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C elebrating my marriage a little belatedly with my family during Uncle Josef’s Christmas party actually turned out to be pretty amazing.

My cousins took turns teasing me, then mooning over how handsome Liam was. For that I had to threaten a few of them, but knowing they were my family meant I was jesting of course. Mostly.

Dad and my uncles took Liam back to that study for an hour after I’d finished talking to him, which gave me just enough time to catch everyone up.

Afterwards, my father proposed a toast in mine and Liam’s honor and announced he would be hosting a wedding reception with my mother for the two of us in six months.

I was so moved, I cried, and being the awesome Dad that he was, he teared up too.

“Okay, no more crying. Everyone, raise your glass of punch and let’s get to partying!” Aunt Meredith had shouted, breaking up all our sappy displays.

Thank God.

The rest of the night was spent drinking and dancing, and if my handsome husband swayed me until we stood directly beneath several sprigs of mistletoe Aunt Mer had the decorators strategically hang from the ceiling in the ballroom, let’s just say I was more than happy to kiss his delicious lips.

Only the snarled “enough” shouted from across the room in a booming voice laced with hints of an old Russian accent pulled us apart. Giggling, we spent the rest of the night sneaking kisses in dark corners, and instead of staying like I’d planned, Liam had a driver take us home.

“So I can fuck you properly and not in a house full of men you happen to be related to who are scarier than me.”

The exquisite soreness between my legs reminded me that we spent the weekend doing exactly that. I sighed and clacked away on my keyboard, replying to correspondence I’d ignored all weekend.

I thought I’d ruined everything by confessing my love for my husband, but it turned out to be the best decision ever.

It was a little difficult concentrating on work, and Liam gave up about an hour ago, kissing me silly before announcing he was going to Connor’s office to finish what he was doing.

“I can’t think with you so close to me,” he whispered before he left.

“Maybe I should get my own office?” I asked, not really wanting to disturb him when I knew how busy he was.

“No way. It’ll be fine. Oh, Mrs. Finley is coming with me, though. I need her to translate for us,” he said and kissed my temple before he left.

God, I loved when he did that.

He was always petting and caressing me, kissing my head or neck. It was like the second he admitted his feelings, he couldn’t stop showing it. And I loved it. I loved every second of it.

I had to admit I’d been surprised when he told me sweet old Mrs. Finley spoke a dozen languages and was able to read and write in all of them. I could curse in Russian and Italian, but that was about it. Though Liam promised to teach me some of the Irish Gaelic phrases he used so often when we were being intimate.

Someone knocked as I finished up an email to an applicant for Clint’s old position. The woman applying looked fantastic on paper, and I was hoping to schedule an in person interview for as soon as possible.

“Come in,” I said distractedly.

I looked up and gasped when half a dozen men in head to toe black with masks covering their faces rushed towards me. Before I could scream, someone had their arm around my neck.

“Say goodnight, bitch,” he hissed.

I struggled for one second before I felt a pinch in my neck. Heat flooded my system, and my last thought was of Liam before the whole world went black.

* * *

I woke up some time later in a dark, dank room with my hands and ankles tied to a chair.

My head ached, and my mouth was dry. I couldn’t be sure how many minutes or hours had passed. But I knew it was likely the latter since I was so damn thirsty.

The door opened with a creak and a slam and a couple of the same armed men in black who took me filed inside.

Only this time, they weren’t alone.

“Oh, Little Wolf, if only Liam hadn’t gotten so caught up in you, this wouldn’t have had to happen.”

Fear spiraled up my spine, and I struggled to hold my head up, but the pain was so great, and my vision was a little blurry.

“Margaret?”

“You were supposed to bring your father’s muscle to ODI, Micky. Not make my sappy fucking brother fall for you. He was supposed to divorce you when it was over, but that stupid fuck gave you a partnership instead,” she snarled and slapped me across the face. Hard.

“What do you want? What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? If I can’t trust Little Brother to toe the line, I’ll have to remind him who the fuck I am. And I am the O’Doyle family.”

“M-my family will pay a ransom for me. I can sign over my shares of ODI to you—” I started, desperate to stall whatever she’d set into motion.

“The Volkovs might control mines overseas, but they don’t have street muscle, Micky. Not like me. As for signing over your shares, it doesn’t matter, does it? I’ll have full control once you’re dead and Liam is shipped off to China. Mr. Chen has a bone to pick with my little brother, and I just cut a new deal.”

Fighting to stay awake, I glared at my husband’s older sister, revulsion roiling through me.

What was wrong with this woman? She would betray her family for what?

Power?

Money?

It was disgusting. Bile rose in my throat, and it was all I could do not to puke.

“Here drink this,” she said holding a cup to my lips.

I turned my head, refusing.

“What? You think I’m trying to poison you?”

She laughed maniacally, and I felt fear shiver up my spine.

Margaret O’Doyle was certifiable.

“Oh, no, Little Wolf, when I come for you, it will be head on, teeth bared. Enjoy what time you have left,” she barked, glaring at me with eyes the same color as Liam’s but that was where the similarity ended.

There was no warmth or feeling in her stare.

Only death.