Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
New York—Present Day
What the fuck is she doing here?
Olivia was absolutely breathtaking in the blue gown. Her thick hair was twisted on top of her head, with only a few curls left to caress her bare shoulders.
She stood at the bar scanning the room, and then her eyes lifted and met his. He was too far away, but he knew the sapphire of the dress matched her eyes.
A bolt of longing shot through him. Declan wanted to put her on his plane, and take her somewhere far away, somewhere she wouldn’t be tainted by the ugliness that was in his world. But here she was. Despite his best efforts, his Petal was standing in the middle of the sharks.
Olivia stared at him for a minute before her gaze flicked coolly away, and he wanted to roar. As much as Declan needed to keep his distance from her—for both their sakes—he couldn’t stand the thought of her giving her attention to anyone else.
Declan followed her line of sight, and ice flowed down his spine as he watched Chris Keller stride across the room to her side. Declan’s hands gripped the metal railing, and he imagined it flexed a little. Something ugly and dark bubbled up as Chris bent his head to say something in Olivia’s ear.
That bastard was standing far too close to her. Declan imagined Chris inhaling her French perfume, and his hands trembled with rage as Olivia shook her head at Chris with a small smile. Red mist formed at the edges of his vision as the bastard touched her again . Planting his hand on her back, Chris leaned in, his face almost touching Olivia’s.
He is a dead man, Declan reminded himself. He allowed himself the brief fantasy of how he would do it. I’ll start with the hand that touched her and then…
It took all of his self-control not to thunder down the steps and claim Olivia as his.
The thought sobered him.
That was the one thing he couldn’t do. It didn’t matter that every fiber of his being wanted her… If Chris knew who she was… what she meant to him… Chris wouldn’t hesitate to hurt her in order to get to him. Declan would die before he let that happen.
Thankfully, with her glass in hand, Olivia moved away from Chris and headed back to her table. Declan exhaled a harsh breath and struggled to get his rage under control. He needed his mask.
Declan forced himself to take measured steps down the staircase and toward the table that his company had sponsored. He knew Bloom Communications would also have a table at the gala, and he appreciated his family attempting to put on a united front with him for the various board members and society present around the room.
It wasn’t until he reached his seat that he remembered he had included Fiona in their number.
“Are you all right?” Cami, James’s new wife, asked quietly as he took his seat next to her.
Declan liked his new sister-in-law, but she was entirely too observant for his comfort.
“I’m fine.” He unfurled his napkin and placed it across his lap.
“You missed the salad course,” Fiona’s lips were smiling, but he heard the edge in her voice.
“I was working.” She frowned, but he had no intention of apologizing. Better she understand now, that if they made an alliance, it was purely for business purposes.
Declan was conscious of the awkward silence that fell over the table, and part of him hated that it was his arrival that had dampened their mood. Things had changed over the last twelve years. After what transpired in the hours after he’d left Olivia at the Shannon airport, Declan put a part of himself in a box, never to be opened again.
It wasn’t worth the pain.
Recently, over Thanksgiving in Atlanta, there was a moment when he thought things might go back to the way they had been when they were younger—before the pressure from his father and his duty to his family had hardened him.
Before he’d lost her.
Now sitting amidst the couples, the divide in his family was obvious. His siblings had moved on. They’d made new lives… happy lives, far from the lives their father had planned for them.
Part of Declan wanted to rebel too. Walk away and start over, maybe even… With ruthless will, he shut down that train of thought before it could fully form.
It was his responsibility to take care of his family, to get justice for their father, to regain the Bloom fortune stolen from them, and reclaim the business that was his birthright.
After a minute, the conversations started again, as his siblings discussed their Christmas plans. A few bites of dry chicken later, Declan could feel Chris’s eyes burning into him from a seat at the nearby table, but Declan wouldn’t give Chris the satisfaction of looking at him. He turned to answer Cara’s question, mentally noting Olivia’s location. She was smiling at her coworker… Stuart. He said something to her, and Olivia tipped her head back with a sparkling laugh.
Declan’s jaw tightened, the happy sound hitting him in the gut. He wanted to be the one who made her laugh, to have her smile like that at him again.
“You can’t play that card.”
“I can.” He smirked, laying the card down on the pile between them.
“You’re cheating!” she accused, her cheeks rosy from the bottle of wine sitting on the floor next to their cards. She rose up and leaned forward on her crossed legs, and snatched up the card he’d just played.
His T-shirt rode up to expose the creamy skin of her inner thighs.
“I asked if you had any eights, and you said no. Cheaters forfeit. I win!” she crowed.
“I don’t remember that,” he said, trying to keep a straight face. He pretended to peer closely at her. “Are you drunk again?”
“No. You dirty cheater,” she laughed. “I win.” She tossed her hand of cards on the floor and shimmied where she sat, waving her hands in the air. “I win. I win. You lose,” she sang.
“Oh yeah?” He dove toward her, toppling her to the rug in front of the fire, his hand cupping the back of her head before she hit the floor. His other slipped under the shirt to find the sensitive spot on her ribs that made her squeal with laughter.
“Cry mercy,” he said, tickling her soft skin.
“Never!” Her face was lit with laughter.
“Darling? Did you hear me?” Fiona’s manicured hand, nails painted black to match the form-fitting mermaid gown she wore, patted his lapel in a proprietary way, pulling him from the memory.
Declan looked down into her brown eyes. Fiona was a gorgeous woman, with all the right connections to help him reclaim his position. A marriage to Fiona would ensure her father’s support, virtually guaranteeing his reinstatement as CEO.
“Declan.” Her voice held a warning note, and he realized he had been staring at Olivia’s profile. “You’re taking me to the ballet this week, right?”
“No. I need to get back to Atlanta.”
Fiona's red lips puffed out. “I’d hoped we would get to spend some time together.”
Declan picked up his fork, forcing her to remove her hand. Fiona’s pout became real, and her eyes narrowed. Declan was all too aware of his siblings watching their interaction with interest.
“You have to go already? Christmas is next week.” Her lip curled. “Why on earth would you want to go to Atlanta?”
“I can think of a few reasons,” Cara drawled, her eyes shooting daggers at Fiona.
Fiona’s eyes flicked dismissively to Cara. “I know it’s more your speed now, Cara. That’s understandable.” Her eyes devoured Wes, Cara’s husband, and Declan thought he heard his sister growl. “You all have your own little lives now. It’s sweet that you are so attached to your brother.” Her hand came down on his forearm, and Declan had to remind himself not to push her away. “Isn’t it past time for you to move on… separately?”
James shifted in his seat, and Luke glared at his plate. But Cara wasn’t interested in being discreet. Even as her husband’s hand stroked over her bare shoulder, red blotches that matched her dress appeared on her cheekbones.
“No matter how our family changes, we ,” she said, as she pointed around the table at each of her siblings, “spend the holidays together.”
Fiona's smile was knife-sharp. “I know that’s how you’ve done it in the past, but you aren’t children anymore, Cara. At some point, you have to grow up.”
Cara bristled, but before his baby sister could go nuclear, Declan interjected in a soft but deadly voice. “My family will always be my priority.”
“You son of a bitch!” Courtney suddenly shouted and jumped to her feet, her chair flying backward at the table next to them. She shook off Chris’s hand as he reached to catch her.
Declan’s eyes narrowed. It looked like the reports he’d been receiving were true. After her sons' deaths, Courtney was falling apart.
“I know what you’re doing?” Courtney hissed before storming away.
“My god. She’s so embarrassing. No one is going to want her on their fundraising committees. Poor Chris.”
The entire table stiffened at Fiona’s comment.
Cara practically hummed with anger, and Declan watched as Wes massaged his wife's nape, gently stroking until her shoulders relaxed. Cara directed a glare Declan’s way, her lips pressed into a tight line.
Declan knew that his mother had let it slip a few weeks ago that he intended to marry Fiona, and that his family was unhappy about it. But it wasn’t his sister’s disappointment that was the focus of his thoughts. It was the errant and unwelcome thought that he wished he had what Cara had. What each of his siblings had found with their partners. Someone who loved him, knew what he was thinking without being told, and sought to relieve the stress. He’d had that once.
His gaze found Olivia again. Her mouth was moving, and Pruitt laughed. What were they talking about? Declan tossed his napkin on his plate.
Cara gave him a funny look and then turned her head to look over her shoulder at Olivia. Fuck. He was being too obvious. Cara’s eyebrows scrunched together.
“What do you have planned for the holidays, Lia?” Fiona asked across the table. “You must be invited to so many Hollywood parties!”
“Please call me Dahlia, Lia is my stage name. We're on hiatus right now,” Dahlia said coolly. “Cameras go up in Vancouver after the new year.”
Luke threaded his fingers through hers on the table. “We plan on staying home and relaxing. We’re just happy to be in the same city for a while.”
Fiona blinked. “You are staying in Atlanta too? Well, if everyone is going to be there, maybe I should come down and join you for the holidays. We can all be together,” she said, smiling at Declan and laying her hand on his forearm again.
He barely registered her possessive move. His muscles felt like they were locked in cement, and his skin was stretched too tight, consumed by the woman nearby. No matter how he tried, his brain continued to torture him, pulling him into the past.
“You didn’t want to be home for your birthday? You should have told me, Petal. I would have gotten you a cake.”
Blue eyes blinked at him, half-asleep, before she rolled to her side, pulling his arm around her. He knew she was more asleep than awake. “Home is where you are.”
His lips brushed her hair, his heart shattering. “Not your family? People you love.”
“I love you.”
Two days left.
“Please, don’t leave me,” he whispered into her hair, knowing he would never be brave enough to ask when she was awake.
Declan shook his head.
Get a fucking hold of yourself.
He could see James watching him with a confused expression. Heart hammering, Declan forced himself back to the present.
“If Declan is going to insist on spending the holidays there, I guess I should sacrifice and go too.”
Declan swallowed a groan. He couldn’t tell if Fiona was intentionally trying to insult his family or if she simply didn’t care.
“I love Atlanta,” Cara bit out. She had the most history with Fiona, and while Dahlia and Cami sat ready with silent support, they knew Cara could handle the socialite.
Fiona gave her a condescending look. “I’m sure it’s lovely, but it’s not the same as New York.” She paused dramatically, her eyes skimming over Cara with a plastic smile. “I’m sure it’s perfect for your new life, Cara.” Fiona's fingers dug into his arm. “Declan lives in New York. This is his home.”
Luke cocked his head. “Is that true Declan? Do you consider New York your home? Not Dublin or Connecticut?”
“I’d have thought Rhode Island…” James sounded like he was chewing glass.
He gave his brothers a quelling look.
“His business is in New York.” Fiona waved her hand dismissively. Declan grit his teeth. Much as he wanted to tell Fiona exactly what he thought of her speaking for him, Declan couldn't afford to alienate her. Or more accurately, her father sitting nearby.
“New York is a great city,” he said, plucking her hand off his arm and placing it on the table. “But I can conduct my business from anywhere.” He leveled a stare at her that she couldn’t misunderstand. “Home is where my family is.”
His chest warmed a little when Cara beamed at him, but Olivia’s lilting laugh from the next table had him narrowing his eyes again. Chris said something else, and Olivia’s dark curls caressed her shoulders as she laughed. He wasn't the only one annoyed. Courtney had returned to the table and was now glaring at Olivia like a serpent ready to strike.
His instincts were on full alert. Declan didn’t like the way she was fixated on Olivia. Courtney had become unpredictable over the past few weeks, and while he welcomed the psychotic bitch’s breakdown, he didn't want Olivia anywhere near her when it happened. His low growl drew the attention of his siblings, and they turned to look at the other table as well.
“I'm surprised they sat so close,” James pointed out.
Fiona pursed her lips. “Surely that's water under the bridge by now. It’s not like you all didn’t walk away with a fortune.”
Declan saw Dahlia turn her fork like it was a weapon, and if looks could kill, Cami’s glare would have ended Fiona, but it was Cara who had him the most concerned. His sister’s small stature might fool some, but her blood was Bloom through and through, and she had survived things that would have broken most people.
He needed to put a stop to this… now. Declan stared at Fiona, letting her see the fury in his eyes. “Nothing is water under the bridge .”
More laughter came from the table next to them, and this time, he knew it was something Olivia had said from the way her ex-husband and Courtney glowered at her.
“Who is that?” Dahlia asked.
“The one who looks like Snow-White?” Cara pursed her lips. “She’s stunning, but she should be careful. Courtney looks like she’s going to skin her alive,” Cara said, her voice a little too interested. Her eyes weren’t on Olivia, they were on Declan, waiting for a reaction.
She wasn’t getting one.
Fiona took a sip of her wine. “She works for some little company they're trying to buy. My dad said they brought them up here to woo them or whatever.” She rolled her eyes.
“Armstrong Electronics out of Atlanta,” Cara supplied, and all eyes turned to her. “What? I have Google.”
Wes exchanged a look with his wife and then turned to Declan. “Isn't that the company your mother said that you were trying to buy?”
Everyone at the table looked at the group nearby and then back at him. He grunted and drained his whiskey.
“This fish is good,” Cami said brightly, nudging James with her elbow.
James raised an eyebrow at her, but besotted fool that he was, he followed his wife’s lead to change the subject.
“Gotta love a catered dinner.” James bared his teeth and everyone except Fiona and Declan laughed.
Conversation was stilted as they ate. He knew his heavy mood and Fiona’s presence were affecting his family, but there was little he could do to remedy it. They would just have to get used to Fiona. They would understand it was worth it in the end.
He was doing this for them.
Fiona made a few snide comments about other attendees, but when the rest of the Bloom family wasn’t interested in gossiping about who was wearing what or which vacation locale was no longer au courant, she stood up.
“Excuse me for a minute, darling. I need to speak with Bianca. We're co-chairing a fashion show.”
Cara got up from her seat and scooted into the one next to Declan. “Who do you keep glaring at over there? Chris?”
“Cara—”
“I'm just asking,” she cut him off. “Because it seems to be every time that woman lau?—”
“Cara,” Declan barked.
Wes’s back snapped straight at Declan’s tone, and he gave Declan a hard look. Declan struggled not to roll his eyes. As if he'd hurt his sister. Though he could admit a grudging respect for how protective his new brother-in-law was.
“I'm just interested in the company,” Declan said in a softer tone.
However, Cara’s comments had drawn the table’s attention and now everyone had swiveled in Olivia’s direction. Declan ground his teeth.
“She's a beautiful woman. Ow!” James yelped dramatically when Cami swatted him. “I can still notice when people are beautiful, even though you are the most spectacularly beautiful.”
“As long as you remember that.” Cami looked at Declan. “What are your chances of buying the company? It's not great they're here with Bloom Communications, is it?”
In the break before dessert, several people had gotten up, including Courtney and Fiona’s father, who had been sitting next to Olivia. Declan watched as Chris moved to the empty seat next to her. Chris angled his body to fully face her, and they began speaking in low tones.
Declan’s fist clenched on the table. His inability to snatch her away, hold her, claim her as his, burned like acid in his stomach.
“Declan?” Cara sounded worried.
“I'm fine.”
“You look like you're about to explode?” Luke pointed out, his eyes on the couple at the other table.
Chris’s eyes flicked up and met Luke’s before roaming the table and settling on Declan. Rage burned through Declan’s veins as a slight smirk lifted from the corner of Chris’s lips.
Declan hadn’t realized he was halfway out of his chair before a strong hand clamped on his arm, and his brother hissed, “Not here.”
Chris’s lips moved, and Olivia suddenly got to her feet, her cheeks pink, and strode from the ballroom.
What the fuck had that bastard said to make her blush?
“Easy,” Luke said again, and Declan realized he had balled the linen of the tablecloth in his fist. He forced his hand to relax. His brothers looked at him with identical frowns of concern.
“What's going on with you?” James asked
“Yeah, you look like you’re about to go Game of Thrones in here.”
“I need a drink.” Declan shoved his chair back so hard it almost fell.
Surely Olivia wouldn’t fall for Chris’s smarmy bullshit. He’d seen his former friend in action enough that Declan knew women found him attractive. Acid rolled in his stomach at the nauseating concept.
No. Olivia is smart. She will see right through him.
You didn’t, a nasty voice in his head said.
Chris played you for a fool for years, and you never even noticed. You didn't see the monster that lay underneath his smiles until it was too late.
“Is she involved with Chris?” Luke’s voice sounded close by.
Fuck. Why can’t they leave me alone?
Declan jerked his eyes away from Olivia as she moved toward the back hallway, and frowned at his brother, before taking his glass from the bartender.
“No.”
Twin pairs of gray eyes met his as James joined them. “Then why are you staring at her?”
“I’m not.”
“You have barely taken your eyes off her since you got here?” James looked at him with a too-knowing expression. “Who is she?”
Is that true? Has anyone else noticed?
Declan stiffened. His eyes darted to Chris, but he was still seated and talking to Olivia’s ex-husband.
“I need to speak to Alan.”
Luke caught his arm just above the elbow, forcing him to turn back. “You don’t need to marry Fiona Carrol to get Bloom Communications back. It’s not worth it.”
Declan narrowed his eyes at his younger brother and dropped his gaze to the hand on his sleeve before it flashed back up in warning. Luke’s jaw set, but his fingers relaxed.
They didn’t understand. They couldn’t. As hard as their father had been on his brothers, the pressure and intrinsic responsibility that went with being their father’s heir had been his alone to bear.
It meant protecting their family and ensuring the Bloom legacy—not just for his siblings but for their children. Power equaled protection. Declan had witnessed it on both sides of his family. He didn’t have the luxury of falling in love like they did.
Without a word, Declan straightened his sleeves and made his way to where Fiona and her father stood, ignoring the people who tried to gain his attention.
“Declan,” Alan greeted him with a wide smile. “My daughter was just telling me you're heading back to Atlanta tomorrow.” He turned an indulgent look on his daughter. “I explained that business has to come first. Those purses of hers won’t buy themselves.” The man guffawed at his own joke.
Declan didn’t smile until he pictured what any of his mothers would say if this jackass made such a misogynistic comment in front of them.
“I know Declan has to work,” Fiona simpered. “I was only hoping he would go with me to the Nutcracker this week. I’m on the board of the ballet, you know. It’s important I be there. Appearances are everything.”
Fiona’s eyes were on his face, implying Declan should understand the importance of what she was saying. But for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why her needing to go to the ballet had anything to do with him.
“Plenty of time for that, darling,” Alan patted his daughter’s hand.
Like a movie, his future with Fiona played out in front of him. Fiona would be on his arm in the latest designer gown at these events, ready to wage war in her petty feuds over who might have monopolized whose stylist, and who had been selected to chair which charity committee. It was enough to make him want to hurl the ice sculpture, poised on the table next to him, to the ground.
Then a glimpse of what his life might have been, flashed in front of him, had he only made different decisions. Olivia smiling up at him first thing in the morning, her cheeks still flushed from sleep. Their children…
He shook it off.
I’m losing my fucking mind.
It didn’t matter what might have been. This was the world that he lived in, and he would do what needed to be done for his family. It wasn’t about the money. His brothers and sister were all successful in their own right, but the power that came with the Bloom name and fortune is what he wanted for them. What he needed to keep them all safe.
Eventually, even wielding the McGrath’s influence and his brother’s blood connection to the Riordans, along with the resources that came with being a Bloom, hadn’t been enough, and Seamus’s trouble caught up to him. But it was the power of the Bloom name that saved his brother from the worst of his consequences. His older half-brother may not have enjoyed his years in prison, but he was alive.
Which was a lot fucking better than being tortured and murdered by the people he’d double crossed, Declan thought, knowing what would have happened if he hadn’t stepped in.
“I saw Armstrong Electronics was Bloom Communications’ guest tonight.” Declan said, ignoring both Carrols’ obvious attempts to push him into declaring a commitment.
Alan’s eyes turned shrewd. “Yes. Interesting group. The son is an idiot, but the rest of them seem competent enough.”
“That hardly matters.”
Alan pursed his lips. “True. Though as part of the deal, Chris is dangling the carrot that those who choose to stay on will still have a say in how their company is run.”
“We both know that won’t be the case.” Declan met the man’s eyes. “All he wants is XEROS.”
Alan lifted a shoulder and sipped his drink. “Same as you.”
But I’m not lying to her about what’s on the table.
Did it matter? This was business, and there was no room for sentimentality.
Alan swirled his drink. “If Chris pulls this off, it will be hard to remove him at the annual shareholder meeting… regardless of…” The man’s eyes went to his daughter, and Fiona smiled at Declan. He ignored his sudden nausea. Alan continued, “Any connection between us. My shares won’t be enough to push you over. You need this to win the battle to sway the other board members to your side.”
“I’m not concerned.”
“Good. Ah, here is your beautiful sister. Cara, it’s been a long time. I hear congratulations are in order.”
Cara smiled at Alan, but Declan could see that her eyes were troubled. His brows immediately drew together when she tucked an arm through his. Cara couldn’t stand networking, and she hated these formal social events. She wouldn’t interrupt unless it was important.
“Thank you,” Cara said, with a radiant and false smile that reminded Declan of all the years she had attended these events for their father. “I’m sorry, but I need to steal my brother for a minute.”
Fiona’s lips tightened, and she barely concealed her scowl. Declan turned his shoulder to her.
“Of course,” Alan interjected, to diffuse the tense moment. “Fiona, your godmother is here. We should say hello.”
Not waiting for them to walk away, Cara tugged Declan to the side, away from the small groups of people, and turned her back to the room.
“Who is she?”
Declan, more than a foot taller than his sister, immediately located Olivia at her table. “Who?”
“Oh my god! Do you think I’m stupid?” Cara rolled her eyes. “I don’t even have to look over my shoulder to know exactly who you are looking at.”
Declan tensed. “I don’t have the first clue what you’re talking about. Are you pregnant? Is that why you’re being emotional?”
“If we weren’t in public, I would punch you in the face.”
“You couldn’t reach if you had a stool.”
“Yeah… well… there are plenty of sensitive parts that I can.”
“Not very lady-like Car-bear.”
“Who said I was a lady?”
His eyebrow lifted. “I suppose if years of Swiss boarding school couldn’t?—”
“You aren’t going to distract me, Dec,” she interrupted. “Who. Is. She?”
Declan sighed. His baby sister had grown into a confident adult, and while normally he’d be proud of her assertiveness, right now he wished she wasn’t so observant.
“Who is who?”
“Olivia Adler.”
Declan blew out an exasperated breath even while his stomach clenched. “You just gave me a name, so obviously you know who the woman is.”
“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.” Cara’s eyes sparked. “Who is she to you ?”
“I’m trying to buy her company.”
“Bullshit.”
Time for redirection. “Fine. I wasn’t going to tell all of you this, but… Olivia Adler’s company has developed a device that can increase streaming speeds ten times over. If I acquire it before Chris does, several key Bloom Communications’ board members have assured me I will have their backing at the annual shareholders’ meeting if I call for a vote of no confidence. I will become the CEO of Bloom Communications again.”
“And Fiona? She’s part of the deal? Because of her father?” A soft, disappointed puff of air escaped her lips. “Declan, you aren’t really thinking about marrying her just to secure her father’s voting block, are you?”
That was exactly what he was planning on doing, but he didn’t like how the disappointed look on his sister’s face made him feel.
“There is nothing official yet, but yes, I think Fiona would be a suitable?—”
“Suitable?” Cara cut him off again. It wasn’t lost on him that there were only a handful of people in the world who would dare do that. Half of them blood related and the other half were their spouses—and Olivia.
“I don’t remember you asking my opinion or advice when you married your ex-con roommate after only knowing him for a few months.”
It was an awful thing to say, and the hurt on Cara’s face made Declan instantly regret his words. His sister’s mouth snapped shut.
“Cara—”
“Don’t. Wes is nothing like Fiona.”
“I know. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
She sucked in a breath. “I know you didn’t. I also know you are being mean because you are trying to get me to back off because you’re hiding something.”
If she only knew.
“I won’t, Dec.” Her expression was fierce. “Not when it comes to your happiness. You aren’t alone.”
Declan sighed and looped an arm around his sister’s shoulders, giving her a side hug. “Everything is fine, Car-bear. You just need to trust me.”
She pulled away from him, and the look in her eyes made his stomach sink. “I do trust you, Declan. Someday, you are going to trust me enough to tell me why a woman you claim is just a business associate knew who I was and my family nickname by the color of my eyes.”
Declan’s heart stopped. “What?”
“We shared an elevator this afternoon. She was nice.”
Declan bit the inside of his cheek to hide his reaction. This was bad. Really bad. If Olivia told Cara about Ireland…
“Don’t get involved in my business, Cara.” He intentionally used the low menacing tone that worked so well on most people, but his sister snorted, before turning to walk away. She stopped and turned back.
“I just met her again in the ladies’ room. Courtney had cornered her.” Cara’s expression was grim. “Courtney noticed how much attention Olivia’s drawing. And not just from Chris.”
“What happened?” he snapped.
Cara cocked her head. “See. That’s not the reaction I’d expect over a business associate.”
“You know as well as I do how sick Courtney is.”
“She was just being a bitch. Olivia handled it fine, and Courtney left. Nothing homicidal.” Cara winced. “Poor word choice.”
For the next ten minutes, Declan made the rounds, but he couldn’t focus. He couldn’t pull himself from the past, and it was an almost minute to minute struggle to not look in Olivia’s direction.
“Can I have some of your asparagus?” He speared the vegetable off her plate before she granted permission. It had only been three days. How was it he felt like he’d known her forever?
“Seeing as how it’s already on its way to your mouth, it’s a moot point,” she teased. “But back to the question. Favorite childhood cartoon.”
Declan chewed, thinking. “I was always partial to He-Man, but I think it was mostly the sword.”
“’By the power of Greyskull’…” Rose giggled as she recited the cartoon’s tag line.
“My little sister loves the Care Bears. It’s almost a fetish.”
Rose choked on her beer. “How old is she?”
They were seated on the floor around the scarred table in front of the fireplace. He’d offered to drive back to town to go to the pub, but Rose wanted to cook. She teased him the entire time, forcing him to help prepare the meal. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed one more.
“Eleven going on thirty,” Declan groused. “Too pretty for her own good.” His lips lifted, and he took a sip of Rose’s beer, having finished his own. “Her eyes are like mine… and our dad’s… but they are so much brighter. And she’s so fucking sweet.” He chuckled. “Doesn’t matter who our father brings into our lives, Cara welcomes them with open arms. With her purple eyes, Luke started calling her Share Bear, which of course evolved into ? —”
“Car-Bear,” Rose laughed. “I’m sure she loves that.”
She’d remembered. One comment from one conversation, twelve years ago. Declan’s chest ached, and it felt like he couldn’t draw a full breath.
You can’t have her. She deserves better.
Declan made his way back to his seat, his thoughts too unsettled to even pretend to make polite conversation. Fiona was waiting for him, a brittle smile on her face.
“Where have you been? You left me with your family.”
In fact, he’d left her with her family, but he wasn’t interested in arguing.
Their table had rearranged so that Cara, Dahlia, and Cami sat next to each other, their heads bent close in an intense conversation. After a moment, Cara leaned over to Wes and whispered something. Wes looked over his shoulder at the table next to them and nodded.
“Are you all planning a covert operation or can we all play?” Fiona turned her head to look where their attention had gone, and she snickered. “Is she drunk? This is why they shouldn’t let just anyone into these events.”
Declan told himself not to look, but it had the same result as if he told his heart to stop beating. His head swiveled, body tingling and nerves jumping, as he watched Olivia slowly come to her feet at the table next to them. She tottered on her heels before he watched her back expand with a deep breath.
His narrowed glance went to the glass in front of her before it returned to her. Her ex-husband rose, and came to Olivia’s side taking her elbow just as Chris also reached for her. The two men exchanged words but Declan couldn’t hear them through the rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heart.
He was going to fucking lose it if that asshole didn’t take his hand off her. And Declan wasn’t sure he cared any more.
Olivia was blinking slowly as though she wasn’t fully aware of what was happening around her, but he’d seen her face crumple when her ex touched her.
Declan’s hands shook as he clenched them into fists, trying to hang on to his control. His lungs constricted barely easing when Kyle removed his hand.
Slowly, appearing to concentrate on every step, Olivia stepped away from the two men and maneuvered between the tables using the seat backs for support.
His pulse raced and he clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to charge after her. The intense need to protect her was painful to resist.
“Wow,” Fiona laughed. “That’s mortifying.”
Declan ignored her, his entire existence focused on Olivia’s elegant form as she reached the stairs.
She’s fine. She’s here with her coworkers. They’ll help her. They are her family.
His eyes searched her table and then scanned the room. Where the fuck was her father-in-law or even the one who mooned after her?
Olivia had one foot on the lowest step when she paused, swaying slightly. Everything in him screamed to get up. The desire to make sure she was safe beat in his blood, and it took every ounce of his willpower to keep him in his seat.
You can’t. There are too many eyes here.
His brain whirled as he searched for a solution.
She’s drunk. It’s fine. It’s not the first time she’s been drunk in the last twelve years.
Which was quickly followed by frustrated fury as he wondered who’d brought her a sports drink the next morning. Who’d taken care of her?
It should have been me.
Declan had almost convinced himself that she was all right, when he registered the change on Chris’s face. His expression was calculated as he trailed after Olivia to the steps.
Declan’s lungs felt like they were on fire, and his heart thundered against his ribs. He couldn’t let…
“Go.” Declan heard Wes say, and in unison, the three women rose and hurried after Olivia. He wasn’t the only one observing what was happening. He dragged air into his chest, ignoring the looks his brothers were casting in his direction.
“Where are they going?” Fiona asked, staring after the women as they hurried to catch up to Olivia and Chris as they reached the top of the stairs.
Declan blew out a breath. It was going to be okay. His sisters would make sure Olivia got in a car, and then when she got to her hotel…
“Excuse me.” Declan stood abruptly, avoiding eye contact with his brothers as he headed for the stairs. Their footsteps thudded close behind as he took the stairs two at a time.
What the fuck was he doing?
Still, his legs carried him forward. He would just make sure she got in a car…
In the foyer, he saw the trio of women surrounding Chris, blocking his exit. From the look on Cara’s face, she was arguing as she tried to take Olivia’s arm. Olivia was limp, her entire weight sagged against Chris, her head lolling to the side.
Chris had one arm wrapped around Olivia’s waist, his hand on her ribcage far too close to her breasts. Declan’s vision tunneled, and all he heard was the blood in his ears. He snarled when a muscular arm caught him, pulling him to a stop, barely registering Wes and Luke rushing past him to join the women.
“I don’t know what’s going on, or who she is to you, but you look like you are about to dismember him,” James hissed in his ear. “And I can’t let you do that in public. Pick a time, and I’ll be by your side. But not here .”
Declan twisted in his brother’s grip, trying to shake him off, but James’s grip tightened. “Wait. Let us help you. They won’t let Chris hurt her. If you were thinking straight, you’d know this is the wrong play.”
Declan was conscious of his chest rising and falling, the need to commit violence strong, but through the murderous haze, his brother’s words seeped in. James was right.
“Get your fucking hands off me.”
James glared at him, but his grip lessened. “Breathe. He’s leaving.”
Declan shook him off, torn between wanting to go after Chris and murder him for trying to take an obviously incapacitated Olivia home, and rushing to where the girls were attempting to get Olivia to walk to the door. Luke stretched out his arm to wrap around Olivia, and with an audible crack in his mind, Declan’s control snapped.
His long legs ate the distance between them, and ignoring the shocked looks of those around them, he swept Olivia up into his arms. Declan had a fleeting sense that he was making a huge mistake, but the instant Olivia’s body relaxed into him and her head rested against his shoulder… everything inside him settled.
Could he really be blamed for lowering his nose to Olivia’s hair.
Her familiar scent—Wild White Rose—filled his senses.
Declan ignored the curious looks as he strode swiftly toward the waiting SUV and gently placed her on the back seat, before climbing in and pulling her into his arms.