Chapter 32 Declan
DECLAN
“Judging by your dramatic entrance, I’d say you know exactly what we’ve done.” Zahra adjusts her position on the couch so she’s no longer hidden behind me and holds her chin up high.
Her unrelenting defiance is one of my favorite things about her, but I don’t miss the way my Uncle Lorkan’s hand twitches, moving his finger on the trigger.
“Make another move, and I’ll put a bullet in you. And this time it will be somewhere that won’t heal as easily as your knee,” I sneer.
“You think you and this little girl scare me, boy?” Lorkan bares his teeth.
Closing the distance between us, I stalk straight up to him and press my Glock to his temple. “Insult my wife one more time, and I swear on everything in this world, good and evil, I will have your brains splattered all over my rug in an instant.”
Lorkan’s undeterred. “Do it. Given the damage you’ve caused, death would be a mercy instead of being forced to watch you ruin our family’s legacy.”
My finger goes to the trigger. “The only one who’s ruining our legacy is you. Thankfully, we put an end to that.”
“You stupid, insolent boy. So blinded by love, you’re living in your own reality, aren’t you?”
I feel Zahra stiffen behind me, and my stomach turns.
Before my uncle barged in, we’d bared our own insecurities to each other, and I finally felt like she was willing to let down her walls and give us a genuine chance.
I won’t let my uncle’s bitterness and resentment cost us the hope of happiness.
“What’s done is done. My father’s will stated clearly that once I got married, all remaining power you had would be handed over to me. ”
“I knew my time was limited. I never for a second believed Cillian would leave me his empire for an extended period of time, but of all the people to replace me, you chose Aidan,” my uncle spits as if he isn’t talking about his own nephew.
“You can’t be surprised that, as Don, I chose Aidan as my second. He is my brother after all.”
“He's a spoiled brat who was handed everything in life and still found reason to complain. He’s weak. A mockery to the McAlister name—”
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” I growl, grabbing my uncle by the collar of his shirt and shaking him so hard he loses his footing and drops his gun.
I kick it across the room, leaving him defenseless.
“You, of all people, have no right talking about the McAlister name, given your recent involvement with drug lords and traffickers. I don’t know how you sleep at night. ”
Lorkan thrashes against me, shoving at my chest until I finally let him go. “What the fuck are you on about? Those are some bold accusations without any proof.”
“We have proof. Photo evidence, and a lengthy track record of receipts and transactions from the various accounts you had control over.” Zahra winces as she stands up on her feet.
I move instantly, extending my arm for her to use to stabilize herself. My uncle rolls his eyes in response, and I nearly throttle him again.
“Evidence can be easily doctored,” Lorkan scoffs.
“So, at the end of the day, all we have is your word. Forgive me if that isn’t enough to sway me.” I click my tongue.
“This arrogance is unbecoming of you, Declan.”
“You’re one to talk. Now, if you’re done making a scene, you can either walk out on your own accord, or Connor can throw you in our holding cell.
To be clear, this will be your one and only chance to walk out of this house.
If you threaten me or my wife again, I will make sure that never happens again.
” The threat lingers in the air. Connor has grabbed my uncle’s gun from the ground and seems excited at the prospect of finally shutting Lorkan up.
Lorkan’s face turns red. “How dare you speak to me like that! Have you forgotten who I am?”
“Not for a second. But it’s clear you’ve forgotten who I am.
” I grab Lorkan’s throat and squeeze, restricting his air flow.
“All of your access to our main accounts has been stopped. You will have an extremely limited line of credit that you can use for food and shelter. We will be heavily monitoring your spending. All our allies have been informed to update us on any suspicious activity you partake in. Make no mistake, you may be my uncle by blood, but as of today, you are nothing to the Irish Mafia.” I spit, hot blood pulsing through my veins.
My uncle claws at my hand for release but he finds none as his face turns from bright red to a purplish blue.
A rush of power fills me as I watch his stance falter as he flounders for oxygen, knees buckling under him.
My uncle’s grip on my hands loosens, a sign of how close he is to losing consciousness, when I feel a small warm hand wrap around my wrist.
“Declan, I think the message is received. Let him go.” Zahra’s soothing voice causes some of the tension in my shoulders to release, but my grip remains. She uses her other hand to grip my jaw, turning my head so I’m looking at her. “Let him go, Declan.”
I drop Lorkan, leaving him a panting mess on the floor until Connor lifts him up with ease and drags him out of the room.
Zahra’s grip on me hasn’t faltered a second, not a hint of fear in her eyes.
Instead, she’s looking at me with a sense of pride and longing.
A soft gasp falls from her lips as I wrap my arm around her waist, closing the distance between us until she’s pressed against my chest. “Remind me what we were talking about before we were so rudely interrupted?”
She gulps. “I, um. Don’t remember.”
“Alright, before you two start with the kissy face, I just want to make it known that I’m here,” Azula speaks up, grabbing out attention.
Zahra’s head snaps to the corner. “When did you sneak in?”
“Around the time Declan decided to turn his uncle into a human stress ball. Which I must admit was quite entertaining.”
“Glad I could be of service.” I smirk, coming fully back to reality.
I frown as I realize Zahra’s been on her injured ankle this whole time.
I slide my arms under her legs and lift her up, ignoring the twinge in my shoulder from where I was shot.
“No more standing, you need to rest to heal properly.”
I place Zahra on the coach before sitting down next to her, turning to face Azula, whose eyebrows are raised so high they practically reach her hairline.
“I didn’t realize you two had gotten so…cozy.” Azula grins, winking at Zahra, who doesn’t move a muscle.
Instead, Zahra gets straight to business. “What brings you in?”
“Aleksander Ivanov, the Ukrainian boss, wants a meeting with you. He claims he has some crucial information that you need to hear surrounding a potential assassin.” Azula’s hands twitch at her sides, like she’s dying to get revenge.
Dying to skin someone alive. Knowing her reputation, she probably is.
“What does he want in return?” Zahra asks.
Smart girl. No one in our line of work offers favors. Everything came at a cost. Often one that isn’t worth what you get in return.
Azula tenses, and I already know I’m going to hate whatever Aleksander has asked for. “His only request was that he get to meet with you. Alone.”
It takes me a second to realize what she means. “Absolutely not. Zahra and I are partners. Not just in allyship between our two families, but in marriage. Wherever she goes, I go and vice versa.”
Zahra snorts in response. “Ignore my husband. Aleksander’s request is reasonable so long as he’s fine meeting us here. My desire to eat out has dramatically decreased since the incident at The Black Rose. A girl only gets so many close calls on poisoning attacks before she dies.”
My hands curl into fists at my sides and the only reason why I’m not immediately freaking out is because my mind is entirely too distracted by the fact that Zahra just called me her husband.
Her husband. Still, the idea of her being in the same room as a man as lethal and callous as Aleksander Ivanov made my stomach churn.
“You will have security in the room with you even if I’m not allowed. ”
“Do you really think that little of me?” Zahra’s eyes narrow. The harshness in her voice covers up the subtle hint of hurt.
Shit. That is not at all how I intended to come off, but by replaying the words in my head, I can see how she got there.
I take one of her hands and cradle it in between my palms. “No. I’m not saying I want you to have protection because you can’t handle yourself.
I have not one single doubt in my mind that if you wanted to rip Aleksander limb from limb, you could do it.
There is not one single thing I think you can’t do.
” Including healing my frozen, shattered heart.
“I just can’t stand the idea of anything bad happening to you and knowing I did nothing to help.
If I can’t be there, I at least want some extension of me with you.
And if that includes my security team, then so be it. ”
“Declan, we just talked about this. You can’t protect me from the world. No matter how much you want to.” Her eyes are trained on me, as if she’s hoping something will click and I’ll finally accept the truth from her lips.
For now, I chose to live in denial. “Just humor me. Please.”
Zahra shifts her attention back to Azula, and the two somehow manage to have a full conversation without saying a word. It’s as scary as it is impressive.
“Give me your gun.” Zahra lifts her free hand out in front of me.
“Why? You have your own.” And probably a dozen or so other ones hidden in her belongings.
“Because, my dear husband, you said you wanted me to have a piece of you with me when I meet with Aleksander, and what better security than your own gun?”
She said it again. My dear husband. The words may as well be a siren song because the next thing I know, I’m placing my Glock in her hand, as she and Azula plot out the logistics of the meeting and how they’ll sneak the gun into the room.
Aleksander’s men will no doubt request to search her and the room ahead of time.
We rattle off ideas back and forth until we land on a solution we’re all satisfied with, Azula giving us a quick wave goodbye before making her exit.
Zahra and I sit in the comfortable silence of the room until she falls asleep in my arms, the exhausting day finally catching up to her.
I debate carrying her into her room so she’s more comfortable, but that would mean sleeping alone tonight instead of pressing up against her warm body.
So instead, I shift us slightly on the couch so I can lay down with her on my side and let the steady rhythm of her breathing lull me to sleep.