“So you knew who I was the day before the wedding. You knew I was the one you rescued when I came there, thinking I was going to marry Sean.”
“Yes, I knew who you were. I’d seen you a few times over the years, but you never really looked at me. While you were here, I told you a few times that I was going to take you home but that you couldn’t tell anyone about me. I told you to forget all about it.”
“I guess I listened to you.” I let out a short, humorless laugh.
“I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Deklan says. “I guess you did.”
I watch as Deklan drains his second glass of whiskey.
“I’ve never seen you have a second drink,” I say.
“I rarely drink at all.” He glances in my direction. “I wasn’t sure how you were going to react to all of this, especially after…after last night.” Deklan furrows his brow and looks down at the empty glass in his hands for a long moment. “I was afraid you would blame me for what happened.”
“To Kathy or when I was a kid?”
“Either. Both.”
“Why would I blame you if you’re the one who rescued me?”
“You might think I was responsible for having you kidnapped.”
“Were you? Was Foley?”
“God, no.” Deklan turns to face me. “I didn’t even know your name before your father came to ask for Fergus’s help. Kidnapping kids…that isn’t something I would ever do. It’s a fucked up organization I’m in, but Fergus never would have sanctioned something like that.”
“Would Sean?” I ask quietly, and Deklan snorts.
“Then? No.” He shakes his head and places the glass back on the coffee table. “Now…well, I wouldn’t put anything past him now.”
Deklan closes his eyes. His face looks relaxed, but his shoulders are tense as if he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop. I realize that is exactly what he is doing and reach out to touch his arm.
“I don’t blame you for Kathy,” I say softly.
He turns his head toward me, and the light hits his eyes in such a way that it looks like he is ready to cry, but I’m sure I see it wrong.
“I shouldn’t have argued with you,” he says.
“I was drunk,” I say. “If anyone started anything, it was me.”
He closes his eyes and opens his arms, and I crawl into his lap. Wrapped up in his strength, I let the tears flow again.
“I’m so sorry, Kera. I’m sorry all this happened.”
I cry into his shirt with my fingers digging into his shoulders, and he just holds me there. Memories of Kathy flash through my mind—everything from the playground in grade school to our room service breakfast in bed.
Eventually, my cries turn to sniffles, but I don’t let go. Deklan just keeps holding me and occasionally kissing my head. I’ve probably ruined his shirt, but he doesn’t seem to care. He strokes my hair and rubs my wrists until I pull back and look up at him, studying his face.
“I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was you,” I say.
“You’ve blocked it out,” Deklan replies with a shrug. “It makes sense you wouldn’t remember my part in it.”
“But I don’t even remember being here for more than half a day.”
“You slept most of that time.”
“Still…” I place my head back on his shoulder, but I can’t form any words to go with my thoughts.
“I was going to tell you,” Deklan says, “several times, actually. It just never seemed to be the right time. I was shocked when I realized you didn’t remember, and after that…well, it’s not exactly a topic that just comes up in normal conversation.”
“I’m glad it was you.” I wrap my arms around my husband’s neck and press my cheek to his.
“Glad it was me who rescued you or glad it was me you married?”
“Both.”
Deklan grins and presses his mouth to mine. He kisses me slowly and gently before wiping the tears from my cheeks.
“So am I,” he says. He wipes more tears away and stares at me intently. “Do you remember any of it? I mean, now that I told you my side of things? Did that make you remember?”
“Not really,” I say. “There are a few flashes. I remember the gun shots and you picking me up. I remember that it was raining. Everything that happened before that is blank.”
“Maybe that’s best,” Deklan says quietly. “Maybe you don’t need to know any more.”
I’m about to agree with him, but something is still bothering me.
“So, you have no idea who was responsible for me being kidnapped in the first place?”
“None.”
“But…but what if you didn’t get them all?”
“What do you mean?” Deklan asks.
“What if it wasn’t just those two guys? What if there was someone else involved?”
“Whoever it was has had plenty of time to come after you again if they wanted to,” Deklan says. His rationale makes sense but doesn’t help the sinking feeling in my stomach.
“But they haven’t, Dek.” I shift in his lap to face him better. “Since I got out of the hospital, I’ve almost never been alone. I was homeschooled until I married you. Even now, there’s always someone with me. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you we were at the same bar.”
Deklan tilts his head and looks at me with slightly narrowed eyes and creases in his brow.
“Who is ‘he’?”
“That guy.” I give Deklan a half smile. “The creepy dude you have following me that keeps tabs on whatever I do.”
Deklan is silent as I grin at him. I’ve caught him off guard with my declaration, and catching him off guard is a rare thing.
“Kera…” Deklan takes several deep breaths, but his entire body remains tense. He speaks his words very slowly. “What ‘creepy guy’ is following you?”
Apparently, my husband is going to try to deny all knowledge of this, but I don’t want to let him off the hook.
“You know who he is. The guy with the newspaper. Who reads actual newspapers anymore?”
When I laugh, Deklan’s face remains tense.
“Kera,” he says, still speaking very slowly, “I have no idea who you are talking about.”
Chapter 24
“It’s okay, Dek.” I smile and stroke his cheek. “I understand you’re a little paranoid. I don’t mind that much.”
Deklan’s eyes go dark and he stares at me—hard.
“Kera, let me be perfectly, crystal clear,” he says. He’s so tense, his arms are starting to shake. “I am not having you followed, and I have no idea who this guy is.”
His fingers dig into my arms for a second. He’s definitely shaking now.
“Get off of me,” he says with a growl. “Now!”
I scoot sideways off his lap, landing beside him on the couch. Deklan leaps up and starts stalking the room, hands clenched. I pull my knees up to my chest and stare at him, mouth open, as he grabs the whiskey glass and smashes it against the wall.
“Why the fuck haven’t you told me about this before?” he roars. “Who is he, huh? How long has he been following you?”
“I…I don’t know!” The panic inside my chest is tightening around me, making it hard to breathe. I thought I’d seen Deklan angry, but he’s never acted like this.
Deklan stalks into the kitchen, grumbling under his breath. He grabs the edge of the counter and leans against it for a second, breathing heavily. All of a sudden, he hauls back and punches the refrigerator, leaving a dent in the stainless steel.
“Who the fuck is following you?” he screams.
“I don’t know! I thought you told him to!”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Kera! Why would I do that?”
I don’t have an answer. I’d always assumed his paranoia made him hire the guy, and now I’m embarrassed to admit it.
Deklan closes his eyes and leans against the counter again. I watch his shoulders rise and fall as he breathes slowly and deeply. After a full minu
te, he steps back and faces me. He clenches his hands a few times as he walks slowly back to the couch and drops to one knee in front of me.
I flinch and press my back to the couch cushion.
“Kera,” Deklan says softly as he holds both of my hands, “I’m sorry I lost it there. The thought of someone threatening you is”—he takes another long breath—“Please, just tell me everything. Start with the first time you noticed this man.”
“He was just always there, in the back of the coffee shop.” I try to keep my voice soft as I answer. “That’s where I saw him first. I noticed he was looking at me, but when I looked at him, he’d stick his nose in the newspaper.”
“Describe him.”
“He’s just a normal looking guy. He’s six foot or so, skinny, with brown hair, maybe brown eyes—very plain. He always waits until I’m busy making someone else’s coffee, so Terry takes his order, but I saw the name Charlie on his cup.”
“Who’s Terry?”
“The assistant manager at the coffee shop.”
Deklan nods as he takes another breath. He runs his thumbs over the back of my hands as he looks at me, his eyes still intense.
“Is that all he’s done?” he asks. “Just watch you?”
“He’s followed me back here.”
Deklan squeezes my hands for a second as he grits his teeth.
“He followed you here? Into the building?”
“Not inside,” I say. “He usually stops at the corner or crosses the street.”
“Where else have you seen him?”
“Mostly just at the coffee shop, but I thought I saw him twice when I was out with Kathy. I’m not sure though.”
“You were drunk.” Deklan closes his eyes and shakes his head before glaring back at me. “Drunk, and some creep is following you. This is fucking fabulous.”
He releases my hands and leans back on his heels.
“You think his name is Charlie?”
“I don’t really know,” I say. “That’s the name he gives for his orders, but it’s not like we check IDs.”
Deklan stares into space for a moment. I wonder if he’s trying to come up with anyone he knows named Charlie or Charles.
“When have you seen him at the coffee shop?” he asks. “What time of day?”
“Around ten o’clock when I’m not working. Earlier when I am.”
“It’s after noon now.” Deklan glances down at his watch.
“But it’s Sunday. You’re usually with me on Sundays.”
“Do you work tomorrow?”
“No, not until Wednesday.”
“Time?”
“Nine.”
“When you go to work Wednesday, you are going to text me as soon as he gets there.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Depends on who he is. I know one thing: you will not be out of my sight between now and then.”
I nod quickly as I reach for him. I don’t want to be out of his sight—not now. The images flash through my head from each time I have seen the creepy guy, but I now see him in a different context, and it terrifies me. Who would have me followed? Sean? Whoever kidnapped me before? I have no idea, and I grip Deklan’s shoulders as tightly as I can.
“I’m sorry I got angry,” Deklan says. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this before.”
“I really thought you knew,” I say again. “With all the phone restrictions and making me carry a gun…I just thought you had him watching me to make sure I was okay, especially after the first time I went to the shop, and you didn’t know where I was.”
“For future reference,” Deklan says with a sigh, “I’ll tell you if I do something like that.”
“Okay.”
He pulls away a bit to look me in the face but doesn’t let go of me.
“Is there anything else you’ve been keeping from me?”
My thoughts turn immediately to Sean. I’ve never divulged the things he’s said to me, and all his lewd and obnoxious comments invade my head at once. Deklan must notice something in my expression, and he places his hands on the side of my head.
“What is it, Kera? Do not hold anything else back from me.”
I can’t say anything about Sean—I just can’t. Deklan is completely loyal to the Foley family, and Sean is his boss. Anything I say about Sean’s behavior has the potential to get Deklan in trouble. What if he gets angry again like he just did? And that was just over a guy watching me. What would his reaction be if he knew what Sean has said to me? What would happen if Deklan confronted his boss?
This time, I need to protect my husband.
“There is one thing,” I say seriously.
“What?”
“You know that shepherd’s pie you like so much?”
Deklan narrows his eyes at me.
“The biscuit crust…it’s not homemade. I use a mix.” I hang my head in mock shame.
Deklan rolls his eyes, and we both laugh. He presses his lips against mine for a moment before pulling away and standing up.
“I need to call Brian,” Deklan says. “Why don’t you jump in the shower? Take your time and try to relax a little. I’ll make you something to eat while you’re in there.”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“Well, you haven’t eaten anything, and there is probably still alcohol flowing through your veins, so you’re gonna eat.”
“Ugh! Fine!”
I head off to the bathroom. Deklan is right—the shower feels good, and I stand there and let the heat of the water seep into my skin. Staring at the blank wall of the shower, thoughts of Kathy flood through my mind, but I seem to be out of tears.
Deklan is still on the phone when I’m finished.
“You can’t expect him to just lie back and take it,” Deklan says. “Tell her she needs to be patient. We’ll work something out.”
I smile at Deklan when he looks up at me, and he points to a pot of macaroni and cheese on the stove. He places his hand over the phone’s mouthpiece for a moment.
“Eat,” he says softly.
I roll my eyes and scoop some of the macaroni onto a plate.
“You want some?” I ask.
Deklan shakes his head and goes back to his conversation, and I sit at the kitchen island and try to eat.
“She’s dealt with it this long,” he says. “She can hang on a bit longer. I’ll see you in a little while.”
Deklan hangs up and comes up behind me.
“Eat more,” he says as he wraps his arms around me from the back. He kisses me lightly on the side of my neck. “Brian is bringing my Viper back and returning the sedan.”
I eat about half of what’s on my plate but can’t stomach any more than that. Deklan grumbles but accepts the amount I’ve had.
“You should take a nap,” he says.
“I’m not sure I can sleep.”
“At least try.”
“You’ve gone through so much in the last twenty-four hours,” he says. “You need time to recuperate, and you need time to grieve.”
Deklan takes me to the bedroom, strips me of my jeans, and tucks me under the blankets.
“Sleep,” he says. “I’ll be right in the next room, and I’ll come check on you.”
“All right.”
I’ve barely fallen asleep when there’s a loud knock at the door. I jolt awake, my muscles tensing with the unique sensation of falling from a great height. I gather my senses as I hear the door open.
“Will you shut the fuck up?” Deklan says with a low snarl. “Kera’s sleeping!”
“I’m in trouble, Dek. Big trouble!” It’s Brian’s voice.
I hear the door close and footsteps in the kitchen.
“Slow down,” Deklan says, his voice still quiet. “What are you talking about?”
“I called her right after I talked to you, but she already did it. She told him off and everything. He’ll kill her, Dek!”
“Jesus Christ, Bri
an. Keep your voice down.”
I can still hear mumbled words, but I can’t make anything out. I push the blankets off and slide out of bed. Slowly, I walk toward the door of the bedroom. Through the opening, I can see both of them in the kitchen. Deklan has his hand on Brian’s shoulder, and he leans down to speak softly.
“I am going to help you, all right? But you have to calm down.”
“Okay, Dek.” Brian nods and takes several breaths.
Deklan stands, goes to a drawer in the kitchen, and pulls out a box of latex gloves and a cloth. He tosses the gloves to Brian.
“What are these for?” Brian asks but gets no response.
Deklan moves out of my view, closer to the sink. I shift my position in the hallway just enough to see them. Deklan opens the cabinet under the sink and kneels down. He reaches all the way in, and I hear the sound of tape being ripped as he pulls out a handgun. Taking the cloth, he wipes the gun carefully and then holds it in his hand, finger on the trigger and barrel pointed toward the floor. He grips it for a moment.
“Put those gloves on,” Deklan says.
Brian slides a pair of gloves over his hands, and Deklan hands him the gun.
“Don’t touch that without the gloves,” Deklan says.
“But Dek, it’s got your—”
“Just do what I tell you.”
They move back into the living room and out of my view. I can’t see them unless I reveal myself, so I strain to listen instead. Deklan speaks softly in mumbled words I can’t make out. After a few minutes, I hear them both stand and go to the door.
“I don’t know if I can do this, Dek.”
“You can,” Deklan says. “You will.”
“What if I fuck it up?”
“Then she’s screwed, and I’ll get the chair. You don’t want that, do you?”
“No.” Brian’s voice is soft.
“You just do exactly what I told you to do,” Deklan says. “Make sure the timing is right. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“I’m sorry to drag you into this, bro.”
“Yeah, like I don’t have enough shit going on. Get the fuck out of here so I can take care of my wife.”