Page 74 of Declan's Dove

“Fucking hell!” Gabe shouts. “Get me a prospect on the line, now.”

Hawk dials Mason and puts him on speaker. “Yes, sir.”

“Mason, Vincenzo Parisi is on his way here. Let his car pass when he arrives.”

“Yes, sir.” He hangs up.

“For my sanity’s sake, someone go get me a fucking drink,” Gabe groans.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Violet

The guys have all dispersed to church and I find myself seated on the couch in the common area of the clubhouse, surrounded by women, all looking at me expectantly. Skyler, Sadie, Jayde, and Avery all have the same raised brow and half smirk on their faces, and I feel the need to run and hide.

“So.” Skyler waves a manicured finger in my face. “Is there anything you want to tell us, Vi?”

“No. I’m pretty sure you already know everything there is to know.”

“Everything?” Skyler’s question ends on a bit of a high note.

“I mean, yeah. Declan and I are together and here we are.” I throw my hands out, not sure what else I’m supposed to say. I know what I’m not going to say, and that’s anything pertaining to Mili or why I was gone for so long.

“She’s hiding something,” Sadie accuses.

Oh shit. What do they know?

They can’t know where I was, but of course they know I was gone. I need to come up with a story quick. I could tell them I went to see a sick aunt or maybe my friend had a baby.

“Mhm.” Avery and Sadie share a look. “You’re holding out on us.”

What are some things I would do but wouldn’t be appropriate to take my son along with me? I wouldn’t want him around someone who was sick. A funeral. A baby shower. Come on, Violet. Think.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” I’m pretty sure I do know what they mean, but maybe acting aloof will buy me enough time to come up with a solid alibi.

Jayde’s head tips back, and she lets out an exaggerated groan. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. They want you to tell them how Declan is in bed. They’re nosy like that.”

“Hey. Don’t act like you don’t want all the dirt. Just because you don’t brag about the man who has you calling out his name in your bed late at night, doesn’t mean others don’t want to kiss and tell,” Sadie teases.

The sound of glass shattering has us all turning around. Blake pops up from behind the bar with a rag in his hand and a scowl on his face.

“My bad. Dropped a bottle. Nothing to worry about,” he says, his eyes firmly locked on Jayde. She returns his glare and raises a challenging brow. We all watch the exchange and I’m wondering if there isn’t something going on with those two.

“Whoa.” Skyler spins Jayde with a glare of her own. “You got a man and didn’t tell me? What the hell? Do the guys know about him?”

“Fuck no.” Jayde laughs, but it holds no humor. “You know what my daddy would do. Hell, Jake, Hawk, my Papa. Hell fucking no. Who I sleep with is my business and mine alone.”

A cabinet slams behind the bar and if Sadie’s shit-eating grin is any indication, I’d say Blake isn’t too happy about our current conversation.

“You good over there, Blake? Need a hand with something?” Sadie taunts. She’s loving this. Whatever this is. Jayde’s eye narrow and she slaps Sadie’s arm.

“Quit. I don’t need him digging into my personal life and running off to tell everyone so they can ruin it for me,” Jayde whispers low enough Blake shouldn’t be able to hear her. “With my luck, Daddy would make Blake my escort and have him follow me everywhere, scaring off any potential dates I could possibly have. Just stop.”

“So, you’re not screaming anyone’s name in your bed late at night, then?” I ask quietly, trying to follow the conversation.

“If I was, I still wouldn’t tell. But no. Not currently,” Jayde snaps, giving Sadie the death glare if I’ve ever seen one. Skyler is smirking at both of them.

“Oh, you are a pot stirring little shit.” Skyler’s comment is directed at Sadie. She shrugs and smiles, clearly not giving one single fuck about it.

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