Page 16 of Cowboy (Fury Vipers MC: Dublin Chapter #4)

CAOIMHE

PRESENT DAY

I hold Saoirse’s trembling body against mine. We’re weak, hungry, and in need of a shower. Over the past six weeks we’ve been moved from place to place, never staying too long before we’re moved on again. There are so many guards watching over us, it’s been impossible to even attempt escape.

Being back in Ireland has been a huge relief for me. I don’t feel as though we're that far away from help. I really hope Ciarán hasn’t forgotten about me, not that I could blame him if he has. I’ve been gone almost a year, and he’s got his own life. But a part of me hopes he hasn’t.

Saoirse is terrified. She’s scared someone is going to take her from me, or worse, that she’s going to be given back to her mam.

That’s not something I’ll ever allow to happen.

That woman doesn’t deserve to be called her mam.

She really hurt her, traumatized her to the point she wets her pants if she’s spoken about.

A loud bang on the door startles me and Saoirse jumps in my arms. "Get up," a gruff voice calls out. "It's time to move again."

My heart sinks. Another move means another chance of being separated from Saoirse. I hold her tighter as the door swings open, revealing two burly men with guns.

"Come on, move it," one of them barks, gesturing with his weapon.

I slowly stand, keeping Saoirse close. "Where are we going?" I ask, my voice hoarse from disuse.

The man sneers. "That's not your concern. Just move."

As we're herded out of the small room we've been kept in, I try to take in our surroundings. We seem to be in some kind of warehouse, with high ceilings and concrete floors. Other women and children are being gathered as well, all looking as scared and disheveled as we are.

Outside, a line of vans await. My stomach churns with dread. Where are they taking us now?

As we're pushed toward one of the vans, I hold Saoirse tightly, not willing to let her out of my sight or arms. It doesn’t take us long to be ushered into the van.

Saoirse doesn’t let go of me as the van moves. I watch out the window, trying to see if I can figure out where the hell we are.

Hours later, hope blooms in my chest as I finally start to recognize where we are. We’re in Dublin. But that hope fades as we get closer to the docks. Right back to where we started.

Fear starts to seep in as I realize we could be resold.

The van comes to a stop and the doors are yanked open. Rough hands grab at us, pulling us out into the cool night air. I cling tightly to Saoirse, determined not to let her go.

"Move it," a gruff voice orders, shoving us forward.

As we stumble along the docks, I try to take in our surroundings, looking for any opportunity to escape. But there are armed men everywhere, their eyes constantly scanning for any sign of trouble.

We're herded toward a large container. My heart sinks as I realize what this means. We're being shipped out again, probably to be sold to the highest bidder.

"Please," I plead with one of the guards. "Let us leave."

The guard's face remains impassive. "Shut up and keep moving."

We’re pushed into the container. There are over twenty of us in here. Some are new, others I've met since being back in Ireland. All the women have the same haunted look in their eyes, the one I know all too well. I see it every single day when I look in the mirror.

The container door slams shut with a deafening clang, plunging us into darkness. The air is thick and all I can hear is the sound of frightened breathing and muffled sobs. I pull Saoirse closer, trying to shield her from the worst of it.

"Caoimhe," she whimpers, her small body trembling against mine. "I'm scared."

"I know, sweetheart," I whisper, stroking her hair. "I'm here. We'll be okay."

But even as I say the words, doubt gnaws at me. How can I promise her that when I have no idea what's going to happen to us?

Suddenly, the container lurches, and I realize we're moving. My heart races as I try to think of a way out of this situation. But we’re trapped in a locked container.

It feels as though the air is being sucked out of it with each passing moment.

I’m trying to not panic, not wanting to frighten Saoirse any more than she already is, but I’m not sure how long I can fight it off.

The container comes to an abrupt halt, nearly knocking us off our feet. Everyone freezes, none of us having any idea what’s going on.

"What's happening?" one of the women whispers fearfully.

I hear a commotion outside; shouts, the sound of running feet, then gunfire. I hold Saoirse closer than before, needing to shield her from what’s about to happen.

The gunfire intensifies, and I hear shouts and screams outside the container. Saoirse whimpers against me, and I hold her tighter, trying to shield her from the chaos.

Suddenly, there's a loud banging on the container door. We all flinch, huddling closer together in fear.

"Stand back!" a voice calls out. "We're going to open the door!"

There's a moment of tense silence, then the sound of metal grinding against metal. Slowly, the container door swings open, flooding us with harsh light.

I blink, trying to adjust my eyes. As my vision clears, I see a group of men standing at the entrance, guns in hand. But they're not pointing their weapons at us.

"It's okay," one of the men says, his voice surprisingly gentle. "You're safe now. We're here to help."

I stare at him, hardly daring to believe what I'm hearing. Could this really be a rescue?

"Who are you?" I manage to ask, my voice hoarse.

"We're here to help," the man replies. "We've been tracking this trafficking ring for months. You're all free now."

Relief washes over me, so intense it makes me dizzy. I sway on my feet, and one of the men rushes forward to steady me.

"Easy there," he says kindly. "Let's get you all out of here and somewhere safe."

As we're helped out of the container, I see the aftermath of the fight. Bodies litter the ground, our captors, I realize with a jolt. In the distance, I can hear sirens approaching.

"Caoimhe?" Saoirse whispers, her eyes wide as she takes in the scene. "Are we really free?"

I nod, tears welling up in my eyes. "Yes, sweetheart. We're free."

The man who helped me turns to us. "Did you say Caoimhe?" he asks, a strange look in his eyes.

I nod, suddenly wary. "Yes, that's me. Why?"

He shakes his head. “No reason. Come on, let’s get you two out of here.”

I feel as though I’m missing something, but right now, I’m so overwhelmed with being rescued that I don’t care. Saoirse and I are free. It’s something I’ve been hoping and praying for, and today it’s finally happening.

The man leads us to a car while the other women are bought somewhere else. I should be worried, but right now, I’m too exhausted and relieved to question it.

We’re finally free.

* * *

As we pull up to a large house, I feel a mixture of relief and apprehension. The man who rescued us helps us out of the car. I'm beyond tired. I want to sleep, but I'm not sure if I can right now. I need to make sure Saoirse is safe.

"This is my boss’ place," he explains. "You'll be safe here while we sort everything out."

I nod, too exhausted to question further. Saoirse clings to my hand as we follow the man inside.

"Make yourselves at home," he says. "My boss has called a doctor to come check you both over. Is that okay?"

I hesitate for a moment, then nod. As much as I hate the idea of being examined, I know it's necessary. Who knows what damage has been done to us over the past year?

A short while later, a young woman arrives. She introduces herself as the doctor, Gráinne.

"Hello, Caoimhe, Saoirse," she says gently. "I'm here to make sure you're both okay. Is it alright if I examine you?"

Saoirse looks at me, fear in her eyes. I squeeze her hand reassuringly. "It's okay, sweetheart. Gráinne is here to help us."

As Gráinne examines Saoirse first, I watch nervously. But the doctor is gentle and patient, putting Saoirse at ease with her calm demeanor.

When it's my turn, I feel myself tensing up. Gráinne seems to sense my discomfort.

"We can take this as slow as you need," she assures me. "And you can stop at any time."

I nod, taking a deep breath. As the examination progresses, I see concern growing in Gráinne's eyes.

When she's finished, she turns to an older man, someone who I’ve yet to see, but he’s watching me with a curious look, one that makes my stomach clench.

As they step out of the room, I pull Saoirse close, trying to ignore the knot of fear in my stomach. What did the doctor find? And what's going to happen to us now?

The door opens and Gráinne returns, her expression somber. "Caoimhe, can I speak with you privately for a moment?"

I glance at Saoirse, who's looking up at me with wide eyes. "I don't want to leave her," I say softly.

Gráinne nods understandingly. "Of course. We can talk here, quietly."

I quickly put Saoirse on the opposite sofa and then take a seat on the empty one.

Gràinne sits down beside me, her voice low.

"Caoimhe, I'm concerned about some of my findings.

You've suffered significant physical trauma.

But what worries me most is..." she hesitates, her eyes flicking to Saoirse before meeting mine again. “There are signs of long-term malnutrition. I’d like to run further tests, because it could lead to your body shutting down.”

“What do you need?” I ask, hoping it won’t be too bad.

She glances again at Saoirse, and I know she’s trying not to scare her.

“Saoirse, sweetheart, let’s get you settled for a little nap, yeah?” I say with a bright smile.

The older gentleman appears once again, this time with a smile on his face. “Caoimhe, let me introduce myself. I’m Jerry Houlihan. It was my men who found you this morning.”

I swallow hard. I may have been out of Ireland for a while, but I’m not stupid. Jerry Houlihan has a gang, one that is dangerous. They’re known killers. Why did he find us?

“Let me show you to a room so you can put Saoirse down for a nap, yeah?”

I nod, grateful for his kindness. “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice breaking. I have so much to thank him for. I’ll never be able to repay him for what he’s done for me and Saoirse.

Jerry leads us to a cozy bedroom upstairs. Saoirse's eyes are already drooping as I tuck her into the soft bed.

"I'll be right outside, sweetheart," I whisper, kissing her forehead. "Get some rest."

As I close the door quietly behind me, I take a steadying breath. We’re safe here, for now.

I make my way back to the kitchen where Gráinne is. “Okay,” I say, pulling in a ragged breath. “What do I need to do?”

Gráinne gives me a sympathetic look. "I'd like to admit you to the hospital for a few days," she says gently. "We need to run some tests and start you on IV nutrition. Your body has been through a lot, and we need to make sure there's no permanent damage."

My heart sinks. The thought of being separated from Saoirse, even for a few days, is terrifying. "But what about Saoirse?" I ask, my voice trembling. "I can't leave her alone."

Jerry steps forward. "Don't worry about Saoirse," he says reassuringly. "We will look after her while you're in the hospital. She'll be safe here, I promise."

I hesitate, torn between the need to take care of my own health and my fierce protectiveness of Saoirse. "Can... can I think about it?" I ask.

Gráinne nods. "Of course. But please don't wait too long. Your health is important too, Caoimhe."

As if on cue, a wave of dizziness washes over me. Jer and Gráinne lead me to a seat, and Gráinne busies herself making me a hot drink.

“Seriously think about it,” she tells me softly. “You need to recuperate. Your body needs to heal. You need a full check up, Caoimhe, and that’s not something I can give you here.”

“I’ll think about it,” I promise her, knowing she’s right. I do need to get checked out, but I can’t leave Saoirse.

The front door opens and I tense as I hear deep voices. There aren’t any I recognize.

“It’s okay,” Gráinne tells me. “It’s my boyfriend, Connor. You’re safe here. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Even though I know she believes that, I can’t trust her. I don’t think I can trust anyone but myself. Once upon a time, Ciarán was the only one I trusted, but he’s long gone now. I’m alone. It’s just Saoirse and I.