Grace

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“You got anything else?” Aengus asked.

“No, that was the last of the bread,” I said.

“Got any whiskey?” he asked.

“No. I have some grapefruit juice,” I said.

He crinkled his nose like a toddler and for some reason the sight made me want to laugh.

I knew that probably wouldn’t be a good idea, but that feeling was one that had hit me more often than seemed reasonable today.

But, hopefully, this would be over soon.

I didn’t wear a watch, so my best guess was that it had been about twenty minutes since Aengus had gotten off the phone with Declan.

And somehow, even without knowing why, I knew he would show up and I knew he would bring the money. I would make it out of this.

I just needed to be cool, and be patient.

It was funny, but I wasn’t really concerned about myself.

I was worried about Declan, though.

I knew he would feel upset, and I hoped he wouldn’t be too hard on himself.

If anyone could spin a way to make this his fault, it would be him, but I wouldn’t let that happen.

This wasn’t his fault, it was Aengus’s fault, and the sooner he recognized that, the better.

I thought I heard a vehicle approaching and perked up, then looked at Aengus, who reacted similarly.

“Yeah, looks like we finally got company,” he said. “Go show him in, and don’t try anything,” he added.

I didn’t respond and instead walked to the door, which had remained unlocked, and cracked it a bit.

When I saw Declan walking toward me, tears began to well in my eyes.

I wouldn’t let them fall. Instead I just waited, looking at him.

He locked eyes with me and I could hear his unspoken question.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, the sound barely audible.

He nodded curtly but then kept walking. He was as focused as I had ever seen him, and I pulled the door open and stepped aside as he entered.

I closed the door and then looked at the scene.

“Punctual. I appreciate that,” Aengus said.

“Here’s your money,” Declan said.

He handed a manila envelope to Aengus and watched as he opened it and counted the contents.

“Good. Now as for the rest—”

Whatever Aengus had intended to say was lost on a strangled cry.

In an instant, Declan was standing there, grim but calm, and in the next he sprang into action.

He launched himself toward Aengus, and captured the older man by the neck.

He used his momentum to slam his knee into Aengus’s stomach and the other man dropped down, his breath a wheeze as he tried to breathe deep but then stopped, apparently because of pain.

Declan didn’t stop.

He kicked Aengus in the stomach this time, once, twice, and I was so relieved when there was a third.

Still, he held tight to Aengus’s neck, and stayed that way, holding it until his breathing returned to normal.

Once Aengus had gotten hold of himself, he started to struggle, but the action was futile.

Declan had crushed one of Aengus’s hands under his foot, and with the other, the older man tried to dislodge Declan’s hold.

To no avail.

He hadn’t been squeezing before, but I didn’t miss the play of muscle in his hand when he curled his fingers tight, began slowly cutting off Aengus’s airway.

I watched, feeling like I was in shock but knowing that this was real.

I didn’t know what to do, and when the door opened I jumped, looked as first Sean then Michael then Patrick entered and closed the door behind them.

Sean looked at me, then reached out and squeezed my hand. But he didn’t speak. None of them spoke. And none of them intervened.

Declan kept his foot on Aengus’s hand and I could see that he curled his fingers a little more and a little more.

Aengus was groping at his wrist wildly now, and when I looked at Aengus I didn’t see his usual smirk, his malice.

I saw fear.

“You know how many years I’ve wanted to do this?” Declan asked, the calmness of his voice sending a shiver down my spine.

“Do you?” he repeated.

Aengus shook his head, or did as best he could as he struggled for air.

“Of course you don’t. Because none of this mattered to you. You didn’t see what you did to us, how we suffered. We never forgot.”

He squeezed a little tighter, and I could see that Aengus was starting to turn red now, a red that would soon be purple, and then blue from the lack of oxygen. And that was assuming that Declan didn’t break some vital bone before that happened.

“I made a promise to her. I promised her I wouldn’t be like you. She knew that fighting was futile. Well she was right,” Declan said.

He squeezed a little tighter, and suddenly the reality of what was happening hit me.

I was going to watch Declan do this, watch the man I loved kill the man he hated. I would lose him in the process.

I couldn’t let that happen. I wouldn’t let that happen, not if I could do anything to stop it, so I tossed fear, caution, reason, everything to the wind and rushed over to him.

Too late, Sean realized what I intended and reached out for me, but I avoided his arm and went to Declan.

I let my hand at the crook of his elbow, the one that held Aengus’s neck.

“She wasn’t right, Declan,” I said firmly.

“Get back, Grace,” Declan said without looking at me.

He seemed so intent on what he was doing that he couldn’t pull his eyes away.

But I wouldn’t be deterred.

“No. She was wrong. You’re not like him. You’re not. But if you do this, you will be. Everything you never wanted to be you will become in this moment. And everything you ever wanted to be you will lose,” I said.

“Get her the fuck out of here,” he tossed over his shoulder, no doubt directing the command to his brothers.

None of them moved.

“Declan,” I said, making my voice firm. “Look at me.”

He didn’t move, just kept squeezing.

I was feeling desperate now, so I went for another tactic. I let go of my hold of his elbow and then reached for his face, twisted his chin as much as he would allow, which wasn’t very much.

“Look at me,” I said.

My voice was soft this time and something in it seemed to reach him. He shifted his eyes to lock with mine.

“You don’t have to do this,” I said quietly.

He held my gaze, squeezed a little tighter, and just as quickly let go.

Aengus collapsed to the ground, coughing and holding his neck, which I could see was heavily bruised.

Declan grimaced for a moment but then turned. He didn’t look at Aengus, but he didn’t look at me either.

“Aengus, you should thank her that you’re still alive. But you won’t be, not if you come around me, any of us or our families ever again. I’ve let you get away with a lot. We’ve let you get away with a lot. But no more. If you value your shady little life, you’ll stay the fuck away from all of us,” he said.

This time when Declan was finished, Patrick and Michael moved.

Each one of them grabbed Aengus under the arm and together they dragged him toward my front door.

When they were gone, it was almost like none of this had ever even happened.

Sean looked from Declan, to me, then back to Declan.

“You all right?” he said.

Declan nodded curtly and then Sean came over and gave me a hug.

“You’re good, right, Grace?” he asked.

His voice was soft, his eyes full of concern.

I nodded. “I really am fine,” I said.

He nodded and then hugged me one more time. “Thank you,” he whispered in my ear.

And then, he left too.

And I was alone with Declan.