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“The DA thinks I’m involved in money laundering. I was at the club to take a picture of him.”
“Wait you’re blackmailing the district attorney of Chicago?”
This wasn’t happening.
“Sydney, it’s not like that.”
“Like hell it isn’t. So what was the money for? What you paid for me?”
“A show of power. I wanted the DA, and Lawson, to know I hold the power.”
“Great, I’m a pawn. Why ask me to stay? Why include Declan in this mess?”
His eyes became soft. “I am not fucking with your brother. I promise Sydney. I am doing that for him, for you. What I paid for you might have been a move, but getting you here, having you to myself? That’s because I want you.”
I rolled my eyes. “I want to go back to the house,” I said grabbing my clothes and going into another room to change.
Chapter 18
Sydney
As we got back to the house I was so annoyed with Owen I could barely look at him. How could he do this to me? To Declan.
I was just another business arrangement to him, he’d made that clear. I had been such an idiot. Thinking some millionaire could fall for me so fast.
I was dumb.
But as I looked at my phone, all those thoughts disappeared. There were seven missed calls from the hospital! My hands shaking, thoughts rushing through my head, it took me a moment to hit redial. I waited, feeling as my face turned red. I had fucked up. Something had happened to Declan while I was out having fun! I prayed it was nothing serious, but of course they wouldn’t have called otherwise. I waited, counting the rings. Six, seven…
“Hello? This is Sydney Mercer, calling about Declan Mercer. How is he?” I wanted to ask ten more questions and say sorry for having missed the calls, but the calm voice on the other end gave me a break.
“Miss Mercer, I’m glad we could get a hold of you. Declan is sleeping right now. But his condition has gotten worse. We’re keeping an eye on him, and he is stable, but you should come to the hospital as soon as you can. He needs you.”
Tears were streaming down my face. All the guilt I had been suppressing for the past few days suddenly rushed back in. This was on me. I should never have left him. Fallen into the stupid fantasy.
“I’m on my way,” I said, and hung up. I had to get out of there.
Thankfully, there wasn’t much to pack, so I got into my dress and hurried downstairs.
Owen was waiting for me on the couch, but as soon as he saw me there, shaken up and crying, he jumped to his feet.
“What is it? What happened?”
“It’s Declan. They’ve hospitalized him, because he got worse. I should’ve been there for him!”
He moved to touch me but I pulled away. “It’s not your fault Sydney.”
“Is the plane here? I need to go back right now.”
“The plane will be here in thirty minutes. I’ll make the call. Come on, let’s calm down a minute.”
“Calm down? Are you kidding me? You’re running from the DA and IRS, my brother is about to die from the same illness that took my Mom, and I’m half way around the world! I am not calming down Owen!”
“Fair enough. What exactly did they tell you? What do they need us to do?”
He said us. Like we were a thing. But we weren’t. Declan’s hospitalization reminded me of that. Owen was some fairytale. I had made him that way in my mind, but now the truth was out.
“They didn’t give any details,” I replied. “Just told me I should come ASAP. What if it’s something serious? How could I live with myself? I should’ve never left…”
