Chapter 8
NICO
Carter gets up from the table, but I’m faster. “I got him,” I say over my shoulder and rush behind Declan.
I can’t say why I follow him instead of allowing his brother to make sure he’s okay, but Declan looks like he’s hurting.
Every time he looked at the chair beside him, he had the same haunted look in his eyes that Kai had after Charlie was killed.
I didn’t do anything to help Kai—didn’t know what I could do—but I will help Declan.
Why does it mean so much to me? I don’t like Declan and he hates my fucking guts, but seeing the agony etched across his face—though he tries to cover it with booze and snark—tugs at me. All I can see is Kai hurting and me doing a terrible fucking job as his friend to be there for him.
Declan will have to take the comfort I wish I’d given Kai.
Declan is clumsily handling his keys when I catch up with him. “Hold up, D,” I say, stopping him from opening the door.
His darkened eyes alight on mine and sends a pang through me. Fuck, he’s hurting. How can no one else see?
I shouldn’t give a fuck about him. We had one night together, but other than that, we don’t get along. Judging by how he just called me out of my name a few minutes ago, there’s no love lost between us.
But I can’t let him go like this. He has no one.
Hendrix is dead and Declan refuses to let anyone else take the spot.
I don’t remember if he has other friends, but I’d say not.
He always seemed like more of a loner than Carter.
Maybe that’s why he’s taking Hendrix’s death so hard.
Besides being Declan’s best friend, he was probably his only friend.
He jerks away, glaring at me so hard, it’s a wonder I don’t incinerate on the spot. “What?”
“You’re drunk. Let me drive you home.”
“I don’t need your help. Hendrix will…” He stops talking as he stares at me, his eyes going hollow. “I’m good.”
“Come on, let me—”
“Declan,” Carter says from behind me, that sharp edge to his tone that he only reserves for his brother. “You’re being an idiot. You’re going to wrap yourself around a fucking tree. This is what I mean about you not using your brain. You—”
Turning to Carter, I get in his face. “Back the fuck off,” I seethe, much to my surprise. Carter’s too, if his wide eyes are anything to go by. “All you do is bug and nitpick. Like you’ve never made a fucking mistake before. Get off his fucking back already.”
Kai comes from the dining room, standing beside his husband. He surprises me when he grabs Carter’s arm. “He’s right, Car. Chill.”
Carter throws his hands up. “Fine.” He glowers at me a moment, then looks at his brother. “You should stay in your old room tonight. Sleep it off. We can talk in the morning.”
“Don’t wanna talk,” Declan says, his words slurring. “I wanna go home. So lemme alone.”
“Declan, I swear to God,” Carter says, stepping close to Declan as if to grab him.
I block his path. “Not gonna happen, champ. I’ll take him home.”
Kai puts his hands on Carter’s chest and shoves him slightly. “Nico is cool. He won’t hurt your brother.”
Declan chuckles. “He can try. Even drunk, I can put a bullet through his head.”
I look over my shoulder, ticking up an eyebrow. “You can’t put a bullet in me when you’re sober. Let’s stop talking shit so I can get you home.”
“Whatever,” he mutters, slams his keys in my outstretched palm, and walks out the door.
When he’s outside, I turn back to Carter. “I’ll call you when he’s in bed.”
“You fucking better,” he growls and storms off.
Kai shakes his head and turns to me, a smile on his handsome face. “I love when he’s all growly.”
“Barf,” I deadpan.
Face smoothing, Kai says, “Don’t try to kill Declan on the way, no matter what he says.”
“Scout’s honor,” I quip, holding up three fingers while putting my key-filled hand over my chest.
Kai barks a laugh. “Go get Declan before he tries to walk home. Text me when you get there, yeah?”
“You got it.”
I hurry outside to find Declan leaning against his car, his head resting on his forearms. “Hurry up. I wanna go home.”
“You drank a lot,” I utter, opening the passenger side door for him.
He does a mimicking thing that reminds me of the SpongeBob meme and I cackle.
After I slide behind the wheel of the car, I start it up and pull out of the driveway.
We’re silent for more than half of the drive to his condo, only speaking to ask for directions.
Declan lies back with his head against the headrest, swallowing compulsively.
“You good?” I ask as I glance at him.
“Just get there,” he mutters.
“Maybe that last glass was one too many.”
“Fuck off, Nico.”
“Seriously, you good?”
Declan huffs and turns toward the window. Just when I think he won’t answer, he says, “Hendrix was my best friend since we were kids. He was all I had. Now, I’m alone.”
If he weren’t drunk, there would be no way he would have admitted that. Declan only speaks when it’s to spew threats or run down his family security protocols.
And when he was naked under me.
I push that thought away and focus on the road. Besides, he’s drunk as fuck. No way I’d try to get into his pants while he’s like this.
Sighing, I say, “If you need someone to talk to—”
“Yeah, so you can tell your fucking boss?” He scoffs. “Hard pass.”
“I wouldn’t. I told you when I gave you the flowers, if you ever wanna talk about shit, you can call me.”
I stop at a light and meet Declan’s fuzzy gaze. “I still don’t like you.”
“Don’t gotta like me in order for me to keep your secrets.” We stare at each other until someone honks behind me. I keep my eyes on him for a second longer before I pull off and follow his last few directions to his place.
Declan is heavier than he looks, leaning on me as I walk him upstairs to his condo. I grunt when I get to the third floor. “This building needs a fucking elevator.”
He laughs, high and loud. It’s the same laugh he gave me in the club when I saw his dick.
Yeah, my mind shouldn’t go there. It takes effort to push the memory of Declan’s naked body from my mind.
“Hendrix said the same thing,” he muses. “But…it’s easier…to hear…people comin’.”
I make a noncommittal noise, keeping a firm hold on him while I trudge to his unit.
Unlocking the door is difficult, but I manage, tumbling inside with a drunk Declan at my side.
“Bedroom?” I ask.
He points to the hall. “Second door…on the right. “
My hand around his waist, I help him to his room, kicking the door open and stepping inside. I sit him on the edge of the bed, remove his shoes, his socks and then his jacket before I lie him down.
Declan laughs, and it sends sparks down my spine. “You’re a good wife, Nico.”
I chuckle as I tuck the blanket around him. “Fuck off.” I fold his jacket over my arm. “You got pain meds? You’re gonna need something for this monster headache you’ll wake up with.”
His eyes shut, he points to the wall behind him. “Bathroom. Medicine cabinet.”
Tossing his jacket on the dresser, I head into his en suite and grab the meds and then go back to the kitchen for a bottle of water.
When I get back to the room, I take a few pills out of the bottle and crack open the water. “Sit up,” I say. “Take these meds and then you can sleep.”
He rolls his eyes but does what I say and swallows the pain killers without protest. By the time I come back from putting the meds away, Declan is snoring.
Grabbing his jacket, I start to hang it in his closet, but a folded piece of paper flutters to the floor.
Curious, I pick it up and open it, my eyes almost bugging out of my head when I read the threat. “The fuck?” I mutter, reading the letter again, then one more time.
Almost without hesitation, I pull out my phone to shoot a text to Kai to let him know about the blackmail so he can tell Carter.
Then I stop. This is exactly what Declan wouldn’t want. Yeah, it’s irresponsible for him not to tell his family and even more irresponsible for him to refuse a guard when someone is threatening him, but I can’t tell him I’ll keep his secrets, then not keep his fucking secrets.
“Fucking dammit,” I curse, stuffing the letter into my pocket.
I won’t say anything to Kai or Carter, but I’m not gonna let this shit slide. When Declan wakes up, we’ll talk about this and why he’s being fucking reckless.
I send Kai a text to let him know I got Declan home, and I’ll be sleeping on his couch to make sure he doesn’t get sick during the night.
Kai: Thanks. Carter won’t say it, but he appreciates it too.
Me: Your husband is a dick.
Kai: I know. My dick.
Me: Disgusting.
Kai sends me a laughing emoji. I pocket my phone and go into the living room. Plopping on the couch, I lie back and think about that letter. Who is after Declan? It’s not the Fensters or anyone that did business with them; they’re all wiped out. So, this is a new threat.
Are they after only Declan or the entire St. Clair-Whitlock family? Nah, it has to be just Declan. The note said you’ll pay for what you did, not your family will pay. This is personal to him. Someone believes he did them wrong. Now they’re out for revenge. But who?
I scoff. “Who hasn’t he hurt?” I mutter to myself.
Declan is reckless, so it could be any number of people.
When we talk tomorrow, I’ll help him get some clarity so we can tackle this together.
He might not want my help—Declan is closed off, especially after Hendrix died. But I won’t give him the option to tell me no. He’ll let me help him and then he can do what he wants with the information. Either way, I’m in this, whether he likes it or not.
Not seems more likely.