Page 25

Chapter twenty-five

Noel

G asping, I sit up in a dark room. I feel around, relieved that I’m not tied up. A light turns on, and I can see I’m in bed, Declan’s bed, our bed. Taking a deep breath, I look over at him sitting up beside me.

His hair is messy, and his eyebrows are pinched into a worried expression. His face is covered in thicker stubble than I’ve ever seen it, and his eyes stare into mine.

I reach across the bed with the hand closest to him, and he takes it into his gently. His touch is warm and strong and real, and I collapse into him. He pulls me onto his lap, running his fingers through my hair.

“How long will it haunt me?” I search his face, not sure if I even want to hear the answer.

The image of Nate’s hands attempting to stop the life from pouring out of his own neck is burned into my memory.

“You saved my life,” Declan’s answer comes after a moment’s pause. It shines a little light into the darkness of my heart.

My throat tightens along with my chest, but I refuse to cry anymore. I made my choice, and I’d do it again to save him. I place my hands on either side of his face and kiss his perfect lips. The smell and feel of him is everything.

Placing my forehead on his, I close my eyes to memorize this moment.

“Declan, I have questions. ”

“You can ask anything.”

My head is spinning. I’m not even sure where to begin or what matters most.

“There’s plenty of time. Come take a shower with me,” he suggests.

“What time is it?” I ask, confused by how dark the room is.

“It’s close to 9:00. You’ve been asleep all afternoon.”

“Okay.” Looking down, I see that I’m naked. “I didn’t even wake up when you undressed me?”

“No. Come on,” he coaxes me out of bed and into the bathroom.

Turning on the water in the shower, he pulls me into him kissing me as he washes my hair and body. My hands don’t leave him if I can help it.

The sight of his beautiful naked body reminds me of all the pictures of him with other women. There’s a desperation gripping my heart at the memory of his face when he was with them and where his hands touched them.

“I’m glad we aren’t staying in Birmingham. I don’t think I trust myself to ever see those women from the pictures.”

I know it’s cold and unfair, but I don’t care.

He drops the loofah and grabs my face.

“We aren’t running from the past, Noel. We are leaving to build the future of our dreams. I am going to take you everywhere you want to go in this world just to mark each place with our love. Then, I will find you in the next life and do it all again.”

He searches my face. His eyes stare into my soul, begging me not to hate his past. He did all of those things to cope with losing me. The look of pain in his eyes as he waits for my response has me realizing that it’s me that is hurting him now. He had to accept my marriage, so I need to accept his past, too.

“I need you right now, Dec. I need to feel you inside of me. Please,” I beg .

He lifts me by my thighs and presses my back against the wall, wasting no time to bury himself inside of me. The raw emotions of what has happened only intensifies the connection between us. My lips find his, and I’m instantly lost in the softness of them and the warmth of his tongue. His hands hold my face and thigh as he moves in and out of me.

“So perfect, baby,” he says breathlessly around our kiss.

I tangle my fingers in his hair.

“I love you, Declan,” I whisper.

“I love you, Noel,” his husky voice comes out in a rush as he plunges into me harder.

“Yes, say it again.” I can feel myself clenching around him. His words pushing me to the edge faster than his dick.

“I love you, sunshine. My forever, baby girl, my wife, mine,” he says, kissing and thrusting into me as I fall over the edge and come undone around him.

“Yes, yours, always, oh, yes, Declan!”

“Oh, you’re so fucking perfect, yeah, come on my cock, baby, oh fuck!” He finds his own release with mine, and we hold each other, refusing to let go.

When the moment passes, he lowers my feet to the ground but keeps his body pressed against mine. My hands explore his chest up to his face then find a place to rest on his neck. Feeling his pulse against my fingers feeds my soul.

“I’d do it again. For you. What does that say about me?” I stare up at him, showing him the ugliest thing I didn’t even know was a part of me until today.

His hand covers the side of my face as he says, “It says you’re brave enough to protect the person you love, no matter the cost.”

Taking a deep breath, I try to accept this part of myself.

“Declan, what if I can’t give you children?” I whisper .

“My life is yours,” he says simply. “I don’t want to share you anyway.” He smirks and kisses my nose.

I smile back at him, but my heart hurts at the thought of that smile not living on after we’re gone. He turns off the water as I walk out of the shower to get towels.

While we get dressed, he tells me that Isaiah has already taken Veronica back to Cordeliers, but Leah stayed back with Zander and Chance.

I can feel myself bristle at the name, remembering Declan’s explanation of the elevator picture. I talk myself down because I trust him, but I’m not looking forward to seeing her. Even if she didn’t touch him, she was naked for him.

Walking into the living room, I’m met with the delicious smell of food. Chance is standing in the kitchen while Zander and Leah sit at the bar talking to him. Chance smiles at me first, then the other two turn to look at us.

“All hail the queen!” Zander jokes and pretends to bow at me. Then he walks over to hug me. “Seriously, though, fucking bad ass!” He steps back to introduce me to Leah.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Noel,” she says.

“Thank you.” It’s all I can manage.

She smiles as though she understands and respects my distance, so I don’t explain myself.

Zander clears his throat, and Declan wraps his arms around me from behind.

“Alright, let’s eat,” Chance says.

Declan brings me to a barstool, and kisses my forehead. He makes us each a plate and sets one down in front of me before taking the stool to my left. After a few bites, I feel my mood lifting.

“Chance, this is delicious,” I tell him, and everyone agrees .

When we all finish eating, we get comfortable in the living room. Declan begins to fill me in on what else he’s learned since I fell asleep.

“When you told your father we had gotten married, it set off a chain reaction. He made several phone calls shortly after, and the news eventually made it to Nate through Veronica. That’s when he made contact with Grant to have you taken and delivered to him in Miami.”

I shudder to think about what lengths he would’ve gone to make me agree to his plans. “What about his mom? She was in the apartment and on the plane.”

Everyone looks at Zander.

He clears his throat. “She showed up right after Nate. She shot at Isaiah and missed. Then, I shot her when she started to aim again.” There’s no remorse in his face or voice.

“Does Grant know they’re both dead now?”

“They’re all together, wherever they are,” Declan says beside me.

“What? How are we supposed to hide all of this?”

“It’s already done,” Zander says.

An entire family is gone in a day. I don’t understand how that can be hidden.

“What about Veronica and the baby? She’s just as much a victim in this,” I ask.

Leah scoffs. “She may have made you believe that, but I can promise you it isn’t the case. She was in love with Nate. The baby may not even be his. Isaiah will have paternity test results tomorrow. She took several clients after she had her IUD removed, but she knew Nate needed a baby. It was her way out of Cordeliers and to stay with him.”

“He just believed her? All of this without proof?” I ask more in disbelief than for anyone to answer .

She shrugs and raises her eyebrows at me as if to say she agrees it was not a good move.

“So, what happens to her?” I ask, still needing to know.

“Veronica will continue to work for Cordeliers after she has the baby. She borrowed a lot of money from Isaiah, so her only option is to work it off,” Leah answers.

“A hair follicle sample is a requirement when joining the club, and we keep records of the girls’ visitors for these types of situations. The father can choose what to do with the baby. Veronica has already said she only wants it if it is Nate’s,” she adds.

“Sounds like this happens a lot at this club,” I say, sounding just as judgmental as I feel right now.

She shrugs. “I think it used to happen before IUDs, but this is the first for us.”

“Us?” Zander asks.

“Isaiah and me.”

“What does that mean?” he asks, turning his whole body to her with a look of confusion on his face.

She stares back at him. Propping an elbow on the couch behind her, she rests her face on her hand as she leans forward.

“We’re cousins. It’s just as much my club as it is his, but it’s best if members think I’m just one of the girls,” she clarifies.

“Hm,” Declan says beside me. “Well, I think that catches you up. Y’all are welcome to stay, but I’m taking my wife back to bed.”

As we get up, everyone else does the same. Declan scoops me up and carries me to our bed not bothering to see if they stay or go.