Decker's Fate (The Decker Brothers Trilogy Book 1)

by K. R. Richards

  “What’s that?”

  “Something for you.”

  “Really? Let me see.” She tried to sit up.

  “Not yet.” He pressed his hand between her breasts to keep her where she was. One finger stretched out and lightly brushed her nipple. His face lit up with a mischievous grin.

  She cocked her head and looked at him. “If it’s for me, I should be able to look at it. Hand it over, Officer!”

  “I have something to say first.” He informed her. He placed a finger on her swollen lips and traced them lightly. He thought about kissing her again, but realized that might lead to more distractions. He had something to do. Something important. Top priority here.

  “Jade, I know we haven’t known one another long, but I have fallen in love with you. I just wanted you to know that before, well, before tomorrow.” He opened the box and pressed it into her waiting hands.

  “Oh! A Claddagh!” she breathed in awe. “With a gorgeous emerald, and diamonds too. Oh, Decker, it’s a beautiful necklace.” She gave him a beaming smile. Her eyes filled with happy tears.

  “Do you like it? One of Niall’s friends is a jeweler in Ireland. I like the Claddagh because of the hands holding the heart. I’m giving my heart to you, and more importantly I trust you with it, babe. I chose the Claddagh because it is Irish, and in essence, Ireland is behind this whole thing. I liked the emerald because it reminds me of your eyes.”

  “Not only do I like it, I love it. It’s perfect for me, for us. The Claddagh has been around for a long time. You are right, Decker, it is perfect for our situation, the Ireland thing, the heart and hands, oh I just love that symbolism. I love you too Decker, very much.”

  “Yeah, you do? I thought so, I hoped so.”

  “I love you,” she affirmed. “I was afraid it was too soon too, but it doesn’t matter. I know how I feel about you.”

  “Same here. I love you, babe.”

  “Oh, it’s engraved! She read the inscription. “With these hands, I give you my heart and crown it with my love.” Her eyes misted again. “It’s beautiful. I feel the same about you.”

  “Good. We’re on the same page.”

  “We definitely are.” Grinning at him, she gave him a nod.

  Jade lifted up to press her lips against his. She reached up, placed her hand on the side of his face. She felt his stubble beneath her fingertips as she gently caressed the strong line of his jaw.

  “So, ah, I know you’re not happy about my part in tomorrow’s plan,” she said softly as she drew back and put her necklace on.

  “No. I’m not happy about it.” He sank down beside her on the pillow top mattress. His finger traced over the Claddagh, where it rested on her breastbone. “But, you’re in this thing, just like I am. You’re an important piece of the wheel, and I don’t have the right to say what you can and can’t do, though to be honest, the cave-man in me would like to, in this instance.”

  “You’re worried about me. I’m worried about you too. I don’t like it that you have to face him first.”

  “I know. I hate that we’ll be separated, that I won’t be in control of your situation tomorrow, and I have to rely on others to protect you if you should need it. The thing that scares the hell out of me more than anything is that I don’t know if I can protect you against Ciaran. He’s a demon. But I know I would die trying.”

  “I know you would. Surely you realize that I would do the same for you.”

  He sighed. “I don’t want to hear that, babe. If something happens to me, you have to promise me, you’ll do what you can to save yourself.”

  “Only if you promise the same to me,” she countered with a raised brow.

  He groaned. “You see, I’ve never been in love with someone this much, this deep, not in my whole life, Jade. I thought I loved Lauren in the beginning, that first year when things seemed good, before she went bat-shit, psycho. I thought the same with Emily then Megan before that. Those were the only women I was ever in serious relationships with. I know I wasn’t truly in love with any of them now, because what I felt for them is nothing compared to what I feel for you. I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for you. I have really. It probably sounds crazy, but I feel whole now. I was missing something in my life before and now you’re here. I wish I could lie and tell you I would save myself if something happened to you, babe, but I can’t. I would do anything, risk everything, to protect you.”

  She looked into those blue eyes filled with sincerity and emotion.

  “I’ve waited my whole life for you too, Decker, and I’ve never loved someone this much before either, not even Austin. I understand what you’re saying. It’s the same for me.”

  He caressed her cheek. “Okay. We both feel the same. We both need to be careful tomorrow, so we have a future together.”

  “That, I can promise you, Michael Flynn Decker.” She smiled at him.

  “Well, we need a good night’s sleep. We want to be as sharp as we can be tomorrow. And we have more preparations to make in the morning.”

  “You’re right, but do we have to go to sleep right this minute?” A sultry smile played upon her lips.

  “Well,” a mischievous light sparkled in the depths of eyes. He brandished that sexy grin, “I suppose we could take a few more minutes…” his voice trailed off as her hand slid slowly from his chest, then across his abs and belly. Her fingers glided lower still.

  “So, what did you have in mind, babe?” he breathed against her ear.

  “Oh…I’ll just show you,” her whisper was silky and seductive as she moved to sit beside him. She dropped her head to kiss his chest. She let her tongue tease one flat nipple, then the other. She placed slow, open-mouthed kisses along his abs then dipped her tongue into his belly button.

  She began to lick and gently nip at his skin as she moved lower.

  He twisted his fingers in the sheet when she went down on him. “Oh, my God, yes!” He let go a thick husky growl that ended on a groan.

  He threaded his fingers into her hair and held on as she took him to the edge and beyond.

  His chest was heaving, he was still breathing hard as she slid back up his torso to settle in beside him. He grabbed her by the waist, pushed her gently onto her back, and reciprocated in kind. She tasted so sweet, like woman, like Jade. His. She was his. His focused on giving her intense pleasure, just as she had given him.

  She screamed his name as her release came to her. Proud of himself, he lifted his head and gave her a lopsided grin then slid upward, to gather her into his arms. She burrowed into his warmth. They fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Decker woke at six-thirty to find green eyes watching him.

  “Can’t sleep?” he asked in a sleepy whisper.

  “I slept a little.” She cuddled up to him.

  “Me too. It’s this thing hanging over us and what we have to do today,” his voice was still rough from lack of sleep. He rubbed her back. Just holding her warm body against his soothed him. He felt her relax in his embrace.

  “Part of me wishes we could just stay in bed and let today pass us by, but I know we can’t, and I want do this and put it behind us.”

  He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I get you, babe. We’ll feel better after we get through today. When we finish this Ciaran business, sometime in the near future I hope, we’ll take a long weekend trip, or a week even, just the two of us. We’ll go somewhere neither one of us has ever been. We’ll get a room at a nice hotel. The first day we’ll spend in bed, sleeping among other things.” He gave her a wink and grin. The thought of being free and being able to do what they wanted, travel where they wanted was definitely appealing. They would get to the point where they never had to worry about Ciaran O’Sullivan again. Decker couldn’t explain how he knew, he just did. He felt it deep down inside.

  “Mmm, that would be nice. It gives us something to look forward to.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “Do you want to try to sleep a litt
le longer?”

  “I don’t think I could. I’m nervous. What time is it? Is there enough time to work out this morning? I’d like to clear my head some.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. It’s early. We have plenty of time for a workout.”

  He kissed her before he sat up. Decker rose, extended his hand to her, and led her into the bathroom. They washed their faces, brushed their teeth. They might have taken a little extra time when they decided to help one another dress.

  It appeared everyone with the exception of Aunt Neave had the same idea. Liam, Brody, Erin, Harper, Niall and Fianna, were already working out.

  Other than cheery greetings, everyone concentrated on the workout. Jade guessed they were all getting in tune with themselves and finding their focus.

  As the treadmills and other equipment were in use by the men, Jade went into her favorite room to join the girls. Erin led them in a vigorous aerobic routine with hand weights. Jade followed with standing Pilates and Yoga stretches and exercises.

  Harper finished with a sort of aerobic dance routine sans music that made them laugh and cheer. Now feeling happy and energetic, they decided they were finished.

  “I wish I lived here with all of you. I would certainly be in better shape.” Fianna smiled as she wiped her face with her towel. “We’ve a gym at the castle but it’s so hard to make myself go in there. I do it, but I never get a workout like this.”

  “Erin keeps us motivated. Her classes are awesome. When I see her working out it makes me feel guilty that I’m not, so I do it, then feel better for it afterward,” Harper confessed.

  Fianna laughed. “I’m with you, Harper. I definitely need motivation.”

  “What’s this?” Harper asked as she noticed the glint of sparkling green and the flash of shiny silver on Jade’s breastbone.

  “Oh. It’s a Claddagh from Decker. He gave it to me last night.” Jade smiled. She was sure it was a goofy kind of smile.

  “Very nice.” Harper gave Jade a big, knowing grin.

  “It’s so Irish. It’s beautiful, Jade,” Fianna agreed.

  Erin’s eyes misted a little. “Aww, you hold his heart in your hands. I love the symbolism. It’s perfect. The emerald is lovely. Ohh, diamonds too. Really nice!”

  “I love it.” Jade smiled softly.

  Fianna left them and went into the larger fitness room to talk to her brother.

  “Love, huh?” Harper quirked a brow at her.

  “Yes, definitely love.” Jade grinned happily.

  “I am so happy for you,” Erin gave her a hug.

  “Me too. Let’s have a group hug; our Jade is in love with Hot Officer Decker.” Harper giggled. The three friends walked into the room where Fianna and the men were gathered.

  “Let’s hit the showers, we’ll have a good hearty breakfast, and then we’ll get to work!” Niall said as he hung his towel around his neck. “The faster we get through today and make preparations to finish this for good, the sooner we can get on with our lives, eh?” he gave Jade a wink.

  “Yes.” She nodded. She wanted this Ciaran O’Sullivan business done and over.

  “So let’s get this done,” Decker said after planting a loud kiss on his girl’s lips. He gave her a wide smile.

  “We planned our wardrobe last night after you went to bed. Liam and I know what clothes you have so, we decided to go ahead and get that sorted. Wear your black sunglasses, light gray t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and your dark blue sneakers. And this cap,” Brody said as he leaned over and retrieved a navy baseball cap from atop his gym bag.

  Decker nodded.

  “We won’t look exactly alike close-up, but from far away, we can fool someone,” Niall said. “We’re all tall and relatively similar in build. With our hair covered up, the bill of a cap shading our faces, and dark sunglasses, I think it will do well enough. It should be enough to get us all placed along the trail where we need to be.”

  “I agree.” Decker nodded.

  “He won’t be expecting us to dress alike, that’s a plus!” Liam added.

  “Illusion can be a great asset,” Niall added before he turned and left.

  Decker and Jade exchanged a loving look.

  She saw hope in his eyes and drew strength from that. This had to work.

  They walked in silence behind the others toward their room.

  “What is he doing?” Ciaran O’Sullivan mumbled the question aloud as he watched from his vantage point atop Cathedral Rock. “It’s only two o’clock.” He lowered his binoculars. He watched the man dressed in a gray t-shirt, jeans, sunglasses, and a blue cap. He was certain it was Michael Flynn Decker. He had watched him wander the trail twice now.

  “Idiots,” he muttered under his breath. “They can’t defeat me, no matter how hard they try. I am stronger than they are. And I’ve proved many times over that I’m more powerful than the old crone, haven’t I?”

  Let them try to prepare for him. It was a waste of their time. He’d wanted Caoimhe since the day he set eyes on her over eight hundred years ago. He’d never been able to lay a hand on her in her lifetime. Jade Murphy was the image of Caoimhe. Today, he would have her, after he killed her lover. It would be a nice shove in the face to the O’Flynns and Murphys of old. He laughed. It would tear apart the new ones, weakening them and making it easier to kill them. He preferred easy kills. It took less of his energy to accomplish the task.

  He knew Michael Decker, police officer, would sacrifice himself for his woman, and his brothers. He would even sacrifice himself for the whiny brunette. The O’Flynns had never lost their sense of honor or loyalty through the centuries, fools that they were. It seemed to be ingrained in their pathetic bloodline. It was a definite weakness, to his mind. That weakness is what Ciaran was counting on most.

  He’d kill the eldest today and take his woman. She would come to claim his body, of that he was certain. The stupid man had followed his instructions to the letter and left the house alone. Ciaran had seen the others inside the house, waiting for their hero to return. Well, he wouldn’t.

  The two remaining brothers would be in a rage afterward. The warrior would seek revenge immediately, and the youngest would try to avenge both his brothers, but he was weaker, less sure of himself. It would be his downfall. That would leave two women and the busybody crone. They would be easy to get rid of. He had wanted to kill the crone for centuries. Away from Ireland, and County Cork, the source of her power, he felt he could accomplish that. The other two women had no business even being involved. They weren’t even a part of this. They would pay for their stupidity, and he would gain some power from using their bodies then killing them. He had already killed the McCarthy and O’Driscoll women some five years ago. Did the four who had gathered, or the crone, even know there would not be six? No matter. Very soon, they would all be gone, save Caoimhe.

  He’d have his revenge and the woman finally. He’d keep her while her looks lasted, and bend her to his will. When she no longer held his interest, he’d kill her, and have every bit of her power, ages old and virtually untapped. He knew it was inside her, he could almost smell that raw, unleashed energy, just waiting for him. With no more of them left in the original line, he’d live forever, however he’d like to. Go wherever he’d like to go. He would be free, no more searching for O’Flynn descendants or being on guard. He could fully enjoy the only benefit of the curse, eternal life, and he’d have more power than he ever had before.

  At two thirty, Brody ducked into a clump of scraggly trees along Templeton trail. He was careful not to disturb the rock cairns people left all around the vortex area.

  “You’re thirty seconds late.” The corners of Liam’s mouth turned up as he pulled on his navy baseball cap.

  “F-off!” Brody grinned. He removed his cap, letting his golden brown hair fall down around his shoulders. He tucked the cap in his back pocket. “It’s getting warm.” He ran his arm along his brow.

  “Here’s the terrible salt shooter.” Liam patted wh
at looked like a tripod case. “Don’t be late for the finale, bro. Every second counts, man.”

  “I won’t. I can’t wait to shoot that bastard with salt water and see what happens. I hope it melts him.” Brody pulled his hair back into a ponytail and tied a faded red bandana around his head. He took off his shirt. He removed a pair of scissors from a pocket inside the case and cut out the neck, then removed the sleeves of the t-shirt. He unbuttoned and removed his jeans revealing dark blue shorts. He stuffed the clothes in the bag. He removed the black sunglasses and exchanged them for a pair of that was bright neon blue.

  “Seriously, I’m hoping it melts him, or turns him to dust.” Brody looked to his brother. “Be careful, Liam.”

  “Yeah, you too, little bro. I do hope the salt and holy water mess him up bad.” Liam clapped his brother on the shoulder then put the dark sunglasses on before ducking out from the trees. He meandered slowly along the trail. He had to walk slower so his limp wasn’t so pronounced.

  He gave a nod to Niall, who sported a brown cowboy hat and stood on the side of the trail with a tripod and camera. He wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a plaid shirt that was open over his white undershirt. Niall had been the first to walk the trail. He changed into his disguise after Decker took his place. Brody had taken Decker’s place at the Mother Rock. Brody walked all the way up to the base of Cathedral Rock, turned around, and met Liam at the halfway point. Brody would hang out along the trail. Liam would walk back down toward the crossing.

  Niall turned back to focus on his camera. Without looking at Liam he said, “I saw him atop Cathedral Rock a few minutes ago.”

  Liam didn’t turn toward Cathedral Rock at his back. He slowed his pace and passed Niall.

  “What do you suppose he’s doing up there?” Liam asked.

  “Watching you, mate. Keep walking.”

  Liam continued on, toward Red Rock Crossing.

  Decker looked at his watch. It was three o’clock on the dot. With one last look at Jade, he left Liam and the women behind on the Mother Rock and walked casually up Templeton trail toward Cathedral Rock.