Declan
I watch my brother and Santana step into the bus with a hollow feeling in my stomach. Every part of me objects to the idea of letting them go. Biting my lip, I pucker my mouth and tighten my fists around my cell phone. The look on Connor’s face as he walked away was nearly crippling, but it was worse to see Santana’s resigned yet disappointed expression. She hates me, and I don’t blame her. I’m a coward who let her shoulder the responsibility of caring for my brother without a fight and the man who made love to her with no promises. And even though it was the right thing to do, it still stung to wake up alone in her bed.
My body aches from the exertion of trying not to run after them. Before I do something stupid, I turn to my car and drive away. It's the longest, most difficult drive I’ve ever experienced. Rubbing my chest, I swallow hard and inhale deeply, but the ache doesn’t abate. If anything, it feels worse. It gets to t
SantanaI don’t know where I am. I look around the empty, darkened room and pull my messy hair behind my ear. My body aches from being dragged, and my knees sting. There’s dried blood on them and on my bare feet. I must have lost my flats while they dragged me around. I’m alone, but I can hear male voices outside the door. I struggle against my bonds and slide across the barren floor, trying to decipher what they are saying but scurry back as soon as the door opens. Two men step inside. One of them is Perroni, and the other one is the one that dragged me out of the bus.Perroni smirks as he takes in my haggard appearance and squats down in front of me. “Hello, Santana. Surprised to see me?” He asks with a mocking sneer. I don’t respond. There’s no point because I know he’s playing with me. “I heard Connor got away. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it very far.” My heart skips with terror as I sit up and loo
DeclanPriest and I arm up as Connor and Hunter attempt to hack into Perroni’s computer system. Thankfully, whoever took Santana didn’t disable her GPS, so we were able to track her. He must have not counted on the fact that Santana knew professional Assassins. And even though Connor is computer savvy, I’m sure they assumed he’d be lost or dead in the woods. Criminals can be so stupid sometimes.Once Hunter had her coordinates, we made our way to upstate New York until we were in front of a mansion in the middle of nowhere. Using our binoculars, we scope out the structure. We watch as a vehicle winds its way up the driveway. A man in a suit steps out of the vehicle and approaches the door. “This is where they must be holding the auction,” I mutter to the others.Priest takes another look and nods. “Yeah, and the man who just stepped out of that vehicle is Christoph Kazik.” I turn back to the house and take another
Santana“Wake up, sleepyhead.” I blink my eyes open to see my brother sitting next to me on the bed. “Hey? How did I get here?” I gaze down at my blanket-covered body, confused. Connor takes my hand and leans close to me with a proud grin. “We’re back in Priest’s garage. Declan carried you up here and tucked you into the bed.” I bite my lip and take a deep breath. “How long have I been asleep?” Connor smirks. “Almost two days, Sleeping Beauty. Priest said to let you sleep. The drug that crazy old witch gave you was still metabolizing through your system. Declan and Priest told me you were a total badass. That they didn’t have to save you because you were about to break out of that place on your own.”Sliding up on the bed, I lean back on the headboard with a bemused sigh. “Yeah, it was scary, but I didn’t have a choice.” Connor’s lip quirks. “I’m so glad yo
EpilogueDeclan“Damn it, Connor! Why is there pizza sauce all over my laptop?” Connor peaks behind the office’s door, his face set in repentance. “Sorry, man, I was eating a slice when Hunter called and asked me to look up some data.” Giving him a withering glare, I wipe my keyboard and look back at the screen. “Where’s your sister?”Connor takes a seat in one of my office chairs and waves his hand above his head. “She’s out shopping for Sophia and Micah’s wedding present.” Exhaling deeply, I lean back in my chair and look at my brother. It’s been almost a year since Santana and I moved in together. Though Connor moved into a dorm, he still spends most of his time around our apartment. I can’t say it hasn’t been great because it has. After some work, Connor and I convinced Santana to hold off on working and attend school full-time. Because of that, she’ll be graduati
Declan – A year agoThe cell phone slams against the wall with a loud crack. “Wow, Outlaw. What the fuck?” I turn to Hunter with an angry scowl. “They fucking lost him, Hunter!” His eyebrows scrunch up in question. “What? Who?” I point to the now broken cell phone lying listlessly on the abandoned warehouse’s floor. “That was Cameron. Reaper and Savage had Kazik, but the bastard somehow escaped before they could take him. That’s why that motherfucker, Christoph, was not in this shitty-ass Brooklyn warehouse. Our mission has been blown.”Last night one of my contacts informed me that Christoph Kazik would be transporting a new shipment of girls. Everything was planned. We were going to swoop in and save those girls, but now everything is ruined.“We planned his capture, and the asshole somehow knew. Now, here we are with our dicks in our hands in the middle of nowhere.” I croak out angr
SantanaI place my palms against my burning cheeks as I watch the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen walk out of the diner’s doors. He was only here for a few minutes, but I feel like my world has fallen off its axis. It was just something about him. From the moment he walked through the door, he commanded the attention of everyone in the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. My body was practically vibrating with my arousal.Even though he was with a young guy who would have been closer to my age, I couldn’t take my eyes off his gorgeous dark hair, blue eyes, and brooding face. His six-foot frame and muscled body felt so good against mine. I almost melted when he spoke. His voice was as sweet as honey and deep and gravely.I don’t know what came over me. My nipples bead, and my sheath throb with the need to be filled. Sighing with frustration, I move back to the counter and begin to pile the dirty dishes. I can’t believe wh
DeclanA harried Hunter meets me near Priest’s garage door. He’s pacing in place and coursing his fingers through his hair nervously, so you know he’s stressed. “Sorry for interrupting you, man. But we found something you really need to hear. Go on back, Priest is waiting for you.” I nod my head and stride purposely through the garage. This is no ordinary body-shop. Priest owns a street racing garage. The garage is located in an industrial area surrounded by aluminum fencing. It’s about the size of a factory, but inside it is wall-to-wall steel with industrial lifters and equipment. There are at least sixteen cars in various stages of readiness littered around the large space. I pass by Priest’s prized black Tesla and make my way to his office.Several men in jumpers wave as I pass by. Once I reach Priest’s office door, I step in without knocking. “Priest, this better be good because I was in the middl
SantanaWhy is it that when someone dies, you can forgive their most grievous sins? However, when they are alive, you retain your anger and let it fester until it almost swallows you whole. I look at my stepbrother Connor, who is swallowed by his oversized sports jacket. His shoulders are slumped as he gazes down at the two caskets being lowered to the ground. He looks so young and desolate, trying to look grown-up. But he’s just a boy. Sadness overwhelms me when I see his trembling shoulders and tear-stained face. He’s only sixteen and has known only pain throughout his short life. I’ve tried to protect him, but it has been a difficult task.Now our parents are dead, and all I feel is a relief. What am I going to do with a sixteen-year-old boy? I think to myself. I’m only twenty-one years old. Don’t get me wrong, Connor and I have had it harder than most. Our parents were a train wreck from the moment they met. It was seventeen y