The phone changes hands and the voice of my soon-to-be brother-in-law fills my ear, “Fischer, why the fuck are you calling us this late? Your sister had a rough day and needs to sleep.”
“My sister is perfectly healthy now, Mac. People have bad days all the time, but your brother’s having a real bad day because he’s fucking missing.”
“Which brother?” I hear him grab his own phone as his voice rises five octaves.
“Declan.” I choke out.
Less than ten seconds later my phone buzzes. “That’s his location, go. I’m bringing Lee to the estate and then I’ll meet you there. Don’t go alone, Jake. That’s a rough part of town.”
I cut the call and pull up the location. Yeah, that’s a shitty part of town alright. That’s exactly where she takes me to fight. “I know where he is. I don’t care who comes with me, but I’m leaving now. Someone needs to wait for Mac. He’s on the way.”
Clara and Phoenix huddle together on the love seat and watch as everyone else figures out what to do.
“I’ll go with Jake. Kieran, you follow behind us with Mac, and the twins will stay here with the women and kids.”Rowan’s voice cuts through the room. He walks over and kisses his wife before whispering something to her. I’m not a mind reader, but if I had to guess, he’s promising to be safe.
Each of the Byrne brothers has a weird declaration thing with their wives. Rowan’s is safety, Kieran’s is not leaving, and Mac’s is to tell the truth. I don’t know what Declan’s is. Maybe when he has a wife one day they’ll have something just between them. The pang in my already aching heart rejects that idea as soon as I think it. I don’t want him to have a ‘thing’ with anyone but me. But what would our thing even be? Asking if we can have a truce when we want to kill each other? That’s not some cutesy thing like the others have.
My mind races with thoughts of Declan and I the entire way to my own personal hell. Rowan drives because I’m not in the head space to operate a vehicle right now. We pull up to the front of the run down theater, and before Rowan can put the SUV in park, I’m on the move. It’s a ghost town here, so when I burst through the doors and yell his name, it echoes loudly in the empty space.
“What the hell is this place?” Rowan asks from behind me, shock evident in his voice.
“That’s exactly what it is, Hell.” Frantically my eyes scan the empty room until they catch on the back exit.
I don’t voice or even fully think what my soul tells me is true; I just run. Shoving open the bar on the exit door, it smacks the brick on the outside left wall with force. His body slumped against the wall to my right catches my eye immediately. The next moment I drop to my knees and start shaking him.
“Dec, it’s me, please open your eyes.” My eyes flood with tears as I watch his unconscious body lay limp against the wall. Rowan drops across from me and places two fingers atthe side of his neck.
“Come on, little brother. Come on, where are you?” He moves his fingers slightly and shuts his eyes while letting out a shaky breath. “I’ve got it. He has a pulse.”
My hands go to his face and gently turn his head until my eyes catch on the blooming bruise half hidden by his hair.Who the fuck touched you, baby?My eyes dart to his limp hand and notice that his knuckles are wrapped. I sit beside him and gently move him until his head is in my lap and my fingers gently tangle in his hair.
“Wake up, Beast. It’s time to get up.” He groans but otherwise doesn’t make a move to wake up.
Tears freely fall down my face as I try to get him to wake up.
“Come on, baby. I need help making waffles. You gotta wake up and help me.” My voice catches when he squirms a little, then stops again.
“That’s it. You’re right there, open your eyes.” His body goes limp and he’s lifted off of me. I jump up to swing on whoever took him from me, but when I see it’s Rowan and Kieran, I force myself to stop. “Let him go.” I demand through gritted teeth.
Mac places his hand on my shoulder. “Stop. Let them carry him to the car. We need to get out of here.”
I’m in a daze when we all walk to Rowan’s SUV. Mac pushes me in until I sit in the seat, and they slide Declan in until he’s half laying, half sitting in the back seat with his head in my lap. As I sit here and run my hands over his head, I pray to whoever is up there that he’s going to be okay.
19
Chapter Nineteen
Declan
Why is everything so damn bright? I open my eyes just to slam them closed again and hiss at the pain stabbing in my head. Why is it so fucking loud in here? I try to move my arms, but they’re bound. Where the hell did they take me? No, no, I’m not going out like this. Drawing my legs up, I can only move them about six inches before they catch on restraints and I throw them out. I try to wiggle but also realize that there’s something on my neck too.
The pain in my head is so intense that I’m pretty sure I’m about to hurl. I can feel the cold air on my chest and legs, which means wherever I am, I’m not dressed. I’m in full panic mode as I force my eyes open before slamming them shut again and groaning in pain. I can hear voices talking and the next thing I know, I’m being slid out of whatever I’m beingheld in. I don’t fucking like closed spaces. I’m six foot four. Small spaces and I do not mesh well.
Bile burns my esophagus as I try to push it back down. I’m yanking at my restraints to try and roll the fuck over when I feel a warm hand in mine. The electricity buzzing just under the surface tells me exactly who it is.
“Hey, it’s okay. Calm down, Dec.” Jake’s free hand runs through my hair, gingerly pushing my sweaty locks off my forehead.
I can’t say anything because if I even try, I know I’m going to vomit. I tug on Jake’s hand and pray he somehow reads my mind.
