Page 112 of Chasing Sarah

I startle and shove Rhys away.

Declan stands with his arms across his chest, wearing the most unamused face possible. “Get your dick wet after we’ve completed what we’re here to do,” he grunts.

Rhys chuckles. “I plan to get my dick wet any chance I can.”

I jab him in the stomach with my elbow. “He’s right. We need to focus.”

Heat still radiates from my core in spite of what we’re getting ourselves into tonight. Declan is right. There is no time to mess around when we have a mission to complete. Regardless of how it goes down, its guaranteed people are going to get hurt. Some will die.

We need to avoid being in either of those categories by the end of this.

Clearing his throat, Rhys swipes a hand through his hair. “Just trying to help the tension I can feel rising in the air.”

My heart softens at his statement.

“As long as we stick to the plan and keep our heads on straight, we’ll all get to go home when this is over.”

Liam steps into the room dressed in all black tactical gear. He has on a shoulder holster which holds two pistols. Another holster is strapped to his thigh. “Almost time to go.”

Declan turns and nods in his direction. “Alright. Let get those women and girls out of there.” He looks pointedly at me for a moment. “You need to stay alive.Paigeneeds you to stay alive.”

My eyes sting and I swallow the lump in my throat. “I don’t plan to die tonight.”

“We will all make it back in one piece,” Liam adds. “I still have my woman to marry.”

A watery chuckle escapes me. Liam has been very impatient about marrying Emily. But she wants to have a very intimate weddingafterwe’re no longer at risk of being abducted or murdered. She and Paige deserve to live a life in peace.

Declan clasps a hand on Liam’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Go ndéanann tú deartháir.”That you do, brother.

I’ve learned enough Gaelige over the last year that I’m not completely lost when the three of them decide to speak it.

We follow Declan and Liam out of the house. The heat of the day has mellowed from blistering to a slight simmer after the sun set. The humidity is going to kill me though.

Once everything is ready and loaded, we stand in front of the SUVs we will be taking to the auction’s location.

Declan, Liam, and Rhys take turns clasping each other by the back of the neck and pressing their foreheads together. Each of them whisper “Bígí slán deartháir.”Be safe, brother.

Declan and Liam hug me tightly then climb into separate vehicles. As they drive away and Rhys and I climb into our own car, my stomach knots.

Unease coils in my chest.

It’s just the nerves. Everything is going to be okay.

“And you’re just telling us about this now?!” Tommy’s roar makes me jump.

After my run in with Eddie and Damien, I shut down. I didn’t tell anyone what had happened. Damien’s death wasn’t on the news and no one in town seemed to even notice he was gone. Eddie became a ghost after that night, and I convinced myself that if I didn’t say anything then he would remain that way.

But the guilt and fear have been eating at me every day for the last six months. I’m a coward and a terrible person for staying silent for so long.

Damien deserves more than what I gave him. He saved my fucking life that night. He deserves to be remembered as more than a smalltown drug dealer.

“I was scared!” I scream. “I didn’t know what to do!”

“You should have come to us!” Colson retorts, jabbing his thumb into his chest. “We are family, Sarah. We are supposed to protect each other.”

Shame rises in my chest.

“Where is this guy now?” Ronny asks.

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