Chapter 26

Keavy~

I t wasn't often that I felt exhausted, but I was beginning to feel fatigue setting in my bones. Ever since the night with Kenneth, I'd been running on fumes, and Declan changing up the plans for Cooper Donaldson had really jacked me up.

After Declan had proven his point, then had put his jacket on me, Noah had zipped up his pants, finishing with his flavor of the night, then, as we hadn't all planned Cooper Donaldson's murder, we'd left the room, had gone back downstairs, then had continued ‘partying'. We had stayed long enough to have two drinks, and Noah had even gotten a bonus blowjob from his friend before we'd left. Yeah, she'd done it under the table where we hadn't been able to see her, but we definitely hadn't looked like a group that had just offed one of the wealthiest men in the country, which had been the entire point, I supposed.

Incredibly, what had surprised me the most about the entire night was how we hadn't returned to the manor where I'd been held. Instead, Noah had bid his date good night, then I'd left with the two Irishmen, arriving at Declan's actual home. Unlike where they'd kept me, Declan's house wasn't surrounded by guards like I'd thought it'd be. However, the building looked sturdy enough to withstand a nuclear bomb, and the mini-mansion had an electric fence around the entire property, something that Declan had casually mentioned for my safety. Or so, he'd said. He had also mentioned that the few guards that he did have on the premises hid in the shadows like they were supposed to.

Nonetheless, for all that his house reeked of money, days later, I still only had my purse with me and the clothes that Declan had kidnapped me in. As soon as we'd gotten back to his place, he had surprised me with my clothes, informing me that he'd brought them with him since he'd known that we were coming back here after the hit. Still, the job was done, and I needed to get back home. Even if Declan still felt like I owed him since he'd been the one to actually kill Cooper, I needed to get back to my life, and that included clean clothes.

So, now that I was dressed appropriately, I went looking for Declan, having no idea where he could be in this huge fucking house, but since I was no stranger to Mafia movies, I figured that I'd look for his office first. After all, that's where they all discussed business in the films.

As I made my way to the first floor, I heard muffled voices, and since I didn't see any guards or housekeepers walking around, I could only conclude that those voices belonged to Declan and Noah. Not to mention that it was almost one in the morning, so it'd make sense that no one else was awake.

However, as the voices got clearer, I heard my name, and that made me stop immediately. No matter what Declan liked to whisper in my ear while we were having sex, I still didn't trust him, and if he had any sense at all, he wouldn't trust me.

"I mean it, Declan," Noah said. "This shit has gone too far with Keavy."

"Are you speaking as my cousin or as an O'Brien?" Declan asked coolly.

"Newsflash: Imma both, areshole," Noah retorted.

"I think you're speaking as an O'Brien right now," Declan remarked. "At least, that's how you're coming across."

"Which is what you pay me for," Noah replied. "So, that's not necessarily a bad thing, Declan."

"I think this discussion can be put off until tomorrow."

"Because the facts are going to be different tomorrow?" Noah challenged. "She's a loose cannon, Declan. Not only did she kill three of our fucking men, but she didn't hesitate to agree on killing Donaldson. Whoever or whatever she fucking is, we don't need that shit. Everything is running smoothly right now, Dec." I leaned in closer to the door, my heart beating hard, my mind refusing to acknowledge why. "There's also the fact that we have no idea who the fuck the woman is. Her background is spotty at best, and if that's not a motherfucking red flag, then I don't know what is."

"She killed those men in self-defense, Noah," Declan pointed out.

"Those men?" he echoed. "Those men? They were our men, Declan. Our fucking men. Do you honestly believe that the others aren't wondering about that? You're letting this woman get away with killing three of our best men, and that's not a good look, cousin."

"As much as I hold Jacob, Ren, and Tyler in high regard, they let a woman kill them," Declan replied, his voice even, not a hint of anger anywhere. "How is it Keavy's fault that they let her get the drop on them?"

"Even if they deserved it for being sloppy, she's not trustworthy, Declan," Noah shot back. "She's only loyal to herself, and a family like ours is nothing without loyalty."

"How could you possibly know that?" Declan asked.

"Because she was willing to kill one of the most prominent men in the country to pay her debt to you," Noah answered. "With her background hinting at no family, she's probably used to only having to think of herself, and that kind of selfishness is a trainwreck for any organization."

"Not everyone without family is selfish," Declan remarked blandly.

Noah let out a heavy sigh before saying, "Your obsession with Kasen Sartori is fucking with your head, Declan. You need to let that fucking go."

"I'm not having that conversation with you again," Declan fired back at the same time that I felt an ache in my chest. "Let it drop."

Was Declan in love with the Sartori Boss' wife?

"I would if it wasn't dictating your actions right now," Noah bit out. "You're thinking with your dick, and you need to fucking stop."

There was some movement, but I didn't dare peek inside the room. "You're talking to me like I'm new in town, Noah," Declan said. "I know that Keavy's not trustworthy. I know that her background is a problem. I know that it's not normal for a woman to kill the way that she does. You're not telling me anything that I already don't know."

"Then what's the fucking problem?" Noah asked. "Put her down like you would any other fucking witness to anything that we had going on, then call it a goddamn day."

"When, Noah?" Declan drawled out. "Before or after she confirms our alibis with the police for tonight?"

After a few seconds of silence, Noah hissed, "Fuck."

With blood rushing through my ears, I turned from the door, then as quietly as I could, I hurried back upstairs to grab my purse. Whatever I felt for Declan O'Brien, it wasn't strong enough to turn me into a sitting duck. With Noah pushing to get rid of me, there was no way that Declan was going to keep me alive after I served his purpose.

The ironic thing was that Noah wasn't wrong. I did have secrets, I did only look out for myself, and I had no problem killing someone if it meant saving myself. Still, it was clear that I had developed enough feelings for Declan to make things complicated, and there was only one way to un-complicate the situation at this point.

After grabbing my purse, I made my way back downstairs, and then doing my best not to make any noise, I headed through the kitchen, quietly sneaking through the backdoor to the garage. When we'd gotten here earlier, Declan had parked in the garage, and with my eyes taking in everything the way that Cian had taught me, I had noticed another door that could only lead to the yard.

With no alarms blaring, I made my way out the side door, and when I saw nothing but manicured grass in front of me, I knew that there was only one way out of here, and with cameras everywhere, it was going to be a race to see how far I could make it to the gate before Declan was alerted that I was leaving. I wasn't sure if his guards cared at this point or not, but the electric fence wasn't an option.

Knowing that my purse would only hinder me, I took out my phone and wallet, stuffed them in my pockets, then dropped the bag on the ground. I also debated if I should run or walk away confidently. If I ran, then the guards might think that I was an escaping prisoner, which I supposed I kind of was. However, if I walked out of here confidently, they might just think that Declan had sent me on my way.

Finally deciding on productivity over practicality, I took off running, thankful that Cian had taught me to be observant at all times. While I didn't have a photographic memory, I could remember a lot when my life depended on it, so I knew the exact pathway back to the front gate. From there, the countryside was dark enough that I could get lost in the houses along the way, which probably belonged to more O'Briens since I couldn't see Declan O'Brien being the neighborly sort.

As soon as I saw the gate, I risked the skin on my hands to climb over the wrought-iron bars, and when I landed on the other side, I took off running as fast as I could, glad that it was a moonless night. I also knew that there was only one place that I could go since Declan knew where I worked and lived. The cabin wasn't under my name, so that was the only safe haven that I had.

An hour later, I was back in town, and with Declan still in possession of my car, I had to find another way to get to the cabin. Now, I wasn't afraid to walk since Cian had taught me stamina during all those hunting and hiking trips together, but that fatigue was coming back, and I knew that I was going to crash soon. So, with little choice, I ordered an Uber, then told him that I'd give him a thousand-dollar tip if he started driving and didn't stop until I told him to.