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They’d cuddled me and held me, fawned over me, and kissed me for hours on end.
Then they’d said in no uncertain terms I wasn’t getting rid of them no matter what I did.
Who said romance was only in saucy little books?
Giggling, I realized that even though I’d almost been kidnapped and killed, drowned or worse, I was in a much happier place than I’d thought possible. Did that say something bad about me? So what if it did. I’d been given a second chance at securing love and I planned on grabbing onto it with both hands and feet if necessary.
My men would be proud of me.
Now, as I headed for the house I’d grown up in, the one I’d tried to infuse with love and warmth, I wondered what additional terrible secrets could possibly be exposed.
I hated thinking that way but there were still so many questions with almost no answers. At least from what I understood, Foxx, Jack, and Hudson were going to have a long discussion about Declan with the Garda, our location police department. That allowed me a small sense of relief, even if the entire situation was nagging at me more than ever.
As I pulled into the driveway, the familiar sight of my father’s aging vehicle gave me a smile. Maybe I’d taken for granted the fact he was now driving, enjoying a few of the things he used to. I had no intention of taking anything for granted any longer.
Especially members of my family.
I’d decided that if my father wanted to sell, that’s what we were going to do. But not to Madden. He was a monster and convincing my father of that was my main goal. Conceding the sale was second. Showcasing my happiness would come last and I hoped would be the best news of all.
I climbed out, rubbing my hands down my jeans. I’d even made mental note to go shopping at some point and purchase a few little snazzy dresses. It was time to start looking like a girl again.
My steps were light until I was a couple of feet from the door, realizing it was cracked open. My heart in my throat, I inched closer. What if Daddy had fallen as soon as he’d gone inside? I pushed open the door, scanning the room. There was nothing that seemed amiss, but the quiet inside was eerie.
Terrifying.
“Daddy? Where are you?” I closed the door behind me, placing my purse on the kitchen table. At least I could get a fresh change of clothes while I was here. I listened for any sounds inside the house. Other than the ticking noise of the old clock in the living room my father had insisted on keeping from decades before, the silence was deafening.
I placed the keys on the counter as well, heading slowly toward the living room. The moment I stepped through the doorway, the sight of my father lying in a crumpled heap in the middle of the floor shook me to my core.
“Daddy!” I raced toward him, throwing myself on the floor, instantly pressing my fingers against his pulse. Thank God he was still alive. “It’s going to be okay, Daddy. We’ll get you to the hospital. Just hold on.”
I was shocked when he gripped my hand, even more so by the strength he had. As I turned him over, I could see terror in his eyes.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” The moment I adjusted him, I realized there was something warm seeping into my jeans. When I pulled my hand away, it was covered with blood. “Oh, God. Daddy. You fell and hit your head. I’m going to call for an ambulance. It’ll be okay.”
“No…” he managed. “Get… Out.”
“What? What did you say?”
There was a moment where it seemed the warmth from the room was replaced with a chill more significant than I’d felt on the rig. As I lifted my head, every fear I’d had was realized.
“Hello, Rylee. Are you happy to see me?”
Foxx
Declan.
We’d followed him from a clandestine meeting back to his house, waiting until he was settled inside before making our approach. But not before we’d seen him take a couple of duffle bags to the trunk of his car. Was it possible the man was preparing to flee? That would make sense. He was about to be indicted in the entire scheme. The four of us had given enough information to the Garda.
While they’d taken our statements, I could tell they’d believed the situation was fucking farfetched. We had no intention of letting it drop. If that meant tracking down additional evidence for the police to make an arrest, then we were prepared to go to the ends of the earth to do so.
While the Garda had acted strangely given our suggestion Declan was involved and certainly didn’t seem to feel the need to drag Madden and his thugs in for questioning, they’d told us in a clipped accent not to leave town.
That meant the rigging gig could be placed on hold.
Jack was headed around to the back of the house, ensuring that the man wouldn’t attempt to escape.
Ironically, Jack had managed to save one of the weapons, Cormac giving us another. I had no problems using them if necessary. I glanced at Hudson, easily able to tell he was good to go.
