Illicit Captor

ILLICIT CAPTOR MAFIA WARS IRELAND BOOK TWO MAGGIE COLE PULSE PRESS INC This book is fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. All names, characters, plots, and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 by Maggie Cole All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. CONTENTS WARNING Irish Terms Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Epilogue ILLICIT HEIR Devin O’Connor CAN I ASK YOU A HUGE FAVOR? Ready to Binge the Original Mafia Wars Series? Get to know the Ivanovs and O'Malleys! More by Maggie Cole About the Author WARNING This is a dark mafia romance. The heroine has experienced sexual abuse, kidnapping, and other horrific things. While it's not depicted in detail, it may trigger survivors. Mature audiences only. IRISH TERMS Below is a list of some terms used in Ireland and England that ya may or may not be familiar with that ya will find in this series. A stór - my treasure Arse - ass, butt, OR a stupid, irritating person Aye - yes Bloke is a slang term for a common man Burd - girl, girlfriend Garda - police in Dublin Plonker - idiot, moron Runners - workout shoes Da - Dad, father Mum, mammy - Mom, mother Ya – you Yea - Yes PROLOGUE Aidan O'Connor Cold wind blows harder through the field, whipping through the air, mimicking a razor slicing my cheeks. I welcome it. It's a perfect accessory to my hatred, ramping up the pulse throbbing in my neck. Revenge can finally start. Tommy Ahern's on my list, and he's been there longer than I normally have any man. Now, I'm drawing out his time on it. He'll pay for his sins, but before I end his life, I'm stealing his most prized possession. His wife. I pull out my phone and stare at the photo that's mesmerized me for over a year. I never saw her until one of my guys inside the O'Leary clan sent it to me. Scarlet Ahern, daughter of our biggest enemy, Jack O'Leary, makes my skin prickle with heat. Her hair's the color of her name, a handful of freckles dot her porcelain cheeks, and eyes, bright as a wild animal at night, glow brightly. Life fills her. There's mischief, confidence, and a bit of defiance in her expression. Everything about those things makes me feel uncomfortable. All I can think about is taming that defiance, seeing what she really has up her sleeve if I were the object of her affection, or watching her strut toward me in a crowded room with all eyes on her, knowing she's mine. I hate myself for those thoughts. She's an O'Leary. My brother, Brody, may have overlooked it with his wife Alaina—Scarlet's sister—but I'm not looking to get wrapped up with my enemy. My brother fell hard and I'll be damned if I do the same. So I click the phone and the screen turns black. Focus, I remind myself, sliding my cell into my pocket and wrapping my fingers around my pocket knife. I glide my thumb over the raised metal, assessing Tommy's guard positioned at the front door of the farmhouse. He pulls his flask out of his jacket pocket, takes a mouthful of what I assume is whiskey, then wipes his mouth and puts it away. He removes a cigarette from his metal case, then flicks his lighter. Smoke circles his head, and the red butt burns hotter with every inhale. Every night, it's the same situation. Tommy leaves, and his thug stands guard, drinking from his flask and smoking his cigarettes until the darkness fades into the morning and his boss returns. There's never any other men. Sometimes, days pass before Tommy returns. When he finally does, his thug crosses the small farm and settles into the shed Tommy's assigned for his shelter. Each moment that passes that Scarlet's inside with the husband she was forced to marry, my skin crawls. Every ounce of patience I have, I've tapped into, so I don't destroy my chance of revenge. Tonight, there's no more waiting. I stay in the shadows, moving toward the house, and finally step out of them when I can't hide anymore. The guard squints, releasing a cloud of tobacco, and belts out in a rough smoker's voice, "Ya better be lost." I hold my hands in the air, declaring, "Easy, mate. Tommy sent me." "Mate? I don't know ya," he seethes, stepping closer. He pulls his knife out of his pocket and keeps his cigarette in the other. "Anthony, I'm Tommy's nephew Jackie from Belfast," I lie. He remains frozen, assessing me. I add, "Tommy needed me to come here and give ya a message." Anthony stays cautious, but his body relaxes a bit. "Aye? What's that?" I step closer and glance behind me, even though no one is around for miles. Tommy wanted it this way—Scarlet hidden from everyone, with no chance of her having any life outside his prison. I turn back and lower my voice. "I don't know the details. He gave me a note to give ya." "A note?" "Aye, mate." I wait for him to hold out his hand. He finally does and orders, "Well, then, don't waste my time." Adrenaline shoots through me. I reach inside my pocket, open my knife,