“Jesus!” Suddenly Tom seemed stressed and nervous. “That’s why I’m here. To fix all that.”
“Fix it? Why? Because you forgot one? Still need to take care of me?” Declan laid it all out – he wasn’t letting Tom off easy.
“What? No! You have it all wrong. I’m here to help – redeem myself, Dec.”
“Help? By kidnapping my girl and kid?”
“I don’t have a kid, damn it! Do you think I’m stupid? Do you think I’d just come to town and knock on your door?”
“I’m losing patience, Boyd. You aren’t getting out of here, so give it up.”
“I took Lydia for this reason! You probably have, what, a couple dozen barrels on me right now? I know your brothers are here – that’s at least four.”
“Well, we weren’t bringing Play-Doh to the party.”
“I have the gun at her shoulder Dec, not her head. Doesn’t that tell you something? Man, I know I’m the kill shot – shoot on sight. Lydia is just leverage so you’ll actually listen. You didn’t know Esteban as well as you thought you did. Neither did she,” Tom said, nodding to Lydia.
“I’m about two seconds from pulling this trigger and ending you. You better give me a reason not to.”
“Dec, I’m not the one doing all that shit. I’m trying to protect you…and her.” Tom nodded to Lydia again, trying to get Declan to listen. “He’s coming for you, all of you, Dec. I’m trying to stop him. No more bodies, man… No more bodies.”
“Who, Boyd? Who?”
A thunderous clap in the air rang out, and Tom fell to the ground, taking Lydia with him. Gunfire.
OUT FROM THE shadows walked a man that provoked a fearful gasp from Lydia, causing her to quickly scoot backwards from where she landed on the ground, desperate to get away from him. Tom sat up in front of her, protecting her with his gun, aimed at the ghost standing before him – Esteban…or was it?
Lydia squinted her eyes to see him better while furrowing her brow in confusion. Her voice was shaky and full of terror. “How? How are you…?”
“It’s not him…it’s not who you think!” Tom shouted, staring down their enemy. “This is what I was trying to tell you, damn it!”
“Oh, shut up already,” the man seethed through angry gritted teeth, firing again at Tom, hitting his leg.
Tom writhed in pain, though still sitting between Lydia and the man, trying to protect her. The man walked closer, into the light cast by the rising moon and that which still radiated from the cabin. There was someone next to him, still shadowed and hard to see, but her identity unmistakable.
Wylie tilted his head, shaking it in disbelief when he saw her, squinting his eyes in anger. His aim landed on her. “Oh, you’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
“Eva? What’s going on?” Lydia asked. When it dawned on her, she knew exactly why Eva was there. She began to vigorously shake her head in disbelief, “No! No, no, no, not you! Jax…”
“Shut up!” the familiar man yelled once again, inciting a level of fear in Lydia she’d never felt. “Do I need to shoot both of you?”
Despite the pain and massive blood loss, Tom pulled himself to the cabin porch and propped himself against the railing, providing a better shield for Lydia. He would take her bullet, giving Declan and his team the time and distraction needed to get the Esteban look alike.
“Eva!” the man yelled, gesturing toward Lydia and Tom, to which she aimed her weapon at them while the look alike put his weapon on Declan.
Oddly, she looked uneasy, her expression pleading as she looked between Tom and Lydia, then to Wylie, and back again. There was something odd about her presence, the way she was holding her gun on them. An unease…this wasn’t in her nature, yet here she was, staring down a barrel at people who thought she was a friend.
When the man began to talk, addressing his brother, Wylie pulled a hard aim on Esteban’s ghost. He was the real threat here, and his weapon was targeting his brother. He wouldn’t let this asshole get a shot off. He’d take the bullet for his brother first.
“I’m sorry about your men, Agent…O’Reilly.” His accent was thick in anger, also like Esteban, but who was he? Esteban was…dead. “They were sort of…in my way, so I got rid of them. Didn’t want to miss the reunion.”
“Who the hell are you? Where is Jax?” Declan asked in a low anger filled timbre.
“Oh, our brother?” the man said, nonchalantly, waving his free hand between himself and Eva, his gun still aimed at Declan. “He’s safe; we mean no harm to him. In fact, he’s why we’re here – to take him home.”
Terror flooded Lydia. The confusion his testament left amplified it ten-fold. A bewildered look danced in her eyes as she whispered, “What? Bro…brother?”
The evil man, who still hadn’t been named or fully identified, smiled and let out an amused chuckle. “Ahhh, that’s right. You’re piecing it together now aren’t you?”
His voice switched to a high pitched, mocking tone as he made fun of Lydia’s assumed thought process while his free hand laid against his cheek in an exaggerated display. “Brother? Oh my, that means he’s…”
Before the man could finish his charade, Declan beat him to the punch, finishing the derisive taunting act. “Esteban’s son, too…”
“Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner,” the man said, with one finger in the air and an amused tone. “I always thought you were just a big idiot under all that muscle, agent – well, color…me…wrong.”
A boisterous laugh full of evil intention left the man, him being the only one impressed with his performance. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Esteban Valdez…after my father!”
Declan’s anger turned to rage. “Why are you here? What the hell do you want?”
A smarmy grin stretched across Junior’s face. “Just our brother…”
“Not going to happen,” Declan quickly fired back, “Next?”
“Oh, but it is, Agent. Do I still have to call you that, or can I just call you Declan – or maybe dude.” His tone was mocking and full of confidence, his cocky bravado raking Declan’s nerves. “You see, you took something from me – from us…our father!”
With an unflappable shrug, he paced slightly, making his case, as if it were no big deal and simple. “So, we’re here to…settle the score, take something from you.”
He pointed to Lydia with his gun, the nonchalant demeanor back to anger filled, “Our father got bored and found a trashy little play thing – that would be you, Lydia – that consumed all of his time. It destroyed our mother, especially when the whore – you again, Lydia – got pregnant. We saw him even less then. Well, until he got bored with you. You couldn’t just leave things alone – you were so hungry for attention, you ended up getting him killed. That’s why you have to die – see how that works? I believe they say, an eye for an eye.”
“Your father was a murderer and a real asshole. He got himself killed,” Declan fired back, drawing the unstable man’s attention back to him and away from Lydia.
“Ooooh, ssshhhh…we mustn’t speak ill of the dead, Declan, he mocked, his tone ever changing, reflecting just how unstable he was.
Junior went on, “Just like you have people, I have people. I inherited my father’s legacy, his connections, his…power. My reach is immeasurable. You see, I was a surprise, as was my twin sister here. You only know about us because I want you to know. I outsmart you, outnumber you, and I’m just better looking.”
From an egotistical presence, he switched to one of deep-seated anger and hate, his words loaded with threatening despair. “Jax didn’t get to know our father – that’s your fault, Lydia – this is his legacy too, his empire – his power to have. So – we’re taking him.”
“No…no you can’t take him. Please…” Lydia cried, her voice dropping to a whisper, “He’s just a little boy. A sweet little boy.”
“We’ll raise him as our father would have – teach him his ways, give him the life we were given. Don’t worry, O’Reil
ly, you won’t have to hunt him down some day – though you would want to after he becomes who is he destined to be.” The man shrugged again. “You’ll be dead soon – not your problem.”
Tom interrupted the man’s monologue, his voice angry and becoming labored. “You’re not taking him. You’re not going anywhere, Junior.”
A quick jerk to his right, and young Esteban turned his gun to Tom. “Aren’t you dead yet? I am taking him. In fact, he’s already gone. While you’ve all been on this little hunt and listening to me talk, he’s been in a car, driving far from here.”
He paused to look at his watch and bobbed his head from side to side. “Actually, he’s probably on the jet right now, waiting to take off. If you follow us – or, you know, shoot us – he dies. If we don’t show up within 24 hours of his arrival to his destination…ouch.”
“Now, here’s what happens next.” He quickly switched his aim to Lydia and fired.
Tom moved swiftly to his right and absorbed the shot that was meant for her, right in his shoulder, before falling in her lap. Lydia sobbed, and held the dying man in her lap. He tried to help her – saved her in fact.
Junior rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What is with you people? That bullet was meant for her, you idiot! Like I was saying, you die, eventually, when people stop taking your bullets. Then you come with us, Declan. You’re the insurance policy. We walk out of here unscathed. No one follows because if we don’t…Jax…he dies.”
“Oh, Tom Boyd.” Young Esteban shook his head, impressed with himself. “That was brilliant – my best idea yet – made a few calls and got your buddy here out of prison. It was that easy. See what I mean about the power I have…incredible! I knew he’d eventually double cross me, but he made for a really nice distraction for you.”
Lydia sat taller, blood mixed with tears, running down her face. “You’re right. You got everything from your father.”
Declan tried to stop her, wanted the attention off of her and on himself while they diffused the situation. This man was insane, mentally spent, not the bad guy you want to provoke. “Lydia…”
But she went on, “His cold soul, and evil presence. You’re nothing but a murdering coward who stands behind power that only comes from fear. Like father…like son – you’re truly the spawn of Satan.”
Without warning, Esteban got another shot off, hitting Lydia in the shoulder. “Shut Up, bitch! Do…not…speak ill of the dead. What’s so hard about that for you people? Never speak of my father again!”
Terror washed over Declan at the sight of Lydia being shot. Without hesitation, his weapon perfectly aimed at Esteban with a kill shot, he went for the trigger, but another shot rang out before he could squeeze.
“Hold your fire!” Luke yelled.
The air went still and quiet as time ticked by, bit by bit, the scene unfolding slowly. Esteban’s eyes were wide with surprise, mouth falling open in shock His hand fell from his chest, revealing a blood stain that was rapidly growing. He fell to the ground with a loud thump, his body in a heap. When he fell, his shooter was revealed, gun still directed toward him – Eva.
Where planned and methodical once reigned, now stood chaos and confusion as Eva stood over her brother’s dying body, her accomplice, or was she?
“Sister?” Esteban said, gasping and choking. He was confused and frightened as his body began to shake. “I don’t understand.”
“Enough! Enough, Junior! You’re right, Jax is safe – where you can’t get him!” She walked around him and kicked his gun in Declan’s direction where Dace scooped it up and dismantled it in one quick motion.
“You worshipped a monster and became him.” Eva’s voice shook as she delivered her truth, eyes filling with tears. “You let power, greed, and money define you, fuel you! And revenge? It rules you and controls you.”
Declan interrupted, anxious to get answers, unsure if she was completely sane or not. “Eva, where is Jax?”
She turned to him with a soft expression, her tone sincere. “He is safe, I promise you. He has no idea what is going on. He thinks we are playing a game of hide and seek. I am not a threat to any of you, Declan. I will take you to him…I promise.”
Turning her attention back to her brother, she finished sharing what would be the final words he heard. The team surrounded them, trying to decide if she was friend or foe, enemy or the ally she claimed to be.
“Jax is the good part of our father and of his mother.” She looked to Lydia and smiled, tears now overflowing. “He will stay that way. He deserves better than what we had – what ruined us and corrupted you. You didn’t want him. You wanted to avenge a man who doesn’t deserve the hero worship you grant him.”
Esteban began to choke on his own blood, shaking in equal parts shock and fear – death was settling in. Eva fell to her knees, her tears rapidly flowing as her sobs tried to overtake her words.
“I didn’t want it to come to this, but like father, there was no stopping you. It’s time to end your reach, take away your power, and bury the legacy that reached from the grave, the one you lived for, once and for all, with you.”
Sweetly wiping a tear from Esteban’s cheek in a sisterly act, she finished her painful confession, “While you thought you were playing Tom, using him – it was me playing you, feeding him information so he could help protect everyone from you.”
“I will always protect Jax, even if it means I have to live knowing I had to kill one brother to save the other. I will find peace in knowing the blood on my hands was to make sure Jax never has any on his.” She kissed her own hand and placed it on her brother’s forehead. “I guess I learned a thing or two from father, too.”
Eva’s attention turned to Declan. “Tom was being honest. He was here with good intentions. I chose him to help – I knew he would know better than anyone how to. I will tell you everything. There are more people out there who want to hurt you – plans in place – I will help you stop this madness.”
She tossed her weapon on the ground, toward the crowd that had formed in front of her, and put her hands in the air as she took to her feet. Nobody was quick to move – in all of their years and experience, none had encountered this type of ending.
It was clear at that point that Eva wasn’t a threat, just as she said, and that she was completely on their side. But until they sorted details and regained control of the situation, they had to err on the side of caution and follow protocol.
Blake approached her, holding up handcuffs. “I’m sorry, but I have to…”
Eva shook her head and offered a sweet smile. “It’s okay, Blake. I understand. You have my full cooperation.”
When she turned to put her hands behind her back, he stopped her, cuffing her wrists in front of her so she would be more comfortable.
DECLAN RACED TO Lydia’s side, assessing her shoulder wound. “You’re going to be okay, baby. It looks clean. Just a good graze. I promise we’ll get Jax back. She said he was safe.”
“I believe her. She was always quite fond of Jax. He adores her, and I understand why now.” Lydia smiled rather than cried. A sense of relief, in knowing this was finally over, settled in.
Forever could finally begin. Declan was living in the same moment of realization. It was finally their time. Before he could get her off the ground and to the incoming EMT’s, Tom’s hand grabbed his arm. He had been floating in and out of consciousness, now struggling to breathe.
“Please don’t tell Liz and the kids. They’ve been through enough,” he said, speaking of his estranged family. “They deserve a fresh start. There will be a reward for my capture – it’s why I agreed to this. Please…”
Declan nodded, not needing further explanation. Tom escaped, knowing that he would never go back and his days were numbered. It was his way of taking care of them financially. “They will be taken care of – I promise you that. You did the right thing, man.”
Tom smiled ever so briefly before taking his last breath. Declan ran his hand over his eyes, clo
sing them, granting Tom the peace he now deserved. “Goodbye, brother…”
A loud snapping branch had all weapons drawn on whatever was moving in from the south. With her weapon drawn, Felicity came into view, wearing head to toe black with her contrasting blonde hair pulled back in a tight pony tail. This was the badass Lydia suspected lived under that cardigan – this was City.
She holstered her weapon when she walked in and saw the situation defused, and said, “Please, like you’d shoot me.”
Luke was the first to speak up, looking her up and down. “City? What are you doing here?”
“Yeah. Marching in like that?” Liam added. “You could’ve been killed!”
“Please…I’ve been here for twenty minutes, saw the whole thing. Me, shot? You guys taught me better than that.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Declan replied, with a halfcocked brow.
“She called me.” Felicity nodded to Eva who was being led to a squad car by Blake.
“So a potential psychopath calls,” Liam reproved, looking to be sure Eva was out of earshot, “and you just…answer? Didn’t think to call…ohhh, I don’t know…us?”
“She said not to – too dangerous – she said you would come to me and blow the plan.” Felicity shrugged as though this banter was over something as simple as choosing a flavor of ice cream.
Liam was getting hot. “What plan?”
“Jax,” she quickly replied. “I have Jax. Well, had Jax.”
In a small voice, Lydia started to question whether City was a threat. Her answers were evasive and taunting. Was that all for Liam or because she was now their next obstacle? “City?”
“Don’t worry, Lydia. He’s safe…I promise!” Realizing her little game with Liam was coming off wrong to Lydia, she was quick to fix it. “I was supposed to take him back to Portland, to Watermark. Eva had heard you talk about it, and Jax talked about me, and well…here I am. When I realized what was going on, I couldn’t leave with him like that. I needed to warn you – I just didn’t get here in time, so I stayed back – in case it went bad. So I could…follow him,” she said, pointing to a now deceased Esteban Junior.
Brother's Keeper I: Declan Page 30
