BACK ON THE road, they were heading west and back to cheap motels and greasy diners or drive-thrus. Each night, though, still felt as special as the first. It didn’t matter where they were as long as they were together.
Lydia wasn’t a case anymore, hadn’t been for some time; she was his everything. Protecting her had always been his objective, but now it was more than that. The need to keep her safe was so intense it nearly drove him mad. What he would do to keep her safe was limitless.
Esteban was closing in; he could feel it – it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end and instigated a type of fury he’d never experienced that coursed through his veins. For the first time in his life, Declan was scared because for once, he had something to lose, and losing her would destroy him.
She was getting stronger, more confident – ready to fight back if need be. That eased his fear, but he didn’t want it to come to that. The girl who once wanted designer everything and was a devout vegan, who wouldn’t drink a beer, now didn’t care if her jeans were from this season’s runway or not, and rarely wore make-up. Burgers and beer were a staple.
Declan saw her for who she was and who she was becoming. He had always been attracted to her, despite her spoiled tendencies, but this Lydia he was falling in love with. And that scared him.
It was time to settle down in one place again – and wait. They needed to lure Esteban out of hiding, so their nightmare could finally be over, and they could live their lives. Live without having to look over their shoulders, afraid to be happy, afraid of it ending.
Deception Pass was their final destination. It was a small island nestled in the Puget Sound of the Pacific Northwest, just off the shores of Washington state. Though the island, one of several, was only reachable by a ninety-minute ferry ride across the Pacific Ocean, or private boat, it was safe. They would see their enemy coming, should he catch up with them. They would know if they had been found.
It also didn’t hurt that the O’Reilly cousins resided there and ran their business from there for the very same reason Declan wanted to hide out in the open there. If the cousins were called away by a client, Dec’s brothers were only a few hours away and would rotate in and out so Declan and Lydia were never alone on the island.
The next several weeks were spent enjoying the town, their little private beach in the cove below the bluff their cottage sat on, and enjoying each other every chance they had. If not for the looming threat, their romance would be one for the pages. They were good together.
The Feds wanted Esteban and were more than willing to help flush out the leak in Declan’s agency in exchange for flushing out Esteban. U.S Attorney, Carter Landry, wasn’t always a U.S. Attorney – he started with a military career that eventually led him to where he was. He knew Declan, even knew a few of his brothers either from serving together or crossing paths on missions. Carter was happy to do Dec a favor – he didn’t have an ounce of sympathy for a traitor – he didn’t care how much money was involved, how deep the blackmail ran, or how bad the asshole was in need – you don’t turn on your brothers.
Working often with the agency Declan was employed by, it was easy to pass on a lead to a handful of people within and watch it spread like wild fire. All they had to do was sit back and see who made a move and shared Declan’s location. All they had to do was wait for whoever it was to leak the information to Esteban.
Declan and Lydia were back on the grid and out in the open – only this time, it was on their terms. Esteban was calculated and smart; he would take his time and circle his prey. Toy with it, then attack when least expected. A true predator. But he didn’t see them coming, and they were a step ahead, masterminding the whole charade that was about to unfold.
Beat him at his own game and lead him to his demise – that was the plan. They were already leaving him a trail to follow, and Esteban and his men were following it. By the time Esteban and his goons got to Deception Pass, Declan and Lydia would be long gone.
They’d follow the carefully plotted trail to McKenzie Ridge, and Portland where they wouldn’t find Declan and Lydia, but they would confirm that Lydia’s sister and son were alive – coming face to face with Megan and her new friends in Portland. Finding Trinity and Jax would lead him to believe Lydia was nearby and that he had a bargaining chip.
It was risky, but he needed Trinity, who now went by Megan Johnson, to be alive if he was going to get to Lydia. McKenzie Ridge was heavily guarded, but should he find a way to get too close, they knew Trinity, or Meg rather, would be safe. Megan didn’t know she was the key to this whole thing, and telling her could jeopardize the entire thing.
Finally, the trail would end in McKenzie Ridge. Megan would live out in the open with Jax, but the one he really wanted, Esteban would wait for. She would be in the air…he would sense her, but she’d always be just out of sight…Lydia. It would drive them mad, they’d make mistakes, and Esteban would expose himself.
“His ego will get the better of him, and we’ll grab him. Put him away…forever,” Declan said, explaining the plan to a nervous Lydia.
“Forever…that’s a long time,” She said, her words having little to do with Esteban and more to do with their relationship.
“It is.”
“I’m worried about Jax – I don’t want to put him at risk. Trin…errr…Meg either.” She voiced her concerns, and her worry was to be expected.
“They’re safe. They’re never left completely exposed or unprotected,” he started with confidence. “I sent them to McKenzie Ridge because I knew they would be looked after, protected. Some of the best people I know are there – she’s built a good life with these people, just as I expected. My sister is one of them. This was all intentional from the beginning.”
“Sister?” she questioned, remembering how fondly he spoke of her over their months together.
“None of them know who Trinity really is, or Jax. The relationships are completely organic, but I knew putting them there, my friends and family would take care of them.”
“Your sister, she doesn’t know…”
“None of them do, but they’re about to. Esteban’s men have already been in McKenzie Ridge – and everyone knows they’re there - they just don’t know why. We’re going to tell them when the time is right. We need things to play out this way if we’re going to get him,” Declan promised.
“It just feels so unpredictable,” she admitted.
“We need him on our heels – do you trust me?”
A long pause stood between them while Lydia worked over the details in her head. It was risky, it was frightening, and there was a lot on the line. But…she trusted him. After nodding her head, acknowledging such, he pulled her into a warm embrace and held her tight. He wouldn’t let her down.
It was their last night in Deception Pass, and Lydia was going to miss it. It had quickly become her favorite place they had been. They had lived like a couple, albeit for a short time, and had to remind themselves why they were there to begin with because being there together felt so right. It wasn’t lost on either one of them that once all of this was over, they could be over, too.
While the tide was out, they had a picnic on their beach in the cove. It was quite possibly their last night together; they weren’t sure what was next. It was bitter sweet, and they wanted to make the most of their time together.
Declan confessed his feelings for her, admitted that he’d loved her longer than she could imagine. But love came at a cost, and he’d have to pay the piper. He couldn’t be the reason behind anything happening to her, and she was already a target. He had a lot of loose ends to tie up and a past to sort out before they could be anything. He wanted a life with her, but not one that had them looking over their shoulders like they were now. He loved her too much for that.
They made slow sweet love on the beach, letting the intimacy between them say what words couldn’t begin to reveal. It was consuming, full of passion – it was beautiful.