by Melody Anne
Declan watched Angela go safely inside the restaurant. He didn’t want to leave her, but he had to find the shooter. He’d been hit in the shoulder, but his adrenaline was running so high nothing was going to stop him.
He knew he was going to hurt like hell later, but right now he was pushing the pain aside. He’d been shot before. It wasn’t critical if he dealt with it soon enough. He had time. He heard the sirens in the distance and knew help was on the way, but he wasn’t going to wait for them. Someone had come after Angela and he wasn’t standing for it.
He moved from the outdoor seating area, keeping himself low. He wasn’t going to become an easy target. The streets were lit up, but there were also a lot of shadows to hide in. He didn’t know if it was one person or multiple shooters. He didn’t like this situation one little bit.
He moved ahead, no sign of the shooter anywhere. So he stopped and listened for the sound of steps, heavy breathing, or the click of a gun. His patience was rewarded. He finally heard steps as someone ran away.
“Like hell you will,” he muttered as he jumped out from behind the car he’d been using for cover and went after the sound of the steps.
He was furious.
He didn’t leave himself wide open, but he turned a corner and saw a short man fleeing the scene. He was fast, but Declan was faster. He was closing the gap between them. He wouldn’t shoot the man in the back. He prayed he’d turn around. Declan wanted an excuse to put a bullet in this guy who had dared to come after his woman.
It was too late by the time the guy realized Declan was hot on his trail. He was only five feet away when the man turned, his eyes widening. He reached for his gun, but Declan closed the gap between them and threw the entire weight of his body at the guy, who had to be at least fifty pounds lighter than Declan. It was an easy tackle.
The man’s gun went skidding away, and Declan started to feel the pain in his arm from the shot. “Not yet,” he growled.
But the man got away from him as Declan felt darkness overtaking him. He couldn’t let this man get up, get to his gun. He grabbed at his legs, but the guy laughed and kicked his hand away.
“Looks like you’ve lost a lot of blood,” he said.
“Tell me your name,” Declan demanded.
He laughed. “The cops are almost here. I can’t give away all my secrets,” he said.
“You don’t need to,” Angela said. Declan couldn’t see her, didn’t know where she was, and his panic increased ten-fold. She was supposed to be hiding in the restaurant. “I remember your face, Mario Vasquez. You will pay for what you’ve done.”
Declan was fading, but he fought it as he turned his head. He watched in horror as the man in front of him pulled out another gun and took aim. Everything was starting to go black. He wasn’t going to be able to keep his promise to her.
A shot rang out as sirens closed in. And Declan lost consciousness.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Angela waited in the hospital for the doctors to come out and tell her everything was fine. They’d assured her the bullet hadn’t hit any major arteries, but they’d also said it was still a bullet wound and he’d lost a lot of blood. She was a total mess.
“Angela!” Roxie cried as she came skidding to a halt in the OR waiting room. Kian was right on her heels.
“I tried to get back there, but of course, it’s my brother and they won’t let me in,” Kian said with frustration.
“They said he’ll be fine,” Angela said, but she still couldn’t stop the tears. “Mario was aiming for me and he got Declan instead. I’m so sorry.” She felt horrible. She was the one who’d insisted on going out. If they hadn’t been there, Declan wouldn’t be on the operating table right now.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this,” Roxie said. “This monster has been terrorizing the town for a long time, and Declan was closing in on him. He wanted you both, and Declan would gladly sacrifice himself for you, because he loves you.”
“He’s such a good man. He’s done so much for me. I don’t want to lose him. I’m so scared,” Angela cried.
“We won’t lose him. He’s far too much of a badass,” Owen said as he joined them.
“Those aren’t words of encouragement,” Eden told her husband as she sat on the other side of Angela. “But he is one heck of a tough man. I’ve known him my entire life, and I have no doubt we’re going to be told he’s okay any minute now.”
“They have Mario in custody. You hurt him bad,” Arden said with a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. “I just got off the phone with the police department. He’s in surgery. They want to keep him alive to atone for his sins.”
“They should just let him die after the terror he’s put this town through,” Keera said. She was such a gentle woman that those words seemed foreign on her lips.
“Oh, I have a feeling he won’t last long in prison after all his abuse of women and children is known,” Arden assured his wife.
“He needs to pay for what he’s done,” Angela said. “I was so scared. When Declan tackled him, his gun went flying. He told me to stay put, but I couldn’t. I tried to stay back, but he was running after that man and I wanted to help. But when Mario pulled out his gun I had to make a decision fast, so I fired. Then the cop car arrived as he was falling down.”
“You saved Declan. I have no doubt about it,” Kian told her. “You did the right thing.”
“I’ve never shot someone.” She couldn’t seem to stop crying.
“None of us ever want to do that,” he told her. “But just remember you saved my brother’s life. You’re a hero.”
Before they could say anything else a doctor stepped through the doors, and they all went silent. Kian was studying his face for signs of good or bad news.
“Your brother is ticked off, but he’s just fine,” Dr. Michaels said. “He’s one tough man. He’s coming off the anesthesia now and wasn’t happy about being put under. I think he would’ve rather we used duct tape and fishing line.” The man chuckled.
“That sounds like my brother,” Kian said. “He’s an idiot.”
“Yeah, the tough guys always are. He’ll be ready for visitors in about an hour. I normally like to wait a while, but I’m afraid he’ll rip out his IVs and come hunting Angela down if she doesn’t get in there right now. He’s been very insistent.”
“Can I see him?” she asked.
“Yes, follow me.”
Eden squeezed her hand, then Angela was on her own with the doctor walking down the hallway. When she entered the recovery room Declan was in, she tried like crazy to keep the tears back. But she wasn’t used to seeing her strong man look so weak.
He was shirtless on the table with two IVs in him, and he was so pale. There was a large bandage on his shoulder only a few inches from his chest. If that shot would’ve been a little lower, she would’ve lost him. She couldn’t imagine that.
“Did he get you?” Declan asked. His voice was raspy, most likely from the oxygen tube they would’ve inserted during surgery.
“No. He didn’t get me. I shot him,” she said. She moved to his side and stood over him. He lifted his hand and she grabbed it. “He’s in custody.”
“Was it Mario?” he asked.
“Yes, it was Mario. We got him,” she told Declan.
“Good. That’s a start,” he said.
“No. It’s the end. You got the kingpin. Now you can put your case together,” she said.
“I didn’t get him. You did. You’re the bravest woman I know,” he told her.
“You’ve made me braver,” she assured him. “And now he won’t be chasing me anymore.”
“I was so worried about you,” he said.
“Declan Forbes, you scared me so much. You were shot and you went running after that lunatic. I will smack you when you’re back to full strength,” she said with a watery smile.
“Promise?” he said with a flirty wink.
“You drive me crazy,” she said. And then she couldn’t
hold it back any longer. “And I love you.”
He gazed at her like she was the most amazing person on the planet, and it made her heart swell with even more love than she thought possible.
“I don’t ever want to live without you, Angela. Now crawl in this bed with me so I know you’re okay. I need to sleep.”
“I can’t crawl in. It’s against the rules,” she said as she looked behind her.
“Screw the rules. I need you at my side.”
She wasn’t good at breaking rules, but she also couldn’t deny him anything. She kicked off her shoes and carefully crawled into bed with him, making sure she didn’t lie on his IVs.
“Don’t scare me like that again—ever.”
She laughed against his chest.
“You’re the one who better not be scaring me,” he said.
He closed his eyes and soon was breathing steadily. She tried to get up but he squeezed her hand and grumbled, so she just lay back. She didn’t care if she got in trouble.
An hour later his family walked in and found them wrapped up together sound asleep. They all smiled.
Chapter Thirty-Four
It had been a week since they’d returned home from the hospital and Angela was still in Declan’s house. They hadn’t talked about it, and she was afraid to bring it up. But Mario Vasquez was behind bars and he’d been spilling it all.
There was no loyalty amongst thieves. His operation was shut down. Raids had been made, and over a dozen arrests had happened already. One of the biggest operations in the area had gone down in smoke.
Angela thought she’d feel joy at that. But she didn’t. She was unsure of what the future would bring. She needed to get a job, move from Declan’s house, and learn how to live again. But she wasn’t sure how to do that.
Especially with the news she’d just discovered. She was in shock. That wasn’t something even close to being on her radar.
She sat on the bathtub and gazed at the pregnancy stick, then at the other three next to it. She’d taken them over the course of eight hours. They all said the same thing—pregnant.
How in the world had it happened?
Well, of course she knew how it happened. She just hadn’t thought it was possible for her. He’d already told her he trusted her. He’s already said he’d love his child if she were to get pregnant. But thinking about a baby, and there actually being a baby, were two entirely different matters.
She was scared, but at the same time, filled with joy. She hadn’t thought it possible to have a baby, and yet she was pregnant. And once again she wasn’t married. But she’d done a great job with Timothy, or as good a job as possible being a single mom.
Unlike Timothy’s biological father, she had no doubt Declan would want to be a part of their child’s life. But what did it mean for the two of them? She didn’t want to be in a relationship because of a child, and she wished they had more time to understand their feelings for one another before a child was brought into the mix.
Declan was so amazing with Timothy. It was special for her to watch the way the two of them had bonded. She’d been cautious, because she didn’t want her son growing attached to someone who might step back out of his life. But she hadn’t been able to stop it.
She came downstairs after sitting in her trance for too long. She was trying to figure out a way to tell Declan what was going on. She found him in the kitchen where he took one look at her and stopped what he was doing.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t exactly say something is wrong,” she told him. She began pacing the kitchen. “It’s just that everything is up in the air and I’m confused.”
She was growing agitated, but she didn’t exactly know why. She was feeling claustrophobic in the giant house. That was insane.
“I understand,” he told her. “We’ve been looking for Mario for a long time, and sometimes it’s hard to settle after the bad guy has been caught.”
“It has nothing to do with the case,” she snapped. She was taking out her uncertainties on him when he’d done nothing wrong. “I’m just feeling trapped right now.”
He flinched at her words. “Do you want to leave here?” he asked. There was hurt in his eyes.
“No . . . unless you want me to leave. It’s just that I’m trying to tell you something and I don’t know how to do it.”
He remained calm, and she was grateful he wasn’t trying to touch her. She didn’t think she could handle that right then.
“Take your time and tell me,” he said. She was even irritated that he was calm. She was so agitated and he was just sitting there as if they were having a casual Sunday morning conversation.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted. She couldn’t look at him. The room went utterly silent. She gazed at the kitchen counter as if it was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen. Still, there was nothing from Declan.
Finally she couldn’t take it anymore and had to look up. She was shocked to see him smiling. He wasn’t speaking though, and she didn’t know what that meant.
“Did you hear me?” she asked. “I said I’m pregnant. And there’s zero doubt it’s your baby. I just don’t understand how because I was told I couldn’t get pregnant, but I took three tests and they all turned blue.”
“The body can heal,” he said. “We’ll get married right away.”
Now it was her turn to go silent. She gaped at him as he sat back and sipped his coffee. He was talking about marriage as if it was simply the two of them going out to dinner.
“We aren’t getting married because of a baby. I’ve seen people do that, and it’s usually a disaster.”
“We’ve already become a family. I’ve known you for three years and I respect you,” he told her. “Timothy needs a father and I want to be that for him. And now we’re having a baby. I don’t want to miss out on a single moment of your pregnancy or our child’s life. So, of course, we’ll get married.”
It wasn’t exactly the proposal of her dreams, but he was making sense. They did get along, the sex was great, and she did love him. She just didn’t want to say that right now. He hadn’t told her he loved her. She knew he desired her and liked her. But that was a far cry from love. She wasn’t sure Declan was the type of guy to be head over heels in love, and that’s something she’d always wanted.
“We don’t have to be married to have a family, Declan. I know you’ll want to be part of the baby’s life.”
“I thought I’d be a bachelor my entire life. But then my siblings found the love of their lives and I found myself envying them. I’ve been intrigued by you from the moment our eyes first met, and those feelings have only grown in intensity over the years. I think we can have a beautiful marriage. And I think we’ll make a fine family.”
There were no words of love, but she didn’t want him to tell her he loved her unless it truly was from his heart. Could she marry a man without love? She wasn’t sure.
She loved him, and she had no doubt he cared about her and her son. Would that be enough? A lot of marriages were built on less and they lasted. But it scared her. She didn’t want to end up divorced.
“We could just live together, Declan,” she told him as she approached. “No one would judge us for that, not in today’s world.”
He cupped her cheek as he looked into her eyes. There was true respect in them. That was more than a lot of women got. She so wanted to tell him how much she loved him, but she held it in.
“I’d judge me. I want to marry you. My family will be thrilled. I think Timothy will be just as excited. Please marry me,” he said. He leaned down and kissed her. It still wasn’t the proposal of her dreams, but it was closer. There was no dropping to his knees, no heartfelt words of love. But there was respect and understanding. That was more than she’d ever had before.
“Maybe you should think about this,” she told him. “Take a few days.”
He laughed. “I won’t change my mind. I’m one hundred percent sure of this.”
“Okay, I guess we can get married,” she said.
The smile he gave her was all the reward she’d ever need. He kissed her again, then pulled back.
“Can you be ready in a week?”
“For what?” she asked.
“The wedding,” he told her as he stood. “We will want to do it quickly.”
“We can’t plan a wedding that fast, not even a small one,” she said. “There isn’t that big of a rush.”
He laughed. “You haven’t seen my family in action. If we tell them we want a fast wedding that’s what will happen.”
“Declan, you don’t have to rush it. I won’t show for a while,” she said as she laid a hand on her stomach.
“I’m not worried about you showing. I can’t wait for your stomach to round. I just want to make you my wife.”
The words were spoken so simply and yet they were the most beautiful words ever said to her. This time she was the one to lean against him and give him a kiss. She truly did love this man.
“I’m going to leave it in your hands,” she said.
He lifted her from the ground and spun her around, which was a mistake. She had to fight nausea.
“Sorry. I’m just really happy,” he told her. “A week ago, with all the stress, I didn’t think that was possible.”
“I’m pretty happy too, Declan, and that’s all because of you.”
“Good. Now we need to talk to Timothy,” he told her. She hadn’t even thought of that. There was a poor mother moment.
“We’ll do it together.” If they were getting married, they’d be doing everything together for the rest of their lives. She could barely wrap her mind around it.
He kissed her again, this time slow and sweet. She sighed as she snuggled into his arms. It might not have been the proposal of her dreams, but it was heartfelt and they had something to build upon. They were a family. She wasn’t sure how it was all going to work out, but she was going to try to simply live in the moment. It wasn’t such a bad place to be.