Thirty-Nine
1795 Words
Here goes nothing, Declan thought as he entered the room. “So, does your sister work anywhere else?”
“No,” the child told him. “Sissy does chores for the neighbours in exchange for money or food. I help after school and on the weekends, too. She doesn’t like it, but I don’t mind getting dirty. Daddy always called me his little tomboy. Um, so why did you need permission from that blond guy?”
Breathing a laugh, he said, “He’s technically my boss, and our jobs are a secret to outsiders. His name is Callum, and the other guy who was getting on my nerves is David.”
“I see,” she said. “So what about your nephew?”
“You’ll meet him as soon as your sister gets released from the hospital,” he promised. “So, what about your house?”
“Tempy has a small one-bedroom apartment. We share the bed, and normally only have enough for the two of us to scrape by. Other than that, there’s not much to it,” she said sadly.
The woman in the bed looked up with fear in her eyes when she saw the child he had in his arms. Her breathing became erratic as she watched the man get closer. “Please, give me my sister.”
Declan recognized the hurt in her voice. Did she think that they would use the child to get her to talk?
“We only do harm to those who deserve it, never those who don't,” he whispered
As he gently put Kennedy on the bed, she snuggling into her sister’s side with a satisfied sigh. Temperance looked up, watching him closely. “Doctor Reyes said you're her brother. Is that true?”
The low baritone of his laugh set fire to her blood as she licked her lips. Caution was cracking under the immense weight of attraction. His dark blues sparkled as he said: “Yeah, it's true. Do you remember everything that happened?”
“Yes, and thank you for helping me,” Temperance whispered as she followed his every movement.
Declan’s eyes turned hard. “Did my sister tell you anything about me?”
She shook her head. “N-no. was there something I should know?”
He sighed softly, “There is, actually. To start, my name is Declan Reyes, and I need to talk to you about a few things. First of all, you can’t breathe a word of what I am about to say to anyone, understand?”
When she nodded, he continued. “You're going to come live at Everett Towers. It not that you can’t say no, it’s that I’m not taking no for an answer. This decision was made with you and your sister’s safety in mind.”
She shook her head, “Look, I’m not a w***e, and I don’t need a sugar-daddy to get by.”
Declan’s brow furrowed. He clenched his jaw to keep from laughing at the sudden burst of attitude that he found oddly refreshing. “I never said that.”
Temperance snorted in disbelief. "I won't be your prisoner, either.”
He leaned against the wall, amused with her sudden fire. He watched as her hands balled into fists several times before she took a steady breath in. “You will be able to come and go as you please, but you have to have a guard at all times. Think of it as witness protection. You’re a witness, and you now fall under our protection. These orders come from the high-ups, so it’s not like I can go against them. Secondly, you’re going to be employed by my twin and her fiancé to look after their obnoxious brat, also known as my nephew, Phoenix.”
Fear flashed in her eyes, “What about my sister? You haven’t mentioned anything about her.”
“I wouldn't even entertain the thought of separating siblings,” Declan said. Fighting against the urge to coddle and soothe her in his arms, he stayed rooted to his spot.
“What do you want in return?” She asked quietly.
He blinked, a slow smirk graced his lips. “Why do you ask?”
“People are not that generous, Mr. Reyes. No one does anything for nothing anymore. I doubt they ever did,” Temperance said testily. That stupid grin was still in place, and she wanted to smack it off, but her fear kept her from moving.
Eyeing the child, he smiled thoughtfully. She seemed smarter than she let on, and he knew the behaviours she was presenting were nearly identical to the way his nephew behaved. “Actually, there is something I want to do.”
Her mind suddenly went to the worst possible scenario, “Not my sister. Do what you want to me, but please spare Kennedy.”
Declan sighed, “Don’t think so low of me. To be honest, I want to put her in the same school as my nephew. Actually, it’s a special school that’s incredibly hard to get into, but I have a feeling she’ll breeze through the entrance exams.”
A special school? He wanted to put Kennedy though school because his nephew needed friends? Temperance blinked as she tried to wrap her head around what he was telling her. “Um, I’m not sure what to say about that. It’s quite a generous offer. Wait, who exactly is your brother-in-law?”
“Callum Hansson,” he said, watching her pale slightly. He saw the fear flicker in her eyes, knowing that she at least knew the basics. “He’s as nice as they come, trust me.”
“I don’t know you enough to trust you,” she snapped.
“Touché,” he replied quietly. He raised his eyes, “However, I would like for us to get to know each other. I’m going to at least need basic info.”
Temperance swallowed as he pushed off the wall. He stopped a few feet away, and her heart sped up as he reached over to brush back the strands of hair from her face. Trailing his fingertips tenderly over her bruised cheek, he scowled. “I hate this. There's no reason such a beautiful face should be marred with bruises.”
Declan took a moment to look her over. The circles under her eyes told him she never got much sleep. As he leaned over to fix the blanket, he told her: “My friends and I are members of the Veiðimenn Mafia.”
Her eyes went wide, the fear was now more prominent than before. “You’re lying. There’s no way that nice guys like you are part of the mob. I don't believe you."
Declan opened his jacket just enough to reveal his sidearm as he shook his head at her. She blanched at the sight of the gun strapped to his side. “Not a cop, a P.I., or any other occupation that carries. I can’t tell you much, but I swear that you and your sister will be protected inside the Towers. We’re only cruel when we have to be. Relax, sweetheart, I won’t hurt you. From now on, you and Kennedy will be protected by the mob.”
She stared at him, “Why are you helping me? What’s in this for you?”
He smiled slightly, looking her directly in her eyes. “I just met you and, yes, I know it’s corny, but like you. All it took was a simple little smile from you to set fire to my veins.”
Her breath hitched, and she felt trapped by his dark blue gaze. Her thighs clenched involuntarily, and a sudden heat crept though her body as if someone had turned up her internal thermostat. She trembled under the feeling of his hot breath against her bruised cheek, wanting to trust him, yet afraid of the unknown. “Please, don’t…”
She shivered as his breath tickled the skin of her neck as he spoke, “I already told you. I’m not like that, Temperance. I wouldn’t take what you’re not willing to give. You rest, because you and Kennedy will be moving into the Towers by the end of the week.”
“Why won’t you let me deny it?” She asked as he turned to leave.
“I want to protect you, Temperance, and I want nothing other than what we already discussed, I promise. With regards to your sister’s schooling, I’ll take care of everything from the uniforms to her tuition and daily hot lunch. There’s nothing you need to do except focus on healing your mind and body,” he stated simply. The door clicked shut behind him, the sound resonating in the still quiet of the room.
Unable to wrap her mind around the information he'd given her, she sighed heavily. Was her life her own anymore? “What kind of hell have I found myself in now?”
“We might be safer with them than back at the apartment. I mean, that bad man knows where we live. What if other bad people do, too? What if the ones that killed Momma and Daddy find us? I won’t be able to take it if they stole you from me, too,” she heard Kennedy murmur quietly.
Temperance glared at her sister. While they both looked like her, only Kennedy was truly identical to the woman who birthed and raised them. Her step-father loved her as if he had fathered her himself, and always said that he had to take care of his girls. Tears sprang to her eyes as she thought about their parents. “So, I assume your people-watching skills kicked in when you were with them. How much did you figure out about them?"
The little girl looked up, grinning, “Callum’s daddy bought the building you worked at, and they took good care of me on the way to see you. They’re really laid-back. Actually, I think I heard a name Daddy once mentioned – Hans something-or-other – that he worked for.”
"Are you sure?" Temperance questioned.
Kennedy grinned, "Callum, Declan, and David are friends. I like them, Tempy. They can help keep us safe and they offered you a job. You know, I really could use a friend and Daddy did say that I was smart enough for that special school he was going to borrow money to send me to. What if it’s the same school Declan wants to put me in? I would so love that.”
“You would,” Temperance laughed as she laid down next to her sister. “Let’s get some rest.”
- Writer
