Page 60 of Reclaim (Deadly Hearts 3)

“And who do you think they’ll believe?” It’s not a question. If Giselle was so far in debt that she sold me out to my Daddy – I give Declan a vicious glare, which he has no idea about because he isn’t in my thought process – then they aren’t likely to believe little old me did it while I was in Ireland.

“Why are you pissed at me, Ruby?” he asks bluntly, not one to simmer and sit on stuff. Something I love about him so much.

I sigh. “I’m not. Just remembering that she sold me out to keep you happy.”

“Oh,” he mutters.

“Now that you’re back, expect a visit, I would imagine,” David adds.

“Over my dead body…” Declan starts, but I shush him.

“Let her come. I have unsaid words that need to be told. Deceitful cunt.”

Declan’s eyes narrow at the venom in my tone. “Do you find me deceitful, Ruby?”

“Stop fucking calling me ‘Ruby’,” I blast out.

“It’s your name.”

“Noooo, Princess is my name as far as you are concerned and don’t you forget it. Speaking of things forgotten…” I laser my steely glare over to Layton. “You both owe me absolution, now twice over. It’s not fair that you overlooked it before to get your dicks wet.”

“Ouch,” Declan mutters. “But I am aware.”

I.

He excluded Layton from that nicely.

“Humph,” I mutter, still pinning Layton’s gaze with my own. “You owe me a damn sight more.”

“I know,” he says. “Please can we go upstairs to speak, just the two of us?”

“You’re not helping with the DB?” Cillian asks, eyeing up Layton’s bulk, which would come in handy when hauling a mutilated, tortured body around Manchester.

Layton shakes his head. “You three can manage. Ruby and I need to talk.”

I grit my teeth, but without another word, I march over to Declan and pull him in for a deep kiss, which he doesn’t respond to before I murmur against his lips, “Come back to me, my love.”

He inhales deeply, eyes closed and kisses my forehead softly, wrapping his arms around me, but he doesn’t say anything.

Cupping his face, I stroke his cheeks. “I love you. I need you, Declan.” I use his name to show him that this isn’t about our other relationship. This is about us.

“I’m here, Princess. I won’t ever leave you.”

He drops his mouth lightly to mine, to show me he has returned from the space he goes when he is in killer mode. But it’s not a full return. He is partly here, but it will do for now. When he gives me my absolution, it will heal us both.

Turning away, I head up the stairs, with David bringing my bag and Layton trailing behind me like a kicked puppy.

Well, the simile is about to be pretty accurate. He’s about to get a kick in the balls and I’m going to enjoy administering it.

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