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If I get through this, perhaps I can exchange what I know to be returned to my father. At least give him a head start. Of everything he’s put me through, I won’t be able to keep quiet about who’s behind my abduction. Family will always come first.
More voices can be heard, causing Lennon to push off the hillside to ascend the incline. Simultaneously, I see some sort of board and straps being lowered to him. The pain has been relentless, so I welcome the chance to get off this cliff. Anything is preferable to this hell, even my captor’s beautiful prison. He log rolls me to one side to place the rigid board underneath the length of me before tying the nylon straps to the supplied openings. Last, he secures me to the board. He gives a thumbs-up, and the board immediately begins to inch up the cliff. I finally stop fighting the drowsiness. I’m safe … from the cliff, that is. I just hope whatever fate has in store for me now, it’s not any worse than what I’ve been through these last six or seven hours. Otherwise, why save me at all? He could have just let me die out here and then get rid of my body. I close my eyes, feeling every inch of the rough terrain beneath the thin surface of the board.
I let go and let the darkness consume me.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lennon
I’m fucking livid. I want to fire the entire goddamn staff. The first act of incompetence is not ensuring that Aurora’s door was locked. Then she manages to slip by my security? What if we were under attack? I pinch the bridge of my nose. This is unreal.
“I can’t apologize enough, sir,” Oisín apologizes for the umpteenth time. “I’d retired for the night.”
“This is not on you,” I reassure. “It was the job of the house staff to ensure that her suite was secure before going to bed. And let’s not get started on the security. Where the hell was everyone?”
“Cormac reported to me that they found a window that had been left open. That has to be how she slipped out without the alarm sounding.”
“Fucking Christ. More incompetence. How did it get left open? Didn’t it initially sound whenever it was first opened? It should have alarmed and continued to do so until the motherfucker was closed.”
“That window didn’t have a sensor. It was somehow missed during the security installation. As head of your security, I take full ownership.”
That was a serious ball drop on his part, but he is so loyal I don’t have the will to yell at him. I just need to fix this mess. “Oisín, this could have been deadly. If anyone can just slip past my guards, they could easily gain entrance into the house. That’s the most troubling. This can’t happen again.”
“No, sir. I will make the necessary changes. I will handle it.”
I go over to my wet bar and pour myself some whiskey. I leave for a few days and things go to shite. Not to mention it’s still the matter of what I’m going to do with Aurora. She is vital to my plan, but I can’t let her get away with this blatant rebellion. I thought we were making progress. The fucking paramedics are seeing to her in her suite. They insisted on taking her to the hospital, but Oisín shut that request down. I will bring the doctor here if necessary. Now I just have to ensure they don’t talk. Aurora is proving to be more trouble than she’s worth. I slam back the contents of my tumbler before heading to check in with the paramedics.
When I reach her room, I find Aurora still passed out. I’m sure the paramedics have questions about the locks on her door, but they won’t ask them.
“What can you tell me?” I ask, getting straight to the point.
“She’ll need to go to the hospital,” the older one says as he packs up his bag.
I get in his face, my nostrils flaring. “That’s not what the fuck I asked. Don’t make me break your face.”
“Lennon, don’t,” Oisín cautions, appearing suddenly in the doorway. “Sorry, sir. They’re just trying to help.”
He’s never questioned me before. I have a lot of respect for him, but he’s crossing a line that he won’t be able to come back from if he doesn’t watch it. “Walk away, Oisín, before things become strained between us. And don’t you ever test my authority again.” My voice booms around the room.
He gives me a slight chin tilt before backing out of the room. I turn my aggression toward the paramedic who dares to think he can tell me what to do.
He begins to ramble, finally figuring out his loose tongue wasn’t the move. “Uh…” he stutters. “She has a concussion and suspected fractured ribs and left ankle fracture. We wouldn’t know without the assistance of radiology for an x-ray.”
“Well, what are her options? Because short of bringing a doctor here, the hospital is not happening.”
“There isn’t much to be done for the concussion or the fractured ribs—just rest and ice,” the younger blond guy says.
“And for the ankle fracture?”
“We’re not sure if it’s broken. If she were awake, we could assess if she could bear any weight on it. If she can maintain some mobility to bear weight, it’s likely a sprain. With a fracture, it will be nearly impossible. The bruising for both is about the same,” the older one explains. “Either way, she’s going to be in pain with the ribs. We don’t have prescriptive authority, so we can’t prescribe her anything.”
“The meds won’t be a problem.” Drugs are never a problem, but I keep that to myself. “Do you know who I am, or better yet … what I am?” They both shake their head, the fear in their eyes hard to miss. “I’m head of my Mafia clan. This visit here today didn’t happen. Understand?”
“Understood,” the blond is quick to say.
“Good. You’re free to go after I get a picture of your driver’s license. If my clan or myself have to come find you for opening your mouth, you or your family won’t like what that looks like.” I take the picture and then pass his license back to him. I have something else in store for the older one who was slow to speak up. “What is your name?” I ask him.
“Daniel,” he answers reluctantly.
