Page 91 of Declan

It’s smart. If Alek’s done any digging, he knows I wouldn’t kill someone unless necessary—like those men in the Callaghan penthouse. Shooting an unarmed man like Flynn would be nearly impossible for me. Alek likely knows I’m alone, with no one to rely on to do the killing for me.

“Poison,” Connor says, his calm voice cutting through the room.

My eyebrows shoot up.

“Enough to make Flynn have a reaction and look dead without actually killing him,” Connor explains.

“His men will see everything happen,” Declan says. “We’ll take him to our clinic, where we can control the narrative. He’ll be in a fake coma until Alek feels safe enough to come out of hiding. We’ll make sure the news spreads.”

He finishes, locking eyes with me.

“But if we poison him here, won’t the other families think I did it?” I ask, still trying to process this insane plan.

“That’s why we’ll do it at one of Flynn’s clubs tomorrow night,” Connor replies, typing furiously on his laptop.

“Wait, we’re not actually going to poison him, right?” I glance at Flynn, who looks so relaxed he could be on vacation.

“Of course you are,” Flynn says, grinning. “Don’t worry—we’ll use one with an antidote.”

“No,” I say, my voice shaking. My hands feel icy like I’ve been clutching snow. “We can’t. It’s too risky.” I shake my head, panic bubbling inside me. This is madness. What if the antidote fails? What if he dies?

“He’ll be fine,” Declan reassures me, but my mind spins with worst-case scenarios.

“I’ll be fine,” Flynn says, walking over to me. His hand lands on my shoulder, steady and warm. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” He grimaces.

“You’ve been poisoned before?” I gape at his nonchalant tone.

“We had some wild nights about a decade ago,” he says, sharing a knowing look with Declan.

“It’s not poison,” Connor explains, his calm voice like ice. “It’s a mixture of plants that makes you pass out and slows your heart rate until it’s nearly undetectable. You’ll look dead.”

“You’ll put it in Flynn’s drink,” Declan continues, his voice steady. “Just in case someone’s watching. We must be careful. We’ve got one shot to make Alek believe this.”

I nod, my breathing hitching. One shot. If I mess this up, if any of us do, Alek will come for me—for all of us.

“Tomorrow,” I whisper, my phone buzzing in my pocket.

I’ll wait, little dove.

“Dove?” Declan frowns as I let out a nervous laugh, my stomach turning and I feel the bile rising.

He grabs my arm. “About that one-night stand…” He pulls me into the hallway, and I hear Flynn’s amused whisper behind us.

“Close the fucking door!” Connor yells. My cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Declan shoves the bedroom door open, pushing me inside and pinning me against the wall. His intoxicating scent surrounds me.

“How did it happen?” His body tenses, his hand sliding along my back, leaving shivers in its wake. He kisses the curve of my neck, his lips brushing my collarbone, and my knees threaten to buckle.

“It’s—” I stammer. “Not important.”

“Oh, but it is, firecracker,” he murmurs, his tone husky. “Did he make you come?” His grip tightens on my hips, his fingers tracing torturous circles.

“Declan—”

“Did you scream his fucking name?” His voice roughens, demanding.

“No,” I whimper as his teeth sink into my shoulder.

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