Without looking back, Declan left. When he opened the door, he found Colton and Megan on the front porch swing, with Duke, still healing from his wounds.
“Taking off, bro?” Colton asked, shaking his hand.
“Yea, duty calls, man.”
Dec reached down and patted Duke goodbye. Megan stood to say her goodbyes, her eyes full. He hugged her tight and said, “Take care of yourself and that sister of yours. She’s a handful; good luck!”
She laughed at the humor he used to break up the overwhelming emotion surrounding them. “Seriously, if you guys need anything, anything at all, you call me!”
“Okay,” she said with a nod, wiping the tears that insisted on falling. His leaving was the final chapter of the life she and her sister were leaving behind, and marked the beginning of their freedom.
Colton and Meg went inside when Louise Shaw called everyone to dinner. Declan got into his car and pulled away just as he saw Lydia run out onto the front porch and watch him leave. The old woman met her on the porch and pulled her into an embrace. It killed him to know he was hurting her.
Finally out of sight, nothing but a cloud of dust and snow between them, he pulled to the side of the road in an angry rage. He started banging on the steering wheel several times before hitting the roof of his car. He didn’t think leaving would be this hard. It hurt like no pain he’d ever felt in his life.
Running his hands through his thick auburn hair, he regained his composure, took a deep breath, put on his shades, turned the radio up and drove off. He would be back, but for now, he had work to do.
Is it over for Declan and Lydia…or just beginning? Find out by reading PART 2 of Brother’s Keeper I: Declan and prepare for a pulse pounding conclusion sure to leave you at the edge of your seat!
Read Part 2 NEXT!
COPYRIGHT © 2017
Stephanie St. Klaire
Brother’s Keeper I: Declan (Part Two)
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, or other status is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever known, not known or hereafter invented, or stored in any storage or retrieval system, is forbidden and punishable by the fullest extent of the law without written permission of the author.
EDITOR: Dawn Yacovetta
COVER ARTIST: Opium House Design
FORMATTING: The SSK Group
Acknowledgments
To my family for your endless support and love beyond measure. You inspire me, you drive me, and most importantly, you laugh at my bad jokes. This is all because of you and for you.
To my readers…my wonderful, lovely, amazing readers. Thank you for believing in this nutty indie girl and putting me, and my stories, on top of the world.
Without you, there is no me…
Thank you Lord for removing all obstacles so I can stand firmly in faith above all fear…
For turning trials to triumphs…
I’m stronger in the storm…
1
The happily ever afters were falling into place, in McKenzie Ridge, for all but one. Lydia. She had a good life in McKenzie. After two years there, it felt like home. She had built a family of friends who she adored, even opened a business. She had no regrets – but one – and it was loving a man who couldn’t love her enough to fight for her. It seemed to be a pattern with her, so she wrote off men altogether and focused on building her business and raising her son, Jax.
Lydia had put Jax to bed for the night after celebrating engagements, weddings, and good health with her friends. It had been an amazing day full of love and joy, albeit exhausting, and as tired as she was, she couldn’t go to sleep herself. She was really good at putting on a happy face, during the day, when she was around other people. Nighttime was a different story – she felt safe in McKenzie – most of the time.
After the ordeal she went through with her now deceased husband, living on the run and in fear for her life and the life of her son…she struggled with feeling safe at night, when it was dark, and she was alone. When it was dark and quiet, she was left with her haunting thoughts. Every sound, every shadow, it all spooked her. Her routine now was to stay up late until she couldn’t fight sleep, and she would finally succumb to dreams over nightmares out of sheer exhaustion, albeit with the lights and TV still on.
She was nearing that time of night, ready to head to her room, when there was a knock at her door. It was well after midnight, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. None of her friends would ever think to come by so late, knowing she had a little one in the house. It just wasn’t like them in general.
Paranoia rolled in, and adrenaline had taken over. Going to the hall closet, she reached for the gun she had hidden on the highest shelf out of Jax’s reach. Turning off the safety, she slowly went to the door, jumping when another knock came harder and louder.
She stood there a good minute, recalling what she had been taught about handling and firing a weapon. She was taught how to shoot by the very man who protected her on the run and then ran from her when their journey came to an end. Declan O’Reilly was easy on the eyes, delicious in bed, but bad for the heart.
With her hand on the door knob, she waited for a third knock before throwing the door open, startling the person on the other side of the door, banking on the element of surprise.
A sharp gasp escaped her when she saw who was standing at the other end of a potential bullet. Declan O’Reilly. He was back and standing on her front step with his hands up in surrender.
“We have a problem…”
Lydia knew he was in town, had been for weeks, meddling in his sister’s relationship, along with his brothers. It wasn’t entirely a family reunion. He and his brothers were instrumental in a local rescue when her dear friend, Everly Shaw, had gone missing and was held by a psychopath. For that, she was grateful, but standing on her door step in the middle of the night just plain pissed her off.
“We do have a problem. You…knocking on my door in the middle of the night.” She started to close the door, but he put a hand up and stopped her.
“Lydee, I’m serious. I’ve been in town for weeks. We need to talk.”
“Oh, got bored with the family and decided, hmmm, I think I’ll drop in on Lydia see what she’s been up to the past few years. Yeah, no thanks. Goodbye, Declan.”
“Damn it, Lydia. I was only here with them as a cover. I’ve been staking out the place and following leads. Leads that brought me to your doorstep in the middle of the night,” he said.
“Right, middle of the night,” she waved her hands around and spoke in a quiet spooky voice, “all stealth-like to hide from bad guys.”
With her hand on her hip and a death glare locked on him, she said, “Newsflash, big guy…Esteban is dead. The bad guys are gone. You saw to that; remember? We were safe here because you were off fighting them.”
“No, Everly’s case was just an unforeseen distraction. I’m glad we were here to help, but it isn’t why any of us were here,” he confided.
“Convenient. So…what’s the big threat then. It’s late, and I’m tired. Speak,” she said with as much sass as she could muster.
Declan knew it would be anything but easy to talk to her again and that she would be angry, to say the least, but this was a side of Lydia he’d never encountered. He broke her heart and dragged his ass getting back to town, but it was all for them. It was apparent that convincing her of that would be anything but easy.
“It’s complicated – can you put that gun away and let me inside?” he said, looking around with a concerned scowl. “Jesus, Lydee. Just let me in.”
That had her attention. He didn’t scare easily, and something had him stressed. Knowing he was probably the only real threat, as he still held pieces of her heart, she reluctantly
let him in. Truth be told, seeing him made her heart skip. It was one thing seeing him from afar, but up close and personal was trying her will power.
“Fine.” She held the door open wide and let him pass through before closing it behind him. She engaged the safety on the gun and followed him into the living area. “So, what’s the big threat? If it’s Everly’s stalker, I’m already fully informed. He’s dead too and wasn’t into me to begin with. Sounds like you can go home now.”
“It’s late; I’m going to bed,” she said. “This will have to wait until tomorrow.”
“You’re going to bed with a gun? Why do you have that anyway? Has something happened? Has he been here?” Declan became more concerned.
Giving him a side-eye, trying to decide what he was really asking, she fired back, “He? Oh, so that’s what this is about! You think someone – a guy – is staying here? Well, there is – my son – now leave.”
“I’m not leaving you alone. It isn’t safe,” he declared before nodding at the gun she was still holding. “Especially with that thing around. You couldn’t shoot anyone; it’s not your thing.”
“Well, Captain Asshat, a lot has changed since you left. I could and would shoot this thing.” She aimed the gun at his knees, safety engaged; she wasn’t that stupid. “Would you like me to demonstrate?”
“Damn it, Lydee – you’re pissed at me; I get it, but we really do have a problem. You and Jax are not safe – not alone anyway, not until we figure this all out.”
“Keep it down! Jax is sleeping. Go stay with your sister – we’ll talk tomorrow,” she grumped.
“Can’t. She’s a newlywed.” Declan shrugged with a smug grin – two could play at this game.
She rolled her eyes at his excuse. It was going to be one of those nights, apparently. “Okay, go stay with Blake.”
Shaking his head, he crossed his arms. “He likes his privacy…”
“Oh, gee, imagine that.” Her surprised look turned to an irritated frown. “So do I. Surely there’s somewhere else – we can talk about your new bad guy tomorrow.”
“There is somewhere – right here, in this house. It’s safer this way, and you are just going to have to wrap your pretty little head around that.” He didn’t tend to be condescending, but she was starting to push his buttons, so he pushed hers right back. “I’m not messing around here, and I’m not leaving.”
She tossed her hands in the air in defeat and frustration. “Fine! You aren’t sleeping in my bed, and I don’t want to confuse my son. Couch. Lock the door behind you; apparently there are bad guys in town.”
As frustrated as she was, she was glad he was there. Nights were the worst, and lately, she had that odd inkling that made the hair on her arms tingle. She was being watched.
She stormed off to her room, leaving him standing in the middle of the living room. No blanket, no pillow, just stormed off. He’d slept in far worse conditions with a pillow and blanket, so he wasn’t going to complain.
Dec laid on the couch, trying to shift his pants in such a way as to relieve the hard ache she left him with. She was just as feisty as he remembered – tough, strong, and confident. Gorgeous with curves that gave guys hard-ons for days.
He fell asleep at some point, his thoughts of Lydee leading to memories that played like erotic teenage wet dreams. He was dreaming about their last time together and the perfect O her mouth made just before she fell over into pure ecstasy, which shook him awake just in time before he finished that teenage boy-like accident. His timing was spot on since he woke to the quickest cold shower ever, in the form of a four-year-old little boy standing over him. Staring. Jax.
2
“Hey, Jax,” Declan greeted while rubbing his eyes and stretching on the couch.
“You know my name,” the little boy responded as a statement, not a question.
Declan grinned at the sound of his little raspy voice, shocked at how big he had gotten. “I’ve known you a very long time, kid. I’m your mommy’s friend.”
“Mommy doesn’t have any boy friends,” the boy replied in confusion.
Raising his eyebrows, Declan filed that little bit of info away and winked at the tot. “Good to know.”
Jax tilted his little head sideways in confusion. “Are you a giant? Is our couch brokened? Why are you so big?”
Before Declan could answer, the little guy looked Dec over, trying to see under and around. “Your feets don’t fit.”
The kid was cute. Declan couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’m just sorta tall, I guess?”
“Your shoes are on the couch – we aren’t s’pose to have our shoes on da couch.”
“Technically, my feet hang over, so my feet aren’t really on the couch.”
Jax’s eyes went big, shaking his head no, and his voice went to a whisper, “Don’t say dat to my mom.”
“Why?” Declan sat up, taking his own voice to a whisper, “Is she bossy?”
“No, ’cause she’ll tell you no sassin’, and you can’t wear shoes in da house either,” he said, pointing to Declan’s shoes, which were no longer hanging over the couch but were firmly on the floor.
Declan was amused. The kid was cute, so he obliged, following the rules, and kicked his shoes off. “Oh, well you could’ve started with that, bud.”
Jax slapped his hand to his forehead in obvious frustration. “Dat’s not where da shoes go.”
He picked up Dec’s shoes and quickly ran to the closet, watching for his mom as he went, and put the shoes away, grunting the whole time, “These are heavy!”
Lydia leaned against the wall at the walkway between the hallway and living room, amused herself, by Jax. She knew he didn’t remember Declan, but he was certainly taken by him already. He wasn’t a shy child, but to be so bold and confront him as he did was impressive. There was a giant, strange man on her couch, and Jax was as comfortable with him as anyone.
“Hey mama, there’s a man on da couch. I put his shoes away; they weren’t on da couch. They didn’t fit, but they were on in da house, so I told him da rule because he didn’t know,” Jax said with pride.
Well, what was this. Jax was already defending Declan and helping him out of trouble? Interesting.
“Jax, that man is…someone mommy used to know,” she said, sending a cold stare Declan’s way. “His name is Mr. O’Reilly. He’s Auntie Cari’s big brother.”
Declan took the shot like a pro. Someone she used to know? If that didn’t send a message, he didn’t know what did. At the mention of his sister, it dawned on him that Carigan was probably closer to Lydia and Jax than he was – that truth stung.
“Oh! I want a brover,” Jax said in excitement as he looked to Dec, impressed with his connection to Carigan. “What’s for breakfast, mama?”
Lydia wanted to be upfront with her son and not confuse him. It wasn’t a typical thing to wake up to a giant on your couch. “We’ll have breakfast soon. Mr. O’Reilly stayed here because Aunt Cari was…busy.”
“Kissing a lot?” he asked, referencing what kept Carigan so busy.
Lydia bobbed her head, considering his response but more so her answer. Kids repeat everything. How did she want this one spun? “Yeah, pretty much.”
A knock at the door startled them from their awkward conversation. They weren’t expecting anyone that early, which put Declan on high alert. Shielding Lydia and Jax, he opened the door abruptly, startling those on the other side. Expressionless, and apparently speechless, stood Colton, holding a pastry box, and Megan, holding their baby, Olivia.
“Oh, well…hey, Dec,” Colton finally got out, looking between Dec and Lydia, who were in a stare down. “This…is a surprise.”
Declan was smug, and Lydia, pissed. They hardly heard Meg speak, “I’m headed into town. These two were joining me today. I wanted to see if you wanted to ride in with us.”
Megan owned the town flower shop that also hosted a coffee bar and bistro-like eatery inside, Blooming Grounds. At night, she hosted wine tastings f
or local growers and even stepped outside the tasting box to include local brew and distilleries. Blooming Grounds sat on prime real estate in the middle of Main Street, the only way in and out of town.
Next door, Lydia had opened Outside In, an indoor playground where parents could wear out their kids during the months snow and rain prevented outdoor energy burning play. For the parents, there was a window connected to Blooming Grounds where they could order lunch, a snack, or a glass of chardonnay when coffee wouldn’t do the trick.
“I’m taking them,” Declan replied, not breaking his side of the stare down.
A razor sharp glare threatened Declan when Lydia replied, “I can drive myself.”
With Jax and the baby present, they kept their tones sickeningly sweet, as if it were just a friendly conversation and not a battle of wills. “I’m driving you.”
Her smile too big, tone delightful, she giggled and said, “Why don’t you just beat your chest and get it over with? Ogre.”
“Ohhhh, I think you mean gorilla – they actually beat their chests,” he said, matching her smile and enthusiasm. “I’m going with you – I’ll be there as long as you are, in fact.”
Colton and Meg were still standing on the front porch watching the showdown of the century, looking back and forth with entertaining smirks. They were secretly making wagers on who was going to win this one.
“Ooooh, yeah, so actually, darn it. Sorry, you can’t come with me to work. We advertise our strict policy that guarantees nobody is allowed on staff, or around the kids, who hasn’t had a thorough, and I mean thorough, background check. It’s a tough vetting process,” she smirked, knowing this would hit below the waist, “but it’s for the kids. Safety, ya know? Those background checks can take days so…looks like a no-go. Sorry.”
Brother's Keeper V: Wylie (the complete series BOX SET): NEW RELEASE + Series Box SET included! Page 20
