Chapter 6
Declan stood perfectly still for a long moment. The tension slowly bled out of his powerful shoulders. He turned his head, his dark, slicked-back hair catching the light of the crystal chandeliers, and looked across the room to where Elena was sitting. She had collapsed onto a cream velvet sofa, her face buried in her hands, her body shaking with silent, agonizing sobs.
He walked slowly back across the polished marble floor. He dropped to one knee, completely ignoring the crease it put in his expensive tailored trousers, bringing himself down to eye level with her.
"Elena," Declan whispered, his voice losing the lethal edge it had carried moments before, softening into a quiet, intimate register. "I am so deeply sorry."
Elena looked up, her puffy, shadowed eyes meeting his. "She was going to kill the baby, Mr. West. She told me she would throw me out into the cold if I didn't let her bind me."
"That will not happen," Declan said, his own eyes burning with fierce, uncompromising resolve. He reached out, his heavily tattooed hands gently enveloping her shaking shoulders. "You are safe now. Both of you. I swear it on my life."
"You... you would do that for me?" Elena whispered, her expressive eyes wide with disbelief, her hands trembling as they hovered over her rumpled white apron.
"Do you believe I would allow a woman who carries my blood to suffer because of my blindness?" Declan asked, a flicker of profound, protective warmth entering his cold eyes as he looked at her.
"I didn't know what to expect, sir," Elena whispered, fresh tears spilling over her fair, rosy cheeks. "I just knew I couldn't go through with it. When Wren spoke up... it broke me."
"Did you think a monster would punish the only person with the courage to protect my child?" Declan asked gently.
He stood up straight, offering her his hand. "Come," Declan said softly, pulling her to her feet. "We cannot stay in this room. The estate will be on lockdown within the hour, and the Kerr family will likely retaliate before dawn once they realize Vivian is missing."
"Where will I go, sir? I am just a maid," Elena whispered, looking down at her creased black dress.
"You are not a maid tonight, Elena," Declan replied, his deep voice resolute. "You are under my absolute protection. You and Wren."
"Marcus," Declan called out to the underboss who had just returned to the doorway. "Have a detail escort us to my private study. I want four men on the door at all times."
"Right away, Boss," Marcus nodded, gesturing for his men to form a protective perimeter.
The journey through the opulent corridors of the mansion was a blur of frantic activity. Tactical enforcers, dressed in dark combat gear, were rapidly taking up positions by every window and entrance, transforming the luxurious estate into an impenetrable fortress. The warm, festive lights of Christmas Eve felt entirely out of place against the cold, metallic reality of weapons being loaded and radios crackling with secure comms.
Declan did not let go of Elena’s hand. He guided her through the chaos with a calm, absolute authority, his presence alone parting the sea of armed men. They reached the heavy oak doors of his private study located deep within the secure interior of the mansion.
He pushed the doors open and ushered her inside, locking the deadbolt behind them. The study was a sanctuary of dark wood, leather bindings, and soft, amber lighting. It was quiet here, insulated from the frantic preparations outside. Silas was already inside, standing guard over a sleeping Wren on the leather sofa.
"Sit," Declan commanded gently, gesturing toward an armchair opposite the sofa.
Elena complied, her legs feeling shaky. The adrenaline of the evening was finally wearing off, leaving her exhausted and hyper-aware of the massive shift in her reality.
Declan walked over to a crystal decanter on his desk, pouring a small measure of amber liquid into a glass. He brought it to Elena, pressing the heavy crystal into her trembling hands.
"Drink," he instructed softly. "It will help settle your nerves."
Elena took a small sip, the burn of the alcohol grounding her slightly. She looked up at Declan, her expressive eyes filled with lingering fear.
"Did I cause a war, Mr. West?" Elena whispered. "If I had just kept quiet... if Wren hadn't spoken up..."
"Do you believe a war is a high price to pay for the truth?" Declan asked, pulling up a chair to sit directly in front of her, their knees almost touching. "She manipulated my daughter, Elena. She threatened my unborn child. There is no universe in which I would allow her to breathe free air after that."
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"But her family... they are powerful," Elena said, her voice shaking.
"Are they more powerful than a father seeking vengeance?" Declan asked, his dark eyes hardening into twin points of icy resolve. "Do not worry about the Kerrs, Elena. I will handle them. You just need to focus on surviving tonight."
