Page 15

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Declan

“What the hell, Kayce?” I shout.

Matteo heads into the kitchen, muttering something in Italian, rummaging through drawers. I hear the water running, but I don’t have time to worry about what that asshole is doing. I need to get my woman to fucking breathe.

Sitting down on the couch, I lift Violet and cradle her against my chest. Taking her hand and placing it over my heart, I hold it there and repeat softly, “Breathe, baby. You’re safe. I’ve got you. But I need you to breathe.”

Her tears are leaving a wet trail on my leather cut, but I don’t fucking care. She’s breathing, but it’s still too shallow for my liking. Her body is trembling with fear and on instinct I tighten my hold on her.

“You’re safe, baby. He can’t find you here. I won’t let him hurt you. You got me?”

Violet shakes her head. “You don’t know him. He’ll kill us all.” The words are barely spoken above a whisper, but I hear them.

“No, he won’t, Dove. I won’t let him. You just have to trust me. Can you do that?”

Violet sits up a little searching my face, her brows creased. “How can you promise to keep me safe when you don’t know what or who it is you’re protecting me from?”

I push a stray hair back behind her ear and tip her chin with my fingers.

“I know your ex is a dirty cop. Kayce filled me in on everything I needed to know.”

Her eyes snap top Kayce, who shrugs a shoulder. “Better to tell the devil you know, sweetheart. I’ve known O’Malley a long time. I trust him with your life. You should too.”

“And you think referring to Declan as the devil is supposed to make me want to trust him? Not likely.” Kayce’s stoicism is his only response. “And what exactly did you tell him, Kayce?”

Her murderous glare shouldn’t excite me, but damn if it doesn’t make me hard. She’s finally showing some fire, standing up for herself, and it’s sexy as hell.

“I didn’t tell him everything. I wouldn’t do that. Your story is yours to share, but he needed to know who he’s up against. Declan is good at his fucking job, but he’s only as good as the intel allows him to be.” Kayce’s left brow raises at the same time my woman’s face twists with something that resembles shame.

Asshole.

Violet’s glassy hazel eyes turn back to meet mine. “What about Carter? Is he safe? Has James found him?”

Matteo comes from the kitchen with a cold cloth and a glass of water. He lifts Violet’s hair, eliciting a growl from me as he places the cloth on the back of her neck and hands her the water. “Drink, Dolcezza.”

I glare at the fucker, not liking the endearment. The asshole chuckles, lifting his hands as he moves back to his seat.

“Only trying to help,” he says with a smug grin.

“Carter is with Caleb and Liz. He’s on club property, surrounded by my brothers. No one can get to him there. They know to be on alert. Hawk manufactured a doctor’s note. I called the school and told them Carter’s been sick and will be out for a few days. Then we emailed over the doctor’s note to excuse his absences.” I explain as much as I can about all the safety measures we’ve taken for Carter. There are a few others, but she’s not ready to hear about the trackers we’ve put in his shoes and his backpack just yet. Although she may like the idea for Carter, I have a feeling she’s going to be pissed when she finds out she’ll be wearing one in her sneakers too, as soon as I can get my hands on them.

“Is he okay? He’s not really sick, right?” She looks so worried. I just want to wrap her up in my arms and hold her until she feels safe again.

“No, baby. He’s not sick.” I smile. “The little shit has Liz eating out of his hand. Trust me, he’s perfectly happy.”

Violet lets out a sigh of relief. “Liz is probably spoiling him rotten with her baking and using every bit to bribe him into getting the chores done for her.”

“How’d you know?” I ask, genuinely surprised.

“Because every mother knows you fill the kid with good food first, then send them out to work,” she says. “Plus, Liz only makes cookies if you complete the work.”

Kayce laughs. “Smart kid. He knows where to get the good shit and how to make it happen.”

Even Matteo is chuckling now.

“Okay. Let’s get this shit out on the table, Vi,” Kayce says. “I have another meeting to get to and you two have some things to discuss.” He looks between me and Violet. She scrunches her face but doesn’t question.

“When Tate discovered Declan’s message, he stumbled onto a few other things your hacker friend was doing, like tapping into the security cameras at your apartment.” Kayce narrows his eyes at me, and I shrug.

“It’s a Garrison system. We have the right to check the maintenance.” Even if it wasn’t, we would’ve been all up in the system, but he knows that. He knows me.

“Yeah, maintenance my ass,” Kayce says. “Anyway, Tate caught a glimpse of someone going into your apartment last night while you were tending to Mili.”

“What?” Hawk hadn’t told me about that. I reach for my phone and shoot off a text. I grip Violet’s chin, turning her to face me. “Is that where you were? With your doctor friend?”

“How do you know Mi—Carter.” She puts two and two together on her own. I nod.

“Mili isn’t Declan’s concern,” Matteo says. “The boss has seen to her care, and we’ll have the fuckers responsible soon enough. We need to know what’s coming for Violet so we can all be prepared.”

The way he says all has my hackles raised.

“So that’s why you’re here? Parisi was seeing to the doctor. So, who has been taking care of my woman and convinced her to stay away from her son without explanation?” I have a pretty good idea, but I want to see if he’ll tell me the truth or not.

Matteo leans back against the couch, one ankle crossed over the other knee, relaxed as you fucking please. “Violet makes her own decisions.”

“Bullshit,” Violet coughs into her hand and I chuckle, kissing her on the temple.

“Who’s been forcing you to do things you don’t want to, baby?” I ask. “Give me names and I’ll end every one of them.”

Violet leans back, looking up at me under her lashes.

Jesus, she’s beautiful.

“Everyone. Including you. So, if you want to rid my life of every asshole who’s ever told me what I’m going to do, make sure you add yourself to the list.” I nip her bottom lip causing her to yelp.

“I’m the only one who’s allowed to order you around. You’re my woman.” I lean my forehead against hers. “These other fucks need to step back and let me do my job.”

“Your job?” She looks at me skeptically like I’ve lost my mind, then turns to Kayce. “Did your team hand the case over to Garrison?”

“Fuck no,” Kayce spits.

“Then what is he talking about?” She asks, still not looking at me. I turn her face to mine and answer her question.

“I don’t give a shit what Eaton and his men think their job is. They can catch this bastard who has you spooked and take care of your doctor friend, but it’s my job to take care of you and Carter. To keep you both safe and happy.”

Violet snorts. “I don’t need a man to be happy.”

I lean into her, my lips hovering near her ear. “Maybe not, but I bet you’d love nothing more than to take orders from me and let me take control for a while. To let you take a break. Lift the burden off you and transfer the weight of your world to my shoulders. I promise I can handle it all, and what’s more, you’ll fucking love it.”

I don’t miss the way her chest rises and false rapidly at my words.

Try as you may, you can’t hide the way I affect you, Dove.

A small tidbit I’ll be keeping to myself for now.

“Can you two love birds cut it out long enough for us to get through this conversation? Christ,” Kayce complains.

“Do you know who was in the apartment?” I ask. Violet looks between me and Kayce. He scrubs a hand across the back of his neck.

“No. But he wasn’t there to tear the place up. He was looking through the drawers and closet, but he seemed almost reverent about it.”

“Wait a minute!” Violet’s hand shoots up. “You have cameras inside my apartment? How long have you been spying on me?” she shrieks.

“Relax, Vi,” Kayce coaxes. “The cameras were put in by Garrison after you disappeared. No one’s been spying on you.”

She turns her rage filled hazel eyes on me. “Why would you install cameras inside my home without my permission? That’s an invasion of my privacy and you have no right.”

Lifting her chin so we’re staring at each other, I inform her of the truth. “First, I did it because I wasn’t sure if you left of your own free will or if someone had taken you. Second, it’s protocol for Garrison when someone goes missing to put eyes on their home, businesses, and anywhere they might turn up. Especially if there’s concern about a possible kidnapping. If someone kidnapped you, they might come back for Carter, and I wanted to know who was threatening my family.”

“We’re not—” I put a finger against her lips to keep whatever bullshit she’s about to spew from crossing her pretty lips.

“I told you when we went to lunch that I want you both. You’re mine, which means Carter is mine as well. No argument. No bullshit. The sooner you accept the truth, the sooner we can get married and make this shit legal.” It shocks me to realize I mean every fucking word and I’m not the slight bit afraid of what a future with Violet will bring. Her demons can come for her and I’ll face them head on. I don’t give a fuck about some dirty cop. The Kings don’t always play on the right side of the law either. If this fucker wants to meet an early grave, so be it.

“Jesus. Can we get on with the plan?” Kayce complains. “You’re nauseating, O’Malley. It’s not a good look on you.”

“What look?”

“Pussy whipped,” Kayce huffs.

Violet’s chin drops. “What? We’ve never … we haven’t.” She gasps. “You asshole! Have you not been listening to anything I’ve said? I’m not … ugh. Assholes, the whole fucking lot of you.”

Kayce’s hands come up in a placating manner. “Sorry, Vi. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just giving Declan shit.”

Violet sighs. “What is your plan, Kayce?” she asks, her shoulders slumping. “Where are we moving to now?”

“You’re not going anywhere.” I growl in her ear, but she ignores me.

She’ll pay for that.

“For now, you’re going to stay here with Declan and Carter will stay with Kings MC on the farm. Until we figure out exactly who the masked person in your apartment is and what it was he was looking for, it’s best if you stay away.” Kayce doesn’t beat around the bush. “You need to stay away from Mili and Carter too, unless you want to lead whoever this is to them.” He gives her a pointed look.

“For how long?” She doesn’t sound pleased, but I guess I can’t blame her. If she’s as attached to her boy as he is to her, which I already know she is, this isn’t going to be easy.

“A few days to start. But it will depend on what my team discovers.”

“Fuck,” she hisses. “I need to talk to Carter. To explain what’s going on. He needs to know to be careful and that I’m okay. He’ll worry if I don’t.”

“I’ll get you another burner. Carter still has the phone the club gave him. We can call him when we’re finished here,” I inform her, trying to relieve some of her stress.

“And Skyler,” she says.

“What?”

“Declan, I want to talk to Skyler. She was sick and I feel bad that I left her without any warning.” She shrugs. “She’s my friend, and she’s pregnant. What I did was pretty shitty.”

“Skyler,” I huff. “You leave your kid with me with no forewarning. Scare the shit out of me and Ethan, not to mention your son, and you’re worried about leaving Skyler without back-up on the counter at the gym for a few days?”

Violet bites her bottom lip and nods her head, not meeting my eyes.

She’s full of shit.

It must have something to do with the secret they’ve been keeping between them. I’ll let her have her way for now, but I’m going to find out what these two are hiding.

“Okay, baby. You can call Skyler.”

She looks up at me with a shy smile and whispers, “Thank you,” under her breath.

Kayce narrows his eyes at me. He knows as well as I do—Violet’s full of shit.