Page 17

CHAPTER 17

DECLAN

S arah's cottage appears as we drive over the hill. I park the Audi in the gravel driveway and cut the engine. My mind races through what we need next - cash, new papers, a way out that no one can trace back to us.

"I can tell you're plotting something," Maeve says, touching my arm.

"I need to line up money, papers, transportation. Nothing that leads back to us."

"How long?" she asks.

"A day. Two at most." I take her hand. "We'll be gone before Cormac or Siobhan realize what we're planning."

The front door opens before we reach it. Finn steps out, face tight.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I ask, moving in front of Maeve.

"Cormac sent me to watch the kid." He glances at the road behind us. "And to give you this."

He passes me a thick envelope. Inside: a burner phone, cash, and a note from Cormac.

They're moving. Watch your back.

"What's this about?" Maeve reads over my shoulder.

"Russians hit two Donovan businesses an hour ago. Three men dead."

"Petrov's crew?" I ask.

"New boss took over after you killed Petrov." Finn lowers his voice. "Cormac thinks they want payback."

"Where's Conor?" Maeve pushes past us, no patience for this shit.

"With Sarah inside. He's fine."

We walk in. Conor sits at the kitchen table with crayons, drawing while Sarah chops vegetables for dinner. He looks up grinning.

"Dad! Mom! Look what I drew!" He holds up a paper covered in colors.

"That's cool." I touch his hair, then look at Sarah. "We need to talk."

She jerks her head toward the door. "Garden."

Outside, Sarah folds her arms against the wind. "Your thug showed up an hour ago. I nearly shit myself."

"Change of plans," I tell her. "We leave tonight."

"Tonight?" Maeve's voice rises. "You said we had days?—"

"That was before Russians started shooting up Donovan places." I can't stand still. "If they hit family businesses, they know I took out Petrov. They'll want blood."

"You're jumping to conclusions," Maeve says.

"And if I'm right?" I look at Finn. "What exactly did Cormac say?"

"That you need to vanish. Fast." Finn glances at the cottage. "He set up a clean exit. Private plane from an airfield west of here. Takes off at midnight."

I check my watch. "Three hours."

"Where to?" Maeve asks.

"Spain first. Then anywhere." I grab her hands. "I have people there who owe me."

Sarah snorts. "More criminals, right?"

"People who can get us what we need to start fresh."

Maeve yanks her hands away. "Hold up. You want to run off tonight with our six-year-old to another country where more of your shady friends will help us?"

"I want you both alive," I snap.

"And I want my son safe. Your contacts could sell us out the second we land."

"They won't. They know what happens to people who cross me."

Sarah whistles. "Jesus fucking Christ, what a mess."

Finn's phone buzzes. He walks off to answer it while I face Maeve.

"Look, this is shit timing. But we need to go. Now." I try to sound less desperate. "Just trust me on this."

She stares at me, torn. "Fine. But we tell Conor what's happening. No more bullshit."

"Done."

Finn walks back, face grim. "Cormac just called, the Russians found our sister."

"What?"

"Someone busted her out. Two guards dead."

"Fuck." I rake my hands through my hair. "She's in with the Russians."

"Looks like it."

Maeve grips my arm. "If she's working with them, she'll tell them about Conor. About us."

"We go now." I look at Sarah. "Pack only what Conor needs. Nothing traceable."

Sarah nods and goes inside. Finn follows, leaving me and Maeve alone in the darkening garden.

"I wanted more time," I tell her.

"For what?"

"To leave clean. Give you and Conor time to adjust." I touch her face. "Didn't want it like this."

Her eyes get wet. "I don't know if I can do this. Run forever."

"Not forever. Just until we're safe." I put my forehead against hers. "I'll make us safe."

"How?"

"Cut all ties. Become someone else. Someone better." I kiss her. "Someone you both deserve."

Inside, Conor hunches over his paper, crayon in hand like nothing's wrong. Sarah jams Conor's clothes into a backpack. Finn prowls past each window, checking sightlines, his hand on his gun.

I kneel by Conor. "Hey buddy, remember that trip we talked about?"

He nods without looking up.

"We're going tonight. Big adventure time."

That gets him. "Tonight? Now?"

"Yeah. We're taking an airplane to Spain. Sound good?"

His eyes get big. "A real airplane? But flying's scary."

"I'll be right there," I promise. "Mom too. All together."

"Are we coming back?"

Maeve moves to his other side, pushing hair from his eyes.

"We're going to live in a new place for a while," she says. "Somewhere cool."

"What about school? My toys?"

"We'll get new toys," I tell him. "And find a school with kids from everywhere."

His face scrunches up, thinking. "Can I take my drawing book?"

"For sure."

That works for now. He goes back to his drawing while we get ready. Lucky kid - still young enough to think this is an adventure, not running for our lives.

I go outside to call Cormac.

"Are they safe?" he asks right away.

"For now. Heading to the airfield soon."

"Good. I've got everything set up. The pilot knows the destination." He pauses. "You were right about Siobhan."

"How?"

"Russian connection all along. Used Petrov, replaced him after you took him out." His voice goes cold. "She wants us dead. All of us. You, me, even the boy."

"I figured." I look at the dark sea. "Did you make Dad threaten Maeve seven years back?"

Silence on the line. Then Cormac sighs.

"Did what I had to do. For the family. For you."

"By sending me away? Threatening the woman I loved?"

"You were going soft. Talking about leaving. We needed you."

Anger fires up in my chest. "You fucking used me."

"I saved you. From Dad's rage. From what he'd have done to you both." He pauses. "Not proud of it. But I'd do it again."

"You won't get the chance," I tell him. "This is goodbye."

"I know." His voice drops. "Be safe, little brother. Take care of them."

I hang up and stare at the phone before dropping it onto the rocks. No more calls. No more Cormac. No more fucking Donovan’s.

I walk back in to find Maeve stuffing Conor's books in a backpack. Sarah presses a tin into his hands.

"For the trip," she says, messing up his hair. "Airplane food is shit."

"Sarah!" Maeve glares, but doesn't mean it.

Finn looks at his watch. "It's time to go. We'll take the back roads to the airfield."

I grab our bags. "Two cars. I'll take Maeve and Conor. You follow behind."

Maeve hugs Sarah hard. "Thanks. For everything."

"Shut up." Sarah fights tears. "Just send a postcard from somewhere hot."

Conor hugs her too. "Bye, Aunt Sarah. Your pancakes were good."

"Visit when you're older. I'll make you pancakes every day."

We get in the cars. Conor clutches his backpack in the back seat of Cormac's Audi. Maeve sits next to me.

"Ready?" I ask.

Conor nods from the back. Maeve grabs my hand.

"Drive."

I pull onto the coastal road, Finn right behind us. Dark night, no stars, no moon. Perfect for vanishing.

Ten minutes in, headlights show up behind us. Coming fast. Too fast for this empty road.

"Is that Finn?" Maeve checks the mirror.

"No. Someone else." I floor it. "Hold on."

The car speeds up, pulling alongside. I cut them off.

"Down!" I yell as a gun pokes out their window.

Maeve drags Conor to the floor, covering him with her body. I slam the brakes as bullets crack through our windshield.

Their car flies past, can't stop in time. I crank the wheel, taking us down a dirt track off the main road.

"Anyone hit?" I check the mirror. Finn's still behind us. The other car turns around.

"We're fine," Maeve says, voice tight. "Conor's okay."

The track gets narrow, trees crowding in. This Audi isn't made for this shit, but I push it hard anyway. If we're struggling, they will too.

A sharp turn comes up. I take it too fast. We skid, crash through bushes and hit a tree. Hard, but not hard enough for airbags.

"Out. Now." I grab my gun from the glove box. "Into the trees."

Maeve pulls Conor out. His face is white, but he's not crying. Tough little man.

We run into the woods as headlights hit our wrecked car. Russian voices shout. No sign of Finn.

"This way," I whisper, leading them deeper.

We move quiet, Conor between us. The forest is black as pitch, but that helps us. I head downhill, remembering a farm lane that runs along the coast.

Gunshots crack behind us. They're firing blind, hoping for a lucky hit.

"Don't stop," I tell Maeve when she slows.

"I'm scared," Conor whispers.

"I know. But we gotta be super quiet now. Like hide and seek."

He grips my hand harder.

We hit the forest edge. Beyond it: open fields, then the coastal road. No cover at all.

"We run now," I tell them. "Don't stop for anything."

Maeve lifts Conor. "I got him. You cover us."

I nod. "Ready? Go!"

We sprint across the field, exposed. Shouts come from the forest. They have spotted us.

Halfway across, headlights hit the farm lane ahead. I aim my gun, then recognize Finn's car.

"It's Finn. Run."

He pulls up and throws the doors open. "In! Now!"

We jump in, Maeve and Conor in back, me up front.

"Russians," Finn mutters as we tear away. "Three of them. Got one in the leg but the other two aren't giving up."

"We still making that flight?" I ask.

He cuts down a dirt path I've never seen. "What do you think? Cormac would kill me if I let you miss it."

Maeve holds Conor, whispering to him. The kid's gone quiet. Shock.

"Who told them where we were?" I ask Finn.

"Siobhan, probably. She heard about the cottage from your calls with Cormac."

I look back at Maeve. "I fucked up again. Put you in danger."

"Save it," she cuts me off. "Just get us to that plane."

The airfield comes into view, just a few lights around the edge. A sleek private jet waits, engines humming.

Finn stops near it. "Go. I'll watch your backs."

"Come with us," I tell him.

He shakes his head. "You know I can't. Cormac called while you were gone. He needs me back there to clean this shit up." He hands me a paper bag. "New IDs, cash, contacts in Spain. Everything to disappear."

I grab his shoulder. "Thanks."

"Take care of them." His face is dead serious. "Don't look back."

We run to the plane, heads down. The pilot, weathered guy in his fifties, waves us on.

"Gotta go now," he yells over the engine. "Weather's going bad."

I boost Maeve and Conor into the cabin, then jump in. The door locks just as headlights appear at the airfield edge.

"Friends of yours?" the pilot asks, unfazed. "Hold tight."

The plane races down the runway. Through the window, I see Finn's car block the entrance, muzzle flashes in the dark.

We take off as gunfire cracks below. The plane banks hard over the sea.

"Will Finn be okay?" Conor asks, voice tiny against the engine.

I pull him onto my lap. "He's a tough guy. He'll be fine."

Maeve takes his hand. Our little circle. "We're together now. That's all that matters."

The plane climbs higher. Ireland vanishes behind us. Below, just dark sea. Ahead, Spain. A future I never thought I'd have.

I left Dublin once to protect Maeve. Now I'm leaving with her and our son. No more running from who I am. No more Donovan blood curse.

The pilot turns back. "Six hours to a private strip near Barcelona. Get some sleep if you want."

Sleep? Not fucking likely. I stare out the window, half expecting to see Russians on our tail. Nothing but clouds and stars.

"This isn't over," Maeve says low. "Siobhan, the Russians—they'll keep looking."

"Let them." I look at her in the dim light. "We'll be ghosts."

Conor crashes between us, head on Maeve's lap, feet on mine. Asleep, his face looks peaceful. Like he didn't just see men with guns try to kill us.

"We'll give him normal," I promise Maeve. "School, friends, holidays. They won't find us."

She watches our son, love and pure steel in her eyes. "If they try, they die."

I take her hand across Conor's sleeping body. I see it in her - that same kill-or-die protective rage I feel. We've both taken lives for him. We'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"I love you," I tell her. "Both of you. More than anything."

"Enough to become someone else? To leave Declan Donovan behind?"

"He's already dead." I squeeze her hand. "I'm whoever you need now."

She leans over Conor to kiss me. A promise. "Just be ours. That's all I need."

The plane cuts through night sky toward a new life.