Deceive (Declan Reede: The Untold Story #2) (16 page)

“We need to meet.” I didn’t recognise the voice. It was female, but it definitely wasn’t Alyssa.

“What? Who is this?”

“It’s Ruby.”

Fuck
. I sat bolt upright. “Why?”

“I need to talk to you, now.”

“Well, you’ve got me on the phone now.”

“No. In person. Can you meet me down at the Grand Plaza?”

“Ruby, no offense, but why the fuck would I meet up with you when it could be a fucking set-up for an ambush by that boofhead husband of yours.”

To my surprise she laughed. “No Josh, I promise.”

“I can’t anyway,” I said, bristling. I still didn’t know what she was ringing for and I wasn’t sure if I could trust her. “I’m in the city with a teammate. I can’t just leave. Edie needs a lift to the airport in the morning.”

“Too bad, I need to talk to you before this big date you have planned.”

“Well, unless you’re willing to drive your arse into the city, I’m afraid you’re shit out of luck.”

“Fine,” she said. I thought she was ready to hang up. “I’ll be there in half an hour. I’ll meet you at the McDonald’s at the end of the Myer Centre.”

“Fuck, really?”

“Yes, really. I told you, Declan. I need to speak to you.”

Why did I get the feeling this wasn’t going to be any good?

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: PRELUDE TO A DATE

MY KNEE BOUNCED uncontrollably as I sat on the marble stool at the end of the Myer Centre. The cashiers at the twenty-four hour McDonald’s kept giving me awkward glances. I wasn’t sure whether it was because they recognised me but were too afraid to approach, or if they thought I was a crazy person getting around in a crumpled suit, mumbling to myself, and doing a one-legged jig.

The agitation working its way through my body grew stronger with every passing second because Ruby was apparently due at any time. At least, she was due if she hadn’t decided to stand me up and make me wait unnecessarily at the end of the Queen Street Mall until I’d had enough.

Glancing around again, I tried to see if any of the vehicles around could be hers. Not that I knew what she drove, or what to look out for. There was so much I didn’t know. I had no clue what she wanted. No idea when she would arrive. The simple fact that she wanted to meet scared the crap out of me. Especially considering Alyssa had already confirmed her family hated me. That meant whatever Ruby’s intentions were, they couldn’t be good.

I tried to focus on anything but the worry running through my head. It was impossible though. I thought about Eden, back in the hotel room, oblivious to my night-time rendezvous with Alyssa’s sister-in-law. I hadn’t wanted to wake Eden to tell her where I’d gone, but I hadn’t wanted to steal out unannounced either. In the end, I’d left a note just in case the meeting was an ambush and I ended up buried in the middle of a state forest somewhere. At least Eden would be able to tell the police who I’d met with. Despite that precaution, I expected her to sleep through to morning without any knowledge that I’d gone out.

Forcing myself not to worry, I focused on the people rushing around me. It was a bit of a surprise that the streets were still so busy at a little after midnight. I expected it in Sydney, but Brisbane had always been more of a large country town, where everything closed by ten. It had obviously grown up in my absence. It boded well for me that there were so many people around. At least if it was an ambush, Josh would have a harder time trying to stuff me in a boot if there were witnesses handy.

Just as I was about to give up waiting, a cherry-red ’69 Mustang pulled up in front of me. It was a nice car, and I couldn’t help admiring its sleek lines. It was no Monaro, but it was still a fine piece of iron. The blonde in the driver’s seat leaned across the car and the passenger door flew open.

“There’s nowhere to park around here. Hop in,” Ruby’s voice called. It looked like she was alone. If she was, at least I’d be able to handle her if it turned nasty. I ducked down and double-checked the backseat just to be safe. Josh was too big to hide easily.

“Just get in the fucking car!” Ruby snapped.

This is for Alyssa,
I thought as I climbed into the passenger seat. I hadn’t even reached for my seat belt when Ruby accelerated hard down the road.

“What do you—” I started to ask, but Ruby cut me off with a glare and a raised palm.

I sat in the passenger seat and stewed. The way Ruby had treated me was ridiculous. The fucking bitch hadn’t even spoken since telling me to get in the car. Ten minutes later, we were pulling up to a park overlooking the usually muddy-brown Brisbane River. The water shimmered black in the night. Once the engine was off, Ruby climbed out of the car and walked to the railing without another word or backwards glance.

I lost my patience as I followed her. “Ruby, what the fuck do you want?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” she seethed as she spun on me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “What are you fucking talking about?”

“What do you want from Alyssa?”

“How is it your business?”

“Alyssa is my sister. That makes it my business.”

“Fuck! Alyssa must be everyone’s fucking business. Seriously. Why can’t she be her own business?”

“We care about her and want to make sure she’s getting what she needs.”

“Well, I’m so fucking happy that everyone else has figured out what the fuck they think she needs. But what about what
she
thinks she needs? What about what
she
wants? What about what
I
want? Where is her fucking privacy in all of this? Or mine for that matter?”

Ruby’s blonde hair fanned out behind her in the wind as she closed the distance between us. “You don’t deserve shit”—she emphasised her point by poking my chest—“not after everything Alyssa’s been through in the past four years.”

“You’re right, I
don’t
deserve shit!” I shouted back. “I definitely don’t deserve someone as pure and fucking fantastic as Alyssa. But she wants to give me one more chance, and you know what? I’m selfish enough to let that happen.”

“Of course she wants to fucking give you another chance. She’s never been able to let you go. But fuck, Declan, what do you think it’s going to do to her when you leave again? You take her out, sweep her up in the romance of it all, and promise her all these things. It’s going to crush her when you go again and we’ll be the ones who have to pick up the fucking pieces.”

I crossed my arms. “The answer to that is simple. I’m not leaving. I’ll never be able to leave her again. I love her.”

She scoffed. “If that’s how you really felt, well, you wouldn’t have left in the first place, would you?”

“I left
because
I felt like that, because I felt . . . fuck it! I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

She shrugged. “Maybe you think you feel that way, but I don’t think you know what love is.”

I was going to interrupt her and tell her to fuck off, that she didn’t know how I felt, but she held up her palm again and raised her voice as she continued.

“Regardless, I just want to give you a piece of friendly advice. Me to you, so to speak. If you hurt Alyssa in any way, then you’ll have to answer to me.” She raised her eyebrow before grabbing my shirt and pulling me in close, her lips practically brushing the side of my ear as she continued. “If you take Alyssa out on whatever date you have planned for tomorrow and build her hopes up, just to crush them, then I will personally ensure that you feel every ounce of pain you cause her.”

Holding my hands up in surrender, I backed away. I’d been worried about an ambush by Josh, but I’d clearly been worried about the wrong person. Ruby was one fucking scary bitch. When she released me, she started to head back to the car. Did she really think she could say that shit and then just walk away? There was no way I would let her have the final word. Not like that. I grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.

“You’ve had your say, now I’m having mine.”

The soft light coming from the CBD across the river lit her features so I could see every minor detail. She raised her eyebrow at me, as if shocked that I would dare speak back to her.

I didn’t allow her to interrupt. “I fucked up. I know it—you know it—the entire fucking world knows it. But I’m here to right my wrongs. I’m here because I fucking love Alyssa. I love her. I fucking adore every inch of her with every fibre of my being. I refuse to let anything stand between the two of us anymore. It’s bad enough that I have to prove to her that I love her and that I’m not going to hurt her again. I refuse to be forced to explain it constantly to the rest of the world as well. That’s between her and me.”

Ruby’s face was a mask of incredulity, her lips twisted into a snarl as if more poisonous words were poised right behind her red lipstick.

Before she had a chance to speak, I continued. “Respectfully, you and the rest of her family, the rest of the fucking world in fact, can kindly fuck off and leave us be until we’ve sorted ourselves out.”

For a few long seconds, she looked at me without saying anything. Then she laughed.

“Well, fuck!” she said. “You’ve certainly grown some balls. Do you mean it though? That you love her? That’s the part I am finding hard to believe. You walked away from her so easily.”

I laughed without mirth, the sound harsh and out of place in my throat. “You have no idea what I went through to walk away from her.”

“So enlighten me.” She walked back over toward me, but gracefully slid past me and stood near the railing.

“Why?”

“’Cause I can be your ally or your enemy. The choice is yours.” She climbed up onto the railing, perching herself on top, and looked at me expectantly.

“What’s the difference?”

“The difference is whether I tell the rest of the family to back off or close ranks.”

“Like I give a shit. I told you, the only one who can get rid of me now is Alyssa. I’m here until she orders me away.”

“Like that will ever happen,” she mumbled under her breath. “Still, you have to admit the path will be smoother if Josh isn’t blocking you. Or Dad.”

I thought about it for a second. Killer Curtis on my side. Josh staying the fuck away and not threatening me with violence. I had to admit it sounded easier. Climbing onto the railing next to Ruby, I sighed. I turned my body to face the river so that I didn’t have to look at her while I spoke.

“I don’t owe you explanations,” I whispered. “But it would be nice if you leave us alone for a little while. For Alyssa’s sake.”

“Bullshit you don’t need to explain.” Ruby turned around to face the river as well.

“I didn’t say I don’t need to explain. I said that I didn’t owe
you
explanations. I owe them to Alyssa.”

She turned to me. Her expression was softer than I’d ever seen it before. She seemed to consider me for a minute before turning away again. I didn’t know what she was seeing, but her eyes were focused on a spot in the distance. All I could see were a few small boats with flashing lights to indicate their location. “I never thought I’d see you so . . . grown up. You were always so fucking cocky. Nothing and no one could touch you. And then everything I saw on TV and in the magazines only convinced me that you were a bigger arse than ever.”

I stayed silent. My eyes trailed to the spot she found so interesting, but I still saw nothing.

“I know a thing or two about people making mistakes when they’re young.” I got the feeling she wasn’t talking about me anymore—not really. “Mum was young when she had me, and I’ve never even met my father. Fucking bastard ran out the minute she found out she was pregnant. I guess if someone were man enough to try to correct a mistake . . .” her voice trailed off.

I looked closely at her face, seeing the tears that were moistening her eyes, but I knew would never fall. She probably wouldn’t even acknowledge they were there. I was at a complete fucking loss about what to do. We were having a heart to heart that I hadn’t expected to have. Watching her eyes glisten in the soft glow, I debated my action for a second but then put my arm around her shoulder to offer her some comfort.

My touch seemed to rouse her from her thoughts. She pulled away from me, quickly climbing back over the railing and backing away. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

I followed her over the guardrail and stared blankly at her. “I fucking thought we were having a moment.”

She sighed. “I came to deliver a message.” She seemed to consider what happened for a second then turned on her heel and headed back to her car. “Message delivered.”

She climbed into the driver’s seat and started the car. When the car started to edge forward, I was sure she was going to just drive off and leave me there in the middle of fucking nowhere.

An exasperated sigh issued from her open window. “You coming or not?”

I ran to the car, confused and trying to process what happened. Something fundamental had shifted in the world. Then one key thing Ruby had said hit me. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed it earlier.

She’s never been able to let you go.

The statement lit my face up with a smile even as it broke my fucking heart. After I’d walked back to the hotel, and settled back onto the couch, I didn’t sleep much. My mind was too busy ticking over with everything Ruby had said. Even when I was finally able to shove that out of my mind, I was too excited and nervous about my date with Alyssa. I was so wound up thinking about it—about her—that I couldn’t find comfort.

In the end, the only way I could get some relief was to stop trying not to think about Alyssa. Instead, I let her invade every part of my conscious mind. Without much thought, my hand worked its way down my body, and I was soon stroking my length as visions of Alyssa danced in my head. Her face, her smile, even the scent of her coconut skin cream—every part of her drew me in and held me captive. Better yet, there were only a few short hours before I would see her again.

That was the thought that sent me tumbling over the edge. With a barely stifled moan, I came across my hand and stomach. After relaxing back, and allowing the peace that invaded my mind to take over for a few moments, I cleaned up quickly before falling into a few short hours of peaceful sleep where Alyssa was wrapped in my arms.

I woke to a high-pitched voice “singing” in the shower. After taking in my surroundings and seeing I was still in the hotel, it struck me what the noise was. It was a good thing I’d never had any interest in Eden; her voice alone would send me packing. I was still laughing about it when she emerged from the bedroom, dressed and towel-drying her hair.