ya to go inside."

"I can help carry wood."

I scowl. "Absolutely not. Go inside, Scarlet, or I'll carry ya in."

"Ya really are annoying."

"Don't test me," I threaten.

"Ugh," she mutters, spins, and returns to the cottage.

Once the door shuts, I fill a wheelbarrow with as much wood as possible and roll it to the front porch. I take it all inside, then go back outside and get another wheelbarrow full. I shut and lock the door when all the wood is next to the fireplace.

Scarlet's in the kitchen. She calls out, "I'm assuming ya love an Irish breakfast."

I arch my eyebrows. "Aye, but I can make it. Why don't ya go rest?"

She puts her hand on her hip. "Aidan, I'm not going to just lie around all day. I'm fine."

I debate, unconvinced she has any energy to stand longer than thirty seconds. How can she when he almost starved her to death?

"I don't feel like fighting all day, but that's what we're going to be doing if ya don't stop this," she claims.

I cave. "Fine, but I'll help ya."

"No, sit down. How's your back, by the way?"

I don't tell her that it's sore. I lie, "It's fine."

"Ya sure? That couch is pretty small for ya."

"And we're back to how large I am," I tease.

Her cheeks flush. "You're impossible." She spins and grabs bacon out of the fridge. She unwraps it and looks over her shoulder, stating, "You're staring at me."

"Is that a bad thing?" I reply, even though I shouldn't after how she reacted last night.

She ignores me. "Why don't ya read a book or something?"

"Read a book?"

"Yea. I assume ya know how to read since if ya lost your hearing, ya would read what's on your phone."

I glance at the bookshelf. It's the only thing that's in here. I declare, "Yea, I'll pass on that idea."

Her lips twitch. "Ya don't like to read books?"

"Not really. I'd rather watch a movie."

"Why is that?"

I cross my arms and wiggle my eyebrows. "Ya could say I'm a visual guy."

She softly laughs. "Of course ya are." She puts the bacon in the pan, and the sound of it sizzling in the skillet hits my ears.

"Ya sure ya don't want any help?"

She turns and puts her hands on the counter. "Where I come from, men don't belong in the kitchen. Women do. And ya should know that since ya apparently are familiar with my clan. Yet I'm still unsure why ya would defy my da and husband."

My insides curl.

Her husband.

Her da.

Without thinking, I blurt out, "Your da's dead."

She gapes momentarily, then recovers, scolding, "That's not funny."

"Who said I'm joking?" My stomach churns more. I'm probably telling her at the wrong time, but I knew I'd have to tell her eventually. It should be one less worry for her, but I also don't know how she'll react. I study her carefully.

She blinks hard and seethes, "Don't ya dare lie to me, Aidan."

I step closer. "I'm not lying."

She steps away from the counter until her back hits the stove.

"Watch yourself," I warn.

She slides to the side. "Why would ya say such a horrible thing?"

I stand across from her. "Because it's true. Alaina killed him."

More surprise fills her expression. She gapes at me for a long time, then slowly shakes her head. "No. Alaina would never—"

"She did. He tried to kill her, and she got to him first. She slit him to pieces."

Shock fills her as she processes it.

I add, "Your sister did the right thing."

Scarlet raises her head and glares, seething, "If she killed my da, they would've taken her. You're lying!"

"No, your sister's safe."

"But the clan would've killed her."

"They didn't."

Confusion fills Scarlet's face. She carefully asks, "So she's in charge of the clan now?"

More rage fills me. Everything about the O'Learys irritates me. I inform her, "No. Your oldest brother Caleb is."

The color drains from her cheeks. "Caleb, not Alaina?"

I shake my head. "No. Your da named Caleb before Alaina killed him."

"I-I don't understand. Why would Alaina kill Da?"

I grunt. "Why shouldn't she? Look what he did to ya."

Scarlet looks away and puts her hand on her gut. I step closer to her. "Everything's fine. Alaina is fine. She's safe."

Scarlet's voice quivers. "Caleb will be looking for me. He's worse than my da. At least Da..." Her voice trails off.

"At least Da what?" I snarl, my mouth turning dry.

She stays silent and squeezes her eyes shut, but a tear runs down her cheek.

"Your da never treated ya the way ya should have been treated," I claim.

"Ya don't know how my da treated me," she snarls.

Frustration fills me. I don't know how she can be loyal to a man who forced her to marry the monster she did. It's so clear he never loved her. He didn't love her sister either. He only cared about his sons. Women were just disposable, and it didn't matter that they were his blood.

She asks, "So Tommy and Caleb are the ones hunting us?"

"Probably, but they're never going to find us," I declare.

Her hands shake. She insists, "Ya don't know that. They will."

"No, they won't." The trembling in her hands grows. I put my arm around her. "Scarlet, why don't ya go sit down? I'll make breakfast."

"No," she says, lifting her chin.

"It's okay. Just go sit down on the couch. You're upset."

"I'm fine," she snaps, then spins and goes to the fridge. She pulls more food out, and I watch her. She seethes, "Can ya stop staring at me?"

I don't move.

She grabs beans out of the cupboard and slams them on the counter. "Jesus! I asked ya to stop. Can ya do one thing that I ask?"

I sit at the table but don't take my eyes off her. I can't. No matter her outburst, it's impossible.

She stays busy in the kitchen, and the smell of bacon soon fills the air.

She removes it from the skillet, cracks eggs into the grease, and mutters, "And you're still staring at me." But her voice has less anger in it.

I want to ask her a lot of things, like how she feels now that she's had time to process that her da's dead. Or why she can't comprehend that she doesn't belong to Tommy. And I know she's fragile right now and confused, but my rationale doesn't make it easy for me to understand how she can still be loyal to them.

She finishes cooking, turns the stove off, and brings everything to the table. I grab plates and silverware, and we eat in tense silence.

She finally puts her fork down, swallows, takes a sip of tea, then asks, "Where's my sister?"

My chest tightens.

I might as well get it over with.

I reveal, "She's with my brother."

The questions pop into Scarlet's expression before she inquires, "Who's your brother?"

"Brody."

Her eyebrows furrow. She studies me. Then the color once again drains from her face. Her voice sounds raw as she demands, "Tell me your last name. Now."

I clench my jaw and stare at her.

"Aidan, tell me your and Brody's last name."

"I think ya know my last name."

Her eyes widen. She seethes, "Are ya an O'Connor?"

"Aye, petal, I am," I admit.

Her chair flies back so fast it hits the floor. She jumps up and moves toward the door.

I rise from my chair and reach the door before she does, stepping between her and it, asking, "Where do ya think you're going?"

"Away from ya."

"No, you're not. It's not safe."

She jabs me in the chest. "Don't tell me what's safe. You're an O'Connor."

"An O'Connor who removed ya from your prison."

"To be in yours!"

The hairs on my neck rise. "Ya know this isn't a prison."

She scoffs, then puts her hand over her mouth, turning from me. She mutters, "Jesus, I'm so stupid. How could I not put two and two together?"

"I need ya to calm down, petal."

"Do not call me petal," she snarls, spinning on me, red rage all over her cheeks.

"Nothing has changed."

She snarls, "Everything has changed. You're the enemy of my family. And Tommy...he'll...he'll definitely hunt ya down and kill ya. And me! What have ya done?"

Everything I've been holding inside boils over. I try to keep my voice calm but end up barking, "What have I done? I took ya away from that monster, and he'll be dead when I get done with him. Just like your da. Just like your brothers eventually will as well."

Her jaw trembles harder. Her eyes glisten, and the emotions in her expression are more intense than yesterday. Fear, loathing, and pure disgust are all directed at me.

I stay quiet, wanting to take away that look, but I can't.

"What's your brother doing with my sister?" she asks angrily.

"They're married."

Her head jerks backward. "You're lying."

"They are," I insist.

"He forced her?" she questions. Tears fall down her face. She swipes at them.

Disgust fills me. "No, we don't force women to marry us. And Alaina no longer is an O'Leary. She took an oath to be an O'Connor. It was her choice, and she now rules our clan with my brother."

Scarlet stares at me in disbelief, shaking her head. "Sure, and pigs fly, Aidan."

"I'm not lying, lass."

"Ya are."

"No, I'm not. I can show ya the messages from both of them if ya want."

Her eyes turn to slits. "Is that who ya were texting this morning?"

I slowly nod.

She holds her hand out. "I want to see the messages."

I take a deep breath and pull my phone out. I turn it on, pull up the chain of texts, and hold it in front of her face.

She tries to grab the phone, and I pull it back.

"You're not taking my phone, but ya can read the messages."

"Give it to me," she demands.

"No. Either read them like this, or ya won't see them at all."

She glares at me.

I scroll to the top of the messages and slowly move the screen as she reads.

When there are no more, she claims, "My sister wants to see me."

"Of course she does."

"Then let me see her."

"It's too dangerous. Getting ya here was enough of a risk. If we move around, it increases the chance that your brother and Tommy's men will find us."

Her face hardens. "I want to see my sister."

"Ya can't."

She gives me another look of hatred and finally says, "So I am your prisoner. Ya claim you're better than him, but you're not. He kept her from me, and now ya are too."

I hate myself for doing anything that resembles what Tommy did to her, but I know I'm right. I can't take her to Alaina right now. It's too dangerous. So I lift my chest and stand taller. "Well, then, lass, if that's what ya want to think, I guess that's what you'll think. Eventually, you'll see your sister again, but not until it's safe."

She shakes her head at me, then spins and goes into the bedroom, slamming and locking the door again.

I don't threaten her to open it again. I start to clean up breakfast, but then I see her plate, still full of food.

I pick up it along with her tea and take them to the door. I knock, calling out, "Ya need to eat. Open the door."

"Go away, Aidan!"

I position the plate over my forearm and bang on the door, warning, "I'll no longer threaten ya with knocking this door down. I'll spoon-feed ya if I have to. So don't play games with me, Scarlet. Open this door and take your food, now!"

Silence fills the air.

"You've got one more minute to get this plate and then your warning's over. Don't test me on this!"

The door opens. She shoots me darts with her glare, takes the food and the tea, then shuts and locks the door again.

Once again, I'm bathed in her silence. I don't like it, but there's no way I'm letting her see Alaina. I have my plan, and until I see it through, she's not leaving my sight.

I glance over at the bedroom, cursing myself and the damn door I'm stopping myself from kicking in.