Page 61 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

“Don’t know,” Declan mutters. “But we need you to stall them, please.”

She nods grimly. “If I didn’t do that a hundred times for your da back in the day. I know how to stall. Head out the back, and straight down the garden to the gate at the bottom. It leads out onto the field, and you can get to the woods from there,” she says all commandery.

I’m impressed.

Declan nods and grabs a pair of boots from near the door as the banging starts to get more insistent and yanks them onto his feet.

“Hold yer damn horses!” Mary calls out.

Declan grabs me by the elbow and gives his mom a quick kiss. “Thank you,” he says and steers me away.

“Take care of your girl, Declan,” she insists quietly, causing me to turn around in surprise. I thought she’d be mad and disappointed in me.

All I see is understanding and a determination to protect me at all costs.

“Thank you for everything,” I murmur.

She nods grimly, and then shoos us away.

“What the fuck is going on?” David yells out and I shush him as Declan leads me out of the back door, across the garden to the gate that will lead to our escape.

I hope.

I’ve seen the movies, where the cops are lying in wait at your supposed exit.

But luckily, there is no one ready to ambush us. We make our getaway through the field and into the small woods.

“What now?” I ask Declan.

“There’s a shed about a mile into the woods. I have a car stashed.”

“Of course you do,” David drawls from the phone I’m still clutching in my hand.

Declan takes my bag from me. “Can you keep up?” he asks me.

“Set the pace and I’ll do my best,” I say, slightly out of breath already. Failure to hit the gym for coming on a month now is definitely showing. My side is protesting, but I ignore it and keep up. He is moving swiftly, but steadily, so I look down at David.

“Are you up to speed?” I ask.

“Irish pigs at the door, you’re fleeing, Mama G defending the stronghold,” he says, counting it out on his fingers.

I snort. “Guess you are.”

“Where are you going?” he asks.

I shrug. “You need to get ready to head out,” I mutter, knowing they’ll already be packed because we were meant to leave today anyway. I got sidetracked by my night with Declan and packing was forgotten.

“Get in the car and head west,” Declan calls out, taking the phone from me. I stumble and Declan stops, dropping my bag and holding me steady.

“I’m okay,” I mumble.

“We’ll have a minute,” he says and then goes back to barking instructions to Layton now on where to go.

“County Galway,” he says, “Head towards Connemara.”

“Got it,” Layton says and hands the phone back to David.

Declan passes it to me. “Why there?” I ask.

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