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"I think we're done here," he says, his voice colder now, tinged with suspicion. He approaches me, and I step back. His eyes are like steel.
A cold knot of dread forms inside me, realizing with chilling clarity that Declan suspects something is up. But I can’t let him get to me. I can’t let him figure out what’s going on.
“Did the Everharts send you?” he demands.
“No,” I stammer out. “No, I came because I was scared and thought you could help protect me. That’s what you do, right, you protect people?”
Declan’s features settle into a small scowl. “I protect those who have the interests of the Family at heart,” he says, his voice soft but with a dangerous edge. “I’m not sure you have the best interests of our Family at heart, Miss Parker.”
“I only want what’s best for my baby,” I tell him, clasping my hands together. “If I can help make things safer for her, I’ll sleep better at night.”
“Then you should rest well knowing that I’m in charge here and you have nothing to worry about,” Declan counters.
I turn, anxiety rising. Why did I think I could go toe to toe with a hardened criminal like Declan? I’m no match for him.
“I just want out,” I tell him, trying one last ploy. “I’ll never bother anyone here again, not you and not the Everharts. Unless there’s something I should know, I don’t feel safe here anymore.”
Declan steps forward again, making me feel like a mouse caught in a trap with a cat looming overhead. “You know what I think? I think you’re asking too many questions…”
His hand slips into my blouse, and panic begins to engulf me as he grasps the edge of the wire and yanks it off me.
“Thought you could get away with this, you stupid little bitch?” he screams, throwing it to the floor where it cracks. He stomps on the small device, shattering it further. “You made a grave mistake.”
He grabs me, shaking my shoulders. “Did the fucking Everharts send you? And if you lie to me, I’ll kill you!”
“No!” I yell. “No one sent me. They had nothing to do with this!”
“Then I want you to listen carefully,” he says, leaning in close. “I will cut that baby out of your belly in front of you right now unless you fucking disappear and tell no one where you’re going. You’ve become too much of a liability, and I’m done.”
His eyes bore into mine, his hot breath on my cheek. I feel nauseous. Raw, unadulterated fear snakes through me, gripping me tightly in its hold.
“Okay,” I whisper, my eyes filled with tears. “I’ll leave.”
“Don’t you dare breathe a word to those boys if you want that little demon spawn to live,” he adds. My body feels frozen to the spot, but I force myself to move, fleeing his office and taking off straight back to Shadowvale.
I failed. I’ve utterly failed the Everharts. I can’t protect them anymore. Not after Declan made direct threats to my baby. I can’t let him hurt my baby. Even if I have to run, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her from harm.
Even if that means leaving the Everharts without a word.
41
RYDER
As I watch Eva leave, I feel a strange sense of unease settle in me. I know she’s only going to buy stuff for the baby, but it’s difficult to let her out of our sight at the moment, even with a bodyguard on her tail.
The memory of Eva's determined gaze lingers in my mind, her unwavering resolve to play the role of bait in our dangerous game against Declan and the DeLuccis. It's a plan fraught with risk, and as much as I tried to dissuade her, I couldn't deny the strength of her conviction.
Now, as I contemplate the events of the previous evening, a sense of unease settles over me like a heavy blanket.
Theo spends all morning trying to find a solution to the issue that doesn’t involve her, but he comes home, realizing that there may simply be no other way.
Oliver and Theo agree to let me be the one to talk to Eva, to prepare her for her role in this. She needs to be briefed on how to talk to Declan, how to carefully navigate around any suspicions he might have, and how to say the right things to get him to open up.
She’s still gone when I look for her, though, so I decide to grab a bite to eat so I can gather my thoughts. Theo and Oliver are using this time to strategize and plan for as many outcomes as possible. They want to leave nothing to chance here.
As I sit in the little café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the tantalizing scent of my lunch, I find my thoughts drifting back to Eva and the tumultuous journey we've shared. The clatter of cutlery and the muted chatter of other diners fade into the background as memories of our trials and triumphs come flooding back.
I can't help but marvel at how far we've come since that fateful day when Eva first entered our lives. From the shadows of uncertainty and danger, she emerged as a beacon of strength and resilience, her unwavering determination inspiring us all.
