Authors: Dixie Lynn Dwyer
Tags: #Romance
“I am not going to stand here and watch you illegally computer hack on a government-issued computer,” William replied.
“Then turn around and go in the other room because I’m getting my money back,” she stated firmly.
“This affects all of us, Willy. It affects the wolf packs and the Order. She can fill us in on the information the packs don’t already know, and she can at least hinder Fenly’s efforts to gain more money and power that he’s using to fight our cause,” Mick added to the conversation.
“He’s got a point. Like we’ve never gotten our guy from going in the back door and not following all the red tape? Come on, Willy,” Sean added.
Ava watched Willy glance around the room at his brothers, who seemed to be on her side after all.
“I don’t believe this. She hasn’t told us anything, not about her life, what she’s been up to the last two years, and what she knows about Fenly and his operation.”
“I promise to tell you everything I know after I stop these money transfers. He’s taking everything my family has left and he’s using it to fund his agenda and to put guns and drugs on the streets. Aren’t you investigators, too? Isn’t that what you’re after, the big bust?”
“We do want the drugs and guns to be eliminated from the streets. It is our agenda to uphold the law for both humans and for wolves. Don’t get all high and mighty because my brothers are willing to back you up so easily. I need proof that you’re not scamming us. I need to know that you understand the bond as our mate and that this is real between us and for life.”
She was silent a moment as she absorbed his words.
“Listen, Willy, I’ve been alone for a while now. I’ve been trained to trust no one and to always look over my shoulder. I was a damn virgin when we first met and was used to only connecting to humans. Despite all that, I had sex with five men who can shift into wolves all because of the emotions and gut feelings I had. You’ve treated me with respect and thus far have protected me. I can’t say at this point that I get the whole mated-for-life thing, but I do feel the connection. I pretty much felt sick to my stomach and filled with betrayal as I rummaged through your things to find this computer if that says anything to ya,” she stated then lowered her eyes.
“This conversation is not over, Ava. Get on the computer and stop that asshole the best you can. Sean, watch over her as she does it,” Willy stated then walked out of the room.
Ava immediately jumped on the bed, opened up the computer, and began typing.
“You’re going down, Fenly, and whoever you have working with you is not as good as I am,” she stated out loud as Sean and Kyle joined her on the bed.
Fenly stood in the bedroom of the Declan home sniffing the air. He felt about ready to shift, his hackles rose, and his eyes began to change. He wanted to hit something, hurt someone. He wanted to hunt and kill.
“Fenly,” Duggy whispered from the doorway, and Fenly turned toward him, ready to kill the wolf. With fists at his side and his razor-sharp teeth elongated in his human mouth, he must have been a sight.
“They couldn’t be too far ahead of us. A day, tops, and it looks like they headed north,” Duggy stated with a hand on the doorframe, looking prepared to make a run for it if the Alpha attacked.
Fenly tried to calm his breathing.
“They fucked her. Ava’s scent is mixed with the Declan wolves’. I smell five separate yet similar scents and Ava’s. I want them found and killed.” Fenly growled then used the back of his hand to wipe the drool from his lips.
“I understand, Fenly. I think they’ve had some help escaping.”
Fenly snapped his head up from looking at the bed and rumpled sheets. His mind imagining what the Declan wolves did to his woman. Ava was his, and no one would have her. Ava would pay for this as well.
“Spit it out, Duggy, we don’t have time to waste.”
“My men smell other packs here and humans.”
“The human smell is coming from the dead IRA soldiers that Declan killed. This house is probably their personal home, so other wolf packs’ scents would be lingering if they entertained lately.”
“I doubt that the Declan invite over government operatives for Wednesday-night dinner,” Duggy responded sarcastically.
“What are you saying?”
“I recognize the stench of government operatives and one pack in particular that I don’t care to deal with.”
“Who?”
“Fagan pack.”
“Fagan pack? I haven’t heard the likes of them since Ava first went missing and they began snooping around County Clare. Bastards are still interested in finding her. The government knows about the Irish Jewel. We need to get Ava and find out where her father hid it. I want you to get me a direction, better than just north, of where they took her. I also think it’s time I call some of my inside people in the Circle and in the CIA. If Ava and Declan are getting help then I need to zero in on their location in the next twenty-four hours before word spreads about the Jewel of Ireland.”
Just then Fenly’s phone rang. He flipped open the cell as soon as he saw it was his associate and computer pro Taps. The man was brilliant and finally able to stop some computer hacker from changing his passwords and creating bogus charges on his accounts. Some major amounts of money were being transferred today, and Taps was keeping an eye on things.
“What’s going on, Taps? Has all the money been transferred?”
Taps was quiet a moment, and Fenly got a bad feeling inside.
“Unfortunately we have a major problem, sir. Someone very high tech infiltrated all the accounts and changed things around. They even went as far as notifying the authorities of the bogus business accounts.”
“What?” Fenly roared. “Where is my damn money and who is this hacker?”
“Not sure at the moment, sir. I was working against them for the past hour, but they are quite incredible, whoever they are.”
“Obviously better than you, Taps. Where the fuck is my money now?”
Taps was hesitant, and Fenly roared.
“I have no idea where the money is, and all accounts have been closed out or frozen until further investigation. We’re screwed here, sir. I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life. It’s as if this person knew of all the accounts in the O’Brian estate and had inside help from the government.”
“How are you trying to resolve this, Taps? Are you even trying to locate this hacker?”
“I’ve got my inside people on it now. I’ll call you back as soon as I know something concrete. Also, don’t use any of your credit cards or debit cards. Everything has been cleared out.”
“Are you telling me that I’m broke?”
“Not broke yet, but if this computer hacker can get into these accounts and your debit and credit accounts then they sure as hell can get into your personal savings, business accounts in Ireland and overseas. I put a block on all other accounts I could before this hacker could go that far. Your verbal and written permission is needed to send, receive, transfer, or deposit any monies in the accounts. The one account you had set up in Ireland under the false orphaned children’s fund has been depleted.”
“That had over two million dollars in it.”
Fenly roared as he threw his phone then lifted the king-size bed and threw it up and against the wall. He shifted completely and howled his anger as his men ran for cover.
* * * *
“Where the hell did you learn how to do all that?” Sean asked Ava as they sat around the kitchen island while Mick and Pat made some steaks on the grill.
“I guess you can say I’m self-taught and that revenge is a serious motivator,” she replied as she locked gazes with Sean.
He covered her hand with his own and squeezed gently.
“We’re in this together now. No more secrets and no more keeping your questions, concerns, or emotions inside. How did you learn how to do it?”
She swallowed then leaned back on the stool just as Pat and Mick entered with steaming-hot steaks. Everything else was on the table, and they all joined in to begin eating.
“Well? Tell me,” Sean pushed as Ava took the first bite of very rare steak.
“Back in Ireland, the O’Brian family owned many major businesses,” she began to explain as William entered the kitchen. She felt her cheeks blush and her belly warm as all five men watched her as they ate. She knew that Willy was still angry with her and probably the fact that she won over his brothers, his team, despite his command. That wasn’t her intention. She just needed to stop Fenly, and she did.
“So I grew up in an old Irish castle, with lots of family heirlooms and loads of family history. I miss my home so much,” she stated as she closed her eyes and thought about her belongings. It was becoming difficult to remember her room, the paintings on the walls, and the smells of her home.
“We’ve got ourselves a real Irish princess here,” Mick teased as he eyed her and zeroed in on her breasts. Her nipples immediately hardened at his attention, and she lowered her eyes. The men chuckled.
“Go on, princess, and tell us more,” Pat said, and she looked up at him and smiled.
She explained about her father’s importing-and-exporting business, about her love of painting, and about Brennan, her savior and family butler in between taking bites of way-too-rare steak and focusing on the baked potato instead.
“Next time cook Ava’s steak a little longer, Mick,” William grunted as he listened in on her story.
“So my father wanted me to be well rounded yet still appear as a princess especially in the public eye. Of course I had persuaded him some by pulling some dangerous stunts, but eventually he caved in.” She smiled at remembering her father and the crazy things she did as a child.
“What kind of crazy things did you do?” Kyle asked.
“I was told that I couldn’t learn to ride a horse because I could fall off and land on my head or get seriously injured. One day I just jumped on the horse and took off. They couldn’t find me for hours, and although I was punished, once I returned home I taught myself how to ride. Only days later did my father allow me to ride along with him and teach me the ‘proper’ ways to ride. He told all his associates that it was his idea to raise his daughter to be self-sufficient. That was of course after I took the car for a spin and added heavy metal music to his business graphs and PowerPoint presentation in front of his board members and CEOs. That was funny.” She laughed as she thought about it.
“What did you do?” Sean asked, and she explained about going into his laptop and changing his presentation.
“I asked him to allow me more insight into the family business. I was sixteen and quite good with computers and numbers, but he wouldn’t allow it. When his business partner, Fenly’s father, insulted me by saying I was a woman and that I should keep myself looking pretty and in shape so one day a handsome rich man would marry me, I lost it. I went in and changed the entire presentation around and sat outside of the meeting room. When the sounds of Metallica blared through the doorway I was laughing so hard I nearly fell off the chair. My father came out yelling, and I composed myself in time to offer assistance.
“The men of course refused me, but I made my way inside and told my father that he hit the wrong file. I had spent days redoing his numbers and showing better means of saving money, wasted spending at the docks and in the factories that by the time the new presentation went up, my father’s CEOs were impressed. Once they all left the house he didn’t yell at me or even reprimand me. Instead he sat me down in front of his computer and explained about the family business and about all the accounts we had. In the days to follow I was unofficially working with my dad. By twenty I could run it if I had to.”
“Damn, Ava, that is impressive,” Kyle stated.
“Fucking hot is more like it. You gonna be that aggressive in bed, Ava?” Mick teased, and Ava felt her cheeks warm and her stomach quiver with desire. She took her napkin and threw it across the island at Mick. Everyone laughed except for Willy. He looked serious.
The sound of a cell phone ringing gained Willy’s attention as he looked at the face then walked out of the room.
“So tell me about the O’Brian family and why Ava is so important,” Willy requested of Samantha as he walked into the living room talking into his cell phone.
“She is the only heir to the estate and the means to gaining access to all accounts and decisions.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Sam. Our mate is a goddamn princess with computer hacking skills and abilities we haven’t even touched on in conversation yet. Why didn’t Fenly just kill her and take what he wanted? He’s basically doing that anyway.”
“He can’t just take the family name and all its assets without Ava. Sure he can confiscate accounts in certain banks, but most are loyal to the O’Brian name. What did you mean by computer hacking?”
“She’s been fighting against Fenly these last two years through her computer. She hacks into his accounts, takes back her family’s money, and fines Fenly, causing his accounts to be closed down and making him pay legal fees.”
Samantha laughed. “That is awesome. Man, I wish I had abilities like that.”
“I’m glad you find this amusing. We are investigators working for the government, and everything she’s done is illegal.”
“Don’t be so by the book, Willy. She’s your mate, and she’s fighting for your pack as well as all other packs whether she realizes that or not. Fenly is involved with the IRA and had agents in the government. That’s why I’m calling you. Don’t let her stay on the computer too long or they can track her down. Fenly’s computer guy reached out to one of his CIA agents. Needless to say, that guy is out of a job and sitting in a cell right now, but not before he was able to tell Fenly’s guy that a government-issued computer was used to work the computer magic. Satellite images and shit I guess. Anyway, they couldn’t track your location, but that’s only a matter of time. I really think heading this way may be best for everyone.”
“I don’t think that is going to be an option right now, and Ava’s on a mission to save her family name and to kill Fenly. I happen to think that killing him is a great idea.”