Declan did a slow blink, like he was having trouble processing what I’d just said. I took that as my opportunity to turn to my parents and offer them a lame wave. “Hey, guys.”

They both stood and came over to me, wrapping me in a secure embrace. “Hey, baby girl. How you doin’?” Dad asked.

“Been better. But I’ll survive.”

“What do you mean you can’t be our manager anymore?” Declan asked.

I broke apart from my folks and saw that he’d climbed to his feet, fully prepared to battle. Unfortunately for him, so was I. I’d done nothing but think about what was best for everybody for the past several hours. And unfortunately, quitting my job seemed like the only option.

“Deck, I can’t possibly be your manager after this. And there’s no way I can go on this tour—”

“Like fucking’ hell your not!” he boomed.

“Please, just listen to me,” I pushed on, lifting my hands in a placating gesture. “If I go, the whole thing will be a train wreck. I’ll be nothing but a distraction, and the media will be all over it. It won’t be about the music anymore, as far as they’re concerned. It’ll take away for the band. I can’t let that happen.”

He came at me, taking my face in his hands, his eyes pleading just as much as his words. “I don’t care. They can say and do whatever the hell they want. None of that matters to me. You’re the only thing I care about.”

“He’s right, Tater tot,” Mace said. “Until we get this shit handled—”

“You’ll finish your tour,” I said, completing his sentence before he could. “And once you guys get back, we’ll deal. That’s just how it has to be.”

I looked back to Declan, wrapping my fingers around his wrists and pulling them down, but I didn’t let them go. Instead, I intertwined our fingers and held tight since he really wasn’t going to like what I had to say next. “I’m going to head back to San Francisco with my parents.”

“No—”

“Let me finish.” His lips clamped shut in an angry scowl. “It’s just for a little while. You guys will be on a totally different continent for the next couple of months. There’s no reason for me to stay here all by myself, and to be honest, I really don’t want to. If I’m going to be hounded by the media and psycho fans, I’d rather do it with people around me. While you’re gone, I’ll stay in San Francisco. When you get back, we’ll work on fixing this mess.”

“Baby, that’s letting that asshole win. I won’t let that happen. You can’t let him beat you.”

“He’s not winning,” I replied, even though it kind of felt like he was. But there was just no other choice. The jerk had planned and timed this perfectly. The only option was for me to take a step back. And the guys were under contractual obligation. If they canceled or even delayed the tour, there were serious penalties. It was as if Chris knew all of that and screwed us both at the most inopportune time simply to make it that much worse. “He’ll pay once you get back.”

“Sweetheart,” my father called out. “Never thought I’d say this, but he’s right. You do this, you’re giving that prick exactly what he wants.”

My eyes began to sting with the threat of tears. “There’s nothing else we can do,” I insisted. “Going with them would be a mistake. You think I like the fact that he won this round? I don’t. I freaking hate it. But the game isn’t over yet.”

The stormy gray of Declan’s gaze grew more intense as his voice lowered to a raw whisper filled with emotion. “I can’t lose you again.”

Letting go of his hands, I stepped into him and wrapped my arms around his waist, giving him a fierce hug. “You aren’t losing me,” I whispered back. My arms clenched before I pulled back far enough to look up at him. “I’m not leaving you, I promise. I’m not ending this. I love you, Deck.”

His whole body jerked. “Say it again,” he insisted several seconds later.

“I love you.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you. Could you please repeat that?”

A giggle managed to escape me, even though I wasn’t exactly in a laughing mood. “I love you, Declan. I’m in love with you. I’m yours and you’re mine. And I want to be with you. We just have to wait a few months to be together again, that’s all.”

His eyes slammed closed and he dropped his forehead against mine, his face tight as though in physical pain. “I love you too. You have no fucking clue how much I love hearing those words, baby. I just wish you followed them up with something better.”

“I do too, but the situation is what it is. At least for now.”

“I don’t want to do this without you.”

A small laugh bubbled past my lips. “I don’t want you to, either. To be honest, I was really starting to love this job.”

He growled from deep within his chest. “I’m gonna fuckin’ destroy Chris.”

“You are,” I agreed with a nod. “But it’ll have to wait until after the tour.” Letting my arms drop to my sides, I stepped back, forcing down the tears that wanted to break free at the thought of living without him for even a day, let alone three months. “It’ll all be okay,” I said softly, even though my heart was breaking in my chest.

Fuck Chris Evers for taking Declan away from me for a second time. I really hoped that asshole got what was coming to him.

* * *

Declan

She let her arms fall to her sides and I did the same, going against every instinct in my body by allowing her to take a step back. With a bright smile that was as fake as the day was long, she addressed the room as a whole. “Good. That’s settled. Now, I’m starving. I’m going to make a sandwich. If you want one, I suggest getting your butt into the kitchen.”

With that, she turned and started out of the room. Mace, Kill, Gina, and Garrett followed, each of them giving me matching looks of sympathy as they passed by. Helene stopped in front of me and cupped my cheek. “It’ll all be okay. You’ll see.”

I didn’t have the energy to pretend like she was right, and as if sensing that, she dropped her hand and walked off.

That left me alone in the room with John Valentine, the man who’d threatened to rip my head off more times than I could count. But instead of the bloodshed I feared was about to take place, he shocked the complete hell out of me by standing and clapping me on the back.

“It’s our cross to bear, loving those women. Helene’s mom was the same damn way. Stubborn and headstrong to the core. It’s the hair. Swear to God. You’ll learn which battles to fight and when to wave the white flag.”

I looked up at the man who’d always held my respect, no matter how much I feared him. “I never meant for any of this to happen, John, I swear. If I could—”

“We can’t control the actions of others, son. All we can do is decide how to react to them. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I’m guessing you’ll react the right way. Just… make her sacrifice worth it. And don’t give up. That’s all I ask.”

I had no idea what came over me in that moment, but I found myself speaking without giving it a single thought. “I bought this house for her. Six years ago. I’d already lost her, but I still bought this place for her and our kids. In all this time, I don’t think I ever really gave up.”

A slow grin took over his entire face. “Yep. You two will be just fine. Now let’s go get a drink. Something tells me you’ll be needing it.”