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DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

RORY

L iam drives while Koen makes call after call, rounding up everyone he can on such short notice.

He got through to the Russians right away. Koen had my father’s full attention once he learned they had his daughter currently in their possession. They arrange a trade immediately to get Alexei out of the Bratva’s hands before more damage can be done. So far, all we have is my father’s word Alexei is still alive.

Aidan is like a live wire beside me in the back of Liam’s SUV. I’m aware of every little movement. The rise and fall of my chest, the slight ticking of his jaw, my heart racing a little faster each time he shifts slightly closer to me.

It’s good news Alexei is alive at all. I might not know a lot about the inner workings of this dark world, but even I know what they do to traitors.

Alexei may be one of the Irish, but for the past couple of months, he had become someone I could trust. He didn’t leer at me or crack lewd jokes when my father wasn’t watching. He was respectful, protective, and he was nice. The thought of Alexei enduring any of what the Bratva is capable of has my stomach rolling.

I shift anxiously in my seat.The movement catches Aidan’s attention and our eyes meet. I don’t know what it is I see in those deep green pools, but it only fuels my lingering confusion.

The Irish shot up the club, stole me. They chained me up, interrogated me, but somehow I’m more reluctant to go home. If anything, the O’Rourkes have opened my eyes to how isolating and depressing my life had become.

No friends, no boyfriend, no fun . Just training and reading alone in my room.

I need to work harder, keep fighting, and escape my fate before I’m shackled to it by my ring finger.

Liam steers the SUV behind a couple of abandoned warehouse buildings. We’re close to the docks and the smell of salt and low tide is heavy in the air. A somber standoff awaits us on the loading dock.

I lean forward to get a better view, searching the line of suits for any sign of Alexei. Not caring that it puts me right across Aidan’s lap. He stiffens under me.

It’s easy to tell the difference between the Irish and the Bratva. The Irish seem to prefer dark hoodies and leather to suits, and bikes to cars.The Irish half of the circle is full of motorcycles, except for Koen’s SUV.

There seems to be a competition over who could bring a bigger show of force. Even with so many men on the dock, it’s easy to spot my father and brother. My father is wearing his usual dark suit. My brother is next to him, looking far more imposing than I’ve ever seen him, a murderous expression on his face that sends a shiver through my body. But there’s still one person I don’t see…

Aidan lays a reassuring hand on my hip. I twist to look at him.

“He’s probably still in one of the cars.” His attention is on the Bratva outside.

I nod, unconvinced. I wouldn’t put it past my father to double cross the Irish, even at my expense. Sitting back, I twist my fingers anxiously, fidgeting with the sleeves of Aidan’s hoodie I’m still wearing.

We pull to a stop, and my father’s steel gaze finds me. Letting out a gasp, I scoot deeper into the car seat.

Aidan notices his already tight expression dipping into a frown. “He can’t see you.” He wraps a knuckle on the glass window. “Mirrored glass.”

Koen speaks up from the front seat. My eyes fall to the black gun he holds in his hand, the other on the door handle. “Rory stays here.”

I look at him in surprise. He used Rory, not “Aurora.”

He waits for both Aidan and me to nod in confirmation before stepping out of the car in unison with Liam, shutting the doors behind them.Aidan’s gaze falls back to me, an unreadable expression on his face before he too exits the SUV, joining his brothers.

The three of them walk together, out on the dock. A formidable sight. Aidan and Liam fall back slightly to flank Koen at the center. They stop only once they’ve closed the distance between the two antagonist groups to about fifteen feet. My father and Niko remain where they stand.

I’m pressed up against the window, scanning, trying to watch all of them at once.

“Koen O’Rourke,” Adrik dips his chin with a poisonous smile, greeting the eldest Irish son. “I didn’t know we were making this a whole family affair,” he gestures to Aidan and Liam. “Nice to see Ace and Liam around again. I thought they’d left the family business.” The smile creeping across my father’s face is snake-like.

It’s a smile Aidan doesn’t return. He’s busy keeping his eyes trained on my brother. The latter watches the Irish enforcer with a death glare.

“What my brothers do or don’t do is none of your concern.” Koen looks around pointedly. “Where’s Alexei?” The malice in the Irish boss’ eyes might just set the Russians on fire. Koen didn’t come to play.

Adrik’s eyes slide from Aidan and back to Koen, his smile fading. “He’s here,” nodding to a nearby SUV. “Where’s my daughter?” he counters sharply.

Niko steps forward, his eyes still locked in a contentious stare off with Aidan. He crosses his thick arms across his chest, giving everyone a good view of his piece held tight in his grip.

Koen merely nods, ignoring my brother, his expression unchanging. “She’s here. But first I want to see Alex.”

Adrik narrows his eyes to thin slits, displeasure playing at the corner of his lips at Koen’s assertiveness. I’ve never seen anyone talk to my father that way—making demands. What’s even more shocking is my father relents. He signals with his hand to two Russians standing guard by the SUV and they open the door. I recognize the burlier one as my father’s right-hand man, Petr. So he survived Elements, did he?

Seconds later, they drag Alexei from the vehicle. Dirty, bloody, and barely recognizable. I can’t hold back my sob, holding a hand to my mouth, tears in my eyes.

The O’Rourke clan collectively stiffen at the sight of their adopted brother.

Adrik smiles, delighting in the pain he’s causing. “You sure you want the little rat back? We weren’t exactly done playing with him.”

Alexei struggles to support himself as the Russians drag him roughly forward. He’s so pale. Fresh blood drips from so many places it’s impossible to count the number of wounds. His face is so battered, his left eye swollen shut. I might throw up.

There’s no stopping the tears. They flow freely down my cheeks at the sight of my bodyguard. I don’t know how Alexei is even alive…

“Let’s get this done,” Koen growls out, maintaining his cold and impassive mask. But even from inside the car, I can feel the eldest O’Rourke’s wrath simmering. Alexei may not be blood, but from what I’ve witnessed over the past couple of days… it hardly matters.

Koen and Aidan share a look, and Aidan turns, starting back toward me. He wears the darkest expression I’ve ever seen, and it makes me want to crawl deeper into the car. After seeing Alexei, I bet the Irish wish they’d roughed me up more.

Frantically I wipe at my face, doing my best to erase my tears, but it’s no use.

The door opens and I’m looking up into Aidan’s cold eyes. They scan my face—seeing my emotions. His dark expression softens for a moment.

He grabs hold of my upper arm and tugs gently. I step willingly out of the car. All eyes are instantly on me. Aidan walks me over to stand with his brothers, keeping a light grip on my arm. And suddenly, I’m faced with the realization I’m still wearing only Aidan’s sweatshirt and rolled up boxer shorts.

I can’t look at my father nor my brother. Instead, I keep my gaze trained on the ground, occasionally peeking up between my lashes to check on Alexei. He spies me looking and winks with his one good eye.

Fresh tears leak down my cheeks, dripping off my chin. I give him a soft smile in return. He gave me up to the Irish, but he still doesn’t deserve this.

Movement out of the corner of my eye has my gaze snapping to Niko. He walks aggressively toward Alexei and points a gun at his head.

I’m vaguely aware Aidan’s gun is in his hand, threatening, but not quite pointed at me. Aidan and the O’Rourkes have had me for days. Days . The Bratva had Alexei for hours . Hours, and the harm they’d inflicted....

“Aurora,” my father has to call my name twice in order for me to finally tear my gaze away from my bodyguard and direct it onto him. “Aurora, они тебя трогали?” Did they touch you? My father knows I know at least enough Russian to understand his question.

My gaze wanders to Aidan before I slowly shake my head, staring up into forest-dark eyes. “No.”

Aidan’s brow lifts only slightly, not understanding Adrik’s question.

My father nods in what looks like relief. “Well,” he says, clapping his hands together, savoring this torturous moment far more than anybody else, “Ladies first?”

Koen’s jaw flexing is his only tell as he dips his chin in agreement. “Send her over.”

Aidan takes a few steps forward, bringing me with him. I only resist a little, shaking in his light grip. I see a question enter his eyes and he looks between my father and me. We’re halfway and Aidan stops.

This is it.

But instead of letting go, Aidan’s grip tightens on my arm. The sudden anchor behind me forces my attention back, confused.

Aidan’s eyes are a blaze of fire as his stare penetrates mine. Full of anger, malice and something else— confusion? Regret? I can’t know for sure.

I blink up at him, the intensity of his stare holding me in place, more so than the grip he has on my arm.

I nearly jump at the sound of Niko’s deep voice. “Don’t even think about it, O’Rourke.” Both Aidan and I turn to see Niko pushing the barrel of his gun roughly against Alexei’s skull. “Let her go,” my brother threatens, shoving the gun into Alexei’s temple. His finger grazes the trigger. “Now.”

My eyes plead with Aidan. Another moment passes, and he finally releases me.

I don’t know what to make of it, but I need to get Alexei back to the Irish. He desperately needs medical attention. The amount of blood he’s had to have lost by the state of his body alone… It’s a miracle he hasn’t bled out already, standing before us in his state.

My walk across the remaining space is slow but determined. I’m hyperaware of the powder keg I’m currently in the heart of. One wrong move from anyone and we’re all dead.

When I’m nearly to the Bratva side, Petr shoves Alexei forward. He stumbles past me. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a small reassuring nod. I open my mouth, unsure of what to say with everyone watching us. But I’m cut off when Petr extends his arm. He grabs hold of my sweatshirt and forcefully drags me the rest of the way towards him.

A low growl sounds to my right, and suddenly I’m pulled into a different hard chest: Niko’s. He wraps one arm tightly around me, the other holding the gun steady and trained on Aidan. The Irish defenseman remains right where I’d left him. Murder dances in his eyes.

Eyes that are focused over my head, on my brother. I hold my breath until Alexei reaches him, nearly collapsing onto the Irish enforcer. Aidan supports Alexei’s weight, but he doesn’t take his eyes off Niko, as he backs away slowly until he reaches his brothers. Liam takes Alexei’s other arm over his shoulder.

We stay and watch the Irish load up. Tensions are still high as both the Irish and Russians eye each other with mistrust. Some guys look like they’re itching for a fight. I spy crew cut— Jimmy —from the club, watching me with a narrowed expression.

“That’s enough, Nikolai.” My father’s voice to our left startles me and I flinch in surprise. Niko’s arm tightens around me, but he finally lowers his gun. Aidan gives me one last hard look before disappearing into the SUV behind Alexei. The Irish pull out.

“It’s over Aurora. You’re safe now.” My father strokes my hair in a loving gesture that doesn’t match his expression. “Take her home,” he advises to Niko coldly before stalking off, forgetting about me entirely and conferring intensely with Petr and another one of his men.

The words safe and home circle through my mind.

Numbly, I climb into Niko’s car, barely aware of anything he says to me. Not at all eager to get back to the life I’d left behind.