Dangerous Abduction (O'Connor Brothers Book 2)

by Rhonda Brewer

  Dangerous Abduction

  Book 2 of O’Connor Brother Series

  By: Rhonda Brewer

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dangerous Abduction (O'Connor Brothers, #2)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

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  This book is dedicated to my two beautiful children, Laura and Colin. You are my greatest creation and have cheered me on everyday, giving me the courage to follow my dreams. I love both of you with all my heart.

  Acknowledgements

  There are so many people who made publishing this book possible and saying thank you just doesn’t seem enough. First, I want to thank my critique partner Amabel Daniels. As a new author she supported me and shared her experiences and ideas with me. Next, thank you to fellow author Zoe York for creating the beautiful cover for this book.

  I also want to thank the many authors who helped me along the way with advice, experiences and the pep talks to make this possible. Abbie Zanders, Em Petrova, Susan Stoker, Kathleen Brooks, Rhonda Carver, Cynthia D’Alba, Victoria Barbour, Kate Robbins, Eve Jagger, and Lynn Raye Harris. They are amazing authors and amazing ladies.

  To my beta readers, thank you for their time and input. Especially, Michelle Eriksen and Mayas Sanders. They gave me great advice.

  Last but certainly not least, thank my husband whose encouraged me every day. To my parents, nobody could have a better mom and dad. Also thank you to my Aunt Gertrude Holwell, who throughout my life has been there for me any time I needed her and has always been like a big sister to me.

  This book is fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be taken as real. Any resemblance to people living or dead, events, location or companies are purely coincidental.

  This is the original work of Rhonda Brewer.

  All rights reserved. No part of this work can be reproduced in any way without written permission from the author.

  DANGEROUS ABDUCTION©2016 Rhonda Brewer

  All Rights Reserved

  Chapter 1

  The house was so dark Marina could not see the lamp that sat on her bed side table. Estimating exactly where it was, she managed to find it and turn the switch. Nothing. Damn it. She slapped her hand around the top of the stand until she finally found her smart-phone and accidently knocked it on the floor. Luckily, the screen lit up so she was able to hop out of bed and find it quickly. She tapped the flashlight app and it illuminated her room. It seemed to be the only light to be seen as she moved to the bedroom window and pulled back the curtain. The entire road was completely blacked out.

  “Great! A freaking power outage.” She sighed because one thing Marina Kelly despised was being alone in a blackout.

  With her phone lighting the path, she made her way to the kitchen. She only tripped once and stifled a curse when she stubbed her toe on a chair that she was sure she’d pushed in earlier. She praised herself for her obsessive habit of making sure everything had a place when she put her hand on the battery-operated lanterns she kept in the cupboard. She needed to save the battery on her phone since the cordless phones didn’t work without power. Of course she hadn’t listened to her mother and gotten a corded phone like her mother suggested. Mom was right again.

  She hated the dark, and if Danny woke up, he’d panic. Her son was terrified of the dark and always had a bright nightlight in his room. She grabbed two of the lanterns and turned to make her way towards his room but a loud crack echoed through the house, making her stop in her tracks.

  “Marina!” A male voice rumbled and it sent fear to the depths of her soul. She knew that voice as if she’d only heard it yesterday.

  “Oh God. No!” Her voice was a whisper and her breathing came in pants as she gasped for air. It couldn’t be him.

  “Marina, don’t hide. It’ll only make things worse on you.” Chills rushed down her spine and she tried to move, but it was as if she were walking through water. She needed to get to Danny before he did. Her son had never met his father before and he wasn’t going to meet him if she had anything to do with it.

  “Marina, you better fucking answer me. I’m taking my kid.” The words sounded more like it was coming from a growling animal than from a man. Marc wasn’t getting Danny. She’d die before she let him near her son.

  She tried to tip-toe out of the kitchen to get to Danny’s room before Marc found them both, but another loud crack from the foyer made her freeze in her tracks. Then something pulled her towards the sound and away from Danny’s room. She couldn’t stop moving towards the ominous crash. A flash of light lit up the foyer, and a dark shadow filled the open doorway. At least she could be a distraction and keep Marc’s attention away from Danny. It didn’t matter if he hurt her again. She could take whatever he dished out because all that mattered was Danny stayed safe.

  The room was suddenly filled with a bright light allowing her to see more than she wanted. He was in front of her and her heart pounded in her chest like a jackhammer. He was bigger than she remembered, and his lips were turned up into a sadistic, evil, smirk. She turned to run but she couldn’t move. Then her entire body began to tremble and she couldn’t control it.

  “Did you think you’d be able to hide from me? That I wouldn’t find you out here in the boonies? I found you here once before, bitch.” Marc spit at her and his face twisted in anger, turning blood red. He didn’t look human.

  “Marc, please, please leave us alone.” Marina forced out the words but they came out in a whisper.

  “Begging, Marina?” He sneered.

  He slammed her against the wall, and his fist connected with her stomach, making her buckle over. Then he pulled her up by her hair and wrapped his other hand around her throat. Adrenalin must’ve been coursing through her because there was no pain from his assault. Even when he released her hair, pulled his hand back and slapped her across the face. She wasn’t even shivering anymore.

  Then both of his hands closed around her throat, making it harder to breathe, but he was squeezing so slowly it was as if it was all in slow motion. Marina raised her gaze to meet his and gasped at the red glow emanating from his eyes. She clawed at his hands but he was too strong.

  “Mommy!” Danny squealed. Oh God, no. She shot a desperate glance at Danny’s bedroom door. He was struggling to get away from Marc. What? Marc was still choking her. How could he be holding Danny? “Mommy, wake up!”

  Marina bolted upright in her son’s bed gasping for air. Sweat covered her face and her heart thundered in her chest. Danny was next to her staring at her with wide frightened eyes. It was a dream. It was another freaking nightmare, and Marc wasn’t in the house trying to take her son. When were they going to stop?

  “Mommy’s okay, baby.” Marina pulled him into her arms and kissed the top of his head. “Mommy just had a bad dream.”

  This was the th
ird night in a row she’d fallen asleep in Danny’s bed, and it seemed to be the only time she did fall asleep. Between getting hardly any sleep because of the nightmares and work, exhaustion was setting in. She had to do something about this before she made herself sick. For a while the nightmares had only come one or two nights a month, but for the last few weeks they’d been coming almost every night. It was pissing her off because she thought she’d finally gotten the fear under control.

  A loud knock on her front door made her whole body go rigid. She glanced at her watch. It was after ten o’clock, which was late for someone to be just dropping by. Who would be at her door this late? Marc? Before she knew what happened, Danny jumped off the bed and ran out of the room.

  “Danny! Stop!” Marina ran after him, but he’d already opened the door. The sight that filled her doorframe made her heart thud for another reason altogether.

  “Marina, are you okay?” James looked sexier than any man had a right to. He had become part of her dreams as well. The ones that starred him, though, were anything but nightmares.

  “She’s fine, Unca James. Jus’ a bad dream.” Her son jumped into his arms and then he had to go and kiss the top of Danny’s head. Marina felt as if she’d melt into the floor.

  “It’s fine, pal.” Marina focused on those beautiful, intense, blue eyes. “You did exactly what Uncle John and I told you to do.” James lowered Danny back to the floor but his gaze never left hers.

  “Danny, go get back into bed. I’ll be there in a minute.” She tousled Danny’s hair as he darted past her.

  “Night, Unca James.” Danny waved as he disappeared into his room. That left her alone with the only man in four years to ignite a need that burned to her core. James O’Connor. Fuck.

  “Are you okay? Really?” His deep, velvety voice made her shiver.

  “I’m fine.” Why did Danny call him? She glanced down realizing all she was wearing was a short pair of pajama shorts and a tank top that her body would be considered too curvy to wear in front of anyone. It wasn’t meant for others to see, and it was comfy to wear to bed. Wait a minute. Danny called James? How the hell did he call James?

  “Danny was frightened when he called.” James scanned up and down her body, making her want to strip naked and run for cover all at the same time.

  “Okay, I’ve got two questions.” Marina needed to change gears because the deep stirrings he caused were getting hard to fight, especially when he was so blatantly taking in every inch of her.

  “Shoot.” James leaned against the doorjamb, shoved his hands into his front pockets and met her eyes. Even that was hot. She was so pathetic.

  “What did you mean when you said, Danny called like you and John told him?” When his face flushed, Marina couldn’t help but smile.

  “So... Well... okay here it is. Stephanie was worried about you being in the house alone with Danny. Nobody really knows for sure if Marc is still on the mainland,” James pulled his hands out his pockets and walked farther into the house. Closer to her. So her sister was responsible for this.

  “That still doesn’t explain how Danny called you.” Marina tried hard to keep her voice steady but when James was around she was mush.

  “John and I taught him my phone number because I live the closest to you.” James stared down at the floor like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It was adorable.

  “Why is Stephanie so worried?” Was there something going on she didn’t know about? Had Marc been in touch with one of her family?

  “She’s just worried he’ll come back. She doesn’t trust him.” James glanced up and met her eyes again. His gaze scared her and turned her on at the same time.

  “Marc was pretty clear he wasn’t going to bother us again.” Her ex-husband had written a letter to tell her he wouldn’t be in touch with her again and dissolved his parental rights.

  “She’s just worried, but at least we know Danny remembered what we taught him.” It seemed her son was keeping secrets from her and he wasn’t the only one. Stephanie would be getting a phone call in the morning.

  “Wait! Who’s with Mason?”

  James was a widower and his son was a few months older than Danny. James would’ve had to get a babysitter to come check on her because she knew he wouldn’t leave his son at home all alone.

  “Ian is staying with me for a few days.” Ian, another of the seven O’Connor brothers. “Besides, if he wasn’t there, I would’ve taken Mason with me.”

  “Thank you, James. I’m sorry Danny made you come out for no reason.” Marina was grateful but the attraction to him scared her senseless.

  “It wasn’t for no reason. Danny was scared, so a thank-you isn’t necessary. Its what family does.” It seemed the whole O’Connor clan had taken her in as part of the family.

  “I didn’t mean to scare him.” It wasn’t as if she could control the nightmares but if it wasn’t the nightmares about Marc, it was dreams about James and although they were scary they would disturb her in a whole different way.

  “You want to talk about the dream?” His concern was sweet, but he really needed to get out before she jumped the man.

  “Not really, but thanks.”

  His gaze locked with hers and for the thousandth time she wished she’d met James under different circumstances.

  “Okay, I’m going to go, but if you need anything, call.”

  Marina nodded as he disappeared though the front door. She closed it quickly and leaned against it as she took a couple of deep breaths to will her pounding heart back to a normal beat. He always did this to her and he didn’t even know it. What was she going to do?

  Chapter 2

  James jogged back to his house and tried to tame down the erection straining his zipper. All he could picture was her in those damn shorts that showed her firm thighs and hips that were built to grip while he pounded into her. Then there was that top clinging to her full breasts and giving him a perfect view at the outline of her nipples. Jesus. It was getting worse. If that was even possible. He couldn’t even be in her company for more than five minutes and his dick had a mind of its own.

  “God damn it.” James slammed the front door when he entered his house.

  “Whoa there, bro. Are you trying to wake Mason?” Ian sauntered out of the kitchen.

  “No,” James snapped and headed straight to the fridge. Ian chuckled but when James glanced at him, Ian was texting. “What’s so funny?”

  “Sandy.” Ian’s face flushed as he shoved his phone into his back pocket.

  “Why the hell don’t you just ask her out?” James asked.

  Ian and Sandy had been dancing around each other since they met, but Ian was gun-shy. Who could blame him? Ian’s long-time girlfriend left him six years ago without a reason. Ian had been devastated and didn’t date much since.

  “I could ask you the same question.” Ian raised an eyebrow.

  “Sandy isn’t my type.” James pushed Ian’s shoulder as he ambled past him on the way to the living room. He needed to find something to take his mind off Marina and her sexy nighttime attire.

  “Very funny.” Ian followed him. “I’m talking about Sandy’s cute neighbor, or we could call her John’s sister-in-law, or Stephanie’s sister, or the woman you’ve been drooling over for the last four years.”

  James pointed his index finger at his brother. “One, I don’t drool over anyone, and two... well, there’s no two, but I don’t drool.” James flopped down on the sofa and propped his feet up on the coffee table. He leaned his head back against the back of the couch and scanned the room. Anything to distract him from thinking about her. His dark blue plush couch and loveseat complimented the beige walls. Across from the couch was a stone fireplace that he’d refurbished when he and Sarah had first moved in the house and above it hung a series of photos of his son. From the day Mason was born up to his recent fifth birthday.

  “Bro, you may not drool, but you do look and who could blame you? Marina Kelly’s hot.
” Ian plopped down next to him. “I’m not the only one to notice. A.J. and Nick couldn’t keep their eyes off of her at John and Stephanie’s wedding.”

  “They better keep their fucking eyes and hands to themselves. Marina doesn’t need their kind of shit,” James grumbled.

  “Maybe she does.” Ian nudged him and without a second thought James grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt.

  “I swear to God, Ian, if you don’t shut it now, I’m gonna pound the piss out of you.” James clenched his fist as if he was ready to do that very thing.

  “I’d love to see you try, bro.” Ian narrowed his eyes and James let go of Ian’s shirt with a shove. James could hold his own, but Ian could definitely kick his ass. With a third degree black belt in Karate and a wall of solid muscle, Ian was probably the most ripped doctor anyone had ever seen.

  “Go text Sandy.” James snatched the remote from the coffee table and flicked through the channels. When Ian started to laugh on his way out of the room, James clenched his teeth.

  He was wound so tight it wasn’t even funny. Between drooling over Marina, and yes, he did drool over her whether he was going to admit it or not, and dreaming about her, he was so sexually aroused all the time it was as if he was an over-sexed teenager. Marina had him in a spin and she didn’t even know it.

  Marina was the first woman to turn his head since Sarah died and if the sexual frustration wasn’t enough he was weighed down with feelings of guilt. Sarah had been gone almost four years, and Sarah made him promise that he would not close himself off to finding love again. Of course he made that promise when they found out she was going to lose her battle with breast cancer and he would have said anything to make her happy. He just didn’t know if he could keep that promise. At least not until he met Marina Kelly, but she had her own demons. Her ex-husband was a drug-addicted asshole who hurt her both physically and mentally. James wasn’t sure if anyone could ever get over that kind of thing.

  As a police officer he’d arrested men like Marc O’Reilly on a daily basis. Some of the conditions the victims would be left in would make James sick to his stomach. It took every ounce of strength to keep himself from pounding the assholes into the ground. He and his six brothers couldn’t stand men like Marc because their father had always told them women should be treated with nothing but love and reverence.