Chapter Nine
My father’s disgusting cologne was the only thing I could smell in this damn bag over my head. My brothers were beside me, I could feel them keeping me close as the car went over every damn bump in the road that it could. My heart hammered in my chest after seeing how bad Lorcan looked as he tried to get to me, to save me. I knew the boys were going to explain to him, and that he wouldn’t understand but to see him so helpless. I mean, he was Lorcan fucking O’Farrell. The strongest of the whole damn empire, and he was on his knees unable to move.
I hated my father for what he did.
I hated my family for what they were about to do to me.
But I would have my revenge, I made Killian and Mateo swear to me that I could have my fucking revenge. I knew the likelihood that I would be raped was high, it was the price to pay for power, and I knew how to use it to my advantage. The car stopped and I heard the doors open and close. My brothers were no longer next to me and all I could hear was silence in the car. I took a few deep breaths and pushed the fear down. I knew I would be in danger, it was the whole point of running but if I could bring down my family, and anyone else trying to fuck with Lorcan, then I would do what I had to do.
Shit.
Where was this courage back when I needed it a year ago?
Thoughts of Lorcan flipped through my mind, and made me realise it was because of him that I was back here, why I made the decision to come back. The second I knew how much danger he was in, I had come running.
What did that mean?
I’d never known that you could fall so hard and so fast, so quickly. I mean…I knew I loved him but how? How could I love someone so madly before I really even knew him?
The door opened and I felt arms pulling me out of the car. I almost fell before another set of arms grabbed me and held me up. I was being walked, and the aroma of the ocean was all I could smell. The mingling of salt and water was intense, and I knew we were at a dock. I was lifted up and then I felt the shaky ground underneath me. I was on a wharf. Fear laced through me so intensely, I almost tripped over. We came to a stop after a few steps and I was being lifted down onto a boat. I could tell by the way I was bobbing back and forth. Pushed back, I landed in a hard seat and waited for what was to come next. Even though I knew someone was going to help me at some point, I had no idea what I had in store the second I was handed over.
The thought alone scared the shit out of me.
The boat hummed to life and we were shooting through the water at alarming speed. I could tell by the way the water smell assaulted my senses. I was still in the bag, but I could smell it as if it weren’t over my head. No one spoke and that scared me a little too. As we slowed down after what felt like fifteen minutes, we bobbed about in the water, the motion making me a little sick.
“How’s the bag feel, little sis,” I heard my brother Rhys say from beside me. “It’s better this way, truly. You don’t want to see the man you’ll be raped by. He may even be nice and keep the bag on so you can imagine Ryan Reynolds or something.”
“Fuck off,” I said.
“Don’t talk to me like that,” he said. I felt him stand up, the movement making the boat rock again. I kept quiet.
“Stop talking to her,” Miles, my other brother said. “She’s only going to piss you off.”
“It’s not fucking hard,” I said. It was only meant to be a mumble but it came out loud enough that they both shut up. I felt them move closer to me. The punch to the mouth was hard enough that my head was forced back. I hit it slightly on the back of the boat as I reeled from the force. I could taste blood as I tried to sit up properly.
“Fuck Miles. You know you can’t touch the face.”
Rhys’ voice was serious, and a little fearful. A girl bleeding from her moneymaker wasn’t a good look.
“She shouldn’t have pissed me off then,” Miles said, but I could hear the fear in his voice too. He’d always been quick to anger as children. He also copped more of the beatings from our father for it.
The burning from the punch was keeping me occupied while I seethed at the hatred I had for my brother. Both of them actually, and my father. All of them could go to hell.
“Finally,” I heard Rhys mutter as I heard another boat come closer. My heart began to race. This was it. This was my future coming to get me.
“This her?” I heard a deep voice ask. One I’d never heard before. I felt my hands shake as I was pushed forward.
“Yep.”
The bag was lifted off my head and I slammed my eyes shut to block out the harshness of the daylight. I felt my chin being moved to the side as he gazed at my face.
“Why is she bleeding?”
“She was getting mouthy.”
“You hit her?” he asked them, looking from brother to brother. “Who hit her?”
Silence.
“One of you had better answer or I’ll shoot you both.”
I heard the sound of a gun being pulled from a holster, and quickly opened my eyes. The gun was raised and a shot went off. It wasn’t as loud as I was used to and that’s when I saw the silencer on the end. The sound of one of my brothers’ bodies hit the floor of the boat with a thud.
“You’re only alive because I need you to send a message to your father,” the man said. “Tell him the girls he sent last week have sold well. We need more by next week.”
“Sure,” I heard my brother Rhys stammer in fear. Miles was the one who died.
Good.
I knew I should have cared a little more than I did but I couldn’t bring myself to care even a little. That fucker had been the one to hit me. He deserved it.
The man took my arm and pulled me over the edge of the boat and onto his. He sat me down gently, and sped off. We were silent, not one of us talking until we got to a larger boat. There was no land in sight as the man turned the power off on the boat and moved over to me.
“My name is Halen,” he said. “I’m Percy’s brother, and I’m glad the worst that was done was a bloody lip. You don’t have anything to fear here, Bridget. We’re going to help you.”
Relief flooded through me as I felt the motion sickness return and suddenly, I was feeling lightheaded. The last thing I remembered was Halen grabbing onto me and lifting me into his arms as he handed me off to someone else.
I awoke with a start, unsure of my surroundings and feeling like I’d been kidnapped until I remembered the events of the day before. The motion of the boat was messing with me as I got off the bed and headed out of my room and down the narrow hallway. I came to a large room with a table and chairs, a deck of cards and a bar to one side.
Perfect.
Halen had told me to make myself at home here, that no one would hurt me. In a few days, I’d have a better understanding of what was happening. I was eager to talk to Lorcan, to make sure he was okay, but I also needed to know what was going to happen to me on this boat.
I pulled the cards out of the packet and started to shuffle, mostly to do something with my hands and to take my mind off the horrors that I knew awaited me.
I couldn’t simply trust these people, I had no idea who they were. I didn’t know who anyone was and the few people I knew would happily sell me to the highest bidder.
I moved the cards into position to play myself a game of solitaire, one of my favourite things to do when I had too much on my mind.
“Getting used to the dreams is the hardest on a boat,” I heard someone say from behind me. I turned around, on guard, to see a man who resembled Halen but was a little older. He had a scar from his neck to his chest.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to just use your cards.”
“Please,” he said, moving into the room and taking a seat. “How about we play 21 instead.”
I smirked at him, and nodded, re-dealing the cards.
“A drink to go with it, perhaps?” he asked. “What’s your poison?”
“Uh I like whiskey,” I said. “On the rocks, Irish if you have it.”
He chuckled. It was a deep, genuine laugh that made me feel a little safer. It was in no way menacing, which is what I expected when I saw that scar.
“My name’s Percy,” he said. “Do you know anything about me?”
I shook my head. “No, just what Mateo told me which wasn’t a lot.”
“He doesn’t talk much,” Percy replied, putting the drink down on the table in front of me. “Kind of annoying if you ask me.”
I felt the chuckle bubble to the surface before I could silence it. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s been a while since I heard a woman laugh.”
That brought the reality of this situation back to me. I was on a boat in the middle of the ocean with a man who bought women for the sex trade. He knew shady people and yet he was willing to help me.
“Why?” I asked him. “Why do you do what you do?”
“Why do I help women escape a terrible future?” he asked, almost as if he were trying to understand why he did it.
“Is that what you do?” I asked him.
“Yes, Bridget, it is. This world is full of bullshit. My own father runs a black market operation that is trying to lure the devil to the surface. My brother and I will stop him somehow. If that means we buy women under the guise of selling them to the highest bidder, then that’s what we’ll do.”
“I’m sorry for being nosey.”
“Bridget, you can ask me as many questions as you want. This must be awfully terrifying for you. Ask me anything you want.”
“How did you get into this?”
He sipped at his whiskey and for a moment I thought I had asked the wrong question. “When I was a young man in my twenties, I loved a woman. Her name was Dora. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid my eyes on. I didn’t want to be with her at first because I was the son of an asshole. He used to pit my brothers and I against each other for fun. One day, he decided he was going to rule his empire with fear and the city changed. He discovered the black market and got hooked into the dark side of life. He tried to pull us in with him, but both Halen and I held off. He liked Dora. He thought she had talent and he pulled her into his web. She ended up on sex trade slavery ship.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “I never saw her again.”
“That’s why you do this?”
He nodded. “Yeah, it’s tough being so close to those who could have been the one who killed my Dora but over time, I learned to be someone else. I can pretend like the best of them and when they’re gone, I put these girls up in a better life.”
“Surely they know something is up, there has to be some girls who get sold.”
“Some do,” he said. “Some need to make that decision to keep up the ruse. I promised I would get them out eventually. They did it for others, the stronger of the girls who come through me.”
I couldn’t even imagine the pain he has to deal with everyday, putting girls in that predicament, but I understood why.
“So what should we do next?” I asked him after a brief moment of silence.
“Stick with me for a few weeks, stay low,” he said. “You’ll be safe here. You can see what I do and you can help me with the girls. Show them there is nothing to worry about and that they are safe. Tell me the ones that you think would be okay with the hardness of the life.”
“I couldn’t pick out a girl for you to sacrifice.”
“I’m not like that, Bridget. It is always their choice.”
It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do but I knew it would be good for the girls.
“What about Lorcan?”
“You can video call him if you want,” he told me. “Anytime. Killian messaged me earlier and told me he was rescued and has been admitted to the hospital. His wounds were quite severe but he’s stable.”
“I don’t want him to be mad.”
Percy smiled. “Give him a week, send him a video. Then stay in touch. He’ll get over it.”
What if he doesn’t? I thought.
Why did I care so much what he thought?
“Help yourself to anything on the boat, Bridget.”
Percy got up from his chair before we’d even begun playing, and left the room. I sat back, sipping my drink and wondered how Lorcan was. I should be there. I should be helping him.
A single tear fell down my cheek as I thought of the clusterfuck I’d brought to his door.
Constant beeping grated on my nerves as I opened my eyes. My body was tense, and I could barely move as I looked around at the unfamiliar room. As I looked over the glass doors, I recognised the scene of the hospital around me.
Ah fuck.
I tried to sit up but I could barely move a muscle. A constant beeping at my side brought my attention to it. The large monitor had my heart rate beating a mile a minute. The screen door opened and I jumped at the intrusion as a pretty nurse came inside, followed by Killian and some of his men.
“I’m sure my patient could use a little privacy, boys,” the nurse turned around and had them march back out. I had to hide the smirk on my face at watching this tiny little thing bossing the men around. “Now, let’s see about you.”
“I’m fine, I just need to get outta here, love.”
“I’m no love, I’m your nurse. You can call me Hazel. How do you feel?”
I liked her spunk. “A little tight but I’m sure you have more important things to do than tend to me. I’ll take my discharge papers and be out of your hair.”
“Not so fast, buddy,” she said, a hint of an American accent popping up. “Your reputation and men outside might have most of the staff rattled, but I’m no soft peach. I’m your nurse which means I’ll be making sure you get the necessary treatment while you’re here with us. Now…tell me your pain levels.”
“Four.”
She cocked her eyebrow, not believing a word I was saying. “After being tortured just a few days ago…you’re at a four?”
“Days ago?” I repeated, my cavalier attitude changing instantly. “I’ve been in here for days?”
She nodded. “Well, yes, you’ve been passed out for days. Your body needs time to heal.”
“Bring my brother in here,” I ordered. “Now.”
“Listen here-”
“If you don’t, I’ll be doing it myself. Now get him in here before I call your boss and have your ass out on the street.”
She glared at me, not wanting to back down but finally, she did. I admired her stance. She’d make a great nurse to have on hand with us. Lord knew we needed it with the amount of fights we get into.
Killian walked in, a grim look on his face.
“Days?”
“She’s a firecracker,” he said. “Don’t blame me. Plus, you looked like fucking death when we got you out. I fucking thought you were dead already.”
“Where’s Bridget?”
“Oh yeah her name’s Bridget, hey,” Killian said, pulling a stool over from the side of the room. “What do you remember from us rescuing you?”
I tried to think back but it felt hazy, my brain aching from the pain. “I don’t know, I just feel like someone hit me in the back of the head with a fucking mallet.”
Killian breathed out heavily, and I had the sense I wasn’t going to like what I heard. “You lost her.”
“No,” he told me. “She opted to help us.”
Immediately, my hand began to ball into a fist. Killian pushed back a little bit on the stool, probably preparing to duck when he needed to. He’d always been the one to make me swing into the air as kids. The guy had some secret ninja skill that drove me crazy when I felt rage coming on.
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Look, you know she’s the daughter of Moriarty, right?”
I nodded quickly.
“Well, it seems since we basically gave them Cork to run, they decided to try to make a play for more. They built quite the little empire down there, and were hoping to expand. They’ve made friends with a lot of people and by doing that, they’ve found their way to the black market, trading mostly girls into the sex trade to fund their plight.”
“Are you going to get to the point at any time today?” I seethed.
“Fuck, Lor, she came to us with the plan, it’s not like we conned her into it. She’s a fucking feisty bitch.”
“Killian, if you don’t fucking tell me what is going on, I will rip these fucking cords out of me and have you six feet under in seconds.”
“No need to commit fratricide, brother, I’ll tell you.”
“Bridget allowed her father to sell her to a known contact who is deep undercover. He’s protecting her, and she’s helping him to get deeper to uproot this fucking global operation who are trying to take over Ireland.”
“Get out,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Lor…”
“I said get out, Killian,” I turned my anger on him. I could barely breathe with how angry I was. Killian pushed off the stool and left the room. I yanked the cords out of my skin and pushed myself up. My legs were shaky, unable to support my full weight. I grabbed onto the stool until I could feel them again. Anger ripped through me with an intensity that I could barely fucking contain. I stood up, my legs getting stronger with every passing moment as I let the pure rage rip through me. Grabbing the stool, I flung it through the air, landing on the wall, a large hole in the aftermath.
“Don’t make me call security,” I heard Hazel’s strong voice from behind me. I slowly turned, looking over at the petite woman.
“They won’t do a damn thing, lady,” I said. “Now, get my goddamn clothes or I’ll walk out of here naked.”
“I won’t discharge you, Mr O’Farrell,” she said, her arms crossing over her chest.
“I don’t need your damn papers.”
I pulled off the paper robe and stood before her naked as the day as I was born. She didn’t look anywhere but at my face, to her credit. She didn’t even waiver.
My brother and our men stood at the door, waiting for me to leave. I could see the fear on their faces. I was mad, and yes it may have taken a while to get me mad, but to pull me back from it…it was harder still.
“You must love her very much, Mr O’Farrell,” she said, her voice taking on a softer tone.
“I never said I loved her,” I told her.
“Honey, whatever you think it is…this reaction is fucking love,” she said. “Now, go and do what you have to. Then come back and I’ll patch you up.”
I didn’t love. I’d sworn off it. I was incapable of feeling love for someone else that wasn’t related to me by blood. It couldn’t be love.
Could it?
I walked out of the hospital, eyes on me and looking quickly away, shocked at seeing me completely naked.
“Jimmy, get the goddamn car,” I heard Killian bark. Jimmy ran off and after a minute, he pulled up in front of us. I got in, Declan and Jack getting in the back. Killian was about to get in when I held my hand out to stop him.
“No,” I said. “You can fucking walk.”
Jimmy took off without hesitation at my order and I watched as Killian got smaller on the side mirror of the car.
Fucking prick.
“Where to, boss?”
“Home.”
No one spoke a word the entire way as my mind reeled, trying to remember what had happened when we left Cork.