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“Right, but I didn’t want to make you sound like you couldn’t handle yourself,” Cillian said.
“I don’t think I was followed, but the Dead Rabbits have men everywhere,” Declan said. “I can’t be certain.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Lil insisted. “If they followed you here, they’ll be sorry. Between my club and yours, we’ll be just fine.”
“Wait—you have a club?” he asked Lil. “What does that even mean?” He knew that walking into a biker club, it had to belong to someone, but he never guessed that it would be Lil’s.
“I have an all-women’s MC called the Royal Harlots and Savage has been good enough to let us meet here until we can get our own clubhouse.”
“And Savage runs the Royal Bastards, and this is his place,” Cillian said. “He’s in the back room, but I’m sure he’s going to want to see you,” Declan remembered the big guy who had promised his parents that he’d keep Cillian out of trouble. Honestly, Declan hated him most of all for breaking his promise to them.
“I’m not sure that I want to see him,” Declan mumbled under his breath. “He let us all down.”
“If you’re talking about me going to prison, then it’s me you should be angry with. I was the fool who got involved with the gang that led me to steal cars. I was the one who made the decision to fall in with the wrong people. Savage tried like hell to get me back on the right path, but I was a fool-hearted kid who didn’t know any better. Savage was there to pick up the pieces when I got out and get me back on my feet. It’s because of him that I met my wife, Viv.”
“I’m sorry,” Declan said, “I didn’t know any of that.”
“How could you?” Cillian asked. “I was too prideful to reach out to everyone back home to share my story. I should have done so, but I was too ashamed of what I had done.”
“You served your time, and you got out,” Declan reminded. “You made something of yourself and Da and Ma would be so proud to know that you’ve made them grandparents.” Some of their brothers and sisters back in Ireland had kids, but his parents would have been so happy to know that Cillian had changed his life for the better and now, had kids of his own. “I can’t wait to meet your family.”
“Good, because you’ll be staying with us,” Cillian said.
“Is that safe?” Lil asked. “If the Dead Rabbits followed him here, your family would be in danger.”
“I’ll take precautions,” Cillian assured.
“No, you won’t because I’m not staying with you,” Declan said. “Lil is right, I can’t be sure that I wasn’t followed, and I won’t put your family in danger.” Lil opened her mouth to speak, and Declan held up his hand, stopping her. “And before you invite me to stay with you, I won’t. I can find my own place to lay low.”
“Actually, I was going to say that Savage has a few apartments over the bar here, and I’m sure that he’ll let you stay in one of them,” Lil said. “Cian and I stayed in one for a few months until we could get a place of our own.”
“Cian, as in the boy who followed you around town like a puppy? Let me guess, he’s followed you here too?” he asked.
“Yes, that Cian, and now, he’s my husband, so be careful about what you say next,” Lil warned.
“Are you happy, Lil?” Declan asked.
“I am,” she said, defiantly raising her chin as if challenging him to question her. He wasn’t about to do that.
“Then, I’m happy for you,” he said. “Congratulations, Lil,” he said, pulling her in for a quick hug. “How about you find out if Savage is available, Cillian, and I’ll speak to him about staying here.” It wasn’t going to be forever, and Lil was right, he couldn’t put any of his family in danger if he had led the Dead Rabbits to Savage Hell.
“Be back in a sec,” Cillian said.
“I have to talk to Savage too. Will you be good here for a few minutes?” Lil asked.
“I’m not a child,” Declan insisted. “I’ll grab a beer at the bar and wait for you both to return.”
“Sounds good,” Lil said, following Cillian to the back of the bar.
Declan made his way to the bar and sat down on one of the empty stools. “Beer please,” he said to the woman behind the bar. She smiled at him and nodded, pouring him a beer.
“We only have one kind on tap here,” she said, “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he said.
“Hey, you’re not from here,” she noted.
“What gave it away?” Declan asked.
