Page 46 of A Convenient Secret (Merged #3)

Declan

“ I need them out of my fucking street,” I yell at my lawyer. “I can’t get out of my own building without being harassed.”

Lily comes into the kitchen and scowls at me. Fuck, the kids may come down any minute, and I’m out of control.

“Okay.” I nod, listening to the same lame bullshit the lawyer has been spinning since this shit started.

Out of control.

That’s what the past week has been like. It doesn’t matter what we do or where we go, the news about the lost heiress follows us relentlessly.

The speculations about our marriage have topped all the other gossip. To make matters worse, Lily’s father is refusing to take her call.

I wish I could whisk her to London and help her deal with all that shit. I hate the man for failing to protect her, but she still seems to feel some sort of allegiance to him. As a father, I can only wish Zoya and Zach would give me such grace when I fuck up.

We should have left for London already, but Lily didn’t want to interrupt the twins’ camp. I don’t understand how she manages to continue as if our lives are normal. At least we’re leaving tomorrow. Finally, away from this madness.

If no reporter finds out we are in London.

Hopefully, by the time we’re back, the interest here will have died down.

I hang up and reach for Lily, kissing her crown and holding her, not only for her comfort but for mine. “I don’t know what to do.”

The admission makes me feel even weaker, but sharing my weakness with Lily doesn’t seem like the end of the world. It brings a sense of ease.

“I grew up being chased by paps every time something happened with our business or with my family, and believe me, my family loves scandals. It doesn’t get better, but it’s easier to deal with once you accept it as a part of your life.”

“That’s not the life I want for my children,” I scoff.

“Of course not.” She looks away, nodding, her hand on my heart.

Fuck. This is exactly the life we will have now, isn’t it? I don’t have a choice in the matter.

“They will move to a new story soon, and we will be fine.” I say the words like she’s the one who needs reassurance. Fuck, the last time I felt this helpless was when Kendra left.

Only this time, I stand to lose way more if I don’t get a grip.

“The kids want to go to chase the pigeons—”

“No way,” I protest.

“Maybe we can go, let them take a few pics, and they will leave us alone? Chasing pigeons is the least juicy scoop they can get.”

“I’m not letting them take photos of my kids.” I turn and pace to the window, running my hand through my hair.

“They are doing it anyway, Declan.” Her hand touches my back, the tension melting just a little under her warmth.

“The summer camp had to call the police twice. It’s not going to stop until they get what they want.

Let them get the photos, so we can enjoy a semi-normal day, and then issue a cease and desist. They will give up eventually. ”

The fucking helplessness is like a poison, gripping me in a vice-like hold. I turn to face her. “Thank God we’re leaving tomorrow.”

Lily winces .

Fuck. I feared she was too young for me, yet here we are and she’s acting with way more calm and perspective. “Sorry, baby, I’m just on edge.”

She wraps her arms around my waist. “Let’s pretend to have a normal day in the park.”

I nod. “Okay, but we’ll leave with the car to drive us to the other side, so hopefully we can sneak in without the vultures downstairs following us.” The plan gives me a sense of direction while I’m still completely lost in the mayhem.

“Good. Let me get the twins ready.”

“Daddy, is Lily your giwlfwiend now?” Zoya skips beside me, holding my hand, the ice cream dripping down her hand.

Oh fuck. “Something like that,” I evade. “She loves you very much, and we will be taking care of you together.”

“I like that.” She licks her ice cream, the situation uncomplicated through her innocent eyes. I wish it was that easy.

Zach is explaining to Lily something about his piano lesson, and she’s listening with the same attention she always bestows on everyone. Only I see her eyes dart around, ready to protect him from the prying questions and cameras.

This outing has always been peaceful. It’s been a routine that we all loved. Normal.

Instead, there’s now a bodyguard a few steps behind us, scanning the sidewalk. I inherited a lot of money, and I made even more myself. I’m a rich man with two children, and yet I’ve led a fairly normal life.

My name was mentioned in the business pages a few times. I regularly attend high-profile events. It’s not like I’m completely new to living in the public eye. But this level of madness is something I thought was only for celebrities.

We catch up with Lily and Zach. Lily gives me a tense smile, and helps Zoya clean up before the twins take off to run around.

We find a bench and watch them for a moment. Zoya chases the pigeons while Zach explores the area, careful as always.

“It’s good for them to have a normal kind of Saturday,” I admit, and take Lily’s hand in mine, keeping them in between us in case someone is snatching pictures.

“Maybe I’ll wear the fake glasses again in London. I can even dye my hair to make sure we can explore the city without interruption.”

She’s trying to make it easier for me and my family. I love her for that, but it deepens my sense of helplessness.

It’s like, with her newly claimed status, there is this new lifestyle to manage, a new reality to fit into, and as much as I’m trying, I don’t know where my place is.

I want to talk to Lily about it, but she has so much to adjust to, I don’t want to burden her with my vulnerabilities.

She seems to be better at navigating it all, at protecting us, at knowing what to do. It’s like she dove deep into the new circumstances, and I’m still looking for the fucking oxygen mask. How long before she swims away?

“Perhaps sunglasses that actually suit you would work better.” My attempt at joking is pathetic.

“Declan, if you prefer to stay here with the kids and take them to the Hamptons, I can go talk to my father.”

“I’m not leaving you to deal with them alone. Or to face your cousin. Out of the question.”

She sighs. “I will have security.”

“I’m not discussing this, Lily. We all go.”

We still haven’t talked about what happens after she speaks with her father. He still needs his successor. How will that work when she lives here?

“Do you want to return to London and work with your father again? ”

“Declan, I love you, and I love Zoya and Zach. That’s my priority. A lot can be achieved long-distance. It’s just a question of figuring out how we will make it work.”

Her words calm the storm within me a bit. They also add another layer of fear. She’s considering options to return to the business. She’s a Spinelli after all. But what if that’s not possible? “You think he will agree to such an arrangement?”

“I don’t know, but there is no point stressing about all probable outcomes until I speak with him.”

“The uncertainty is driving me crazy,” I admit.

“I know. Just don’t give up on us, and we will find the way.”

“Fuck, I wish I could kiss you.”

“As soon as I tell my father the truth about us, you can kiss the hell out of me. You’ll finally make the front page, handsome.” She winks.

I snort. “That has been my life’s ambition.”

She chuckles. Maybe we can try to find some normal amid this madness.

“Please don’t tell him the whole truth about us.”

“You think he wouldn’t like that I took money from you to marry you to help with your custody battle?” She pokes me with her elbow.

“Shit. Don’t tell him we’re married.”

“I’ll tell him we’re engaged. ”

“Shouldn’t I ask him for your hand in marriage first?” Fuck, I married an aristocrat.

“My father is an earl, and technically I live in a kingdom, but we’ve moved into the twenty-first century.”

She’s so beautiful, her crooked nose pronounced on her young, smooth face, the sunshine playing on her hair.

“I just want to do right by you, Seagull.”

She watches the kids, but her profile lights up with a smile. “You can never do wrong by me, Declan.”

“Why is your accent American?” How have I not thought about this?

“My mother is American. I spent my childhood in Chicago. That’s another piece of juicy gossip. My mother ran away with me when my father took a mistress.”

“But she returned to England? How long were you here?”

“We were here for three years. We returned to my father as soon as the money ran out. And I came back for two years in high school, before my brother died. Mom had left us by then. I guess my ability to speak without a British accent was the best part of my ridiculous disguise.”

“You were beautiful even with that weird haircut and ugly glasses. ”

“I was trying to be invisible.”

“And yet I noticed you the first time we met.”

She whips her head to me. “It wasn’t my voice?”

“I didn’t know the two were the same person until later. I saw you at Caleb’s vow renewal, and I couldn’t unsee you again.”

“I was totally into your voice. At Cal and Celeste’s party, I realized you were the voice, and I couldn’t believe it. I can’t believe you noticed me there. You were so disinterested in everything.”

“I was very interested in you.”

She smiles at me, and I relish the moment of normal we’ve achieved. Maybe we can do this.

The twins join us. Zoya is sweaty with messed-up hair, Zach with his hands in his pockets and an unimpressed expression.

“Why do we have him?” Zoya tugs at my sleeve, gesturing at the large man in a suit.

I exhale slowly, keeping my voice steady. “To keep us safe.”

Zach scoffs. “From what?”

I sigh, rubbing a hand down my face. “From people who don’t know how to mind their own business.”

“What does mind youw own business mean? I don’t have any business.” Zoya shrugs.

Lily stands up and takes her hand. “Imagine your friend is whispering to someone, and you keep asking, ‘ What are you talking about?’ If they say, ‘Mind your own business,’ it means they don’t want to share, and that’s okay—because it’s not something you need to know.”

Zoya puts her other hand into mine, and we head toward our building with Zach striding beside us.

Zoya swings my hand back and forth. “Those guys with the camewas… they don’t mind theiw business.”

I nod. “Exactly.”

“But why awe they taking pictuwes of us?”

I hate that she even has to ask, the temporary peace of our outing evaporating rapidly.

Lily takes this one, her voice light but firm. “Because some people love gossip more than minding their own business.”

Zoya considers that, then shrugs. “Gwanny said gossiping is bad.”

“Granny is right, sweetheart, but not everyone understands that.” I grab Zach’s hand to cross the street.

As we reach our block, my stomach knots.

They’re already waiting. I should have called the car again. I got lulled by the surface peace.

A small crowd of paparazzi loiters near the entrance of my building, cameras slung around their necks, their hushed murmurs turning to alert whispers the second they see us .

The building added security, and the two concierge clerks keep the group out of the immediate vicinity of the building’s property. It’s not enough.

My jaw tightens. Zach slides his hand into mine. “Stay close,” I murmur to Lily, who has picked Zoya up.

With my hand firmly on my wife’s back, we advance. Our bodyguard steps forward, moving ahead of us to clear the path.

The second we get within range, the shouting starts.

“Mr. Quinn! Declan! Is it true you secretly married your nanny?”

“Lily, how long have you been hiding here?”

“Are you leaving the country? Is the marriage real?”

The sidewalk turns into a chaotic mess as we weave our way through the blinding flashes and overlapping voices.

“Daddy?” Zoya’s voice is small.

I hate this.

We keep walking, heads down, bodies close together, following the bodyguard in front of us, clearing the way.

We’re almost at the carpet that lines the entrance to my building when someone pushes forward.

I don’t see who. I don’t see what happens .

I more feel than see Lily stumbling and losing her balance. She tumbles to the ground, Zoya’s small body trapped under her.

Someone jostles against me, and Zach’s hand rips from mine. I crouch to help Lily and Zoya out. The shouts quieten down as people around us realize what has happened.

“Are you okay?” I scoop Zoya up, and the bodyguard reaches for her. “Take her inside,” I order. “We’ll be right there, honey.”

My daughter nods, her eyes wide, but I block that out. Lily is standing up already.

“Dad,” the scream reverberates through the chaos as the footsteps of those fleeing the scene echo around me.

“Zach,” Lily shouts, and as I turn, she already drops to the ground beside my wailing son.

I’m on my knees a second later, grabbing his small frame, my hands skimming over his body. Panic. Adrenaline. Rage.

His face is scrunched in pain, his left wrist swelling.

He’s hurt.

I turn to the few paparazzi who stayed behind, my voice a roar of fury. “Back the fuck up!”

The security from the building rushes out, the photographers stepping backward .

Lily cradles Zach, murmuring soft reassurances while tears streak down his cheeks, his tiny body trembling.

Is he going into shock?

I don’t think. I scoop him into my arms, holding him close. “I’ve got you, buddy. I’ve got you.”

Lily scrambles to her feet, and I try to usher her in front of me, more with my body language than anything else.

Someone dares to snap a picture, a few flashes blurring my vision. We reach the entrance and finally enter the lobby.

The eerie silence is interrupted only by the sobs of my children.

I check if I have my family with me. Zoya stands frozen beside the bodyguard, her face pale. Lily nods that she’s okay, but I see her limping to hug my daughter.

“Dad,” Zach whimpers.

“We need to get to the hospital.” I turn to the bodyguard and pass him my son. “Get them to the car. I’m right behind you.”

“Declan.” Lily’s voice almost penetrates the rage in my head with a beacon of reason. Almost.

“Daddy,” Zoya whines.

“Dad,” Zach whimpers.

“I’m coming.” But instead, I turn to open the door again, and the shutters click. Fucking assholes. “If any of you so much as breathe near my family again, I will destroy you.”

My hand itches to throw a few punches so they have something to report, but I have my family to focus on.