Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter 29
DECLAN
I LEAN AGAINST THE KITCHEN counter, pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to keep my mind focused while Sean recounts his conversation with Jeremy from the previous night. He spent a lot of time giving me minor details about going to the bar, ordering, what they ordered, what the server said…so far, it’s a lot of pieces. He hasn’t yet put it all together in a way I can wrap my head around.
He’s clearly still affected by a bad hangover.
“So he’s taking side jobs?” I ask.
Sean chugs the rest of his ginger tea and goes to set the mug down on my black marble countertop. It slips from his fingers partway and clunks on the marble. I frown, hoping he didn’t just leave a chip.
“Uh, sorry,” he mumbles, taking the mug to the sink. Then he groans and rubs his forehead, facing me. “Yeah. Jeremy is doing other gigs.”
“And? Why should I care about that? You take other gigs.”
“Right, but…” He pauses, looking like he’s searching his brain for the right words. “He said it paid better than what you pay. He called you stingy.”
I scoff. I guess he’s entitled to his own opinion, but that’s fucking irritating. I pay my people well, provide top-notch benefits. For Jeremy to suggest otherwise…
My jaw clenches. “Must be a good gig, considering what I pay him.”
“That’s what I thought. I thought, who the fuck would pay more than Declan? I don’t get why they would contact Jeremy directly and not NexaProtect.”
“I can think of a reason.”
Sean studies me for a moment, peering at me from under a long side-swept bang. Then understanding flashes across his face, a brow lifting. “Something illegal?”
“Normally, when you don’t go through a legitimate company, you’re doing something you want to keep hidden.”
“Right. I didn’t think much of it at the time—well, I was drunk—but the way he was talking about you, about the money…that all stuck in my head when I woke up this morning.”
I grab a towel and wipe a wet spot off the counter. Yup, Sean just chipped the marble. “You think I should fire him because he might be taking illegal side jobs?” That is a reason for concern, but not something Sean had to make me rush home for.
“No, well, yeah, but it’s more than that. Like I said, it’s all fuzzy, but something isn’t sitting right about that conversation. He said—” He rubs his forehead some more, staring at his feet. “He said something about a job under your nose and you had no idea.”
My spine becomes rigid steel. “What job?”
“Didn’t say. I wasn’t thinking straight enough to ask. Whoever gave him that job wants him for more work. Needs more men. Something like that. It pays a fuck-ton of money, too. And he mentioned…uh, Chicago. The next job is in Chicago.”
“Illinois…” I say, half-mumbling to myself.
“Uh, yeah. Chicago, Illinois.”
The hair on the back of my next prickles, a rush of electricity over my skin. Illinois . The state where Davis traced some of those threatening emails.
Just a coincidence?
No, there have been too many coincidences lately for it all to be random. I don’t yet understand how or why, but the hacker, the lawsuit, Jeremy…they seem connected.
The sooner I can figure it out, the sooner I can focus on finding Sienna. This fucking hacker situation has been too much of a distraction from that.
“Call him,” I tell Sean, who is now clutching his stomach like the tea made him sick. “I need to know what job he did recently, why he thinks I’m stupid for not noticing. I also need to know who hired him, so pretend you’re interested in the side work.”
“Sure, but he knows I’m loyal to you. Last night, he was drunk and just running his mouth. Don’t think he would’ve told me sober.”
“Then make something up. Tell him I fired you because I caught you fucking someone in my bed.”
He chokes on a laugh, then his eyes get a little shifty.
I frown. “You haven’t done that, have you?”
“Uh, no, no…” His voice has a high pitch that I don’t like.
I may need to burn my mattress. “Just call him, please. See what you can get.”
Sean nods, already pulling out his phone. He dials Jeremy’s number and puts the phone on speaker, laying it on the countertop.
“Hey, man,” Jeremy answers, sounding stuffy. “Fuck. My head is still pounding from last night. Yours?”
Sean does his best to relax and act normally, his tone friendly. “Of course, man. Appreciate you buying all my drinks. Maybe we should do it again this weekend.”
Jeremy laughs. “Not if you’re going to get top-shelf shots again. I said I had a little extra cash, not that I was rich.”
Sean chuckles with him, taking the opening in the conversation. “Sorry, but you’ll be buying drinks for a while. Fucking Declan fired me.”
“What? No way. Why?”
“He has all these fucking rules about shit. I was getting tired of it. Don’t go in certain rooms. Don’t touch his food. Don’t shut doors loudly. Asshole. I mean, I moved in as a favor to him and he yells at me for eating his yogurt once .”
I frown hard at Sean, but he only shrugs a shoulder, like he’s innocently just doing what I asked.
I’d argue that he’s taking it a bit too far. We should have a conversation about any resentments toward me he’s built over the years.
“I was pissed and wanted some payback,” Sean continues, “so I may have invited a few women over when he was working late. Things got messy in Declan’s bed.”
I am definitely going to burn my mattress.
Jeremy is laughing hysterically now. “No fucking way. He found out?”
“He walked in.”
“What, bro? Fuck, I would’ve loved to see the look on that asshole’s face.”
“It was pretty satisfying. But he kicked me out. Makes sense, but I’m out of work now.”
Jeremy calms himself and says, “I can’t believe he fired you after all these years, though. Glad I kept looking for other work. One year with him is enough.”
“Just because I was loyal to him doesn’t mean I get the same in return,” Sean says.
There’s a pause, then Jeremy takes the bait. I’m glad because I’m not sure how much more I can stand of Sean ‘playfully’ making jabs at me. I very clearly labeled that yogurt container.
Sounding edgy and hesitating around words, Jeremy asks, “You need some work?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty desperate. My savings won’t last long and Declan’s not going to be a reference. I’m tired of working for rich business assholes. Your guy better?”
“I was wondering if you remembered what we talked about last night.”
“I won’t tell anyone, but I want in. If there’s an opening.”
“There is. And my guy is way better. Pays a lot more. But you’re sure? It’s not what you normally do. There’s a risk, so it’s not like you won’t be earning that bigger payday.”
Sean sighs. “Honestly, I’m ready for something else. Not like I got a family to worry about, so risk isn’t a problem. I just like to be prepared, so what’s the job you did for your guy recently? Will it be the same work?”
My eyebrow quirks. Sean’s transition into that was pretty smooth.
There’s a pause, then Jeremy says, “You’re really serious, though? I need to know you’re really in before I tell you details, man.”
“I wouldn’t be calling if I wasn’t. What do you want from me? I need this work, so I’m desperate.”
Jeremy laughs again. “I dunno. Know that fucker’s bank account?”
Sean glances at me. I’d rather not give away that information, but I have a few cards with lower limits I can risk. I feel so close to the truth that my entire body is charged.
Quickly, I pull a credit card from my wallet and hand it to Sean.
He tells Jeremy, “Bank account? No. But I swiped a card before I left. Figured I couldn’t do much with it before Declan blocks transactions, but we could have a little fun if you want. I know too much shit about him, so he won’t come after me.”
Sean meets my gaze again and shrugs.
If anything, this conversation has enlightened me about my bodyguard. I make a mental note never to piss off Sean. He’d be a scary enemy.
“No way!” Jeremy says. “Fuck, let’s do it. But alright, listen…the job I did before is different from what my guy needs now. He needs a lot of men to help transport some cargo. I can’t say more than that, just ‘cargo,’ if you feel me.”
“Sure, I got it,” Sean says. I wave at him to hold on, so he says, “But, uh…”
I type a quick memo on my phone, then show Sean the screen.
“But what?” Jeremy asks.
Sean’s eyes scan what I want him to ask. “Uh, well, last night you said the guy is in Chicago. So the job is there?”
“Yeah.”
“Why doesn’t he find guys near him? Why take us?”
“Hah, we must think alike. I asked the same thing. The guy said his city is full of backstabbers. Too many men who work for his enemies. He always hires guys from different states who don’t care about Chicago politics and just want to make some easy cash.”
Sean and I share a look. This situation keeps getting more and more layered. The guy sounds like a crime boss, so I’m wondering what he could possibly have against me.
Why the hacking?
“Makes sense,” Sean says.
“Oh, and we’ll have some heavy weapons on us in case shit goes down. You have good aim?”
“I was in the Marines.”
“Oh, right,” Jeremy says. “Cool. Let’s meet and we can talk about it. I’ll tell you more about the guy. Don’t want to say too much over the phone.”
“I got it. I’m curious…how long will I be there?”
“Probably a few weeks. Maybe a month. But my guy will give us housing, food, women”—he laughs—" everything , man. It’s risky work, but it’s worth it."
I can sense Jeremy is ready to hang up without giving up the information I really need, so I motion at Sean to keep him talking.
“Hey, thanks for bringing me in,” Sean says. He glances at the new memo I typed on my phone. “Uh…yeah, so I really appreciate this. What was the job you did for the guy recently?”
I grimace—he asked that too directly.
Thankfully, Jeremy doesn’t notice. “Eh, nothing that exciting. When we were in Hawaii, he wanted me to look the other way so he could deliver something to that woman. You remember? That day I walked in that room service cart myself.”
My breath stills.
“Deliver what?” Sean asks, his tone upbeat but his expression heavy.
“A note I think. I didn’t ask for details. He offered me money, said he wanted the woman Declan was fucking, so I helped. Sorry I had to deceive you, too, man. That’s why I told you I checked the food and wouldn’t let you look under the cover. Hope you understand.”
Sean looks sick again, his skin turning pale, but to his credit, his tone is friendly and unaffected. “Hey, it’s a job. I don’t care. Why do you think he wanted her?”
Jeremy laughs. “Dunno. He seemed like a vengeful ex to me, but maybe she fucked him over or something. I haven’t met the guy paying me yet. The one who wanted her. But I’ll meet him in Chicago.”
“Cool,” Sean says. “Well, I have to go, but let’s meet tonight. Text me later. We’ll use Declan’s card.”
“Sounds good, man. See you then.”
The call ends and silence fills the kitchen.
My mind is anything but quiet. In fact, there’s so much in my head that I can’t even form full thoughts.
Sienna’s ex?
Chicago.
Ex is…behind emails.
Sienna’s there? Chicago?
Crime boss.
Underneath it all is the loud roar of the only thing helping me keep myself together: Sienna lied.
That day in Hawaii when she was suddenly acting strange and then stormed out, she needed an excuse to leave.
Because her ex threatened her with some note, kidnapped her.
She lied.
And I couldn’t be fucking happier.
As I lean hard against the kitchen counter for support, Sean finally breaks the silence. He’s clutching his stomach, hovering near the sink. “I…I’m sorry. Why didn’t I check the platter?”
I try to touch his shoulder, but he jerks away.
“No, don’t tell me some bullshit,” he growls. “Don’t tell me that I didn’t know Jeremy was deceiving me, or that it was an oversight, because those things shouldn’t fucking happen.” He hunches over the sink, dry heaving. “Why do I keep…fucking up when it counts most?”
“I’m not blaming you for this,” I tell him, though I know he’s blaming himself.
He’s the best bodyguard I’ve ever met, but when I hired him, there was a chunk of time left off his resume. He told me he took a sabbatical for a year, so I left it at that. Since then, I’ve witnessed how hard he is on himself, even for minor miscalculations. My gut tells me something happened during that year. Something that shook him badly.
I touch his shoulder, refusing to let him shake me off this time. “Jeremy had a job, too, and he’s the one who failed. Sienna’s ex sounds like the kind of man who would’ve found another way, even if you had discovered the note.”
He turns on the faucet to splash water on his face. “I should’ve looked. I should’ve done my job. She’d be safe if I had.” He straightens, giving me a strained look, like he’s fighting against the urge to dry heave again. “We have to go to the police.”
“And tell them what, exactly? What’s your evidence? You heard a wild story from a drunk coworker? You don’t even know the location of this job in Chicago.”
“Okay, so I meet Jeremy tonight, get the address, then we go to the cops. Your woman was kidnapped, and it’s my fault. I have to—”
“The police won’t do anything without some proof. And you’re talking across state lines. Besides, when I get to Chicago and find the man terrorizing her, I might just murder him.”
Sean stares at me like I spoke in tongues. “You can’t confront this person yourself.”
“Why the hell not?” As soon as I ask, I know it’s a stupid question. I’m not some vigilante, and this man could actually be a crime boss. But I’ve had an adrenaline spike and I’m ready to climb onto my private jet right now in search of justice.
He better not have hurt Sienna.
Sean is thankfully being the rational one. “The man sounds dangerous,” he says, pressing two fingers against his temple like his headache just got worse. “He likely has connections. We don’t know anything about him. Jeremy said he was moving cargo, so what if he’s cartel?” He sizes me up. “You’ve never even held a gun, yet you want to go confront a criminal?”
“Isn’t that why I have you? You’re ex-military.”
Sean won’t stop shaking his head, and I can only wonder what he’s telling himself. Probably worrying about more mistakes. But I trust him.
Finally, he sighs. “What are you suggesting?”
“We just need to bring Sienna home, then we can go to the police. Meet with Jeremy tonight, get more details, and then we’ll think of a plan.”
“This is insane.”
“Probably.”
“And it sounds like going down this path means I’ll be flying to Chicago and joining this…gang.”
“Only until we get Sienna.”
Sean crosses his arms and stares at the tile, suddenly looking like he aged five years, his body limp and skin sallow.
“It’s your choice,” I add. “You certainly didn’t sign up for this, and I won’t fire you if you say no. I know this is a big ask, and it puts your life in danger. No amount of money can compensate for that, but it goes without saying that you’ll get a huge bonus.”
“But you’d still go? Alone?”
“Yes.”
Turning my back on this isn’t an option. I won’t stop, won’t rest, until she’s safe. Until she’s back where she belongs.
With me.
She’s done something—opened me up, exposed me. She’s given me the courage to move away from the tragedy of my past and let myself find happiness again.
I’m her protector, after all; the man at the top of the stairs.
I’m ready to give my life to be that man for her.
Sean finally groans and then straightens, shoving a hand through his hair, which pushes his black bangs away and gives me a rare glimpse of his entire face.
There’s a scar on his upper forehead. Why have I never noticed that?
“Even if you didn’t pay me,” he says through tight lips, “I’m not letting you do this alone. You’ll just get yourself killed, then I’ll be out an employer. I kind of like my benefits.”
I lay a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. “I appreciate this. Name a price and it’s yours.”
With a laugh, he blurts out, “Five million and a yacht.”
“Done.”
He gapes at me, his jaw going slack. I don’t know why he thought I wasn’t serious—I’m a man of my word.
His face contorts, and he curses under his breath. “Should’ve asked for more. I don’t even want a yacht…” After a beat, he gives me a grave look, nods his head, and then goes off to prepare for his meeting with Jeremy later.
I walk to the living room and stare at Sienna’s perfect portrait of me, which now hangs prominently above my couch.
I’ll fight for her.
I’ll bring her home.
Or I’ll die trying.