"You are a devil woman, you know that? But I love you crazy girl. If you see anything, put those sexy lips of yours together and blow." He brushed my lips with his and then turned and started walking deeper into the parking lot.
I watched him depart with bated breath. Every sound had me jumping, every person looked like trouble and it felt like I had been waiting for him to return forever when only minutes had passed. I wasn't sure how much more my nerves could take from today when a car pulled up next to me and the door flung open.
"Get in Reagan. Let's get out of here before someone notices their car missing." Declan leaned down so I could see his face.
I climbed in and he accelerated out of the lot. I looked at the car, a standard, older sedan from the mid-nineties I would guess, plain and simple in every way. The driver kept it exceptionally clean though, which I appreciated. "I didn't realize you had skills that extended to the more illegal variety?"
Declan laughed. "In my neighborhood, you pick up a few things just growing up that can eventually come in handy. Stealing cars happened to be one of them thanks to guys like Malachy. I only employ my illegal talents when necessary though." It was the first mention of Malachy since we had escaped my house. I saw Declan stiffen even to use the name.
We were both exhausted and running on the last remnants of adrenaline we had left but I needed to talk about all that had happened to us the past few days. "I'm not sure this is how I imagined starting my new life after turning forty. The past few days have been memorable to say the least."
Declan nodded, as he made his way onto the freeway, headed south. "That's one word for what we've been through."
"I am so sorry for all of this Declan. Thad's murder, the Dixon Brothers, everything. I don't even know how things got so out of control." I looked out the window, replaying memories of the last few weeks. "The only thing I know for sure is I wouldn't have traded meeting and falling in love with you for anything, in spite of all this other stuff." I turned back to look at him, taking his hand in mine. I realized how much I meant those words right at that moment.
He lifted my hand to his lips, gently kissing the top of it, the gesture reminding me of the first night we met. "And I would not want to be anywhere in the world right now than here with you." His eyes met mine for a moment and I knew he was telling the truth.
We drove for a bit in silence before I spoke again. "Now that we have our illegally obtained transportation, can you let me in on where it is we are going exactly?" I had seen a sign a few miles back, listing Corpus Christi and Brownsville, and wondered if one of those towns was our destination.
"We are heading for Brownsville. Sam Hayes told me once he had a place there, a house owned by his Mom that nobody knew about because he kept it in his Mother's maiden name after her death. He told me if I ever found myself in trouble to head there because it would be a safe place to hide out until he could get me help. I would say this counts as the perfect situation to use it even if Hayes won't be the one coming to our rescue." Declan stifled a yawn while pulling his wilting body back up in the seat. I could see the exhaustion of the days leading up to now was really catching up with him.
"About how many hours away is Brownsville?" I asked as my own exhaustion drew out a long yawn.
"With this traffic, shouldn't be more than five hours or so." He tried to hide another yawn but I could see he was running on the last of his energy.
We were on the run but if he fell asleep and crashed the car we would have a whole new bushel of problems. "Love, I think we should get some rest. I don't know if we could make it another five hours awake. We are both exhausted." I saw a sign indicating a rest area was about two miles down the road. "Let's just pull into the rest stop and get a few hours' sleep. We can still be in Brownsville by mid-morning."
He furrowed his brow for a moment as he thought about my suggestion but finally nodded. "You're right Reagan. I think I have finally hit the wall and all the adrenaline is gone." He signaled and pulled off. I hoped the lot would provide us with some cover, from any cops or other complications. I knew the car we were driving may have been reported stolen by now but I hoped not.
Declan found a spot at the edge of the lot, near a group of semi-trucks which provided some decent coverage for the small sedan. He parked and turned off the car before he leaned his head back against the seat, his eyes closed. The car had a center console preventing us from being right beside one another so instead we adjusted the seats back as far as we could and held hands. Because we were so exhausted we fell asleep almost immediately in spite of the cramped conditions. All I wanted was for morning to bring a better day than night had left.
An intense morning sun pounded through the windows of the car, drawing me reluctantly out of sleep. I glanced to the side and was momentarily panicked when I found the driver's seat empty. I sat up but was instantly calmed to see Declan walking toward the car. He opened the car door and slid into the seat, smiling and looking slightly less tired. He tossed his toothbrush back into the backpack before turning to me with a smile.
"Good morning lovely lady. How are you feeling?"
I smiled. "Sore but definitely better. The sleep helped. How about you?"
"Yep sleep was good. I am not feeling bad at all now. But I am ready to get going and get off these main roads. We've been lucky so far in not seeing any cops but I don't want to press our luck." He nodded towards the restrooms. "The facilities are clean. Why don't you go get cleaned up?"
I nodded, reaching back to get the backpack before I got out of the car and walked to the restrooms at the other end of the lot.
While I was in the bathroom, I called Grace at her office. I had to let her know I was okay and I figured the burner cell would keep my location a secret.
"Good Morning, this is Dr. Winters."
"Gracie, it's me." I said
"Oh my god Reagan. I have been so worried since we saw the news. Are you okay? Are you with Declan? What the hell is going on? Where are you?" Her questions fired at me like bullets with barely a breath between them.
"Grace, slow down, please. Let me explain. I don't have long to talk. I am with Declan. We are okay. I can't tell you where we are headed but I will be safe. Things went to hell, as you can imagine after seeing the news but it is too much to explain now. I just wanted to let you know I was safe. I'll call again soon. Love you." I clicked off before she could ask any more questions.
I decided I wouldn't tell Declan about the call to Grace right away because he might worry about the consequences of it. I felt a little guilty but I felt like he had so much to deal with right now, I didn't need to add one more thing. And I needed to hear Grace's voice one last time if things went as badly as they could.
When I emerged from the restroom fifteen minutes later I felt more human. Clean teeth, a scrubbed face and a new shirt worked magic on increasing my feelings of hope for the day. Talking to Grace also made me feel better. I was smiling when I got back to the car and climbed in, stowing the bag back behind my seat.
As I straightened back in my seat, Declan leaned over pulling me in for a kiss. When he pulled back he was grinning. "Now it is officially morning." He leaned back, buckled his seatbelt and started the car.
I settled back in my seat, buckling my own seat belt, without saying anything. I watched him as he drove, my heart filling with more love than I had ever known and wondering how I could be in the middle of such a nightmare and yet still feel so lucky.
We stopped at a gas station an hour or so later, to get coffee, food and gas. I kept the hat pulled low over my face as I walked into the store. While I was paying, I avoided meeting the clerk's eyes, trying to be as unmemorable as possible in case the police came asking. It seemed to work. The young woman barely offered a greeting or looked up from the celebrity gossip magazine she was reading. I was glad she didn't want to be friendly and hoped she would quickly forget we had ever been there.
I went back out to the car, arriving just as Declan finished
with the gas pump. I got in and settled myself, placing the purchases I had made on the floor. He climbed in the car and I handed him one of the coffees. We both took several moments to drink and savor the morning elixir we had been desperately craving.
He smiled at me. "Thanks love. I really needed that."
I sighed in pleasure. "Me too. Especially after two days without it. An addict like me does not do well without their daily dose of caffeine."
Declan laughed. "Agreed. And something I will keep in mind for all future mornings together."
Once we had enough coffee flowing through our bodies, Declan started the car and we drove away. The drive to Brownsville was uneventful, with no sign of the police or anything else that would cause alarm. We arrived in town, stopping in a parking lot of a grocery store to get some supplies before we went to the house. Once back in the car, Declan studied at the map we found in the car.
"Hayes said the house was actually about a half hour out of Brownsville, just outside the town of Port Isabel. We should be able to find it okay if we keep to the main road."
I nodded. I was relieved we were getting close to being somewhere safe. A shower and a nap would be an appreciated bonus. Declan pulled back onto the road and headed east out of Brownsville. We reached the edge of Port Isabel without a problem and started looking for the street address Hayes had made sure Declan memorized. I was ready to be somewhere safe as fast as possible.
The small cottage sat on some property a quarter mile or so off the highway. It was a well-maintained piece of land with a large grass yard, a flower garden and several trees scattered around the perimeter of the house. Sunflowers waved happily in the light afternoon breeze around the edge of the garden and the air smelled of honeysuckle and freshly mowed grass. Had I been visiting the place under better circumstances I would have found the place peaceful.
Declan looked around, smiling slightly. "Hayes said he had employed a property management service to watch the property after his mother died. It looks like they are doing a great job. Every week, the yard crew mows the lawn and takes care of other maintenance and once a month he has a service scheduled to come out and clean the house. I just hope this isn't the week the cleaning crew is scheduled." He gave me a sideways look. The threat of running into strangers adding one more layer of fear.
I simply nodded.
We were relieved to spot a garage attached to the house. Declan stopped the car in front of the double doors and got out. Hayes had told him the keys to everything would be hidden in the base of a garden gnome statue in the small garden with the sunflowers. He spotted the bearded fellow right away and flipped him over, rewarded when he saw a key ring with a few keys on it. He pulled the keys free and replaced the gnome. He jangled them at me and I felt another surge of relief.
He walked to the front of the garage and unlocked the door, pushing it up, before returning to the car and driving in, finally pulling the door closed behind us. For the first time since leaving Houston, I took a deep breath, feeling a tiny bit of the tension ease from my body. We were relatively safe for the moment and I had never been so glad.
"Let's get inside now that the car is out of sight." Declan said heading to the side door. The second key he tried worked and the door swung open.
A cozy yellow kitchen was the first thing I saw as we entered. Floral wall paper, white curtains, and cream counters completed the look. It was dated but like the rest of the property, well taken care of.
"This reminds me of my grandma's kitchen a bit. She liked yellow too." Declan offered as we walked further into the house. He set our bag of groceries on the counter.
"It is a friendly color."
"Yeah, I can imagine Hayes's mom was a pretty friendly lady judging by the good guy her son turned out to be. I want to give the rest of the place a quick search. Have a seat beautiful. You look beat." He gestured to a kitchen chair before exiting the room.
I gladly dropped into it, appreciating the feeling of warmth the small kitchen provided.
Declan returned within minutes. "All clear and it looks like we just missed the cleaning crew. Saw their checklist and signoff sheet in the living room, dated for yesterday so we won't have any surprises from them at least." He reported as he was putting the food away.
"That will help. On your tour of the house did you happen to find the bedroom too?" I asked without really thinking about the insinuation of the question. I was so tired I could barely form full sentences nonetheless understand what they sounded like.
He raised his eyebrow at me. "Do you have sex on your mind already Reagan? Dang girl, I know we got interrupted at the motel and all but I didn't know you would be in such a hurry to get me back in bed." He teased.
"Sex is always on my mind when I'm around you, my love. But alas, I was asking about the bedroom because I need to sleep sooner rather than later. This old lady can't keep up this hectic non-stop adrenaline ride like you young studs." I winked at him while stifling a yawn.
He narrowed his eyes at me. "Stop it with the old lady stuff. I don't have the energy to show you just how young you are right now." He walked toward me. "Besides, I am about to fall asleep on my feet too. Even young studs like me only can go so long without real sleep. Even when we are lucky enough to be around beautiful women like you. C'mon a chroi. The house has a couple bedrooms. The master is at the far back but I think it looked like it had a king size bed so we should be comfortable." He took my hand and led me down the hallway.
We laid down on the bed, after kicking our shoes off and dropping our hats on the night stand. I curled into Declan's arms as he pulled the blanket from the end of the bed up and over us. We were both asleep before our heads fully settled into the pillows.
My stomach growled at the smell of bacon wafting down the hall, pulling me from the deep sleep of the overly exhausted, and back to the land of the living. I sat up and tried to shake the heavy sleep from my body. I finally stood up and wandered out to the hall. I found the bathroom and got cleaned up before I found my way back to the kitchen.
Declan stood at the stove with three fry pans in action as he prepared us some food. I stopped in the doorway so I could enjoy watching him for a few moments before he noticed me.
Thad had never cooked a meal in his life and at first I found it laughably typical of him, and I enjoyed, cooking him dinner and such because I felt like I was showing him how much I loved him. Eventually the romance of taking care of his needs wore off and I became resentful. I worked just as hard as he did at the law firm, both longer and harder on most days, and I did not appreciate him expecting me to cook dinner every night when we got home. Eventually, after some rather heated arguments and ultimatums, we settled into a pattern of getting food at restaurants, from takeout or whatever way ensured I wasn't stuck in the kitchen. I still cooked occasionally on special occasions but it had lost most of its luster by the time we separated.
Watching Declan cook now, I found myself falling more in love with him. It didn't hurt at all that he looked incredibly sexy in nothing but jeans and a t-shirt with his bare feet tapping a beat to the distant country music I heard coming from a radio in the corner.
I padded up behind him, sliding my arms around his waist, and settling my chin on his shoulder. "That smells so good. What's for dinner?"
"Hey sleepy head. I was afraid I would have to find other ways to wake you up if the bacon aromas didn't work." He turned around pulling me in for a kiss before turning back to his cooking. "Have a seat because dinner's almost ready. I made some coffee too." I knew I had smelled a fresh brewed pot. I found a mug and poured myself a cup before retreating to the table. I drew my knees up on the chair and sipped the coffee while watching Declan finish cooking.
Declan brought two plates to the table, setting one in front of me, before sitting down with his own. "Dinner is served, madam."
I looked at the plate and was surprised I didn't moan out loud. Mushroom and cheese omelets, crispy bacon, and sourdough toast sat on the pla
te. It smelled heavenly and I realized I was starving. Grabbing my fork, I dug right in. "Declan, this is so amazing" I murmured between bites.
He laughed as he tucked into his own plate. "I think you may be a bit biased considering we haven't had real food in so long, but thanks babe."
We ate in silence for a long while, the need to satiate our hunger greater than anything else right then. Finally, I was starting to feel full. I set my fork down and leaned back in the chair, drinking my coffee while I watched him. He never slowed in eating. A 27-year-old guy needed a lot of fuel to keep going and I was often impressed by how much Declan could eat and still maintain his amazing body. Finally, after the last scrap of toast went into his mouth, he sat back and sighed.
"Full?" I asked, laughing.
"For now. It takes a lot to keep this sex machine working in top form you know." He winked at me.
"Well by all means, keep eating if that is what it takes because I really like the way your sex machine works right now." I looked at him over my cup.
He raised an eyebrow, very interested in where this conversation could be headed but before he could find out for sure, I held up my hand. "After we talk about our current situation, lover boy."
"Are you sure? I can be quick you know." Declan added a sexy grin spreading across his face.
There was nothing more I wanted to do but take Declan to bed and forget for a little while but too much had happened too fast and I needed to feel like I had some kind of handle on what we're going to do next while I still had the energy to think.
"No you can't, "I said with a grin, "and I wouldn't want you too. If nothing else this last few weeks being with you has taught me, it's to savor the good things because you never know when things can fall apart." I studied him for a moment, enjoying the satisfied look on Declan's face, then continued, "So let's get our plan together before you render me incoherent."
"You're right. Let's talk." He pretended to pout for a minute and I almost had to laugh out loud. He looked so young in that moment it made my heart skip a bit.
Heart Lies & Alibis Page 25