Declan + Coraline (13 page)

These last seven days…they weren’t nearly enough. I wanted more.

I was going to hurt her.

She was going hate me.

I knew it. I could see it happening.

But I wanted her anyway.

NINE

“Love, like fortune, favors the bold.”

―E.A. Bucchianeri

CORALINE

I stared up at the large, white house in front of me with the perfectly trimmed lawn and I wanted to crawl back into his Aston Martin. I already missed the warm Cancun air, the heat of the sun, and the sand under my toes.

“You’re coming to mass right?” he asked, drawing my attention away from the house in front of me.

Glancing at my watch it was only ten a.m., which meant I had more than enough time to get ready. “Yeah. We made it back faster than I thought.”

“Good. I can’t wait to feed you again.”

“Declan!”

“Feed you the host, Coraline.” He laughed at me and I knew he held back on purpose.

“You can’t make church dirty, Declan.”

“Of course I can’t, the Bible already did that.”

I shook my head at him. “I’ll see you—”

“I’ll pick you up?” He stuffed his hands in his pockets and it was the first time I had ever seen him look a little nervous.

“What happened to just one week?”

“You don’t want me to?”

“No. I
really
want to, but…” I wanted to know what was happening between us.

“Okay then, I’ll pick you up at eleven thirty. We can go to lunch afterward. Our second official date?”

I nodded and he leaned in and kissed my cheek before he moved over to the driver’s side door.

“See you later.” I waved.

“Later.” He winked getting in.

I watched him drive off before heading inside my house. The very first person coming down the stairs was none other my Aunt Trisha
.

“Are you leaving for your trip now?” She yawned and stretched her neck. “We’re going to need some money before you go.”

Wow.

“Aunty, I already left…I’ve been gone for a week. I left money for you all before I went.”

Her eyes glanced me over once before she turned back up the stairs. “You son of a bitch! Where’s the money at, Adam?!”

She yelled so loud I had to plug my ears.

“There ain’t no money!” he screamed back down at her.

“You a fucking liar!” She stomped back up the stairs. “What you do with it, huh? You spent it getting your cocked sucked ain’t you? Going to the club pretending you some big ass man when you can’t do shit.”

“Coming from the bitch who’s so drunk she ain’t even know what day it is…”

“Welcome home, Coraline,” I whispered to myself as I headed upstairs to my own room and they continued fighting.

Over the years I had gotten used to it. My aunt would never leave my uncle no matter what he did to her. It was partially because of the money, but mostly because she loved him despite everything. And my uncle…well he had some good traits. I think in some way, he really cared about her…they were so dysfunctional, that they somehow made it work.

“So you’re back?” Imani said from the doorway.

I glanced up at her and immediately noticed that her hair was now a light golden color and that the ring curls stopping at her shoulders.

“You noticed I left.”

“You left me at my most critical time, how could I not notice?” She frowned as she took a seat on the edge of my bed…of course it had to be about her.

“Can’t one person in this family ask me whether or not I had a good time? Or at the very least where I went?!” I buried my face in my pillow. Couldn’t someone just care?!

“Fine. Where you did you go?”

I smiled. “Paradise. It was—”

“Ah,” she groaned. And when I turned to her she was picking at a bandage on the back of her neck, and checking it out in my mirror.

“What happened?” I sat up quickly.

“Nothing. I got a tattoo.” She smiled as she pulled it off for me to see. It read “7B.” It kind of looked like half the wing of a butterfly though. “Did you hear? Otis’ club burned down, so he and his partners are building a new one.”

Stay away from him.
Declan’s voice spoke in my mind again.

“Imani, what does Otis do?”

“He’s a club owner, duh.” She rolled her eyes at me as she patted her bandage back into place.

“You said he was from Southbend. How did he get the money to set up a club in downtown Chicago?”

“He’s got business partners. Why are you asking so many damn questions?”

“Why are you being so defensive?”

“You know what?” She stood up and glared at me. “Wherever the hell you were, you should have stayed there. No one missed your ass anyway.”

She slammed the door on her way out.

“Fine,” I whispered as I stood up and headed over to my closet. I knew she would be back. We would go shopping and she would apologize…or at least take back what she’d said.

Grabbing my short lace ivory Prada dress, with the bow in the front, along with a pair of nude pumps, I laid them across my bed and matched them with a simple watch and a pair of earrings before I headed into my bathroom. Turning on the shower, I stripped down and stepped inside. But when I looked at my body now, I couldn’t see it the same way I did before…not without seeing…without feeling
him
. His hands gripping on to my thighs. His lips kissing my skin…

“Ah,” I moaned as I touched myself the way he touched me. I pinched my nipple to simulate the way he’d bite on it.

Leaning against the door, I wished he was here, thrusting deep into me again, as he whispered how beautiful he thought I was, while I lost myself to pleasure. I could feel him everywhere on my skin. Remembering how on our sixth day together he’d spent the night tracing my body with his lips and tongue. He started at the top of my leg and didn’t stop until he’d tasted all of me. By the time his lips met mine, I was so wet as I wrapped my legs around him, but he forced them apart…

“
I’ve taught you how to fuck.

I’ve taught you how to made love.

Now I need to teach you the full extent of foreplay.”

And he did. He teased me to the point of tears, while I melted in his hands.

“You came here sweet and innocent…you will leave dirty and sinful…I won’t stop until you hear me in your dreams, Coraline,”
he whispered behind me, while we were on our knees on top of the bed, as his hand slowly rubbed that sweet spot between my thighs.

“Oh God,” I moaned as I bit my lips.

“Just look at you, Coraline.”
He snickered as he kissed my ear.
“Your mouth’s open, your pussy dripping, just begging me to fuck you. Say it.”

“Fuck me,” I whispered.

“Louder, Coraline. I want everyone to hear you.”

“Fuck me!” I moaned louder as my hand sped up just as his had done.

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

I bit my bottom lip harder as I inserted another finger into myself, while I feverishly palmed my breast.

“Declan!” I gasped out as I opened my eyes to find myself standing alone under the hot shower. Bracing myself against the wall, I breathed in slowly and deeply.

“What have you done to me, Declan?” I whispered to myself.

This was bad. What if I couldn’t let him go? I felt like my fate was now in his hands.

But church was a good sign, right? He wanted to be seen with me, right?

I needed to ask him where he saw us going. I needed to know if we were both still playing around or if this was serious. I needed to put my fears aside and be bold.

DECLAN

She hadn’t said much as we drove to St. Peters. Her gaze was transfixed on the window as she focused on anything else but me. I preferred it that way. She had no idea what this meant…how much of a risk I was taking. But I knew myself well enough to know that I couldn’t…I wouldn’t just say goodbye and let someone else be with her. The thought made my blood boil.

Parking next to Liam’s car, I stepped out and walked around to her side and opened the door for her. She stepped out gracefully and took my hand. I tried to lead her into the church but she held me still in front of her.

“Cora?” I looked down at her.

“This was the church my parents attended.” She looked up at me. “They got married here. Before I go in with you, I need to know if we are…if we’re serious now. I need to know that this isn’t just a fling or fun anymore.”

She had no idea how serious this was.

“Your mine, Coraline. I’m not letting go until you tell me to, and only when you tell me to,” I whispered as I kissed her forehead.

“Don’t let me go.” She smiled at me, her brown eyes shining as the sunlight shifted.

I hope she still felt that way later.
Squeezing her hand, I nodded as I led her forward. Two of our family guards at the door glanced at her and then at me before they opened the doors for us.

My heart was racing but I couldn’t let anyone know that. The church was packed with Irishmen, both young and old, and their grandmothers too, and I walked in, hand in hand with her, right to the front pew with the rest of my family.

Liam, who sat on the end, was the first to see me. His eyes widened, as they looked at Coraline, and then at me.

He stood up and stepped out, allowing us to step inside. Sedric was standing right there, his eyes as cold as ice. Evelyn stood on his other side, followed by Neal and Olivia
.
I sat down next to him as Evelyn waved and offered Coraline a slight smile. Coraline nervously returned it before she reached for the booklet in front of us.

“Now or later?” Sedric whispered beside me.

I rose with everyone as the priest came in. “Later.”

He nodded and turned his attention to the front. I, on the other hand, turned slightly to watch as a few people pointed to us and whispered…if the Irish were anything, it wasn’t discrete. At least Olivia’s grandparents were both Irish, it was why her parents understood our family so well. But by walking Coraline to the front row and allowing her to sit down, I had basically just announced that she was mine…she was family. I had brought a complete outsider into our world, and as calm as Sedric was on the outside, I could tell he was fuming.

One of the reasons we came to church wasn’t just because it made Evelyn happy, it was for the clan. We wore our thousand dollar suits and drove our expensive cars here to prove that we were able to take care of each other and them. We were the standard, the hope, and the law. Everything we did needed to either make us richer or make us stronger for everyone. But having Coraline just made me happy.

“Are you okay?” she leaned in and whispered, still holding on to the book.

“I’m fine.”

For now.

But by the time mass ended I could feel my heart beginning to race as Liam stepped out. I followed him while holding onto Coraline’s hand. Sedric and Evelyn walked out of the church first, and the rest of followed. When we were in the lobby area, Evelyn turned back.

“Hi, I’m Evelyn.” She hugged her.

“Hi.” Coraline giggled as she hugged her back. “I’m Coraline.”

“Come, dear, Olivia and I would like to chat with you for a moment. We heard that you stole our Declan for a whole week.”

She looked to me and I nodded and smiled as I kissed her cheek.

“I’m heading to the restroom, I’ll see you in a few,” I said to her and Evelyn’s eyebrow raised at me. I kissed her cheek. “Please watch out for her.”

She nodded to me and wrapped her arm around Coraline’s shoulders.

It was only when they were far away from me that I turned to Sedric who was already walking towards the restroom. Liam and Neal waited for me to follow. I already knew what I was going to say…I just needed to be bold enough say it to the Ceann na Conairte. He wouldn’t kill me…I knew that. But her…that was a whole different story.

The moment I got into the bathroom, the back of his fist hit me right across the face.

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” he sneered at me while I wiped the blood from my lip.

“Sedric—”

“The very first words out of your mouth should be an apology, not my name, boy.”

Just say it.

I shook my head. “I’m not apologizing.”

“Declan!” Liam grabbed ahold of me but I brushed him off.

“For eighteen years I have been your son, Sedric. Never once have I asked for anything. I have dedicated my life to you, to my cousins, to our family! I have lied. I have stolen. I have killed and tortured, all for the sake of this goddamn family!”

“You have done no more than I, or Liam, or Neal, or anyone else in this family!” he roared, but I didn’t back down. I couldn’t.

“Well, now I’m asking for something. I’m asking for her. I want her! After just one week. Yes, call me a fool, smack me again if you’d like, do whatever you wish to me, but let me have this one thing. Dad…please just let me just have this one thing,” I begged.

His fist clenched and he shook his head. “You’ve already made your choice…in front of the whole fucking world at that. But you’re fooling yourself if you think I have power here. It’s now in her hands. When she finds out what you are, what
we
are, and she walks away from you, you will have to be the one that puts a bullet in her skull. Or were you hoping that she would never find out.”

“I just need time…”

“For what? For her to love you? Do you think she can love you enough to forget that you’re a murderer? It—”

“Evelyn did it for you!” I snapped, knowing that I was pushing my limits. “She was just like Coraline once upon a time, and she stayed by your side.”

“And there are days when I wish she hadn’t. If you really care about her, let her go, Declan. Let her go before we hurt her.”

“I’m too selfish for that.”

His jaw clenched. “Tell her. Sooner rather than later so I’ll have less of a mess to clean up.”

He brushed past me on his way out, and when he was gone, I took a deep breath. Neal patted my shoulder before leaving as well. Liam and I were the only ones left. Walking over to the sink, I grabbed a handful of paper towels and turned on the water.