Taking Risk Series

by Toni Aleo

  What in God’s name is going on here?

  “Thank you. I’d like that. She’s very special to me,” Declan answers, kissing my cheek before flashing me a wide grin.

  I return it, leaning into him as his father says, “That’s to be seen, I guess.”

  Mrs. O’Callaghan waves him off. “Ivor, please, she is lovely. You should come for tea, darling. Lena would love to meet you.”

  “I met her earlier. She was sweet and has made plans to call me next week.”

  “Wonderful, I will join to get to know you better. Declan seems pretty smitten with you.”

  My cheeks hurt from grinning so hard as I look up in his eyes. “I feel the same way.”

  “Lovely!”

  Looking back at Mr. O’Callaghan, he asks, “Are you having a nice time, then?”

  “Yes, sir, it’s a lovely ball. You have a beautiful home.”

  Mrs. O’Callaghan sends me a pleased smile as Mr. O’Callaghan says, “It is nice, huh? My great-great-great-great-grandda built it. It has been in the family my whole life. I was born here. Declan and Lena were born here. It’s special.”

  “I bet. That’s amazing,” I gush, biting the inside of my cheek.

  “Have you ever seen something like this back in the States? Where are you from, Tennessee? Do they have houses like this there?”

  I slowly shake my head while Declan lets out a breath as he says, “Let’s go, Amberlyn. I’d like to dance.”

  “Now, don’t run off. We are talking, Declan,” Mr. O’Callaghan says before setting me with a look. “Do they?”

  “No sir, but I wouldn’t consider this a home. It’s more a castle. We have mansions but not castles like this. It’s breathtaking here, and sometimes, I’m scared to touch things when I come to visit.”

  “Scared, huh? Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to marry our son, Noreen, even though the paper says otherwise.”

  “Da,” Declan warns. “The papers are rubbish, and you know it.”

  “Sure, because she hasn’t said yes, right? Have you even asked her? Better get to work, son. Time is ticking.”

  Whoa, what? I have no clue what they are talking about, and I need answers. Looking over at Declan, I can see that he is fighting to control his anger. His eyes are narrowed, a vein is sticking out of his forehead, and his breath is labored.

  “Ivor, that is enough. Don’t do this in front of his lovely girlfriend.”

  “Why not? It includes her, if she’ll marry him.”

  What. The. Fuck?

  Sputtering, I ask, “Declan?”

  “Ignore him, come on,” he says, pulling me with him.

  But not in time before I hear his father call out, “Ignore it all you want, Declan. You only have three months before Micah takes over. I’d make a move if I were you. Even though, I’m pretty sure she is not made for this life.”

  “Declan, what the hell is going on?”

  “Nothing,” he says, pulling me through the ballroom and out a side door to the side of the house. The warm air hits my skin as we head toward where it looks like the cars are parked. Declan’s body is shaking with anger, and he won’t look me in the eyes as he says, “I’m gonna take you home, okay, love? I’m not feeling well.”

  Stopping in my tracks, I take hold of his wrist, stopping him. “Whoa, no, stop. What the hell was your dad talking about? Who’s Micah?”

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closes his eyes as he takes in a deep breath. “Please, Amberlyn, let me take you home. I’m sorry to ruin the night. I just need to go to sleep, I think.”

  “No,” I answer, taking a step toward him. Removing his hand from his nose, I take his face in my hands and whisper, “Don’t shut me out. Please, tell me what’s going on.”

  Closing his eyes, he leans into my hand before opening them to look at me. “Micah is my sister’s fiancé, and he will take over the distillery in three months if I’m not married.”

  Huh? Raising my brow, I ask, “But I thought everything goes to you when your dad retires?”

  “It would if I’m married. You know how you call the way I am treated by the town dumb and stupid? Well, it gets worse. I am obligated to be married before I turn twenty-one, or I don’t get the distillery. Only a man in love can love the distillery the way it should be loved.”

  I am so confused it isn’t even funny. “But you’re twenty-two?”

  “Things were ignored because of what happened to Lena. They blamed the fact I wasn’t married on that, but it wasn’t that. I just never cared for anyone, and I refuse to get married unless I love the person.”

  I’m speechless; I don’t know what to say. Blinking, I can only look at him as I process everything he has just said. Watching me, he tucks his hands inside his suit pants and I say, “Why are you just now telling me this? This is huge. This is something you share with someone, you know? Why were you are hiding this from me? Don’t you know you can tell me anything?”

  He kicks at the ground as he slowly meets my gaze. “I know, Amberlyn. It’s just that I am nervous. When I met you, everything changed. You awakened me and made my life worth living in this very short time of being with you. I was so scared to lose you, and I didn’t want to scare you away with my stupid family drama. I don’t even remember what was important to me before I met you. All that matters is you now, and I’ve decided that being with you is way more important than this distillery or anything else, for that matter.”

  My heart is singing, but still, I can’t believe he didn’t tell me this. “I am thankful you feel that way because I feel the same, but still, Declan—”

  “No, Amberlyn, as much as I want to have it all, I refuse to rush you and make you feel as if you have to marry me. I won’t do that. I know you, and I know that you’ll jump to help me, but I refuse to do that to you. Instead, I’ll lose it all in the hopes that one day you will marry me and continue to make me the happiest man alive because I—”

  “Leave me alone!”

  Declan stops short, and my heart stills because I am sure he was about to tell me he loves me. I want that more than anything, but instead of saying anything else, he turns to look in the direction that the voice came from. Following his gaze to where two people stand in a heated conversation, I ignore them and am about to ask him what he was going to say because obviously, we are not done here. But then someone who sounds very much like Casey says, “No, you have to tell them I didn’t touch you! I can’t leave. I can’t move my ma. I have to stay here!”

  “I don’t know if you did or not! Take the money and go, Casey. Your ma will be fine wherever you move her to. Just leave, make my life and yours better.”

  “Lena?” Declan asks and Lena whips around, shock visible on her face.

  “Declan, what are you doing out here?”

  “I should ask you the same,” he says and starts for her. I rush to catch up as he says, “What the fuck are you doing here, Casey, especially talking to my sister?”

  “Declan, it’s nothing. We were just talking. He’s leaving,” she says quickly, putting her hands up to stop her brother, but Declan pushes her to the side, beelining for Casey.

  “How did you get on this land? You are not welcome here.”

  “I know the spots to get in, Declan. Fuck off,” Casey says, his voice filled with nothing but hatred.

  “Declan,” I say sternly, taking hold of his wrist.

  “Not right now, love. I need to know what this wanker is doing talking to my sister,” he says, his voice dripping with acid.

  “It’s none of your business, Dec, what my business with Lena is.”

  “The fuck it isn’t. You better tell me before I beat it out of your ugly arse,” Declan warns.

  “Declan, please, it’s nothing,” Lena pleads once more, but Declan ignores her, his eyes set on Casey.

  “Leave it be, Dec. Go on inside, dance and mingle with your pretty girlfriend,” Casey says, sending me a menacing grin.

  “Don’t look at her or Len
a, for that matter. Get the fuck off my property.”

  “You just think you own everything, huh? This land, this fucking town, your sister, Amberlyn, don’t you? Wanna know why I’m here? ’Cause your da is doing everything in his fuckin’ power to reopen the case against me. I need Lena to tell the truth and get your da off my back. I can’t leave my ma or move her, not even with the hundred grand he is offering me. You’re ruining my life, and I need it to stop!”

  “I told him I didn’t know. I can’t lie,” Lena says, and I notice that she has started to cry. This doesn’t feel right. Something is off, and I know that it is Casey. He always had me on edge. I don’t trust him one bit.

  “Declan, please, let’s all go inside. Call security or something,” I suggest, but he ignores me.

  “The truth is that you raped my sister and fucked us all up. So no, she won’t lie for you, and that’s it. Take the money, Casey, and get the fuck out of here. Until then, though, stay the hell away from her, or anyone I love, for that matter. This is your last warning,” Declan says, taking a step toward him, his shoulders taut, along with the rest of his body. I reach for his hand, lacing my fingers with his, trying to stop him as he says, “Now, get the hell out of here.”

  “I fucking hate you, Declan. You are the biggest fucking tool in this God-awful town. It’s disgusting how much everyone loves you when you are worthless. You have been a constant pain in my ass since the beginning.”

  “And you’re not going to do anything about it, Casey, so leave.”

  Nothing is said for what seems like hours, but really it’s only seconds before Casey says, “The hell I’m not.”

  When he reaches in his pants and pulls out a gun, my world completely stops. It’s like everything is frozen in time as he lines it up on Declan. I look at Lena, her mouth falls open, and my sweet Declan is standing as tall as ever. Not scared at all.

  “Casey, what the hell!” Lena cries. “Put the gun away.”

  “Yeah, can’t fight with your hands, you arse? Put that shit down. No one is scared of you.”

  “You should be!” he yells, the gun shaking from where his hand is trembling. “I’m going to ruin your life, like you have mine.”

  I can see the hatred in Casey’s eyes, and I know that he is going to kill the man I love. Without thinking, I step in front of Declan as the gun goes off, and pain rips through my chest. I hear Lena scream and Declan yell my name as I crumple to the ground, the warmth of my blood spilling out of me and down my breasts, staining my gorgeous white dress. The pain is unbearable. All I feel is the white-hot sting of agony, and it has me gasping for breath as Declan gathers me in his arms, crying my name. I try to answer him, but nothing is coming out as I gasp for breath, tears rolling down my cheeks. As my eyes slowly close, I’m not sure if I’m dying or what, but all I can think is that I just did everything my mom wanted.

  I did something drastic, I took a risk, I fell in love…but the only problem is that I might die for the man I love.

  Chapter 24

  Declan

  No. No. No. No. No!

  Gathering Amberlyn in my arms, blood spills all over her dress, and I start freaking out. This did not just happen; Casey did not just shoot my love. Lena drops to the ground beside me, pressing her hand into the wound at the top of Amberlyn’s chest as she screams for help. Tears are flooding my eyes, I can’t breathe, and I don’t know what to do. I move her hair from her face, trying to keep my tears in as I hold her, but then her eyes slowly start to close.

  “No, no, love, please stay awake.”

  “It hurts,” she cries, tears falling in streams along her cheeks.

  “I know, love. Please, don’t close your eyes, don’t leave,” I cry as I lean my head onto hers. I didn’t think he’d shoot. I didn’t even think it was loaded. I thought he was just being a punk, trying to scare me, since he’s never even shot a gun before. I know that for a fact because the gun was his grandda’s old revolver, and he has always been afraid of it. Why didn’t I realize what was going on? Why did she jump in front of me? This should be me—not her.

  Wiping my face, her blood smears along it as I whisper against her cheek the lyrics to the song I know calms her. Her song. Her parents’ song. Fuck, I can’t lose her. I refuse to think that as I softly sing while people gather around us and my sister cries. I don’t know what else to do, and when Amberlyn’s eyes fall shut, it’s as if I am having an out-of-body experience because surely, that’s not me losing it. I am screaming, my body shaking, and tears falling in droves down my face.

  I usually have it all together, but that’s all changed since Amberlyn has come into my life. Now I’m a mess, and everything is happening so fast. The whole process of getting Amberlyn to the hospital is a blur to me. I remember Kane pulling me away to allow the paramedics to get her. I remember them performing CPR, but not much after that. I don’t even know where Casey went. He meant nothing to me once I saw all the blood coming out of my love. I’m not even sure how I got to the hospital. I remember standing in front of the surgery doors as Fiona stood beside me, crying and trying to hold herself up, for what seemed like hours. Kane and Lena tried to get me to eat, to sit, to relax, but all I could do was watch for any kind of sign that my love was okay. After hours without her while she was in surgery, they finally allowed me to see her. The bullet missed her heart by only inches, but it did nick an artery that they had a hard time fixing. They say she’s not out of the dark and have given her a heavy dose of medication to keep her comfortable while a tube is down her throat, helping her breathe. I didn’t listen much while they talked. I only watched her, lying there as if she is an angel, and thinking how I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.

  My heart is hollow, I can’t breathe, and I don’t know what to do. I’m helpless as I watch my love fight for her life. I don’t understand why this happened. Why did she do this? Why did she think I would be okay without her? I honestly feel like I am dying inside, and I don’t know how to control my emotions as I watch her chest rise and fall from the power of the breathing machine. Her uncle and aunt sit on the other side of her with Fiona between them, all of them crying.

  “I had one job—one—to keep her safe and this happens,” Mrs. Maclaster whispers. “I promised Ciara, I promised Tomas, and I can’t believe I failed.”

  “Ma, she’s gonna pull through, don’t worry,” Fiona cries as she takes Amberlyn’s hand. “She’s got this. She is the strongest person I know.”

  I can only nod as the tears roll down my face. She is the strongest, the most beautiful, and a true gift from God that I can’t let go of yet. As my eyes fall shut, I squeeze her hand as I pray that she has the strength to come back to me. To love me and never leave.

  Laying my head on the bed, I suck in a deep breath as I close my eyes. I didn’t want sleep to take me, but the exhaustion is too much. I’m not sure how long I sleep, but when I wake, it is because Kane is shaking me.

  “Dec,” he says, crouching down in front of me. “They got him. Casey is in custody, claiming he didn’t shoot her.”

  “I wouldn’t have believed it if he was a man and owned up to his crime,” I say sadly, shaking my head. “They know he did though, right?”

  “Yeah, they found the gun outside his house in a barrel or something. Your da is flipping out and says he is getting the greatest lawyer to make sure Casey never sees the light of day again.”

  I nod. “Good, at least he is doing something.”

  “Yeah, they brought flowers for Amberlyn, too. I think they took Lena home. She was a mess.”

  Biting into my lip, I whisper, “We all are.”

  “She’s gonna make it, Dec. You know that.”

  My lip quivers, and I bite into it harder as I look up at him. “I can’t believe she jumped in front of me like that.”

  “When you love someone, that’s what you do,” Kane says, cupping my shoulder before squeezing it tightly.

  That’s when I realize that I haven’t been able
to tell her that I love her. How I’d jump in front of a bullet for her if I had really believed that Casey was going to pull the trigger. He’s a fucking pansy arse; I never thought he had the balls to do this. I knew he was a piece of shit, but I never thought he wanted to kill me. I know I haven’t made his life easy, but shit, he didn’t deserve for me to. He is a wanker, a complete dog, and didn’t deserve anything but the treatment of one. He wouldn’t even admit to hurting my sister, and then he hurt my love. Twice. From this moment on, he is dead to me, and I hope that he gets everything that’s coming to him. As for Amberlyn, I just want her back in my arms, alive and well. I could hold her for eternity, and more than likely, I will once she is conscious.

  Kissing the palm of her hand, I look up into her beautifully sleeping face and whisper, “I need you to fight this, love. I never got to tell you I love you. That you are my future, my queen, my everything. Please, Amberlyn. Please, fight this.”

  Soon, I find myself singing “The Parting Glass” but in my head, it’s Amberlyn singing the words so beautifully with sweet tears rolling down her face. It calms me, soothes me even, and all I want is the taste of her lips on mine, all I want is for her to look at me the way she did that day. To feel her the way I did and to honestly fall so hard all over again. She has completely stolen my heart, and I can’t do this world without her.

  I just can’t.

  The next few hours are all a blur. Amberlyn’s aunt and uncle come and go, Fiona though, is like me and doesn’t leave unless she has to use the bathroom. Kane has stayed at his post against the wall for most the time too as we watch Amberlyn’s chest rise and fall and wait for her body to heal. When a hand comes onto my shoulder, I look up to find my sister with bloodshot eyes and her lips in a straight line.

  “How is she?”

  “The same,” I answer. “We are waiting for the doctor.”

  “Do you need anything, Declan?”

  I look back to see my ma and da in the doorway. Both of them look concerned, but even so, my da still looks like it was such an inconvenience for him to leave the house to come here.