AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, Declan, how do I know that you won’t become obsessed with the next girl you see at a rodeo a month from now? How do I know that spark for me won’t just sputter out as quickly as it burned to life? How can I build a life with you when we don’t have a foundation?”
“I don’t want anyone else, and I mean that. There won’t be any other girl. This isn’t a fleeting spark; it’s a flame that won’t be kindled for anyone else.”
He moved closer, reaching out to lightly touch my arm. “You’re right,” he admitted. “Words are just words. They don’t hold much value without action, do they? You have to just experience it. Try something and see where it leads you. The proof is in the journey.”
Looking deep into my eyes, he said, “Give me a chance to build the foundation. I promise it won’t be a shaky one. I may not have the best track record, but I’ve learned from my past, and I’m ready to build a strong, steady future.”
A moment of silence passed between us, his last words echoing in my head. I didn’t know what to say, how to respond. In this quiet room, amid the remnants of our shared pain, I realized that both of us were lost, adrift in our haunted pasts. And perhaps the only solace we could find was in each other’s company.
Declan sat in silence for a moment, as if he was carefully weighing his words. He exhaled deeply before turning to me, his expression sincere. “Clover,” he began, his tone gentle, “you . . . you’ve changed me. You’ve given me something more than revenge to hold on to.”
I stared at him, digesting his words before cautiously asking, “But can we ever move past this, Declan? Can we ever be . . . normal?”
He gave a hollow chuckle, his gaze falling onto the floor. “Normalcy, huh?” he muttered, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “I’m not sure if that’s something I can promise. Not until I get my answers.”
The unease swelled within me again, threatening to consume me. I looked at Declan, at the man who was both my captor and protector, and I wondered if we could ever escape the webs of his complicated past. “What do you need to do to get those answers, Declan?” I finally asked, my voice trembling slightly.
He looked back at me, his eyes darkening as he said, “I need to take care of Hank’s dirty work. It’s the only way he’ll give me the information I need.”
My heart pounded in my chest at his words. Despite my fears, despite my reservations, I knew I had to stand by Declan. I couldn’t abandon him when he was fighting his demons. But the question that remained was, could I survive in his world, the world that was marked by violence and danger?
“Call Judge Mathis,” Declan said, his voice breaking through the silence that had settled between us. “Cancel the trail ride.”
I blinked at him, taken aback by his request. The trail ride. I had forgotten all about it in the chaos of the past few days. In a way, I was relieved. The thought of being out there again, amongst the towering trees and the wide, open spaces, sent a quake of unease through me. I wasn’t ready. Not yet. I couldn’t imagine being out there andnotthinking about what happened to me.
But his command sparked a curiosity, a questioning of his motives. “Why?” I asked, meeting his stare with a hardened resolve.
He looked away, his expression unreadable. “It’s better you don’t know,” he said. “I don’t want you involved in this any more than you have to be.”
But his response wasn’t good enough for me. I needed to know. The fear, the uncertainty—it was eating away at me. “Tell me, Declan,” I insisted, my voice quiet but steady. “What does Hank need you to do?”
His words came out in a rush, like they were being dragged from him. “He wants me to kill the judge and his wife,” Declan said, his voice raw. He paused, swallowed hard, and then added, “And he wanted you dead, too.”
I felt like the floor had dropped out from under me. My heart pounded in my chest as I processed his words. Kill me? Kill the judge? Hiswife? The reality of everything crashed down around me like a wave.
The breath hitched in my throat. I was supposed to be dead. That . . . that was Hank’s plan. The terror, raw and unfettered, welled up within me. I didn’t know how to respond, how to process this horrifying information. Fear tightened its grip around my heart, squeezing until I could hardly breathe.
I looked at Declan, the man who claimed to care for me yet was admitting to such a horrendous act. He was involved in this dangerous game of life and death, his actions controlled by Hank. But he was also the man who had saved me, who had treated my wounds and offered me comfort in the aftermath of my trauma.
“Do . . . do you still have to . . . ,” I started, but the words got stuck in my throat. Could he still do it? Would he still do it? Kill the judge? Kill me? Despite everything, despite the pain and the fear, I needed to know.
Declan leaned forward, his face serious, and there was a strange, terrifying calmness in his penetrating stare. “Clover,” he began, his voice as solid as steel, “I swear to you, you’re not going to get hurt. Not on my watch.”
He ran his hands through his hair, the muscle in his jaw pulsing with tension. “The judge, though . . .” His voice trailed off, and he shook his head. “I have to deal with him. I need the truth about my mother. It’s the only way to put an end to all of this.”
His penetrating eyes were intense, the honesty in his expression piercing through my terror. “And once I have what I need,” he added, “I’m putting an end to Hank, too. I won’t let him control our lives anymore.”
I didn’t know what to say, how to respond to his chilling words. This was the reality we were living, the twisted life that had been thrust upon us.
“Then how do you plan on killing Judge Mathis?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I braced myself, ready for an answer I was not sure I wanted to hear.
Declan’s face darkened, a storm cloud rolling in as he wrestled with his thoughts. He sighed, the sound heavy with an uncertainty that seemed out of character for the man who always appeared to know what he was doing.
“I’m not sure yet,” he admitted, his words slow as he chose them carefully. “The trail . . . it was perfect. Isolated. An easy target. I tried to give Hank another option, but he was adamant it be done there. Thatyoudie with them. But now . . .”
His voice trailed off as he stared into the distance, seemingly lost in a world of horrific possibilities. The implications of what he was saying sent a rush of fear through me. This was far beyond anything I had ever dealt with.
“So once the judge is dead,” I began, my voice shaking with trepidation, “you’ll get the answers you need about your mother? Then we can get rid of Hank?”
