Page 79 of Ruin

Shit.

“Is your boss not man enough to face me?” Declan taunts them. What is he doing? He is outnumbered, and both of them are fucking huge. “Are you going to tell me who you work for?” Declan asks, and I’m pulled away from Declan when I hear his brothers talking.

“We won’t get there in time, it’s almost a two-hour drive.”

“Then what? We fucking wait and see what happens.”

“He knows what he is doing-”

“Cain-”

“I said he knows what he’s doing. He’s done what I would have done. Trust him,” Cain replies, and I look back over at Declan, who is now in a fist fight with the two guys.

I lean forward placing my hands on the dashboard watching him, turn, duck out the way, and move so fast around them. He can fight, and not your high school fights, this is some hardcore fighting skills. I jump when I hear the gunshot, and look to see who is shot.

“Trixie, who’s got shot?”

“Trixie?” I hear the voices, but I can’t take my eyes off Declan.

“She can’t talk asshole!”

I can't breathe. Why can’t I breathe? Well, I’m breathing, I’m hyperventilating, and the pain in my chest is getting very painful now.

“Trixie, this is Cain. I know you’re scared, and this is probably the last place you want to be. But right now, you’re our eyes, and we need to know if Declan is hurt. Breathe, Trixie, take a long breath in and then out.” There is a silence for a moment, and I do what Cain is telling me to do, and when I see Declan fall to the floor he coughs out blood, and I freeze to the seat, my bottom lip trembles and I press my lips together to stop. “Get Declan’s phone, and press one button for yes, and two for no, do you understand?”

I take Declan’s phone from his seat and press one button.

“Is Declan shot?” Cain asks, and with a shaking hand I press the button. “Is he down?” I look back at Declan standing back up, and smiling. Why the hell is he smiling? I press the button twice, and wait for Cain’s next question.

I watch Declan bring his gun up, and shoots the man between the eyes, and now my whole body trembles. Fuck. Declan fights the other guy, why not just kill him too?

“Trixie, is Declan okay?” I hit the pad once. Not able to take my eyes off Declan fighting, he wraps his arm around the guy's neck and stands behind him.

I watch him falling to the floor, and Declan gets off him, and looks over to me. “Trixie, bring the car over!” he shouts but I can’t move, I’m stuck to my seat, but yet my body is trembling so much I don’t want to move. “Trixie, I know you’re scared, and I’m so fucking sorry, but I need you to drive the car to me.”

“Trixie, breathe. In and out, you’ve got this.” I hear Cain’s voice, and I wipe the tears away from my cheeks, and climb over to the driver's side, my grip on the steering wheel is so tight my knuckles turn white. “Trixie, you do this, and if you want to walk away from Declan, I promise we will make sure he never comes close to you again. But right now, I need you to go to him.”

Walk away from Declan? Do I want Declan to walk away from me? Why do I think Declan might be the only person who will help me? Yet, I can’t tell him about my hell.

Putting the car in drive, I park next to Declan, and he quickly opens the trunk and pulls the guy to the back of the car. I get out of the car, and watch Declan putting the guy in the back and tying him up. Taking out a container, before slamming the truck down.

Declan walks over to me, and I look down at the blood on his t-shirt, and again the water escapes my eyes. He leans in closer to me, and whispers.

“Can’t get rid of me so easily.” He kisses me under my ear on my jawline.

He walks away from me, and looks down at the dead body, then pulls him toward their car, and throws him in the back seat.

He pours gasoline over the car, and anywhere he can see blood, then lights up a match and throws it toward the car, and he watches it go up in flames.

I have no idea why, or how I’m moving but I walk over to Declan, and stand next to him, and place my hand in his and he gives it a tight squeeze, before turning to face me.

“You must have a million fucking questions, but I only have one. Do you want to walk away?” I’m not sure what he wants me to say, but I know the answer I want to say.

No.

Without warning he kisses me, making me take a step back, but he quickly places his hand on my lower back to stop me from falling. The tip of my fingernails scrap on the back of his neck, and I feel his lips curl against mine.

“You are never cutting your nails,” he tells me as we walk back to the car. Reaching the car he opens the door for me, once I’m in he shuts the door, and moves around the front of the car. He looks down at where he was shot and shakes his head then takes a deep breath.

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