Chapter Twenty-Five
T he bell rang. Since I wasn’t expecting anyone, I was hesitant opening the door but was relieved when I saw Seamus. My relief soon turned to confusion and worry when I took in his cold expression.
“Seamus, has anything happened?”
He gave me a tight smile. “Lorcan needs to see you. It’s urgent.”
I glanced back at Finn, who was doing a puzzle.
“Maeve will watch him.”
I nodded, but something wasn’t right. The little hairs on my neck stood on end. Lorcan had been a bit odd last night too. What if they suspected me? Guilt cut through me like so often since I’d hidden the bugs.
“I’ll just put on shoes and tell Finn.”
I went inside but Seamus followed me, which only made me more anxious.
I told Finn about the change in plans, trying not to let him see or feel my worry.
Maybe I was just overreacting. In the first few days after hiding the bugs, I’d constantly been on edge and terrified that Lorcan would find them.
While Seamus was busy with Finn, I quickly felt under the kitchen table.
The bug was still where I’d left it. I could still confess everything to Lorcan, but given his nature, could I really hope for mercy? I swallowed hard and dropped my hand .
I put on shoes then helped Finn into his before we headed down to Seamus’ car. He kept telling jokes to Finn, which made me feel much better.
I waved at Maeve when she came outside to take Finn from the car, then we headed toward the harbor. Seamus became very quiet now that we were alone. I regarded him closely, trying to find out what was wrong.
When we pulled up in front of the warehouse, I didn’t see Lorcan anywhere. Seamus and I got out. Resisting the urge to run away, I followed Seamus into the warehouse. Lorcan came out of his office and headed our way.
I met his gaze, needing some affirmation that I was being stupid, but the hard look in his eyes only kindled my worry.
He stopped in front of me and leaned close to kiss my throat and ear. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out that you’re a snitch, Aislinn?”
I froze. “I—I—” I was torn between lying and confessing, but looking at Lorcan’s harsh face, the words got stuck.
He grabbed me by the throat, not enough to cut off air, but definitely uncomfortable, and pulled back to glare at me, his eyes flashing with pure fury. “Don’t even try to lie to me. I know you’re working with the police.”
I swallowed, terrified. I should have never agreed to that deal. So far the police hadn’t helped me find Imogen, and Lorcan had been so good with Finn, and me. What had I done?
“Undress. I want to make sure we remove every bug on your body.”
My eyes widened. “Lorcan—”
“Seamus, go outside and make sure no one comes in while I search her for bugs.” Seamus nodded without even a glance at me, as if he couldn’t even look at me after what I’d done, and left.
“Lorcan—”
The look on Lorcan’s face had me shutting my mouth. He looked truly scary, like he wanted to kill me. I had a feeling that was the standard punishment for traitors. He wouldn’t care why I’d done it. “I’m not wearing any bugs,” I said quietly, knowing now wasn’t the time for provocation.
“Undress now.”
Lorcan crossed his arms before his chest and waited.
Swallowing hard, I got out of my dress, then removed my underwear.
I stood before him completely naked, like I had done so many times before, but this time I felt dirty and ashamed under his cold scrutiny .
Lorcan circled me like he’d done that first evening. He glared down at me, and I almost buckled under his rage. “Lift your arms.”
I did. He lifted my hair, felt my scalp.
“Bend forward and part your ass cheeks.”
I blinked, remembering a report about how they searched inmates the same way. I bent forward and parted my ass cheeks.
“You can stand.”
I did and turned back to him.
His wary eyes settled on my pussy.
“If I’d hidden a bug there, you would have found it right away,” I said then let out a choked laugh.
For a second, I thought he might laugh too.
“You can get dressed again,” he growled, and I quickly put my clothes back on.
“Lorcan, I don’t know what you think you know but—”
“I found the bugs and I questioned Desmond. Every word out of your mouth is wasted energy and time.”
My heart sank.
“Seamus!” he called. Desperate, I tried to reach for his arm. He shook me off. “Take her into the back room and chain her to the ceiling.”
My eyes grew wide, but before I could ask him to reconsider, Lorcan stalked away and disappeared from view.
Seamus grabbed my arm, and I screamed out of reflex.
“Nobody will come to help you,” he said matter-of-factly and dragged me through a side door into a smaller hall with chains hanging from the ceiling. My stomach flipped.
“Please, Seamus. Maeve is my friend. Don’t do this.”
Seamus looked at me with contempt. I wouldn’t receive any pity from him. “I told you not to break Lorcan’s trust.”
“I didn’t mean to.” He scoffed. “I never had his trust to begin with.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He put the cold cuffs around my wrists despite my struggling. Then he tugged at the rope that was attached to the cuffs and pulled my arms up over my head until I had to stand on my tiptoes.
“Maybe Lorcan will make it quick. I’ll tell Gulliver to pray for your soul.”
“I don’t want him to pray for me! I want to live. ”
Seamus left without another word.
What about Finn? Cold fear spread through me. But I couldn’t imagine Lorcan ever hurting Finn.
The cuffs bit into my skin and my joints ached from the awkward position. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been hanging like that. My tiptoes brushed the cold floor. Unshed tears burned my eyes and goose bumps covered my body as the cold of the room seeped into me.
Steps sounded and a heavy steel door slid open, revealing my husband in all his tall and broad glory.
He dragged a familiar chain behind his body, and in his other hand he carried a black baton, which looked like something that New York police officers might use.
He sat down on a chair in front of me, his legs spread and the chain hanging from his hand resting between them.
His expression was no longer enraged. It was now cold and calculating, which scared me even more.
“Lorcan—”
“Even on a chain, you look gorgeous, sweet Aislinn. Ahh, that sweet face that hid so many deceitful thoughts from me.”
“I didn’t commit deceit.”
His eyes flashed with anger and he pushed to his feet and stalked toward me.
The clanging of the chain on the concrete floor raised the little hairs on my neck.
“What would you call it then? You worked with the police. You talked to them about me and my clan behind my back. That’s betrayal in my book. ”
“They approached me. I didn’t go to them. They made me believe that you were responsible for Imogen’s disappearance, that you had slept with her before we met.”
“Jealous?” he sneered.
I had been a tad jealous but mainly sad and even a bit disgusted. I’d felt as if I was replaceable too. None of this mattered now.
“I never slept with your sister nor had I talked to her before I went looking for her on your behalf.”
I froze. He found her ?
“I went to see her in Miami when I was meeting with Sergej. As expected, she was about to set sail with a rich Russian and didn’t give a fuck that you were looking for her.”
I swallowed hard. “You told her I was searching for her.”
“I did and that you were sick from worry, but she just didn’t care. She wanted to enjoy herself with her rich sponsor. I didn’t tell you because I thought it would only hurt you. I guess I was a stupid idiot.”
I couldn’t believe how foolish I had been to worry about Imogen. She only cared about herself. I wished I could tell her what a horrible person she was. I had risked so much for her. My gaze found Lorcan’s eyes.
I felt sick with guilt. “I’m sorry. If I’d known, I would never have followed the police’s orders, but Desmond made it sound as if you had killed Imogen and that my family and I needed protection. They promised me protection.”
“I am the only protection you need!” he growled.
Not anymore. Now he was the danger. Could I make him forgive me? I made a mistake, a very stupid, grave mistake. “I didn’t know it back then. I never told them anything of importance.”
“Because you didn’t know anything. That’s why they made you hide those bugs.”
“I wouldn’t have told them even if I did. And I didn’t put the bug in the warehouse or in your office. I could have done it if I’d wanted to.”
Why hadn’t I? It would have been the logical choice. But I never even considered it. Maybe because deep down I’d never wanted Lorcan to go to jail?
Lorcan shook his head, his fingers tightening around the chain.
He raised the baton and I flinched, expecting a hit.
Instead, he ran the tip of the baton down the valley between my breasts, along my sternum, my belly button and then over my mound, briefly brushing my clit before dropping the baton.
My lips had parted in astonishment, and to my utter shock …
lust. Even hanging on a chain, at my brutal husband’s mercy, my body longed for every drop of pleasure he could offer.
His eyes locked on mine. “I spent the last few hours thinking about what I should do with you, and how to punish you for this betrayal. Death would be the logical choice.”
A heavy stone settled in the pit of my stomach.
But fear of dying wasn’t the only thing I felt.
What really surprised me was the sense of guilt that had overcome me when I saw how disappointed Lorcan was.
And then a new worry hit me hard. Finn. “Please don’t hurt Finn.
I beg you. He’s an innocent boy. He doesn’t deserve to suffer. ”
“He’ll suffer either way. If you die, another one of his family members will have left him.”
I swallowed hard. Oh God. Sweet Finn. He didn’t deserve any of this. “Please don’t hurt him.”