Page 29 of Vengeful Devotion
“I’ll ride with the two of you,” Juliette says, grabbing ahold of my hand.
“You need to take Dean’s car back. He’s pissed,” Declan replies.
“He’ll live.”
“I said no, Juliette.”
“C-can she please ride with us?” I interrupt their brewing argument.
Declan's face softens slightly when he looks at me. We’re stuck in a stalemate for a few seconds before he sighs. “Fine.”
Juliette looks between him and me, her face frozen in a look of confusion. “Holy shit,” she whispers.
“Get in the car,” Declan snaps, interrupting Juliette. She clings to my hand, pulling me towards a sleek black car. It’s not a classic like Dean’s, but it’s beautiful and powerful. Like Declan.
“Danny, call Grady. Have him come pick Dean’s car up. Stay here with it until he gets here,” Declan commands.
“Yes, sir.”
Declan spins on his heel, catching my gaze. An emotion flickers in his eyes, but before it can fully ignite, it’s extinguished. Disinterest colors his face. I go to the back door, letting Juliette take the front. She can deal with her brother’s hot and cold attitude. I’m too exhausted to give a fuck right now. Just as I’m opening the door, a hand stops me.
“Front,” Declan says, his tone taking that authority tremble he has mastered so well.
Frustration builds in me. I’m so tired of this push and pull. “No.”
“What did you just say?”
“I said, no. The back is just fine for me.” I let the words out quickly, before my resolve can waver. Climbing in the car, my instincts screaming at me not to get in at all. This could all be a ruse to orchestrate my murder. Declan seems like the type to be a creative killer. But if this is how I die, then so be it. At least I know I stood up for myself for once. Declan growls, slamming my door.
Juliette twists in her seat and stares at me. “Spill.”
“What?”
“What’s going on with you and my brother?”
“Nothing.”
She makes a face. “You’re a terrible liar, Gemma.”
“So I’ve been told,” I murmur as Declan gets in the driver’s seat.
The entire ride home, I’m wringing my hands together. I’m still unsure of how tonight will end. I can’t decide whether to be terrified by what I saw and how much danger I might be in, or if I should be frustrated by how everyone has acted. To them, the elephant in the room isn’t the man who lost his life. It’s not that I saw what I saw. They’re more worried about Declan. I don’t understand it. The man is unshakeable. What’s there to be worried about?
It's not until we pull up to the estate that the silence is broken.
“Juliette, go inside. I need to speak to Gemma.”
Is this the part where he kills me?
Juliette glances at me, her clear blue eyes apologetic. She pushes her door open and slips out into the night.
Declan twists in his seat. “About what you saw—”
“I won’t tell a soul.”
His eyebrows furrow. “It would be stupid if you did.”
“Clearly.”
