Declan (Undercover Billionaire Book 4) Read online

  She sighed. This really wasn’t a talk she wanted to have, especially when she was feeling so dang good.

  “It’s okay, Declan,” she assured him. “I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time and I’m clean,” she said.

  “I have no doubt about that. I am too,” he told her. She didn’t think anything else. He wasn’t the type of man who’d hurt a female in any way. “But there are other concerns with a broken condom.”

  This was what she absolutely didn’t want to talk about. She wasn’t ruining the moment. So she’d assure him the best she could.

  “It’s okay on that too,” she said. “There’s no possibility of me getting pregnant . . .” She paused. She wasn’t going to say forever. “Tonight.”

  “There’s always a possibility,” he told her. He’d turned on his back and pulled her into his arms. It was right where she wanted to be.

  “It’s okay. I won’t get pregnant,” she said again.

  He stopped. Maybe it was her tone, or maybe he just trusted her. There was nothing they could do about it anyway. So he’d have to let it go. She hoped he did.

  “I don’t want to ruin the night fretting over it anyway,” he said. He held her tight. It had truly been a long day. Angela closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tick tock. Tick tock. The clock was chiming each new second, minute, and hour. It struck midnight. It struck noon. Twelve chimes were heard in the old days. Now, you had to be somewhere in the city to hear that sound as everything had gone digital, but Declan still heard the chimes inside his own head.

  He needed to break this case, and whether Angela liked it or not she was involved. And he believed it was more than just her witnessing the drug bust. He believed they’d been after her for some time, and whatever had happened to her before was a key element in all of this.

  As much as Declan wanted to protect her and keep her out of it, he was left with little choice. He needed to shield her, and in order to do that he had to get to the bottom of what was happening.

  He desperately wanted to serve the criminals up on a silver platter with no dessert, but when was it ever that easy? Maybe in the movies after some really great fight scenes. But in real life it didn’t work that way. He wanted to be in the movies right about now. Hell, he wanted to be just about anywhere that didn’t involve evil winning.

  If one more person was killed on his watch he might turn full-on Rambo or Terminator. He wasn’t sure at this point.

  They hadn’t spoken about their night of lovemaking. And though the two of them had needed a lot more sleep than they’d gotten, he’d do it all over again to be in her arms. They’d made love three times, which had put them on the road far too late, but he’d had to let her get at least three solid hours of sleep before putting her in a miserable little car all day. He wasn’t sure the thing could make it all the way back to Washington.

  She’d smiled at him when he’d woken her with coffee and pastries and they had shared small talk, but that was it. He didn’t think she regretted what they’d done. And he dang well hoped they’d do it again that night. How did a person bring that up? It was unchartered territory for him.

  He didn’t want to bring up sex, but he did want to bring up her past again. She’d had some sleep. Maybe not enough, but some. And she’d certainly had some other important needs met, so maybe she’d be in a more talkative mood.

  “Can you tell me about your attack?” he asked.

  She tensed next to him. But she quickly relaxed.

  “Why do you want to know about that so badly?” she questioned.

  “Because I think it’s the same gang,” he admitted. He didn’t want her scared, but she was leaving him with no other choice. He hated it.

  “But that happened in California,” she said. “I was in the wrong place. I can’t remember all of it. What are the chances the same people are in Washington?”

  He hated that he was scaring her. He hated that she had to go through any of this.

  “We’ve found a connection. Mario Vasquez is the leader in Washington. We’ve just found out his brother is Emilio Coronado, who’s in California. It didn’t take long for them to find you. The more we know about this gang, the easier it’ll be to take them down.”

  She gave a humorless laugh. “It won’t be easy at all,” she said.

  “Yeah, three years on this case makes me very aware of that,” he said.

  “Why would anyone want me? I’m nobody,” she pointed out.

  “But your dad wasn’t. What gave you the idea to come to Washington?” he asked.

  At those words, her face fell. He didn’t say anything as he let the pieces click into place. She was calculating things and he could see she wasn’t happy with the results. He gave her a little more time before he dropped the next bit of information he’d put together.

  “Keera was led to Edmonds too. Your fathers knew each other.” He’d recently figured that bit of information out. This gang was so much bigger than any of them had realized. They were good too. They weren’t worried about making a statement as so many gangs were. They wanted to kill, maim, and rob their way through the US. That was their top priority, and anyone who got in the way was just another casualty that meant nothing to them.

  “So you know my dad was David Perez?” she questioned. She shuddered as she said the name. He understood why. The man was a monster.

  “I should’ve known. You’re FBI. There probably isn’t much you don’t know,” she said with a sigh. “So why are you asking me if you have all the answers?” It was said with resignation, not resentment. He could feel her pain.

  “I know what the reports say. I don’t know what your account of it is,” he told her.

  “You realize this happened four years ago, right?”

  “Yes, I know the dates, I know the story. What do you remember? What do you know?” That’s what he wanted. She’d left once she’d healed and no one had ever followed up with her again. He thought that had been a big mistake. But the division that had handled it had assumed it was a random attack like she’d thought. They hadn’t made the connection to her father.

  “The police weren’t too worried,” she said. That’s when he heard the anger in her voice.

  “I know you feel like a victim. You are a victim. But don’t let them win. Sometimes it’s hard for law enforcement to know when something is more than just a random attack. They are dealing with all sorts of cases. If something looks as if it can be wrapped up with a nice bow and closed, that’s a win. I’m sorry I’m asking you to talk about this again. I’m sorry I’m forcing you to relive it. But when this is over you never have to think about it again,” he assured her.

  “I’ll think about it for the rest of my life,” she told him. He heard the tears in her voice, but she didn’t allow them to fall. He was humbled by how strong this woman was. “How many times have women been attacked?”

  “There have been multiple attacks. We have no way of knowing which ones were part of the gang violence. That’s why we want your account. The more you can tell us, the more we will know what to look for.”

  She was silent for a few miles. “I don’t remember much. I do remember the feel of the blade entering my stomach. But they smashed my head into the pavement and most of that entire week is gone,” she said. A small sob escaped her. “I never forget the pain though.”

  “Do you have any recollection of who you were speaking to before the attack?” He was trying not to be emotional, trying to look at this like any other victim he was interviewing. He wasn’t doing too well with that.

  “No, not at all.” She was quiet again for a few moments before she held up a hand. “But I’ve had dreams. The voice always changes, but the pain is the same, the fear grows worse. I can’t tell you if there were ten people there or one. Part of me wants to know, but the rest of me wants it to just go away.”

  “Have you spoken to a professional about it?” he asked.


  He didn’t take his eyes off the road for long, but long enough to see the confusion in her eyes.

  “Like a counselor?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “What will that help?”

  “I’m not a big fan of them, but at this point I’d do anything to get you the help you need. I don’t want anything else to happen to you,” he said. And each moment he was with her the need to protect her increased. He was falling for the woman.

  “I didn’t do counseling. I had a son to take care of, and I just wanted to get away. My father’s family told me Edmonds was a safe place. I should’ve known better than to listen to them. But that’s where I ended up. Did my father want me dead?” she asked. This time a tear slipped down her cheek.

  “I don’t think so,” Declan said. He meant it. “I think he wanted you protected. And someone sent you there to keep you safe. It was either the last act of a desperate man, or there’s someone else involved. A possible secret guardian angel.”

  “But why send me into the territory of enemies?”

  “I don’t know. But whoever sent you might not have realized there were enemies. Criminals seem to think there’s a code of loyalty among them. There’s not. They will turn on each other every single time. There’s always a price to pay.”

  “I fully agree with that,” she said.

  “Will you see a therapist when we get back? Let’s get this case closed,” he offered.

  He let her think about it while they continued driving up I5.

  After about five minutes she turned. “I’ll help you close this because you’ve put yourself on the line for me, and I don’t want you in danger. But when it’s finished I don’t ever want to think about it again.”

  He smiled as he reached over, took her hand, and squeezed. “I promise you’ll never have to think about it again once it’s finished. No one will ever bring it up.”

  When he made a promise he kept it. “Thank you, Declan.”

  He nodded, and then the car began making a noise. They didn’t have time for this.

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. Luckily there’s an exit a mile up the road,” he told her. “At least we can’t say this trip is uneventful.”

  And just like that he was thinking about a few short hours before. He’d love to pull off and get another hotel room right now. Even though he’d made love to her three times the night before, he was more than ready to do it again.

  This woman had stirred his body unlike any woman before her. He wasn’t sure he’d be willing to let her go when this was all over. He was beginning to hope he wouldn’t have to.

  They limped the car to the exit. They were only to San Francisco and had a very long way to go, but they might get delayed once more. He wasn’t far enough from San Diego for his liking, but he was doing what he could do.

  He hoped it was enough.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Angela’s stomach fell to the floor when the mechanic told her the news. The car was finished. There was no fixing it, no matter how much duct tape and bungee cords she could get her hands on. She’d had it for five years and it had been a good car, but it had taken its last ride.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she said, pleading with the man to give her a different diagnosis. Declan hadn’t wanted to go to the mechanic. He’d wanted to go straight to the junkyard.

  “We’ve wasted four hours of our day on this,” Declan said. He’d been impatient the entire time.

  “I know you’re frustrated, but there isn’t a lot that can be done about it,” she said.

  “We should’ve gone with Owen like I wanted.”

  She threw up her hands. “I told you I couldn’t leave my car,” she said way too loudly. She hated raising her voice and forced herself to calm down. “But I guess it didn’t matter.”

  She couldn’t afford car payments, and she really couldn’t afford to buy a car in California and pay all the extra taxes and licensing involved—not right now. She’d spent a lot of money, and her savings were quickly running out.

  “Let’s go,” he said.

  “Where?” she asked before calming herself. “I think we should take the bus.” That was a logical next step. She didn’t really need a car in Edmonds. It was a small town and she’d save money by not having one. That meant she’d be stuck there, but the idea of running again wasn’t at all appealing.

  “We’re going to the car lot to get a vehicle,” Declan said. His voice left no room for argument. He obviously didn’t know her very well.

  “For you? You have a car,” she told him.

  “I’m not riding on a damn bus, and you don’t have a car anymore. We’re going to get one.”

  He grabbed her hand, thanked the grateful looking mechanic, who obviously wanted them gone, and tugged her away. They could scrap the car.

  “I can’t afford to buy a car right now,” she said. He was already calling the Toyota dealership. He ignored her as he spoke to someone. She heard him say cash and give his location. He hung up and looked at her.

  “I’m buying it,” he said, again with that no-nonsense voice.

  “Over my dead body,” she told him.

  He raised a brow. “Not funny. And no dead bodies needed, just cash.”

  “You aren’t buying me a car, Declan,” she said, emphasizing it with a little foot stomp. He was turning her into an angry teenage girl, and she didn’t like it.

  “Do you want to get back to your son?” he asked, and she flinched.

  “That was a low blow. Of course I do.” She wanted to punch the man . . . again. Damn, he inspired violence in her.

  “Then stop fighting me.” She crossed her arms. She might stop fighting with him, but he couldn’t force a car on her. If she didn’t sign the papers, there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. But maybe they could rent a car to get home. She could afford that.

  The dealership picked her up in a white Toyota Land Cruiser that was probably the nicest thing she’d ever ridden in. Her father always drove nice vehicles but it had been a long time since she’d been in his home. And these seats were like sitting on butter.

  “Is this available?” Declan asked, looking at the odometer, which only read one hundred twenty-three miles.

  “Yes, sir,” the salesman said, his eyes lighting up.

  “We’ll take it,” Declan said. “If you get the paperwork done in less than an hour I’ll throw in a five-thousand dollar bonus. We’re in a hurry.”

  The guy was speechless for a minute, which Angela fully understood. The sticker on the window said the car was eighty-nine thousand dollars. Then the guy sighed as they pulled into the car lot. He seemed to be talking himself into saying something, and Declan laughed.

  “There’s nothing illegal about it,” Declan assured him while he pulled out his FBI badge. “We really are just in a hurry and our car broke down.”

  The guy beamed again. “Okay then,” he said. “I’ll tell the manager, and we’ll have you out of here in an hour.”

  The guy, who couldn’t have been more than twenty-two or three, practically flew from the car into the dealership. This would, no doubt, be the best commission of his life.

  “We just broke that kid’s heart because we aren’t buying this car,” she said through clenched teeth from the backseat.

  “We just made his quota for the month because we are,” Declan said as he stepped out then opened her door and held out his hand.

  “I refuse to fight with you in public,” she said as the sales manager approached.

  “Hello, Mr. Forbes. Kyle said you have a cash offer for this SUV,” the man said as he held out his hand.

  “Yes, with a 5K bonus if we have the keys in one hour. We’re running very late,” Declan said.

  The man kept far calmer than Kyle, but there was no doubt he was happy about this sale.

  “Well let’s head inside and get the paperwork out of the way. Without involving banks or credit unions the process goes
much quicker.” He turned when they got inside and motioned another kid over. “Get this car to detailing and put it in front. It will be pulling off the lot in one hour and it had better be ready.”

  The kid nodded and rushed out to the vehicle. “Follow me,” the manager told them.

  Angela wasn’t really sure what had happened. But an hour later she was standing next to the Land Cruiser with the key in her hand, not that it needed a key with a push button start. Several people shook her hand and thanked her, all with huge smiles on their faces, and then it was just her and Declan with their two bags.

  Declan loaded them into the back of the sparkling clean car then looked at her. “Do you want to drive?”

  “I don’t like driving in the city if I don’t have to,” she said. She was so confused. He’d managed to get her to sign papers, and she was apparently the new owner of this car that was so far out of her price range she thought she might be dreaming.

  “You’ll be fine. It almost drives itself,” he assured her.

  She was practically shoved into the driver’s seat. While all the paperwork was getting finished, she’d been given a lesson on how to operate the spacecraft. It was far more a rocket ship than a car. There were so many buttons, she was sure she’d never figure it all out. But she did know how to start it and use the blinkers.

  The seat was already adjusted to her, and when Declan hopped into the passenger side, she didn’t know what else to do but drive. She started it, the engine purring like a content kitten, and then they were on the road.

  The map easily led them back to I5 and she tried desperately not to enjoy the ride. It was fantastic, the best thing she’d ever driven. Once they were out of traffic she set it on cruise control, which also had a feature that slowed down and sped up if vehicles got in front of her. It was practically driving itself. She had a smile on her lips she didn’t want to wear.

  Declan let her enjoy the moment. “I’m not keeping this,” she said. “It was so thoughtful of you, but there’s no way I can accept it as a gift, and there’s even less chance of me being able to pay for it,” she told him.