Ensnared Read online

  Ensnared

  Aligned Hearts Book 4

  E.C. Land

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Trigger Warning

  Playlist

  Ensnaring Mirrors

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  Irish Translations

  Family Connections

  Character Connections

  Author’s Note

  Social Media

  Available Now

  Coming Soon

  Rebelling Rogue

  Viking

  Cedric’s Ecstasy

  Viper’s Touch

  Entrapped

  Forever Tombstone

  Spiral into Chaos

  Ensnared

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblances to persons, organizations, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.

  Ensnared. Copyright © 2021 by E.C. Land. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations used in articles or reviews. For information, contact E.C. Land.

  Published by Knox Publishing

  Cover Design by Charli Childs, Cosmic Letterz Cover Design

  Editing by Jackie Ziegler, Knox Publishing

  Formatting by E.C. Land, Knox Publishing

  Proofreading by Rebecca Vazquez, Knox Publishing

  Created with Vellum

  To all of you readers who encourage me.

  Acknowledgments

  My Husband – For years, he’s worked himself to death to give our family everything we needed or wanted. He encourages me every day to follow my dreams just like he did the day he told me to take the chance. He’s my best friend, and I wouldn’t know what to do without him. Or the fact he listens to my non-stop rambling or my need to have a notepad with me in case I need to write something down that pops into my head.

  My Three Kiddos – Every day I watch them grow up into little people who want to take over the world. Well, in their own way, that is. They are inspirations all by themselves. They love to find out what I’m working on and give me ideas. One of my favorite things is to ask them what I should have someone do or how they should act. Some of their ideas are wicked.

  My Alphas – You guys rock big time! Thank you all for being the first to read the stories as they come alive. It means the world to me. Especially when you all start to get mad. That’s when I know I’m doing something right. And in doing so, pushing me to keep going with all the different plots that form in my head. I’m thankful to you all for being ready and willing to read and give your input.

  My Knox Publishing People – Thank you guys for being such great people to work with.

  Liz – My sister from another mister, my best friend, and Publisher/Boss/Co-Writer extraordinaire. You’re my go-to when I need it. I love working with you on all that we do. No matter how much chaos we go through to get it done.

  Diane – If not for this woman, I’d swear I would lose my head. She sets me straight when I don’t know which way to look. Thank you for everything you do in being the best PA I could ask for. However, you’re also one amazing friend.

  My Editing/Plotting Team – Thank you all for working with me. I truly do enjoy working alongside you all as I bring each and every book to life. I don’t know what I would do without each and every one of you to help me when I need it most.

  Trigger Warning

  This content is intended for mature audiences only. It contains material that may be viewed as offensive to some readers, including graphic language, dangerous and sexual situations, murder, rape, and extreme violence.

  Proceed with caution. This book does entail several scenes that may very well be a trigger to some.

  Also, tissues are a must with other scenes.

  Not for the faint at heart.

  If you don’t like violence and cannot handle certain subjects, then this is not a book you’ll want to read.

  Check out the playlist that goes with Ensnared!

  Times We Had – Taylor Ray Holbrook

  Here I Am – Renee Blair

  Whoever Broke Your Heart – Murphy Elmore

  Under Your Scars – Godsmack

  The Heart Wants What It Wants – Selena Gomez

  Listen To Your Heart – Through Fire

  My Pain – Adam Calhoun & Hosier

  What Hurts the Most – State of Mine

  Demons – Jelly Roll & Lil Wyte

  Ensnaring Mirrors

  If you look into a mirror

  Would it be like going through time and space

  Look deep into your eyes

  Ensnare yourself with one look

  Would you want to jump back to a time you felt safe

  Or would it be flashing forward too

  If only we could

  Mirrors tell a story of their own

  Ensnaring our eyes with the reflection of ourselves

  Would you go back and look at the past like a video playing

  Or would you fast forward to the ending

  Eyes filled with pain can be hidden

  Only those who look into the mirror will see through the pain

  Life is never-ending, we all are ensnared with one thing or another

  ~E.C. Land

  Prologue

  Marc

  “Marc, it’s time you finally grow up and do as you’re told.” I clench my teeth in frustration at my mother’s choice of words. The only time she calls me is when she wants to nag at me about doing as she wants me to. She’s always been that way. Carah Madden does not like to be ignored or gone against.

  To say I have a strained relationship with my mother is an understatement. The woman can be insufferable at times. I put up with her because of the fact she gave birth to me, and my father loved her. How was he able to? I have no clue.

  “Máthair, I do not intend to marry anyone. As far as I’m concerned, the contract to marry Belvin is voided for what her father did,” I mutter calmly in an attempt to keep my cool. Belvin is one of those girls like my mother. She wants things done her way, and that’s how it’s gonna stay.

  “Don’t be a fool. I’ll force this to happen if I must. You know I will,” she snaps.

  “Máthair, try it if you want. I won’t be marrying Belvin, and if you keep it up, I will not take your calls anymore,” I grumble.

  “You wouldn’t dare refuse to speak to me. I gave birth to you, Marc.” I roll my eyes and pick up my drink from next to my chair. I only got home a few hours ago from being out tracking down Ian. The stupid fool fucked with the wrong people when he betrayed us all.

  “Máthair, you may have given birth to me, but I do not, and I will not do as you say. Now, if that is everything you have to say, then goodbye,” I mutter, hanging up on the woman who has never truly been a mam to me. Even as a kid, I either called her by her first name or by mother.

  Placing the phone on the table, I finish off my drink and lean back in my chair. I throw all thoughts of my mother to the back of my mind. I have far more pressing things to think about at the moment.

  For instance, finding Ian.

  Fucking irritates the hell out of me, I can’t find his ass. T
hen again, he learned everything about tracking from me. I thought I could trust him, and in the end, because of my judgment, one of the men I work with could have been killed. If not for Enya remembering Ian’s voice, we wouldn’t have been able to confirm it was him.

  Something else that needs to be thought of more than my mother is why Zoe, Enya’s best friend, has all but disappeared. I like Enya, she’s good for Kenyon and is sweet as hell. One of her best friends, Lillian, actually worked for Kenyon before he knew Enya. We were all out one night at a club when we ran into Lillian and her friends on her night off.

  Kenyon knew Enya right away as the woman he’d had a one-night stand with months before and couldn’t stop thinking about.

  They were also there that night with another friend of theirs.

  Zoe.

  That night she and I spent laughing and drinking. We hit it off and ended up leaving the bar together. Nothing happened that night other than me kissing the hell out of her and some heavy groping while she was in my lap.

  During Kenyon and Enya’s drama, I tried to talk to her a few times when I would go into Enya’s bookstore. She didn’t want anything to do with me and wanted me to leave her alone. I thought she’d been into me. I figured if I gave her time to get to know me, we could maybe work it out.

  Then about a week or two after, I saw her out to lunch with another guy. Her face had been alighted with laughter, and the way she looked at him had been like the man sitting in front of her was her world.

  It gutted me to see them together, and I knew I needed to never think about it again. For the first time, I wanted someone for myself only to have that feeling toppled all over. I wasn’t about to allow my heart to become ensnared as my friends and family have allowed theirs.

  Chapter One

  Zoe

  “No. No. No. Please. Stop. You’re hurting me,” I scream into the darkness seeing his shadow over me. Feeling the heat and sweat from his body.

  “Come on, darlin’ you know you want me,” he grunts, his accent thick, as he widens my legs and thrusts home, tearing through me against my consent. I scream in pain and cry out for him to stop, to let go. But he doesn’t, he laughs and keeps moving.

  “You’ll remember this night, darlin’, I promise you that. I think I’ll even come back for more of your tight pussy,” he groans, coming inside me.

  “Zoe, come on, Zoe, wake up,” Ezekiel’s voice penetrates the nightmare, and I shoot up into a sitting position, panting in attempt to catch my breath. I don’t have to touch my face to know I’m drenched in sweat.

  Focusing on Ezekiel, I finally calm down enough to see he’s holding Raya.

  “Please tell me I didn’t wake her up,” I whisper. I don’t want to think about my nightmares, let alone them causing me to wake up the tiny bundle.

  Raya is only a month old and is the sweetest little girl in the world. She’s also mine. Conceived on that fateful night. A night I barely remember except for in my nightmares. Ever since that night, I haven’t been the same.

  My brother, Ezekiel, moved in with me after finishing his last tour with his unit and started working for SoCo Security Investigations not long after. He’s been my rock since he came home, and I told him about the nightmares.

  I don’t know who Raya’s father is. All I remember from that night is going out with my friends. Drinking, dancing, and just having a great time with them. Enya left after seeing Kenyon there. Lillian and I stayed having a blast. I got to know Marc, Kenyon’s friend. We drank, made out, and it was amazing. Kenyon took Lillian home since she lives in the same house as him and Marc offered to take me to my place. In my driveway of a little three-bedroom bungalow-style house, the two of us made out heavily.

  That’s when everything gets blurred to the point, I don’t remember it besides in my nightmares. I could get put on meds to keep me from having them, but then I can’t feed my daughter.

  None of my friends know about her, and I don’t want them to.

  Not yet, at least.

  I don’t want them to look at me with accusing eyes. I know I’m no saint and that before that night, I was known for being the party girl, the wild child, going out every night partying until the club shuts down.

  I don’t want them looking at me and saying they told me so when it comes to my wild and free lifestyle I used to have.

  I also don’t want the pity looks if they find out how it all happened. I might not remember much, but I know I was raped by whoever it was.

  And because I don’t know who, I constantly end up fearing that it was Marc who did it. Only he doesn’t seem like the type. I mean, Marc is sexy. He has that whole broody look going with a beard he always seems to keep trimmed close to his face.

  “She didn’t, Twinkle,” Ezekiel says, handing me my newborn baby. She’s a beautiful little girl, and I’ll do anything in my power to keep her safe.

  “I’m sorry. I should have gotten up with her. I don’t know why I didn’t hear her through the monitor,” I state, snuggling Raya closer while my brother adjusts himself until he’s leaning against the headboard next to me.

  “Tell me what this dream was about,” he demands. He does this every time I have one.

  I tell him what I remember of it. By doing this, it’s the only way I’m able to piece that night together.

  “Did you recognize the voice?” Ezekiel asks.

  “No,” I whisper, a tear sliding down my cheek. “I wish I did. I honestly feel like I’m walking on eggshells. There’s so much going on right now, and I’m scared of my own damn shadow, Zek.”

  “I know, Twinkle. I know,” he grumbles. “We’ll figure this out together. You’re not alone. I promise you, I’m here for you. Always have, always will.”

  I smile lightly at his last words. ‘Always have, always will.’ It’s a saying our parents used to say all the time before the accident. I don’t remember much of it, just bits and pieces. Like the feeling of abandonment when they died. Zek and me ending up in foster care with a woman who adopted me after my brother left her house to join the military. Which meant living in hell for me. Mavis was super strict and religious. I would sometimes wish my uncle hadn’t left us here to go into the system. This was good because my cousin, Ashton, scared the hell out of me. He could be mean, and he liked to rip the heads off my dolls.

  Mom and Dad had brought us out here for vacation when it happened, and because my uncle didn’t come get us, this is where we ended up. Zek keeps in touch with our other cousin, Finn. The two of them are closer in age than Zek and I, whereas I’m five years younger than my big brother. Zek tried to get me to talk to Finn about what happened. He said Finn would easily help out and take charge to find the answers we’re looking for. I don’t know much about Finn, but I do know he’s the head honcho of the Brisbane family.

  Leaning my head against Ezekiel’s shoulder, I smile weakly. Raya makes a cooing sound, and I hold her closer. Right here in this room, no matter how scared I am, is all I need. I don’t need anything else.

  What I want, however, are answers about that night, and my mind is frustrating me because I don’t remember shit all about it.

  And that right there is what truly scares me because I don’t know if the man who raped me is the one who makes my heart skip a beat every time I see him.

  Chapter Two

  Marc

  Focus. Marc, focus. There has to be something. A trail Ian hasn’t covered up. I only need to still my mind, stop all other thoughts, and concentrate. Start again, and I’ll find it. I just gotta stop myself from letting my anger and frustration get in the way.

  After the day I’ve had, I can’t help but feel anger and frustration. Zoe came back to work at Enya’s shop today after being gone for months on vacation. Enya and Lillian told me how her brother got out of the military, and the two of them were going on a road trip. It pissed me off for unknown reasons, I have no reason to be getting pissed.

  Zoe’s made it perfectly clear she wants fuck all to do with
me, and I’m not going to push it.

  Doesn’t mean I don’t like it.

  Raking a hand through my hair in frustration, I get out of my car. I decided tonight I would be checking out Ian’s apartment again. Hoping to find something that I’ve missed the last two times I check. But those times, I was distracted, and I can’t allow myself to be that way. Not when I have a traitor to find and kill.

  I’ve envisioned killing Ian with my own bare hands on several occasions. So many times, I could taste it.

  I stalk up the stairs leading to the apartment, pick the lock, and step into the darkened room. Not caring if anyone sees the light on, I flip the switch and glance around. Everything looks the same as it did the last time I was in here.

  “Clear your mind, Marc, focus. Find what you’re looking for,” I mumble to myself.

  Moving through the living room, I go through every drawer, look under Ian’s furniture, and move on to do this in the other rooms. His apartment isn’t small, but it’s nothing special either. Just a two-bedroom, two bath place with a kitchen and living room. Making it to his bedroom, I rifle through his belongings.