AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not at liberty to divulge,” Daniel says, giving me a half-smirk. “You know that, Rye.”
“Then how about telling me if there’s any other evidence you guys have gotten your hands on.”
“Listen, even if I could help, and believe me, I want to, I can’t because… there are certain mitigating factors at play now,” he whispers, leaning in close.
“Mitigating factors? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that the Feds want to get their hands on Declan O’Malley. It means that they’ve been looking into him for a long time now, longer than you know. It means that if I give you more info and you go after him, you three could get caught in the crossfire as well.”
Shock fills me, followed by a moment of fear. “The Feds are after the Callahans?” I demand, my voice rising.
Daniel looks around as he shushes me, shaking his head. “The Feds right now only want Declan. They won’t tell me what they have on him, and they aren’t sharing, but I’d tread carefully if I were you.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” I ask, hand curling into a fist on the table as I try not to yell at my friend.
“I only just found out about it a few weeks ago,” Daniel confesses. “If I’d known, I would have never brought you that info in the first place. I don’t want to see you guys hurt. You know I don’t support the things you do, but I also know that I’m not going to be able to stop you. All I can do is help you out where I can.”
“I know,” I say with a sigh. “We appreciate your loyalty. I mean, we can’t even bribe your guys for that level of loyalty,” I joke.
Daniel gives me a sad smile. “We were innocent kids once,” he remarks. “All of us. Now we’re on opposite sides of the law.”
“Maybe,” I say with a shrug. “Or maybe we’re just two sides of the same coin. We both try to protect the innocent and help eliminate the bad guys. We just have different ways of going about it.”
“I appreciate your stopping by,” Daniel says, rising from his seat. “Let me walk you out. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I hope you keep yourself and your family safe.”
The two of us stroll back through the precinct, and Daniel walks me past the front desk. “How’s Evangeline?” he asks, leaning against the counter.
“She’s doing well. Keeps growing. We talked to her, apologized and all that shit. We’re moving forward.”
“Good,” Daniel says, pushing his black-rimmed glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Because if I find out you did anything to her ever again, I’ll put a warrant out for your arrest.”
I give him a smirk. “I’m glad she’s got a friend like you looking out for her.”
With a quick wave, I head back out and into the sunshine. I don’t know what we’re going to do at this point. The files we have on Declan are the only thing we’ve got, and it’s highly inconclusive.
My gut is telling me that he has something to do with our father’s death, but there’s no definitive proof. If we accuse him without proof, we could end up at the wrong end of an execution.
Declan is a dangerous man. You don’t get this far in the business without being a combination of cunning, arrogant, and ruthless. We’ll need to stay one step ahead of him so we don’t end up in danger.
29
EVANGELINE
As I step out of Shadowvale to head into Havencrest for work, my mind circles back to the events of the last few days. True to their word, the Everharts have begun to treat me with a new level of respect and trust.
My footsteps echo on the cobblestones as I climb into the shiny new car that Bridget insisted on buying me, claiming that my old car was a hunk of junk. Gone are the days when I was scraping just to get by. I feel like a new woman now, with a brand-new life.
The glimpses of compassion and understanding I’ve seen from Theo, Ryder, and Oliver, qualities I never thought possible from men like them, forge an alliance between us that grows stronger every day.
As I drive, I hum to myself, hand caressing my belly. Our baby has become more and more active recently, from gentle, fluttery motions to moving more noticeably. I can feel her getting bigger and bigger.
Lost in thought, I barely register the squealing of tires as a car starts to speed toward me until it’s too late. When I realize, the car is nearly upon me and I’m forced to jerk the wheel to the side to avoid a collision, desperate to protect myself and my child.
Heart pounding in my chest, I watch as the vehicle screeches to a halt, a hulking figure emerging from within.
As the man draws nearer, panic grips at me, making it hard to breathe. With every step he takes, the sense of menace grows stronger. I scramble to unbuckle my seat belt, but before I can escape this nightmarish situation, the man draws a gun, pointing it straight at me.
Fear and adrenaline kick in, and I push myself off the seat, getting out with my hands raised. “I don’t want any trouble,” I tell the man. “I don’t have anything valuable. If you want the car, take it.”
