Page 16 of Defending A Promise
Declan comes around the kitchen island and stands directly in front of me. “I made a promise to River years ago that if anything ever happened to him, that I would take care of you. Then today, after meeting your son, I amended that promise to include him. I plan to honor that promise, Riley. Okay?”
The emotion in his dark blue eyes shows how much he wants me to let him honor his commitment. And the love I have for my brother, even though he’s no longer with us, grows deeper. He was looking out for me. He loved me.
I nod. “Okay.”
“Okay.” He repeats. “I’ll see you both in the morning.”
“Good night, Declan.”
“Good night, Riley.”
I turn away from Declan before he can see the single tear fall down my face knowing that we’re safe and for how much I miss my brother.
I sneak a peek into Nicholas’ room and see that he has his arm flopped over Bella’s neck and she’s got her chin resting on the top of his head – snoring. I snap a quick picture on my phone and then go into the room next door. The bed looks so inviting that I don’t even take my bra off – only my shoes – and climb into bed and then to sleep.
Chapter 8
Declan
Every day when I come home from work, I store my service weapon in a hidden locked cabinet in the living room wall by the front door. I have weapons strategically stored away all around my home – safely locked away in hidden compartments in furniture and wall safes.
Last night, I opened each of them to make sure they were all fully loaded and that the locks were secured. I don’t know what’s going on with Riley, but I want to be prepared for anything, and I also want to make sure little four-year-old hands can’t get to them.
With everything loaded and secured, I checked on Nicholas and Bella and found them snuggled together out cold. I then peaked in on Riley and saw that she was also fast asleep. I wanted to just stand guard right in front of their bedroom doors and protect them, but I also knew that would be creepy and unnecessary. So instead, I walked around my home and made sure all windows and doors were securely locked and that the alarm system was armed and at the ready.
Instead of sleeping in my bedroom across the house from their rooms, I grabbed a pillow and blanket and crashed on the couch just outside of the hallway. I wouldn’t feel comfortablesleeping all the way across the house from them. I don’t know why – this place is more secure than Fort Knox, but I guess it’s just the cop in me. It took a while, but my eyes finally got heavy enough for me to fall asleep.
I don’t know how long I was asleep, but my senses wake me up. Something’s not right. I can feel someone watching me. I control my breathing so I don’t let this stranger know I’m awake and aware of them as I try to formulate a plan.
I’m just about to jump up when a little hand touches me. “Mr. Declan?”
Then Bella licks my face which startles me, and I scrunch up my nose.
The little voice giggles.
I open one eye and spy Nicholas and Bella staring at me.
“Mr. Declan. Can I go swimming?” he asks me.
I look at my watch and see that it’s already six-thirty in the morning. I scratch my unintentional growing beard. "Good morning. You want to go swimming now? Do you even know how to swim?”
“I can put my head in the water. I got a certificate for it,” he answers proudly.
I sit up, “You did? That’s pretty impressive.”
He nods proudly as he stands eye-to-eye with my dog. His arm is around her shoulder as if they’ve been best friends for years. Bella is loving every second of it. “Is your Mommy still sleeping?”
He nods, “Yes, but we need to be quiet. She doesn’t sleep that much.”
This kid is a wealth of knowledge. “She doesn’t?”
“No. She’s tired a lot.”
“Okay, then. We’ll be quiet so she can sleep. Deal?” I hold out my hand for a high-five.
He gives me a giant smile, as if we’re co-conspirators, and slaps my hand. “Deal!” he whispers.
“Okay, so before we go swimming, we should eat breakfast first. Do you like eggs or cereal?”
