Page 70 of Destroy (Deadly Hearts 2)

ChapterThirty

David

As one, we all turn our gazes to Cillian. He is pale. I don’t blame him. Low-level killing within the mob is one thing, taking out the head is an entirely different ball game. I have to say that I’m marginally impressed that Cillian is so high up the food chain himself that he reports directly to the Alpha. Well, was, I suppose now.

No one says a word.

“So how do we decide if we’re doing this?” I ask, taking the bull by the horns. “Whose decision is it? Ruby’s, because it’s her life? Cillian’s, because he’s paying? Declan, because he’s the one who has to do it? All of us having a vote and majority wins? I don’t know how this works.”

Silence.

Ruby has her lips pursed and after a few seconds she pulls away from me, turning her back and walking over to stare out over the Atlantic Ocean, perhaps seeking guidance from her family across the way.

Cillian steps forward, but I stop him with a hand on his arm. “Leave her,” I state.

He might be the big shot mafia dude, but when it comes to Ruby, I’m the expert. Even now, when she has changed slightly. A month ago, she would’ve dived in with gusto, making plans and getting off on the thrill of something so dangerous. Now, she is contemplating. She will come down on the side of yay for assassination, of that I have no doubt. She has been through the worst and come out of it. There is no way she wants to live in fear of her life being snuffed out. Not before, and especially not now.

“Ruby’s choice,” Cillian says eventually.

I shift my eyes to Declan. He is grim-faced and his whole demeanor has gone taut. I go to him and squeeze his hand. “You don’t have to do it, if you don’t want to,” I whisper to him.

He turns his head to stare at me with that blank look. He blinks and then nods slowly. “It’s not that,” he says, shaking his head. “It’s the aftermath.”

“Yeah,” I say and watch as Ramsey goes to Ruby. I knew he would. He’s the one that can bring her back from the brink with this.

I lean forward on impulse and kiss Declan’s forehead. He leans into it, closing his eyes and for one brief moment, he relaxes.

That is until Cillian splutters, and it tears us apart.

“Leave it,” Declan mumbles to him and pulls away, going to Ruby as well.

I stare after him confused.

Turning back to Cillian, about to give him a speech on love is love and all that, I stop. His face is haunted and pale. I frown and bite my tongue. This isn’t about a case of homophobia. This runs deeper into something pretty dark.

Declan said he had never been with another man before, but I’m starting to think that was a lie. He was too skilled to be a novice. It was too easy for him to take my dick in his mouth. My mouth goes dry, but I don’t ask. If Declan wants to share, he can. It’s not really any of my business if he has secrets that include sex with men. My only concern is if he is keeping secrets from Ruby. Could this potentially explode into a volatile situation? Declan is the master of his emotions. It’s hard to tell some days if he even has any, but everyone has a breaking point. Judging by Cillian’s face, this might just be his.

I clear my throat, turning Cillian’s attention back to me after he also stared after Declan. He looks deep into my eyes, and I return the stare.

“You care about him?” he asks quietly as Layton, sensing something is up, also turns to go to Ruby, leaving us alone.

“Yes,” I answer carefully.

“But you are in love with Ruby. I can see that much.”

“I am.”

He nods slowly. “If you hurt him or make him do anything he doesn’t want to…” He takes a menacing step forward. “…I will make you wish you’d never been born.”

I roll my eyes at him, surprising him. “Yeah, yeah,” I drawl. “I’m more scared of him than you. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. There isn’t a chance in hell I could make him do anything he doesn’t want to.”

Cillian snorts and gives me a once-over with a raised eyebrow. “Yeah, I see your point. Still, the promise stands.”

“Noted,” I say with narrowed eyes, offended by his assessment of me, but then I figure this isn’t really about me. It’s about Declan, so I let it go.

He gives me a smile, which I take as it was clearly meant, and return it.

“He is a remarkable man,” I say.

“You have no idea,” he says and then steps back when the rest of them rejoin us.

If my interest wasn’t piqued before, it definitely is now.

The saying curiosity killed the cat echoes in my head.

But something tells me, this cat is going to have to dig a little deeper, to make sure that Ruby is protected at all costs.

“What is the verdict?” I ask, turning to Ruby.

“We decide on this together,” she states. “Unanimous vote.”

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