The Fall of Declan by Stephanie St. Klaire

Author:Stephanie St. Klaire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Stephanie St. Klaire

14

Days became weeks, weeks became months and there was still no sign of Esteban. He was MIA – not a single trace. His goons hadn’t found Declan and Lydia. Maybe they chased the burner phones to Maine and gave up when they led to nowhere.

It seemed time really did heal all wounds. Declan was still guarded, when it came to Lydia, but not as much as he had been. Moss Bridge had become home, and though Lydia missed her son and sister, her living arrangements were tolerable. Declan had surprised her with a video of Jax walking, then one of him starting to talk. It was far from perfect, but they were all safe, for now.

A routine had developed between Lydia and Declan. Morning workouts were still on the agenda, followed by self-defense in the late afternoon. Lydia had even learned to fire a gun, practicing often in the secluded area where they lived. She was a pretty good shot. The two even did all of their shopping together, each week, and enjoyed the many festivities the small town hosted. They genuinely enjoyed each other.

Lydia was getting stronger, physically, and with that strength came a certain confidence that had been missing before. It looked good on her. She was changing, discovering who she was – or at least who she wanted to be – and figuring out what she was made of. When all of this was over, Lydia would be unrecognizable, far more than she ever was before.

Beer was a new dietary staple, and she even ate meat, though Lydia clung to that plant based protein powder in her smoothies still. Old habits die hard. She even got used to the Mississippi bugs, learned to fish, and got dirty once in a while. Though she was embracing her life as Pearla Gray, Lydia still had nights full of tears and a broken heart, but she didn’t live in it, just experienced it and moved on.

Nature serenaded them over dinner while sitting out on the deck. In the south, crab boils and fish fries were as common as a summer barbecue, and they indulged in that southern way of life often. It went well with the beer, too.

“So, tell me something about you that I don’t already know,” she chimed, “and I already know you like to run, drink beer, and grunt a lot.”

“I don’t grunt. I just don’t always like to talk.” That’s where he wasn’t being honest. He did like to talk and wanted to talk to her and tell her everything. He just couldn’t since it wasn’t safe.

“Oh c’mon, O’Reilly. I know you have a niece, at least one brother, and of course parents because…” She waved her hand up and down at him. “Well, you’re here, and that takes…parents.”

“That was a really weird way to say that, ya know.”

“Ehh, you’re deflecting. Out with it. You know everything about me. You probably know what kind of cake I had at my ninth birthday because of all your top secret, ninja, borderline stalker resources.

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