Page 63 of Chasing Sarah

His eyes remain trained on his task, his lips pursed. “We know it’s the Italians; that much is obvious. What I can’t figure out is why. Antonio just struck a deal with us, so there shouldn’t be any motive for this.”

Exactly.

“What about the issue with Jackie?” I ask.

When Antonio came storming into the restaurant we went to with Sarah and Paige, he was losing his shit about Jackie fallingoff the wagon and using again. She went off about Declan, so Antonio placed the blame on him.

Declan shakes his head. “Nah, she’s a pain in the ass but her brother wouldn’t fuck with me over her.”

I nod. That’s true. Jackie has a lot of issues and has caused problems for Antonio many times over the years I’ve known her.

But she’s also a spiteful bitch.

“What if she’s behind this?”

The thought might not be too far-fetched. Jackie wants Declan and he literally told her to fuck off. I wouldn’t be surprised if she wanted to stir up shit.

Declan snorts and turns to face our unconscious victim.

Scratch that. He’s definitely dead now.

“She’d better hope she’s not behind this. I’d make what we just did look like child’s play if that were the case.” He gestures with his chin toward the body.

“Have Finn and Liam drop his body off at the Romano’s estate,” he orders, then takes his phone from his pocket and strides out of the cellar.

I quickly send a text to Finn and Liam with Declan’s order.

The blood on the floor sticks to the bottom of my shoes. Each step I take makes asquelchsound.

I wordlessly circle the man’s lifeless body.

Why? I’m not entirely sure.

I was hopeful that he’d be able to give us something to work with to figure out who is after us.

Yes, Declan and his family have made many enemies over the years but right now the timing doesn’t make sense.

We don’t have any tension among anyone at the moment.

At least none that I’m aware of.

Liam and Finn step into the room, pulling me from the thoughts.

“Fuck,” Liam mutters under his breath, scanning the carnage left by Declan.

“Aren’t you glad he never found out about Emily?” I whisper when Liam steps to my side.

Liam and Declan’s sister Emily were secretly dating before her father was murdered alongside her contract fiancé.

She and Liam had some fallout that he won’t talk about and she up and left for Ireland with her ma.

It wasn’t my place to say anything to Declan, but I made it clear to Liam that he needed to tread lightly when it came to Emily.

He sends me a glare, then works with Finn to wrap the corpse in a plastic tarp. The two of them lift the body and head toward the door that leads outside.

* * *

The next hour or so is spent in the sparring gym on the estate.

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