Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) (21 page)

“Sorry about that, brother. I don’t know what came over me,” Willy stated then snuggled against Ava.

“I guess it was as amazing as it sounded,” Mick stated then smiled, and so did Willy.

“Oh God, you heard us?” Ava asked as she tried to cover herself with the comforter and move away from Willy. Willy wouldn’t allow it as he clamped his legs around her lower half and covered her body with his own. He held her gaze and inhaled against her neck.

“Have a nice rest?’ he teased then kissed along the curve of her lips as she smiled softly.

“Are you okay? I thought I heard growling.”

“Just fine, Ava. How about that shower?” he asked.

“My turn to care for our Ava, Willy. You need to call Van back. He has an update for you,” Mick interrupted, and Willy growled low then thrust his hips against Ava. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him to her.

“I will leave you in good hands.”

Willy stood up, and Mick met him by the side of the bed. Willy pulled Ava up and placed her hand into Mick’s open hand.

Willy trailed a finger along her chin then across her shoulder, down her arm, and over her breast. “I’ll be back soon,” he said then turned away and began to get dressed.

* * * *

“What happened?” Pat asked Willy as he entered the kitchen. He was tucking his shirt into his jeans and headed toward the side door.

“Beats the fuck out of me, Pat. I fucking lost it,” William exclaimed. Pat began to speak, but one intense look from William and he knew that his brother needed to be alone.

“I’ll be back in a bit. Mick is with her. When I return we’ll have a talk with Ava. Together.”

Pat, Sean, and Kyle watched as William left through the back door.

“I’ve never seen him lose his cool before. He’s always so in charge and ornery, but right now he looks lost,” Pat stated to his brothers.

“It’s been said that a mate can change a wolf no matter how set in his ways he is,” Kyle replied.

Sean snorted. “If little ole Ava has Willy out of sorts then the rest of us are fucked,” Sean exclaimed.

Pat chuckled, but Kyle appeared serious.

“Remember who we are, Sean. Remember how important our jobs are. A woman, no matter how important and special, cannot stand in the way of progress for the packs. Ava could hold secrets our families have been searching for. Perhaps even information that the Secret Order can use to keep control over rogue wolves and the illegals. Don’t take this lightly,” Kyle stated firmly.

“I’m not taking anything lightly. All I can tell you is that I would do anything to protect Ava. We left our jobs in the department to ensure her safety as well as ensure the protection of the Circle and the Order. But I will not deny what our woman does to me. My dick is so fucking hard right now knowing that William fucked her and marked her and that Mick is in there alone with her about to do the same thing. I crave her scent, the feel of her soft skin, and the urge to run my fingers through her silky brown locks is becoming unbearable. I could care less about anything but my mate right now, Kyle, so excuse me if that makes me weak,” Sean stated then ran his fingers through his hair. Pat stepped closer to him and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I second everything you just said, brother. Finding a mate is a gift that many wolves spend their entire lives searching for and never find. I’m not taking it lightly and I’ll enjoy every second of it. But we need to be patient. Ava is human. It will take longer for her acceptance and for her to come to terms with her place as our mate. The least we can do is be supportive and guide her. We wait until William returns.”

Ava felt the temptation become too strong to ignore. After a shower and drying her hair, she found the house empty. The men had told her that they were checking out the perimeter to the property and to stay put. She sat for a short time staring at the numerous black bags lying in one room that was adjacent to the main bedroom. The same bedroom that she shared with the Declan brothers. She instantly felt the tingling sensation hit her skin and filter through to her bones. Unconsciously she shook a little as a chill went through her. Hugging herself, she contemplated about searching through the bags. By looks alone they appeared mysterious, and her mind went into overdrive just thinking of the possibilities.

Could there be communication devices in there? Perhaps a radio or some other device she could use to get in touch with Walt or Brennan? The men hadn’t even told her that they were in communication with Walt. Didn’t they think that information would bring her comfort? She wondered if Fagan pack or the Circle knew more and had possibly shared that information with Declan pack. Why else would they be so reluctant to share their progress in the case? She sighed. It seemed every expression or act of affection they gave her was shortly replaced by untrusting acts instead.

She felt that uneasy tugging in her gut, except this time it was much stronger. What was she thinking? Did she want to escape from the safety of the Declan brothers’ arms? Did she feel the need to be alone again, or was this just her obsession with wanting to know where Fenly was and to keep harassing him with her highly resourceful computer-hacking skills? He was out there living free and gaining more and more power with each transfer of money from her family’s account. If she didn’t get on a computer soon, he would dissolve every one of them. She needed to stop him. First financially, and eventually by death.

Unfolding her legs from underneath her, she listened for any sign that the men were near. When it seemed all clear, she jumped up and began to search each bag as her heart pounded inside of her chest and her mind raced with possibilities of what Fenly had achieved in her absence from the Internet. She came across a smaller bag and unzipped it, finding a high-tech netbook computer.
Bingo!

A glance toward the doorway with no sign of the men catching her, she swallowed the lump of guilt, not so easily, down her throat. She felt a slight sting on her shoulder where Willy had bitten her. Man, was that intense, and the orgasm she felt was like nothing thus far. It may be worth having some battle wounds to continue feeling the connection and ecstasy that the one bite emitted.

She powered up the device and began to search for what she needed. She was an extremely fast typist and memorized codes and numbers that just came naturally once her fingers hit the keys. In a matter of seconds she was on a secure site, manipulating the password and security to get to where she needed. Fenly had obviously caught on to something suspicious as he had changed his password and added extra security to the accounts. He wasn’t that smart, and she wondered if it was the bank’s doing or if someone else was interfering in her agenda.

Absorbed in the screen and the details of each withdrawal, her heart felt as if it fell to her stomach. The bastard had nearly withdrawn fifty percent of her father’s money, of her money. She felt the tears reach her eyes. She couldn’t be too late. There had to be a way to get that money back, just like the rest of it. If she could just figure out where the back door was, she could transfer the money to the secret account in Ireland. Eventually she would get back home. The more she typed, the more she realized that Fenly was getting help from some computer-savvy person.

As she read down each line of transfer, she realized that the individual was transferring numerous small amounts of money to what appeared to be bogus accounts. Some of the accounts had to be fraudulent. Fenly didn’t give a shit about orphaned kids in Guam or any kids at all. He was smuggling her money out of the O’Brian accounts while falsifying her signature and consent. This was her money, not his! Now this she could fix, but it would take some time. There was no way she would let Fenly get away with this. She felt herself begin to freak out. She felt desperate and angry as the tears filled her eyes. How could he do this? How could someone like this remain alive on this earth? He was evil and she swore to herself that one day she would be the one to kill him.

“Ava?” William’s voice penetrated her train of thought, and she lost her breath. Her eyes widened in shock at his presence and now his brothers’ as they all entered the room. They looked angry, and she knew she was busted. Looking up at them from the floor below, she realized just how manly and intense they appeared. This was going to go badly.

“What are you doing?” Sean asked with his eyes squinted and his arms crossed in front of his large chest.

She tried to calm her breathing, but it was useless. A thousand thoughts went through her mind, including the fact that the longer she didn’t take action, the more Fenly would gain. The tears filled her eyes, and she began to lose her breath.

“Sean asked you a question!” Willy roared. He actually roared at her, which sent the looming anxiety attack into fast forward.

“Give me the computer,” Sean stated, taking a step toward her.

She clutched the computer to her chest and shook her head. She didn’t dare speak. She was trying to fight off the anxiety attack.

“Now, Ava!” Mick chimed in just as Sean began to walk toward her. She scurried backward on the floor, holding the computer and thinking how desperately she needed to stop Fenly.

She attempted to push the anxiety attack away by absorbing the way each man was dressed. It seemed to match their personalities. Willy wore a black T-shirt with black camo pants and boots. His muscular arms were snug against the sleeves. Mick was dressed in dark designer jeans and a dark-blue T-shirt. He, too, looked as if his arms would tear the sleeves. She blinked her eyes, once, twice as they spoke to her, but she couldn’t hear them. Their words were muffled by the increased flow of blood to her brain and the inability to catch her breath. She blinked and saw Sean then his blue shirt, and his blue eyes filled with concern for her. Pat caressed her arm, urging her to release her grip on the computer, but if she did then she would lose it. She could lose her chance at stopping Fenly for today, and she would lose her fight against the attack.

Kyle caressed her cheek.

“Easy breaths now, Ava.”

He told her as she locked gazes with him and felt her chest tighten. She just couldn’t catch her breath. It was too difficult to breathe.

“What is it?” Sean asked.

“She’s hyperventilating. Grab that small paper bag Walt sent along with the clothes,” Kyle told Mick, and Mick moved out of her vision.

Ava clutched the computer to her chest as she gasped for air.

“Let go of the damn computer. Let us help you,” Mick stated.

She shook her head, and a moment later Mick was kneeling in front of her with the brown paper bag.

“Take this,” he demanded as Sean lifted her head up, and she pulled away from him. He was insistent that she breathe into the bag to clear a pathway in her lungs. The tightness was still there. This was a bad one. She hadn’t had an anxiety attack in over a year.

She lay on the floor, waiting out the aftereffects of the attack with the computer still clutched to her chest.

“What were you doing, Ava?” Kyle whispered as he caressed her cheek.

She debated about what to say and how they would react. She didn’t care if they thought less of her or hated her for her illegal activities. They were cops, but would they turn her in?

“Ava, you can’t continue to lie to us and keep us out. You’re our mate and we need to know what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Pat stated from above. She looked up at him then slowly began to sit up with Kyle’s assistance.

“What’s on the computer?” Kyle asked.

She stared at him a moment and then the others.

“I won’t let Fenly get away with this. I don’t care what you say or what you think about me. I am going to save what is left of the O’Brian name and I am going to kill Fenly,” she stated out loud as the tears rolled down her cheeks. The men’s eyes widened in shock, and she felt discouraged and alone. They would surely hate her for wanting to commit murder, but she didn’t care. Fenly needed to die.

“You’re not going to kill him, mate. It’s not your job,” Kyle whispered as he caressed her hair from her eyes. Ava was shocked. Not her job?

“You can’t tell me what I am and am not going to do, Kyle. He killed my father! He continues to steal from my family and gain more and more power. He’s stealing my money right now and I need to stop him!” she yelled as she sat up and shook the computer at them.

“You’re the one hacking into his accounts and taking the money?” William stated from across the room.

“What? How could she do that? I didn’t find any evidence of that on her laptop,” Sean added.

“’Fess up, Ava, or I swear I’ll throw you over my knee and spank your ass until I get all the answers,” William stated firmly with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Ava felt her body warm at the thought but also felt her instincts tell her that this was not a game. They needed to know everything so she could get back onto the computer and stop Fenly. But they had shown her distrust by tampering with her computer.

“How dare you tamper with my laptop? Why would you do that? Whose side are you on anyway?” she demanded to know.

“Don’t even go there. We were trying to help you. You haven’t told us anything that you know.”

She paused a moment as she absorbed his words. She couldn’t tell them that she was ashamed, that she did what was needed to secure her family’s money as best she could. She wouldn’t be able to make them understand how alone she felt and her need to do things alone.

“Did you or did you not hack into Fenly’s accounts?” Mick asked firmly.

“Willy is right. I have been getting Fenly fined for various business dealings while also taking back my money from his accounts. But that money is mine, so I’m technically not stealing it,” she stated firmly and locked gazes with William. He raised his eyebrows, and she stood up, stomping her foot.

“Damn it, Willy, it is my money and that piece of shit has been falsifying accounts and my signature to authorize these transfers. He has taken everything from me, my family, and from generations of O’Brians. I can stop him, and whether you like it or not I am going to stop him.”