Chapter 4 #2
Of course they were wealthy enough to have a whole-ass room just for the washing. They even had large, fancy separate machines for washing and drying, not a combined unit, or a washer only, and then using a clothesline or a rack.
Twenty minutes later, the load was going, and Aisling was tucking into some of the best homemade shepherd’s pie she’d eaten in decades while Trevor Clarke detailed the situation to her.
“Maisie, Tamsin, and Rupert will head overseas soon,” Trevor said. “I have connections with an IVF doctor who is willing to work with them in cash, no records.”
Aisling stared at him, unsure if she had misheard him. “They’re havin’ a baby?”
“Hopefully,” Trevor said. “Maisie and Tamsin have a mate bond, and Rupert volunteered to be the donor while Tamsin will carry the baby. Elizabeth and I are paying for everything.”
Aisling forked another large bite into her mouth to keep from making the tasteless joke struggling to erupt. Even she had enough sense not to go there.
About Rupert and Tamsin saving him some money and doing it the old-fashioned way.
“Transporting them over there and back without detection is relatively straightforward,” he continued. “I have friends who will handle that for us on private aircraft. And I’ve secured safe houses for them both over there and here, once they return.”
“The crazy bastard won’t see reason, eh?”
He shook his head. “He won’t even accept a six-figure dowry. He demanded Tamsin’s return, and no amount of money will suffice.”
“Sounds like he’s got a brass neck on ’im.”
Trevor nodded. “He’d planned to marry her off to someone else, a male shifter in his pack who’s much older than her.
Obviously, she had no desire to marry the man, even before she met Maisie.
Faegan will not be moved. I decided my daughter’s happiness—and Tamsin’s, obviously—means far more to me than fears of some unhinged, deranged corgi shifter with delusions of grandeur starting a row. ”
“And that’s where I come in?”
“Yes. While I will stop short at asking that something… happens to the man—”
“Ye’ll have my back an’ not shed a tear for him should a definite fate of a permanent nature befall the unholy twat?”
Trevor gravely nodded again. “This is between us. If you can find leverage against him that I might be able to use to reopen negotiations, that would be my preference. But he’s already told me he’ll kill Maisie and Rupert and anyone else who stands in the way of getting his daughter back.
Even though she doesn’t want to return and is legally an adult. ”
Old nightmares struggled to roar into Aisling’s mind, even sitting there in a nice house and eating delicious food.
She shoved them away. “If I kill him, we don’t know what kind of trouble that’ll spark. Doesn’t he still have a couple of older sons rolling around out there?”
“I’m beyond that point. Use your best judgment based on the situation. The only thing I ask is that you do everything possible to remain anonymous, however it plays out. I would prefer no collateral damage, especially of clueless humans, but if that occurs…”
He shrugged. “Faegan wants to turn this into a war. He also seriously underestimates me and my resources and allies. He doesn’t know me and assumes I’m a ‘genteel arsehole,’ as he put it.
What he doesn’t understand is that I have no problems getting my paws bloody, and never have.
But I’ve been smart enough to keep it quiet.
Just because I choose not to show my teeth at the slightest provocation doesn’t mean I can’t or won’t sink them into someone’s throat.
I will protect you and provide you safe passage to the States, once the situation is resolved, along with a new identity.
I’m reluctant to bring them back here until it’s safe.
And I don’t want them to spend the rest of their lives in exile, living in fear and looking over their shoulders. ”
“Banishing me after, then?” she darkly joked.
He offered her a weary smile. “If not America, then you tell me where you wish to go. Anywhere in the world. I will make sure you are amply provided for. I assumed you’d want to try living in the States for a while because you might find a larger pool of eligible partners.
My contacts there have people positioned in government offices and can get you a residential visa before building an entire new identity for you.
And the Targhee Pack would, I’m sure, happily employ you as an Enforcer.
Or if you wish to remain here, I’ll set you up with a new identity and flat and salary. ”
“Guess a normal life can’t happen for someone like me.” When he obviously started to protest, she held up a hand. “Untwist yer knickers. I meant as a shifter, not as a lesbian. I’m a shifter with PTSD from the war and the other shite, to boot. None o’ that’s yer fault.”
“Have you ever thought about counseling?”
“I appreciate yer concern, but I deal the way I deal.”
Trevor smirked. “But I’m not sure even your Irish shifter liver can handle how you deal.”
“Ain’t hurt me yet.” She forced a smile. “Now, let’s get down to business. Tell me everything ye know about this feckin’ cunt.”
Late October, Eight Months Ago
Bloody hell!
Aisling ran through the woods on two legs because she wasn’t sure if she’d need to shoot someone, and she didn’t dare drop her gun just to gain speed.
When she’d lost the bastards in a traffic jam her instincts screamed at her, which was why she finally abandoned the car on the side of the motorway, jumped the barrier separating the road from the land bordering the huge estate where the safe house was located, and called Garrison, Trevor’s Head Enforcer, to immediately send more people to the safe house.
And to evacuate Maisie, Rupert, and Tamsin.
She wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was damned suspicious that one of Tamsin’s older brothers was driving in this particular area when, as far as Aisling knew, he hadn’t ventured farther east than Bristol in months.
And he had two of his mates with him.
She’d been tracking Faegan but had lost his trail two weeks ago.
She’d hoped tracking his sons would provide a lead and had people staking out the sons’ homes 24/7, but there was no sign of Faegan.
Trevor’s updated orders to Aisling, now that Maisie, Tamsin, and Rupert were back on British soil and Faegan had still refused all negotiations, were to terminate Faegan immediately and with extreme prejudice.
When the man had first dropped off Aisling’s radar, she’d missed the fucker by maybe thirty minutes, if that.
Since then, he’d gone to ground and, despite her best efforts and Trevor liberally spreading money around to their usual snitches, Faegan still eluded them.
Feckin’ cunt.
She prayed more of their people were converging on the house, but she wasn’t in charge of security for Maisie, Tamsin, and Rupert. Her sole mission was finding and neutralizing Faegan Lewis.
By any means necessary.
Less than a quarter of a mile from the house, Aisling heard the first gunshots. Swearing, she adjusted her course to approach from the front instead of taking the shorter way around to the back of the property, as she’d first intended, because she didn’t want to get shot by one of their own people.
Outside the house, she found one of Trevor’s Enforcers shot dead in the back of the head.
Another man lay dying not far from him, one of the men who’d been with Tamsin’s brother, his throat ripped out.
Aisling barely broke stride as she fired a bullet into his skull on her way past him, headed for the door.
Inside, she heard the sounds of battle. As she ran through the open door, in the front hall Tamsin’s brother was rearing back over a fallen Maisie, knife in hand, to plunge it into her chest.
Without thinking, Aisling snapped off two more shots, straight into the back of his head and killing him. Before he could fall on top of Maisie, Aisling grabbed his body and threw him to the side.
“Where’s Tamsin and Rupert?” Aisling screamed, turning, her gun still at the ready. Maisie, bloody and wounded and lying on the floor, weakly pointed toward another room.
Aisling bolted for the doorway and found Rupert sprawled on the floor next to the disemboweled body of another man. She thought Rupert was dead, but his eyes fluttered open when she called his name and reached down to check his pulse.
“Rupert! Where’s Tamsin?”
“Shifted. Back door.”
“How many attackers?”
“Three.”
Meaning they were all neutralized.
Gun at the ready, Aisling bolted for the back door as she pulled out her mobile and called Garrison.
When he answered, she didn’t even wait. “Safe house breached. Maisie and Rupert severely wounded, and one Enforcer dead. Three known attackers dead, unknown how many others. Tamsin shifted and ran. Get a fuckin’ medic here. Now!”
A flurry of swearing met her words. “We’re inbound, down at the main road. Stay there. ETA less than five.”
“Do you want me to go after Tamsin?”
“Stay with Maisie and Rupert. We’re almost there.” He hung up.
Aisling stood at the open rear door. From the young corgi’s scent, she sensed the blood-curdling terror Tamsin felt as she’d bolted.
“Tamsin!” she screamed. “It’s Aisling Walsh! I work for Trevor Clarke!”
But…nothing.
Not that she’d expected a response. Depending on how much of a head start Tamsin had, she could already be a mile away or more. If she hadn’t jumped into the lake behind the house and started swimming, that was.
She returned to check on Rupert and…
“Bloody hell,” she muttered, gently closing his eyes.
“I’m so sorry, lad.” She returned to Maisie, who now choked up blood.
Aisling knew she should finish clearing the house to make certain there weren’t any other attackers, but she’d smelled only the three intruders, and of those only two made it inside.