Page 44 of His Kidnapped Irish Mafia Virgin

I ended the call before my mother could finish.

Panic rushed through me before I could stop it. I turned away from Liam and lowered the phone from my ear.

“Nora, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” The silence that followed was sudden and heavy. I stared at the dark screen in my hand, trying to steady my breathing before looking back at Liam.

Concern was written plainly across his face.

“Who was that?” he asked gently. “And please don’t tell me it was nothing, because I can see that something upset you.”

For one brief, dangerous second, I almost told him the truth, but the words caught in my throat.

If I told Liam, he would investigate. He would send people to her. He would refuse to let me face this alone, and my mother had sounded terrified of exactly that. So I lied.

“It was an old acquaintance,” I said, forcing my voice to sound calm. “Someone I haven’t spoken to in years. They found my number somehow.”

Liam studied me for a long moment. I looked down at my phone, unable to hold his gaze.

“An old acquaintance made you look like this?”

“It was just an awkward conversation. They wanted to catch up, and I wasn’t prepared for it. That’s all.”

The lie felt heavy the moment it left my mouth. Liam stepped closer and rested a hand lightly on my shoulder.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not ready to tell me,” he said. “But if something is troubling you, I want you to know you don’t have to carry it alone.”

His kindness made the guilt burn hotter. I nodded quickly.

“I know. I’m fine, Liam. I just need a few minutes to clear my head.”

He hesitated like he wanted to ask another question, but finally nodded.

“Alright. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.” When he left the room, I waited until the door closed behind him before letting out the breath I’d been holding. My hands were shaking. I looked down at the phone again, and my mother’s words echoed through my mind with terrifying clarity.

I slipped the phone into my pocket and closed my eyes. I didn’t trust my mother. But what if she was telling the truth? And what if I was the only person who could help her?

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Liam

The call came just after dawn. I was already awake, sitting in my office with a cold cup of coffee and a stack of reports spread across the desk. I hadn’t slept properly since Nora found the message at the café, and I’d stopped pretending that rest was possible. Every lead and phone record had been running through my head in an endless loop. My phone vibrated once. It was Diggs. I answered before the second vibration.

“Tell me you have something useful.”

His voice came through, sharp and controlled. “We found him. One of our contacts matched the sketch to a fixer operating near the waterfront. He’s been using the name Ian Mercer, not Marcus Reed, but the face matches. He’s moving between short-term rentals and keeping his head down.”

I stood immediately. “Where exactly?”

“Near the old shipping district. We have eyes on him, but he’s careful, Liam. He checks reflections, changes direction without warning, and avoids staying in one place long enough for anyone to get comfortable.”

A slow, cold satisfaction settled in my chest. “Don’t approach him. Keep him in sight and wait for me.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” The line went dead.

I reached for my jacket and headed out of the office. Paddy was already in the hallway, as though he’d sensed the shift in the air before I said a word.

“You found him.”

“Yes,” I said. “Diggs has him near the waterfront. Get Michael and have two cars ready. I want this done quietly, and I don’t want the police anywhere near it.”