Chapter 33
Declan
I let her get some work done. I know she needed to. She doesn’t pay attention to me; she’s got her head in the paperwork in front of her. I take a moment to lean back with my boots kicked up on the desk and watch her. Her hair falls around her face, framing it. The little crease in between her eyes tells me she’s focusing on the task at hand. She makes even paperwork look sexy as fuck. I don’t say a word, but when she starts chewing on the end of her pen, I about lose it. With a growl, I adjust my dick and say, “You’re gonna have to stop doin’ that.”
Brooke looks up at me before she smiles.
“I’m not doing anything. Why are you still here?” she snaps, the smile leaving her face. I hate that she’s pissed off. I hate that there is nothing I can do about it, either. I know that I need to ask her some more questions, but I can’t seem to wrap my head around how to do that.
“So, your dad was a cop,” I say. Just blurt it out there. That’s one way to do it. We might as well get this over with now.
“Yep.”
“How long?” I ask. She doesn’t look like she wants to talk about this. Too fucking bad.
“His whole life. Since he was nineteen.” She looks back at the papers in front of her trying to avoid my gaze.
“You didn’t think that was important information to share with me?” I ask. Her eyes come to meet mine, and I can see the loss and hurt in them.
“No, I didn’t. That has nothing to do with us.”
I huff when those words leave her mouth. Nothing to do with us? That’s a fucking good one.
“That right?” I ask her before I lean forward and rest my elbows on my knees. “You work out at the cop’s gym. You have a secret code with a curtain. You’re fuckin’ a criminal, and you didn’t think that had anything to do with us?” I ask. My anger is boiling inside of me. She’s pushing my buttons, and she knows it.
“Do I associate with cops? Only at the gym. I don’t know many of them anymore. Do I have a secret routine I use with Ashley? Yes, I do. And as far as I can remember that criminal fucking left me in a hotel room and I haven’t seen him in weeks. So, to answer your question, no, Declan I didn’t think that information was important,” she throws back at me.
She slams her pen on the desk before shoving out of her chair. She starts for the door, but I stop her.
“You’re makin’ this harder than it needs to be.” I stand up and turn to face her. She spins around, pinning me in place with that glare.
“I am? You walked away, Declan. I took the hint! I’m not a stupid person!” she yells. I watch the fire inside of her erupt like a volcano. She’s a fucking burning inferno, and I want nothing more than to touch her flames. I let a smile creep across my face while she watches me.
“Do you know the first time I knew you were special?” I ask her, changing the subject altogether.
“No,” she snaps. Look at her. Trying to hold on to her anger but she wants to know. She wants me to tell her all about it.
“You walked up to my clubhouse gate and demanded one of my prospects give you a beer.” She brings her gorgeous eyes to meet mine, and there she is. The girl who stole my fucking heart. The one who holds it in her palms and doesn’t even know it yet. I take a step toward her, my heart beating wildly in my chest.
“I walked you home, and I fucked you against your friend’s house with my gun. You didn’t know me then. Why’d you let me do it?” I ask her. I lift my hand and wrap it around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me. Her hands land on my chest, holding herself up.
“You felt safe. I didn’t know how to explain then, and I still don’t. You felt like a safe place for me.” A single tear slides down her cheek. It’s my tear. She’s giving it to me, and I’m going to take it. I press my lips to the wet streak on her cheek before I look at her.
“And now?”
“You feel like home, Declan.” She cries harder now. I pull her into my chest and hold her tightly.
“That’s because you are mine, Brooke. This is home. Right here inside me. This is you.” I grab her hand and rest it on my chest. Her tears fall harder and faster, but I don’t let her go. I’m done fighting this thing between us. I’m done letting the outside world rule over what we have. I know in my heart that she’s all I need, and I will do whatever it takes to keep her there.
“I’m sorry, Declan,” she cries, fisting my shirt in her hands.
“No, baby. I am. I shouldn’t have pushed you. I shouldn’t have let things get out of hand.” Before I can finish what I was saying, the sounds of shattering glass explode around us. Brooke jolts but doesn’t scream. That’s my girl!
“What the hell is happening?” She looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Stay down and stay close to me,” I tell her. I pull out my phone and call Blu.
“Yo, Declan.”
“We got shots bein’ fired down at Leggs.”
“Be there in ten.” The line goes dead.
“Guys are comin’. Look at me, Brooke.” When she brings her eyes to meet mine, I see it for the first time. Fear.
“I won’t let anyone hurt you. You trust me?” I ask her. She nods her head as I smile.
“Good girl. Stay behind me,” I warn her.