Page 30 of It Will Always Be You
“I wanted something to commemorate today with.”
“Hmm, yeah? And what makes today so special?” she teases me, leaning up on her tiptoes to place a chaste kiss against my lips. Pulling her in close, I wrap a fist in her hair, tilting her head back as I take her in. She’s been glowing lately—our baby is doing amazing things to her.
As she looks at me, love shining in her eyes, I know then that my Da was right. The love of the right woman is worth the risk, and Helen Montgomery is that woman for me. From the moment I laid eyes on her, this was inevitable.
“Because today we found out we’re having a little girl and...” I trail off as I thumb the box in my pocket and take a step back, getting ready to drop to one knee when screams ring out behind us. The sweet older couple I approached before are being held at knifepoint by two men, and an SUV with blacked out windows pulls up.
“Jonathan, we should leave,” she hisses, tugging at my sleeve. A quick scan of the area tells me the time for making a run for it has vanished, so with a curse, I push her behind me, trying to shield her from sight.
“Just trust me. Stay behind me, okay? And if anything happens to me, run,” I snarl just as the door opens, and out strolls none other than Angus. I’m getting sick and fucking tired of him showing up on my turf uninvited.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” I spit as he strolls towards me like he doesn’t have a worry in the world, like it’s his right to be here. I don’t bloody well think so.
“Awk, well, I asked for your help, and you denied me. So, here Iam, taking matters into my own hands. Really, this is all your fault, Johnny boy.” That damn accent makes me want to drive my fist through his skull. Slowly, so as not to draw his attention, I reach behind me to put one hand on my gun, ready for action.
“Remind me again: what is it you’re looking for?” I try and distract him as I search for an out. He has men stationed all around us. Without risking Helen, there’s no easy way out of this. Fuck.
“Now, don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you. I had a little runaway problem, you’ll remember,” he drawls, daring to get into my personal space. Something to the right of me catches his eye, and he freezes and zeros in on it before a sick smirk takes over his face.
“Well, what do we have here? Come forward, girl. No need to hide.” Fucking hell. No way is he getting anywhere near her. Over my dead fucking body.
“Leave her out of this. She’s just a random civilian. Now, how about you get in your car, clear your men, and I’ll join you when we can talk some more?” I try to placate him, and it seems to work. With a sharp whistle at his men, they scatter. Once they are all out of sight, he heads back to the car. Looking back at me, he cocks a dark brow in question.
“I’m coming. Just let me get rid of this girl. We don’t want witnesses, do we?” As he ducks into the car, I turn to face a nearly hyperventilating Helen.
“Sweetheart, listen to me. Ring Donna. Tell her it’s a code red and then get the fuck out of here. Take the keys and just drive. Don’t stop until Seamus finds you. I love you, so fucking much. Remember that.” Without waiting for a response and not daring to hold her the way I want to in fear of who’s watching us, I leave her, saying a prayer I can manage to distract Angus long enough for her to get out of here and out of his line of sight.
Chapter 26
Coming so close to Angus after all this time has my heart pounding in a way that can’t be good for the baby, and watching Jonathan disappear into the car with him does nothing to resolve that issue. All I can do is hope Angus didn’t recognise me, because if he did, I know there is no way in hell I’m getting out of this carpark unharmed.
Making a mad dash for the car, I dial Donna at the same time.
“Code red,” I gasp as soon as she picks up. Flinging myself into the car, I slam the door and yank the seatbelt on before pressing as hard on the accelerator as I can. Peeling out of there and leaving half of my heart behind feels wrong, but guarding this half is more important. Jonathan can defend himself, my baby girl cannot. She needs me to do it for her.
“Shit. Okay, deep breaths. We’ve got you. Just keep driving. Don’t stop for anyone or anything who isn’t Seamus or Jonathan, okay? That’s the only two people you trust, you hear me?”
“Yes, I hear you. Just please, I need to save her,” I sob, and, in that moment, something passes between us. Over the past few months,Donna has been the rock I never knew I needed. From holding my hair back as bouts of morning sickness had me rushing to the bathroom, to confiding in me about her own pregnancy, I don’t know how I would have kept my sanity without her.
“Helen, I promise you, nothing is going to get anywhere near your baby. We will not let that happen.” The fierce determination in her words should soothe me, but nothing can, not until Angus is gone and Jonathan is back in my arms. Disconnecting the call, I focus on the road in front of me. I’ve no idea how long passes; all I know is, I’m beyond turned around. I have no clue where I am, never mind anyone who may or may not be tailing me. Hitting the brakes, I check my phone to see if I somehow missed any calls while I was playing fast and furious. Seeing nothing, I curse before looking up, only to swallow a scream.
Because all of a sudden, a car has appeared, and the driver is fast approaching me. With a curse, I try to turn the engine on, but the damn car refuses to start. Slamming all the locks down and praying the tinted glass will be enough to deter him, I keep quiet. I sincerely hope this guy is as dumb as he looks; otherwise, I’m fucked. He leans in close, bracing his hands on the window to get a better view.
As he reaches behind him, I see my life flash before my eyes. Freya. Jonathan. My unborn baby. All the lies and what ifs wasted. This is the moment I have been running from, and now, it’s too little, too late. I’ll never get to hold my baby, never get to tell Jonathan I love him one more time. Wetness trails down the side of my face.
But as he goes to withdraw his weapon, someone twists his arm behind his back, forcing a pained grunt and muffled shout. And there behind him, covered in blood, is Jonathan, pain etched into every crevice of his face. In that moment, a bitter, heartbreaking understanding passes between us.
The immediate threat may be gone, but the damage is irreparable. In just minutes, Angus tore through everything we had, shattering the fragile peace we’d built and ripping our happiness out from under us.
There’s no undoing the devastation he left behind—no taking back the fear, the anguish, the suffocating grief.
It’s too little, too late. No amount of time, no amount of pretending, can salvage what’s been lost. Our hearts have already drowned in the wreckage.
Chapter 27
Angus Graham can burn in hell.
Not only did he lure me into the car, holding me at gunpoint while his men gunned their engines to chase after Helen, but he also wasted precious moments—moments we’ll never get back. He talked in circles until I knocked him out. Time lost. Time stolen.
