Page 51 of Declan's Dove

“Declan, I want to talk to Skyler. She was sick and I feel bad that I left her without any warning.” She shrugs. “She’s my friend, and she’s pregnant. What I did was pretty shitty.”

“Skyler,” I huff. “You leave your kid with me with no forewarning. Scare the shit out of me and Ethan, not to mention your son, and you’re worried about leaving Skyler without back-up on the counter at the gym for a few days?”

Violet bites her bottom lip and nods her head, not meeting my eyes.

She’s full of shit.

It must have something to do with the secret they’ve been keeping between them. I’ll let her have her way for now, but I’m going to find out what these two are hiding.

“Okay, baby. You can call Skyler.”

She looks up at me with a shy smile and whispers, “Thank you,” under her breath.

Kayce narrows his eyes at me. He knows as well as I do—Violet’s full of shit.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Violet

Kayce and Matteo left together in Matteo’s SUV. He’s taking Kayce to meet with Vincenzo and Mili. I’m curious to know how she’s feeling and if she’s truly giving Vincenzo hell the way I believe she will.

As soon as they were gone, Declan offered me a bag of clothes and toiletries, then told me to go take a hot bath and relax. He claimed I had a rough enough few days, and the least he could do was help me relax and relieve some stress off my shoulders.

Now I’m lying in a large Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom upstairs picturing all the ways he could help me relieve said stress, and it’s doing nothing to help me relax. I can’t help the effect he has on my body, but I can’t trust him with my heart.

But you want to.

I do, but if Kayce is right and James has discovered the truth, that Carter and I are alive, he’ll definitely be looking to kill us both, and anyone he finds us connected to. It’s the only reason I took Vincenzo up on his offer to keep us safe. James would never consider looking for us to be hiding with a mob boss. Not after I saw the man he was working with and how badly he scared me.

He was an older Italian man who oozed charm but made my skin crawl at the same time. I only ever saw him one time. I overheard him threatening James, saying he’d face consequences if he didn’t produce the evidence required to turn a judge in this man’s favor. The beating I got for eavesdropping on their conversation is still vivid in my memory.

“Do you smell that, Violet?” James growls in my ear. The blindfold prevents me from seeing what he’s doing and with my arms tied to the bed, I can’t pull away.

“Answer me.”

“I-It smells like one of your cigars.” My words are coming out in a stuttered mess, something that only angers him more. He hates when I sound like a ‘stuttering idiot’.

“Very good,” he purrs. “Let’s see if you can figure out what this next scent is.”

Without any further warning, he grips my forearm and pushes the fiery end of his cigar into my bicep. Not once, but four times. One for each year of Carter’s age.

I scream and his hand comes down to smother my mouth, pushing up against my nose and blocking me from breathing to stop the sound.

“Shut up, you fucking cunt! If the neighbors come knocking, I’ll break the boy’s arm again and you don’t want that, do you, Violet? Lord knows, the boy is clumsy, just like his mother.” His breath is hot on my face. Spittle wets my cheek as I struggle to breathe.

James uncovers my mouth enough to allow air through, but doesn’t let the rest of his hold on my arms go.

“That’s the smell of burning flesh. Shall we revisit it again? Do you need another warning?”

Tears stream down both sides of my face. I shake my head. He lifts the blindfold, and I watch as his eyes go from filled with rage to molten with desire. Bile rises in the back of my throat. I know what’s coming next. His hand covering my mouth flips over and, in such a stark contrast, softly caresses my cheek. It’s what he does. It’s the illusion of gentleness and care.

“Shh, sweetheart.” He whispers. “You don’t mean to upset me, right? You just need a reminder once in a while to be the good little housewife everyone else believes you to be.” His finger caresses a line down the side of my throat. It stops when he reaches the top button of my nightgown.

“But we both know the truth, don’t we?” The menacing tone of his voice causes me to shutter, which only serves to turn him on more. He loves the sight and sound of my fear. “You’re nothing but a worthless cunt who can’t keep her fucking nose out of other people’s business. We’re going to fix that tonight. I’m going to teach you a lesson you won’t forget, because if you do,” James’s whole-body is hovering above me now, his knees wedging my legs open uncomfortably wide. His eyes widen as his nostrils flare. “If you forget your place again, Violet, the boy will pay a hefty price for your disobedience. Do I make myself clear?”

His hand comes up, gripping my throat tight, cutting off my air once again. I nod as much as his grip will allow and whisper the words, “Yes, I understand. Please don’t hurt Carter. He’s just a child.”

James brings his face closer until we’re nose to nose. “Then I suggest you learn your fucking place, cunt.” Then his hand rips the front of my nightgown open and…

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