6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Declan

S he’s so beautiful, lying here beside me, hair all out in loose curls, mussed up slightly from our lovemaking. I can’t believe she’s telling me everything. And it all makes sense to me. The hairs on my arms aren’t standing up, so I know that she’s telling me the truth. Us Harris boys have been around long enough to know the difference. We’ve seen it all. Heard it all. And I thought we’d experienced it all, until a few moments ago, when Moira started telling me her story. “What do I need to hear first, bonnie?” I ask, draping a loose tendril of hair over her ear.

“I’m a sucker. Full on sucker.” She says simply, with an indignant scoff. “I get pulled in easily and it’s just thank God for my granny, or I would have lost it all to my da. I haven’t spoken to him since I came here, but before that, I’d talk to him whenever he called me. Stupidly. Even my youngest brother, Daniel. I kept in touch with him, up until I moved. Then I severed all ties. But who knows how long that will last. Like I said, I’m a sucker.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with being kind, lass. He’s your da.” I’m matter of fact. “Many people think that my da is a ball busting son of a bitch, but I still love him to bits.”

“Aye, but your da has never steered you wrong, Declan. My da would take me for every penny I own and then some if I let him. He’s a selfish, conniving, greedy jackass.”

“Yet you still love him. And that’s okay, as long as you set boundaries. Besides, he’s not going to hurt you if he’s behind bars.”

“That’s the thing, Declan. He’s behind bars because of me.”

“I really don’t think so, lass. It sounds to me like he’s asked for his own troubles.”

“But I won’t testify against Richard. That’s the missing piece here.”

“If your da has a strong enough case to get him out of jail, one person’s testimony isn’t going to change anything, unless you physically watched this Richard lad do the murdering yourself.”

She grasps her hair in frustration. “God, this is such a mess. I was stupid for running away from my problems. I was a fool for moving here when I still had so many ties back home.”

“Shhh...stop this, Moira.” I tell her kindly. “You’re exhausted. You need some sleep. I should never have asked you to talk about this tonight. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sully our night, lass. This has been beautiful, and I’m a fool for bringing all this stressful shit up.”

“No, it’s okay, Declan. I do this sometimes. Only it’s my granny that brings me back down to earth. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days and I should know better.”

I hold her close to me. “Moira, you shouldn’t need your granny to grow some sense. You had your reasons for moving on, bonnie. It sounds to me like it was high time that you did.”

She scoffs. “My granny is going to love you.”

I chuckle. “You think so?”

“I know so.” She looks up at me. “Thank you for being so understanding. It means a lot, Declan.”

“Not at all, lass. You know, my family is no stranger to trouble, either. Something is always at our doorstep, and just when we think that the coast is clear and we let our guards down, something new falls into our paths. It’s the way it is when you’re wealthy.”

“It’s true.” She agrees. “My da was like a normal person until he ended up in financial peril. And then when my granddad died and left me everything, all hell broke loose. My family was a mess, and all over me, because suddenly I had all the money, when I did nothing to sway granddad.”

“But you did well with it, Moira. I mean, I assume that’s how you went through medical school.”

“Aye. And I put my granny into the best retirement home I could find. I bought this apartment and put the rest in the bank. That’s why I wanted you to help me invest it.”

“We’ll talk about that tomorrow, Moira. Get some sleep, bonnie. You’re tired.”

She leans up and kisses my lips. “Are you staying?”

“I am.” I smile at her.

...but I receive a call about an hour later, so I have to slip out without her knowing...

“I’m not even going to ask where you were, Declan.” Da practically growls at me. The phone vibrated from my pocket on the floor, but Moira’s apartment is so quiet, I heard it from a mile away. Da said three words to me and I was dressed and out the door in less than thirty seconds. In case you’re wondering, all he said was ‘get home now’. Da isn’t even supposed to be home, but with our private jet, he’s pretty much mobile, day or night. Mama is home a lot now, helping to look after Peg, Caleb and Laney’s adopted daughter, but she works remotely for the most part, while da still cracks the whip at the office.

“Obviously you’ve figured it out.” I tell him, not afraid to lip off, for now.

He storms through the living room, after he let himself in, likely afraid to wake mama or Peg, so he opts to tear me a new one in my own home, instead.

“Of course I figured it out, you fool!” He bellows, a bead of spittle flying out of his mouth. It turns out, da has a temper.

“Well, what’s the problem, da?” I ask rhetorically, but he takes it literally.

“The problem is that you fell under the fucking radar, Declan! You and Maverick went behind my back and associated with this woman that we know nothing about!” I’m surprised when he doesn’t bring up the fact that her da is in jail for murder. But I don’t add insult to injury, and I keep quiet. “And your brother...using that baffoon!”

“I know, da. Believe me, I was pissed at Maverick, too.” I change tack. “You know that he set me up with her, right?”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes.”

I sigh. “I’m sorry, da. I didn’t want to defy you. Had I known what Maverick was up to, I would have refused.”

He lifts a brow. “But you didn’t. Clearly.”

I shake my head, defeated. “No. No, I didn’t, da.”

He places a hand on my shoulder. “Is she worth it, Declan?”

“She is to me, but I don’t know how much you know about her, da. I’m not sure if she even wants me, or if I want her.”

“But you’ve had relations with her.” He levels with me.

I bob my head up and down. I hate it when he gets personal. But it’s better to rip it off like a band aid than to let him stew while I dance around the answers.

He takes steps away from me, hooking his hands together behind his back, in a gesture that I always take as contemplative. “I know about her, Declan. But she’s no threat to us.”

“Her da is in jail for murder and he’s after her money. How is she not a threat.” I ask, deadpan.

He chuckles. “Ah, Declan. Everyone is a threat, son. It’s just how much of one is the question.”

“She’s a giant red flag, da. I know it. Hell, even she knows it. She insists that she doesn’t want to mess up my life by getting involved with me.”

“And you?”

I scoff, surprised that he would even ask. “What do you think? I just finished telling you that she’s a red flag.”

“But despite your brother’s manipulation, you still went to see her tonight, didn’t you.” He comments. And I thank God that Malcolm at least kept his mouth shut about me and her fooling around this afternoon.

“I did.”

“Then, she must be worth it to you, Declan.” He points out.

“What does it matter, da? She doesn’t want to fuck things up, and I don’t want to, either. I just...fucked her. That’s it.” I lie through my teeth, tasting the bile float up my throat for addressing her like a whore in front of da.

He chuckles mirthlessly, turning towards me. “Was that painful, Declan?”

“What the hell are you talking about.” My voice is guttural.

“Lying.”

I look at him. I look away.

“Declan, you must leave the past.”

“That isn’t what this is fucking about, so can we just leave it alone?” I say through gritted teeth.

“Oh, Declan.” He chuckles again, making my jaw muscles work. “You haven’t shown an interest in a woman besides a casual fuck in ages, lad. If that’s all that she means to you, you would have ditched her like day old bread, son. You wouldn’t have touched her with a ten-foot pole. Now, I know you better than that, Declan. Maverick said that your eyes nearly fell out of your head when you first saw her. Is that true?”

“What the fuck does it matter, huh!” I shout, losing my temper. “She’ll never give her heart to me! She’s already told me as much! This...this is a waste of time, da! I don’t want to talk about this shit anymore!” I growl, storming out of the room, downstairs to the basement, where I have exercise equipment. My fingers curve around the bar of my fifty-pound weights, and I lift them towards me in a curl, forgetting about the fact that I’m still in my work clothes.

I do a set, until I’m sweating, and I remove my shirt, leaving just my pants on. I’m lying on the bench, doing chest presses, when I hear da’s footsteps come down the stairs. “You're still here.” I ask him rhetorically, not bothering to hide the snark in my tone. My brothers never talk to da like this, but I’m not afraid to. I’m the eldest son and da and I have a different relationship than he has with most. We’re on a level playing field most of the time. Da takes my vernacular as a nod to his youthful spirit, or to my mature attitude, I’ve never figured out which.

He sits on the other bench. I have a double set, since my brothers or sometimes my friends come over and work out with me. Also, the spare set is shit. Da lies down and does a set, just like me, in his work clothes. That’s one way, among many, that we are so much alike. We don’t give a shit. If the time calls for bench pressing, it doesn’t matter if we’re dressed in our Sunday best. If a meeting has to happen in the middle of a round of golf or while we’re on a fucking fishing boat, we do it. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t fitting. Da would join me doing just about anything if it means connecting with me. It’s his hidden way of reaching out.

After we’re both winded, he lifts, as beads of sweat dripping down his brow. “You said that she said as much. That she didn’t want to fuck your life up, or hers for that matter.”

I look at him, knowing full well that he’s had more time to think it over now, and what he’s got to say has more clout than it did a half an hour ago. “Aye.” I respond, wondering where he’s going with this.

“But she also told you her whole story, didn’t she.”

My voice is low, my tone calm. “Aye.”

“Do you think she’d tell you everything if you meant shit to her, Declan? And do you think that you’d stick around to listen, if you’d already gotten what you wanted out of her?”

I lick my lips and hang my head.

“It’s time you left that heartless wench alone, Declan. Settle the past, son. Move on to someone you know is more concerned about hurting you than taking your money.” He pauses for emphasis. “And, for the record, it sounds like she’s already ready to give you her heart, lad. You just have to ask yourself if you’re ready to take it, and give her yours, too.”

“It’s not that easy, da.”

“It never is, Declan. But anything worth having is worth fighting for, and as sure as the nose on my face, I think that deep down, you think that she is.”

“And if her trouble ends up on my doorstep?”

“Did trouble not end up on Maverick’s doorstep on account of Trudy, son? And what about Caleb and Laney, Ethan and Freya? My boy, I could sit here for days reminding you of all the problems we’ve encountered over the years, and it’ll never end, either, son. Not as long as we’ve got money. Not as long as the media has us under the microscope.” He changes the subject. “Did you see that they caught you and Moira on camera?”

My gaze whips up to his. “What the fuck? Who? When? Where?”

“You and she went to the shooting yesterday, didn’t you?”

I lower my head into my hands, grasping my hair. “Fuuuuuck!” I growl.

“Oh, relax, Declan. He got your brother, too, and everyone else, for that matter. Hell, he even caught a glimpse of the goddamn body. He was clearly hungry for a story, and he sure as hell got one.”

“Well, he’s going to be hungry for my fucking fist if I ever get a hold of him.”

“Get used to it, Declan. Ever since Caleb and Laney got married, you boys are all the talk of the town. See, it doesn’t matter that Moira’s da is in jail in Scotland, son. We are the talk of the town, hell, of the state.”

“That can’t be good for her, either, da. I mean, what if her da finds her that way? What if he sees her on the internet?”

He waves. “Don’t be a fool, Declan. He’s in jail, on the other side of the world, and there’s got to be thousands of MacTavish’s all over the place. She’s a smart girl and stays clear of the internet and off social media.”

“She’s got a large family, da. All her brothers are greedy for her money, too.”

“Declan, she’s been in the states for many years, and they haven’t found her, or they don’t care to anymore. I think you’re wasting your time worrying about this.”

I sit there, thinking it over. “I suppose you’re right. I paid security at her apartment to let me in. If they found her, they wouldn’t have any issues getting inside.”

“Exactly, son. If any of them were after her, they would have found her by now.”

“So, what do I do, da? She thinks she’ll fuck up my life.”

“I think you’re about to fuck up your own life by believing her, my boy. All you need to do is bury the past and stop giving her reasons to stay away.”

“But I don’t know how to do that, da.”

“I think you do, Declan. I think you’ve already done it. You just don’t realize it.”

“What do you mean?”

He tilts his head, eyes set, voice low. “How long has it been since you and I have talked about a lass that you had eyes for, huh?”

I hesitate for a moment, as I find just saying her name painful. “Since Krystal.”

“And you don’t have to worry about Moira taking your money, right?”

I shake my head no. “I don’t think, even if she were dirt poor, that she’d come after me for it. She lives quite modestly, da, and it’s her taste. Moira prefers to live life simply.”

He reaches out to me and punches me playfully in the shoulder. “She may surprise you, son. She might be one of those lasses that likes to spoil her man.” He grunts, lifting off the somewhat tattered bench. “Perhaps she can start with getting you a new one of these, so your old da doesn’t have to bust his ass sitting on this thing.”

“I do that so guests won’t stay too long.”

He nods, lifting his brows, tilting his head to the side. “Smart boy. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Aye. See you, da.”

Five minutes later, my curiosity gets the better of me, and I crawl onto my laptop, looking for the footage that the reporter snapped of the shooting.

But instead, I find a message.

It seems that the one person who I thought would be coming after me isn’t.

And the one person that is, I wish would have dropped dead with Mike Wilson.

Despite my blocking on social media, someone else saw the footage and decided to create a fake account to reach out to me.

...Krystal.