With the certain amount of stealth that she had acquired over the years, Aven followed the black town car to a mansion she did not recognize. It was posh, no doubt, and she had every intention of following the men into the house to find out why they were here.
Her phone buzzed from her back pocket. Murphy.
You've been gone a while.
Aven rolled her eyes. I'm working.
Her father and uncle were trailed by Gavan into the house behind a trio of men she did not recognize. As she crouched in a shadow alongside the front steps, she listened carefully to what the men were saying.
In Russian, one of the trio said, "Come, let's discuss the agreement. I'm sure we can still fix the problem at hand."
"I'm sure we can," her father replied.
They had to be talking about her. Why else would Eddie Donaghue be in the States on business with the organization? Anger, sadness, and betrayal struck Aven's heart. Her original orders, to come see if the Irish were in league with the Russians, were now filled. It seemed to be true, and it didn't stop at Gavan – the alliance went all the way to the top of the chain, with Peter. She hated that she had done anything to bring her father back into a life he didn't want to be part of anymore, but even worse when she realized he was taking her uncle's side.
It was supposed to be quick.
Who's the girl here? I'll be back when I'm back. Everything is fine.
You're lying. See you when you get back.
Aven shoved the phone back in her pocket and waited a few minutes before approaching the front door. The man guarding it was not a quick man, so without much ado, she had him unconscious on the floor. The door was unlocked behind him, and Aven let herself in.
.&.
Rori narrowed her eyes as she looked directly at Rocco. He stared back at her with an intense gaze, intent on not losing connection with the green eyes so much like Torrin's. They had been staring at each other for the better part of three minutes, now; Torrin, Connor, and Murphy stood close by, tense with anticipation.
Finally, Rocco looked away. "Damn it!"
Rori grinned in triumph. "Told you, old man. I'm the greatest starer there is."
Rocco took a shot, the agreed upon ante before the staring contest began. "You little jerk. I oughta be making you take these with me."
In sympathy, Rori took two shots. "Just because I like ya, Roc. Hey, where's Aven? She always gives me a good run for my money."
All eyes turned to Murphy, who shrugged. "She said she's still working."
"At least she's answering texts," Torrin commented, clearing some empty glasses from the counter. "When did you talk to her?"
Murphy swallowed down the last of his beer. "Couple hours ago."
"Couple of hours?" Torrin repeated.
"I thought this was just to check things out," Connor posited.
Murphy shook his head. "She must have found something good."
Rori giggled before slapping her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry. This is not funny. Not. At. All."
She managed a serious face for a few moments before she burst out laughing again, this time nearly bringing herself to tears. Rocco chuckled and helped her off the barstool.
"All right, little girl. Time for bed, I think," he announced.
Rori leaned against his body as she tried to walk. Before they made it to the kitchen, she turned back to Torrin, giving her the thumb's up.
"Great first night in the States, sis," she slurred out before breaking out in laughter again.
Torrin waved at her little sister, slightly bemused by the situation. Once Rocco and Rori were out of sight, she turned to the MacManus brother sitting at the bar.
"Which one of you two gave her tequila?" Torrin demanded.
Both of them gave her a blank stare.
"She only laughs like that when she's had tequila. We'll be lucky is she's not upstairs trying to violate Rocco as we speak!"
The brothers broke out in laughter.
"I think Rocco would be the lucky one in that, wouldn't he?" Connor joked.
Torrin smacked the both of them upside the head, Connor first, then Murphy. "That's my little sister you two are talking about. Watch your mouths."
"All right, all right. It was me," Murphy finally admitted. "She asked for one though."
"Jesus help me," Torrin sighed, putting together a Mai Tai for herself and drinking half of it down in one go. She left the brothers laughing and joking at the bar to pick up the phone in the kitchen. She dialed a very familiar number and waited; the voicemail connected after a few seconds of silence. "The hell did you turn your phone off for, Aven? Your boyfriend gave Rori tequila. Might need some help keeping her under control, if she hasn't already forced herself on Rocco." She sighed. "For the love of God, check in, would ya?"
She hung the receiver back on its post and sighed. She had a bad feeling about this.
.&.
The ringing in her ears got louder every time Gavan's hand came across her face. Sometimes open, sometimes balled into a fist, always with a good amount of effort. Aven was enduring blow after blow while he demanded information from her.
"Tell me what the hell you were doing here," he growled as he leaned over her.
Aven spit blood and smiled at him. "Go fuck yourself."
He nodded to his henchmen, who pulled her off the ground and stood her up in front of Gavan. That man stared her down for a few seconds before punching her in the ribs. The air escaped her body quicker than she would have thought possible, but still Aven would not give in.
"My uncle will have your head for this," she told him, no longer smiling. "I'm under protection."
"You were under protection," Gavan corrected her.
Aven didn't say anything. Obviously, her Uncle Peter had rescinded several things when he disowned her. She spit again, a wet, pinkish-red mess hitting the floor with a splat.
"What of my father then?" she prodded. "I know he's here. I saw him."
"Your father is being educated about what your actions have done for our business. He is being offered a position back in the organization."
"He'll never do it."
"He might if your life is on the line. His only daughter's life in exchange for his advising services to your uncle." Gavan leaned down to look her square in the eye. "See what you've done, now?"
Aven took a few deep breaths. When that didn't calm her, she took action on her anger and head-butted Gavan in the face. Blood poured from his nose and mouth.
"Now we're even, mother fucker!" Aven yelled to him.
"Take her upstairs!" Gavan yelled back. "Let her father see just a small bit of the price he will pay for denying our offer."
One man stayed to help Gavan while the other wrestled her up the stairs and through the house to a den on the next floor up. They stood at the back of the room and the man covered her mouth with his hand.
"Eddie," Peter smiled. "You brought me into this organization. We're entering into a new alliance, as you know, and I need to have you at my side. You'd be my advisor, my right-hand man."
"I'm flattered," Edward Donaghue replied. "But you know that I put in a lot of work to step down to the small involvement I have now. I'm sorry, brother, but I'll have to decline."
"While the entire organization appreciates your efforts, brother, our request for you to step in as my second is not without good reason. There is the new alliance, yes, but there are also some family matters that I believe may be resolved if you were to step into a higher position once again." Peter's expression remained stoic as he motioned for Aven to be brought forward.
The man holding her pushed her further into the room before shoving her to the floor. She coughed, choking on the blood coming from her mouth, before moving to her knees and looking to her father.
"Aven!" he gasped. "What have you done to her, Peter?"
"He hasn't done anything he wouldn't do to any other intruder," Aven interjected. Her stone-cold glare rested in her uncle's direction. "Since I am no longer recognized as his niece, I no longer have the false sense of security that his 'protection' gave."
"You disowned her?" Edward roared to his brother-in-law.
So he had no idea about any of it. Her heart once again softened toward the man.
"I love Aven, almost as my own," Peter began. "But, Eddie, we all knew there would come a point when her business would interfere with mine. Her actions nearly cost us this alliance. If we are to maintain a partnership with the Russians is a necessity. The well-being of my family depends on the well-being of my business. If we start to crumble here, it will only be a matter of time before the collapse reaches our homeland."
"I understand that, Peter. Did I not teach you this business? I put you where you are! And you re-pay me by disowning my daughter and letting these men harm her so severely? What happens when it comes to blows in Ireland then? Will Dermot be the next to find such poor favor with you?"
"This is your choice!" Peter yelled, slamming his hand on the table. Nearly everyone in the room startled. "You are with us, she will be my niece again and be protected, and Dermot will not know that any of this can reach him as it has Aven. You are against us, and I will not stop until she is dead. It's not what I want but believe me when I tell you, Edward, that I will protect my family and my business before I take into regard the welfare of a traitor!"
Aven watched her father's face carefully as he weighed his options. After a full minute, he looked over to her and his face softened.
"No!" Aven yelled. "This is on me, Da! It's my fight!"
Quietly and with a calm that Aven knew she would never be able to attain, Edward walked over to his daughter. He wiped the blood from her face with the sleeve of his very expensive suit and told her that everything was going to be all right.
Aven shook her head and willed herself not to cry. "Please, Da. Don't. Not because o' me."
Edward smiled at her before turning back to Peter. "I will step in as your second. Aven will leave with me, and everything else regarding both Aven and Dermot returns to the way it was."
Peter nodded, and Edward returned to the table long enough to shake hands with his brother-in-law. "I'll be back in the morning."
Edward returned to Aven with Peter at his side. She kept a stone-faced expression as Peter bent to kiss her forehead.
"Welcome back, niece."
Anger surged through her veins, but for her father's sake, Aven said nothing.
.&.
Connor pushed a section of hair behind Torrin's ear and kissed her sweetly as they stood just inside the apartment door.
"You all right, love?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Haven't heard from Aven yet."
"I have," Murphy announced, shoving his phone in his pocket and barging through the door. "She's on her way – with her father."
"Her father?" Torrin frowned. "I didn't even know he was supposed to be in town."
"She said she's in rough shape. Doesn't want anyone to freak out."
"It's too late for that," Torrin replied as she went to check on Rori and Rocco, not sure what she would find. She chuckled to herself when she found them both passed out in Aven's bed, on opposite sides of the bed. "Did she say –"
Before Torrin could inquire about Aven's arrival time, her cousin and uncle walked through the door. She went for the living room, and her jaw dropped. She went to Aven and gently held the other woman's hands in her face.
"Aven! What happened to your face? You look like you've been hit by a truck!"
"Gavan happened to my face, dear cousin," Aven sighed. She pulled her face away from Torrin's hands and went for the kitchen. "Trust me though, his is not without marks. Do we have an ice pack? I've got to get the swelling down on this lip."
Murphy followed her into the kitchen to help her; Torrin turned to her uncle. "Uncle Eddie. How are you?"
He returned her embrace. "In limbo, I'm afraid. I think we all need to sit down and talk some things over. I thought Rori was in town?"
"She's passed out in Aven's room with our friend Rocco," Torrin answered. "Oh, Uncle, this is Connor MacManus, my … a friend of ours."
"Her boyfriend, then," Eddie smiled at Connor, shaking the other man's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Connor, but I believe you have a brother with whom my daughter is quite taken, and I'd like to meet him?"
"Of course, sir," Murphy answered, appearing from the kitchen. "Forgive me, I was a little shocked by Aven's state. I'm Murphy MacManus."
"Nice to meet you," Eddie returned. "You're taking good care of her, I see."
"Very good," Aven replied, coming from the kitchen with an ice pack on the right side of her face. "Don't worry, I intend to get the left side after this ice melts."
"I was just telling Torrin we should all sit and talk about this. I was thinking the three of us, but perhaps it's best to involve these gentlemen as well," Eddie suggested.
Murphy offered to start coffee, while Connor went back down to the bar for leftovers. Aven excused herself to change clothes and sent Torrin a covert glance to join her.
Careful to be quiet and not wake Rori and Rocco, Aven retrieved a clean pair of jeans and a tank top. She met Torrin in her room where that girl was also changing into a more comfortable shirt. Aven racked her brain for a language she could have a conversation in that her father wouldn't understand in case he overheard them.
"Devons-nous lui disons tout?" Her father deserved to know everything, but Aven wasn't sure he would understand how they had come to know the MacManus brothers and why their God-given vocation had lead to her killing three Russians.
Torrin took a deep breath. "Nous devons lui dire."
They had to tell him. Torrin was right. There was no way to connect the stories without telling him. "Et se il ne comprend pas?"
Torrin pulled Aven to sit on her bed. "Aven. You love Murphy, and Murphy loves you. Your father will love him simply for that. I love my father, but let's be honest; Edward has always been more patient than Peter. If you believe that Murphy is enough for you, Uncle Eddie will believe it, too."
Aven smiled. "You see right through me. Thank you, Torrin."
"Come on. Let's go get the whole sordid story over with – then we'll see what we can do about some of these cuts and bruises on your face."
Aven's smile didn't fade until they reached the kitchen where the men were visiting. Aven had been so focused on protecting Torrin recently, she had forgotten that sometimes she need a little protection from Torrin as well.
