Chapter Twenty-One #2
“Out with the girls, probably trying to figure out how to get on a no fly list. What’s up?
” Mac isn’t like his brothers, he doesn’t panic when my sister goes somewhere without him.
Lelonie has a security guard that goes with her, and where that isn’t enough for the other two, it seems to ease his mind.
He tried to lock her up after the incident at my parents house, but she quickly shut that down.
When he caught her trying to sneak out of a window to meet her two partners in crime, I mean her sisters-in-law, he realized that he couldn’t keep holding her hostage just because he couldn’t be with her all the time.
So now he’s come to terms with her going out with her bad influences as long as he’s with them or Ian is watching her back.
“Can you keep an eye out for Declan? Just for a couple of hours?” My body is coiled so tight I’m surprised it hasn’t snapped yet.
“Yeah, sure. What’s going on? Are you okay?” He looks at me like I’m a ticking time bomb, and well, I guess I may be.
“I’m good. Thanks.” And with that, I move past him as quickly as I can to leave the house and make my way to my brother’s shop.
* * *
One would think by the darkness in Dec’s room that it’s the middle of the night.
It’s not. When I pull up to my brother’s shop, it’s ten in the morning.
His business is in full swing, with cars in each bay and Dieter, Ethan, and their co-worker Bash each under a hood.
Ethan’s head pops up just as I cross into the bays.
“Hey, J. What’s up?”
He’s eyeing me skeptically, but I just throw my hand up to him and continue on to the back of the shop.
They keep parts and spare tools back here.
I walk past the rows of shelves holding everything from sockets to starters and open the door to the very back room.
My hand smacks the light switch on the wall, causing the fluorescent lights to slowly buzz to life.
Inside this room is an air conditioned gym.
There’s weights, a treadmill, a heavy bag, and a speed bag, just to name a few things.
The concrete floor is covered with thick rubber mats, and a wide paneled mirror covers the long back wall.
I kick my shoes off before pulling my shirt off and tossing it on top of them.
Typically this is where I would wrap my hands, but right now I need to feel the bite from the pain.
Without another thought I make my way to the heavy bag and start my usual workout.
This gym isn’t state of the art by any means.
However, it’s exactly what the guys and I need.
We all have keys and use them whenever it’s convenient for us.
Right now, while I’m trying to process what the fuck Declan has been through, it’s convenient for me.
There’s more, I fucking know there is. He’s not flinching away from people touching him because he fights for her.
I run through what I witness while at the theater, all the while my body moves of its own accord.
Nothing’s coming to the surface, though.
I get jumped pre-fight then have to fight past the beating I just received.
Natasha doesn’t call me up to her office unless it’s to remind me of her threats.
Aside from that and the occasional text, I don’t see her or her goons.
I don’t talk to the other men who fight or know anything about them. I’ve always assumed they were her puppets or other ‘kids’ of mafia families, but now I’m not so sure. I will guarantee one thing, though. I will find out.
I’m not sure how long I’ve been in here when I hear the door open and shut. Finally allowing my hands to drop, I turn to see both Ethan and Dieter leaning against the wall beside the door.
“Want to tell me what the hell has been going on these past few weeks?” Dieter asks with his arms folded over his chest.
“I’d like to know the answer as well, seeing as you’ve been ditching us left and right.” Ethan’s more casual with his hands in his pockets, but he still raises a questioning eyebrow.
“Nothing, nothing’s happening.” I bristle under their intense gazes.
“That’s bullshit dude, and you know it. You don’t ever ditch us, and now we can’t ever get a hold of you.” Ethan bites back.
“What do you want me to say, E?” I bark out in impatience.
“The fucking truth would be nice.”
“You want the truth? How’s this for the truth…
The man that I’m halfway in love with was hurt a week ago.
Yeah, you heard that right. A man. Declan Byrne, to be more specific.
I’ve been terrified he’s going to die half of that time, and the other half I’m trying to get him back on his feet so we can go back to our normal.
Oh, that isn’t all, though. I’ve also been forced to fucking fight to knockout for years, like almost five years, because if I don’t, she and her goons have threatened to hurt my parents and siblings.
But does that really matter? I don’t think so, because she had one of her cronies take a fucking shot at me in my bar.
I just found out she’s doing the same to him, and worse.
Though I don’t know what the worst is because he isn’t awake long enough to tell me right now.
” By the time I’m done with my rant, my eyes burn with unshed tears and I’m yelling into the large space.
“Who shot at you?” They both roar in sync.
“I don’t even know, they were covered head to toe in my surveillance.”
Dieter moves so quickly I don’t even register it until he has his arms wrapped around my torso. “It’s okay. You don’t have to do this alone. That’s a lot to unpack, but damn, let’s unpack it.”
Ethan clears his throat before I have the chance to answer, “Who is she, Jakob?”
I stiffen at his tone and pull away from my brother. Ethan is even more protective than I am.
“Natasha.”
“The same Natasha that you’ve been acting like a kicked dog over for the past five years?” His tone is deathly calm.
“Yeah, about that. I never have been and never will be in love with her.”
The look on his face is one of bewilderment as the pieces slowly click into place and shock covers his features. “Declan?”
“It’s always been him.” I hang my head in shame for lying to my friends all of this time, but I never knew how they would react to this. They’ve never been the biggest fans of the Byrne’s.
“So you’ve lied to us. For five years you’ve LIED and let us believe the woman who’s been actually hurting you was really the one you’ve been in love with. What the fuck, Jake?”
He’s right. That’s absolute bullshit, and I know it.
I’ve let them think shit that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
All because I’ve been terrified of them finding out that I’ve been hopelessly heartbroken over a man all these years.
They’re my absolute best friends and I didn’t trust them with this. What kind of asshole am I?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t– I mean I couldn’t– I was– “ Deciding there’s no good reason for this, I just shake my head. “I’m sorry. I’ll head back to Declan’s.” Looking to my brother, I nod. “I’ll call you later?”
He dips his chin but otherwise stays silent. Right as I pull the door open, Ethan slams it shut again with his hand hitting the door above mine.
“You’re joking, right? You tell me this, I act shocked, and you shut me right back out? You don’t even give me a real chance to be there for you? What the fuck, Jakob? Have I ever been a friend who walks away when shit gets rough?”
“No.”
“So why would you think I’d start now? Come sit the hell down and let’s figure out what we’re going to do.”
“We have fifteen minutes, then we have to brainstorm in the garage. I have a business to run, and E has a paycheck to earn.”
We all sit on the ground and try to figure out how we’re going to get out of this unscathed.