Page 24 of Dirty Delivery

“I’m handling it,” I snap, leaning forward. “Savannah’s not going anywhere. She’s safe where she is. You think I’d let anything happen to her?”

“Safe?” Declan barks out a laugh, setting his glass down hard enough to make the liquid slosh. “You can’t protect her from everything, Rylan. The Castillos don’t care about collateral damage. And if they find out where she is—who she’s with—they’ll burn the place to the ground. Do you really want her caught in that?”

His words hit harder than I want to admit. I glance at the tattoos covering my knuckles, a reminder of the promises I made to myself—to leave this life behind, to never be like the men I’ve spent my life surrounded by. And yet, here I am, dragging Savannah right into the thick of it.

“She’s innocent in all this,” I say, my voice quieter now. “She didn’t ask for any of it.”

Declan’s expression softens just a fraction, but it’s enough to tell me he’s listening. “No, she didn’t. But innocent people don’t last long in our world, Rylan. If you want to keep her alive, you’re going to have to make some hard choices.”

I run a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at me. “I’m already making them, Declan. I’ve done everything I can to keep her out of sight, to keep her safe. What else do you want me to do?”

“I want you to think like a Doyle,” he says, his tone cold. “Not a lovesick fool. Get ahead of this before the Castillos do. If they find her first, it’s game over.”

I’m about to argue when his phone buzzes on the table. He glances at the screen, his jaw tightening.

“What is it?” I ask.

“Sam checked in,” Declan says, his tone even as he reads the message. “He did good work. Body’s gone, car’s dismantled, and the house is clean. It would take a crystal ball to know what went down there.”

Breath rushes out of me unexpectedly from the relief that cascades over me. At least something is going right.

“But,” Declan continues, setting the phone down, “one of our guys spotted Castillo muscle near the docks. Looks like they’re gearing up for something.”

I stand, adrenaline spiking. “What do you need me to do?”

Declan looks at me for a long moment and shakes his head. “You? Nothing. You stay out of this. Keep your girl locked down, and don’t make any more mistakes. I’ll handle the Castillos.”

“Declan—”

“You want to protect her?” he snaps. “Then stay the hell out of my way.”

Before I can respond, he’s gone, leaving me alone in the quiet of the penthouse. I’ve never felt so powerless, so trapped. All I can think about is Savannah and the storm that’s closing in around us.

If Declan’s right—if the Castillos find her first—I don’t even want to think about what that would mean.

For her. For me. For all of us.

Savannah

I’ve never felt more out of place in my entire life. This house, with its endless rooms and polished floors, is a cage disguised as a sanctuary. And the man who’s supposed to be my protector? He’s as much a part of the bars as the walls around me.

Still, I know why I’m here. Rylan’s made it painfully clear. The Castillos are hunting for me, and leaving isn’t an option—not if I want to stay alive.

But that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.

I cross my arms as I sit in the kitchen, staring at the untouched cup of tea in front of me. Rylan’s been gone for hours, and the quietness weighs down on me. Every creak of the house makes my nerves jump, every shadow outside the window has me second-guessing my safety.

The fact that I have to rely on Rylan for protection—Rylan, with his tattoos and his smug grin and his secrets—only makes it worse.

When the front door finally opens, I bolt upright, my heart racing. He steps in, his expression dark and brooding, and I know immediately that whatever happened while he was gone didn’t help my situation.

“What is it?” I ask, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Just . . . more of the same. Declan’s handling things. For now.”

“And Sam?”

His eyes flick to me, surprised. “How do you know about Sam?”

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