Nothing could take the smile off Mac’s face, not even the wailing of his namesake, baby Joseph. The child wanted to be held by his mother or be nursed around the clock. Maggie was exhausted, but Mac had invited everyone over and the family had promised to help with the newborn.
Mac had added the leaves to his kitchen table and had a second table with matching white lace tablecloths. Two centerpieces on each table were made of sand, shells and a blue candle. The kitchen smelled of basil, cilantro and oregano. The tables were set for sixteen people.
“Can I assume this is Evelyn’s doing?” Jade asked. Mac’s taste was more simple, salt of the earth. He wasn’t a candle-in-the-sand type.
Mac had updated the curtains on the windows to white with bold blue geometric prints. Everything was clean and shiny, the counters wiped down and clear, the floors and the windows gleaming.
“She’s been coming by after work to help me get ready the last couple of days,” Mac said.
“Ready for what? Is everything okay?” Jade asked. Jade usually cleaned when she had something on her mind.
Mac’s eyes seemed to sparkle. Whatever the reason he had called the family to come for dinner, he had good news to share. They needed to hear good news. Since going on her research expedition about their mother, Jade was feeling down. It had been three days since she had read those articles at the library about her mother and it was hard to shake. She hadn’t learned anything new, but seeing everything in black and white had been utterly demoralizing. Not even having Declan back in town fully lifted the sense of gloom and doom.
“We’re great,” Evelyn said. She swept into the room.
Mac’s eyes swerved to her. He strode to her, with Joseph in one arm, and scooped her into his free arm and kissed her.
“He’s just been so happy since Joseph was born,” Evelyn said, smiling at the baby.
As the Coltons arrived, Mac and Evelyn served drinks, beers for the guys, wine for the ladies and soda for Cody.
“How’s Tots?” Mac asked.
Cody looked at Jade and flashed a huge smile. “Awesome! I rode her today.”
“He’s doing great taking care of her,” Allison said. “Thank you again, Jade, and thank you, Thorne.”
“I have some news,” River said, setting an envelope on the table. “I managed to track down Tim DeVega at a hotel outside Dallas. He’s in police custody.”
Declan stared at River for a long moment, the expression on his face unreadable. “You were looking for Tim DeVega?”
River nodded. “Hawk helped me. But DeVega shot you. It was a matter of time before one of us took him down.”
“One of us,” as if it was a foregone conclusion that Declan was part of the Coltons. Something happened in that moment between River and Declan, like a wall coming down between them. They didn’t rush to each other and hug, but the mutual respect in their expressions warmed Jade’s heart.
Mac cleared his throat. “That’s excellent, River. I’m glad to hear your job is working out and you’re watching out for the family. I appreciate you all coming tonight. I know you’re busy and it’s hard to make time. Evelyn and I want you to be the first to know that we’re engaged.”
The family erupted in exclamations of joy.
“This was all my idea,” Claudia said, hugging Evelyn tight.
“We’re planning to have a big wedding in the spring,” Evelyn said.
“Whatever she wants,” Mac said.
Thorne clapped his father on the shoulder. “Congratulations, Dad.” Thorne lifted a toast to his father and the Coltons clinked their glasses together.
Perhaps this was the start of something good. It might be too much to hope that Livia would leave town and let them live their lives, but Jade hoped whatever business Livia believed remained that she would move on. Sticking around Shadow Creek would bring the authorities out in full. Someone would find her.
After they hugged and congratulated Evelyn and Mac, Knox tapped his glass with his fork. “I want to say something to all of you. I’m glad we could be here together. Allison and Cody are the family I never thought I would have. They are my world and despite what Livia tried to do, she couldn’t tear us apart. Having us all together like this means everything. Welcome to the family, Evelyn.”
Leonor stood. “Welcome, Evelyn. I am so glad Mac has found the happiness he so deserves.”
Thorne had his arm around his father’s shoulders. “Dad, you showed me unconditional love and despite what Livia did to you and to all of us, we’ve managed to still be happy. I know you’ll love Evelyn too and you will have a happy life together.”
Claudia leaned into Hawk. “Here’s to new memories.”
River kissed the back of Edith’s hand. “I came home to Shadow Creek lost and looking for something that had always managed to elude me. And now with Edith, I feel like everything is complete. When Evelyn and Mac look at each other, I see that same love I feel for Edith, and I know they’ll be stronger together.”
Jade looked at Declan and wondered where his thoughts had gone. He was part of the family. They accepted him. She cared deeply for him. Would they ever be a couple announcing their engagement? Or even their intentions to spend their lives together?
“Here’s to family sticking together, staying together and growing stronger,” Jade said.
Without each other, they wouldn’t have survived the last months.
Chanting, almost like a television had been left on in another room, floated through the kitchen. The Coltons went quiet. Only Maggie, who was bouncing Joseph and shushing him, made noise.
“Get out of town! Get out of town!”
The protesters were outside Mac’s house. Jade’s heart sank. Had they been followed or had the protesters noticed the cars and known they’d struck Colton gold?
Mac looked furious. “This is private property. I’m calling Bud.”
Bud sent one of his deputies to drive away the protesters, but it had put a damper on the night. When Declan and Jade left around nine in the evening, they drove back to Hill Country in silence. Declan was in a dark mood. The thundercloud of his emotions whirled around him.
None of Jade’s efforts to put him in a better mood were helping, and Declan hated that he was stewing. She sat on the couch next to him, drawing her legs into her chest. She pointed to the tea on the coffee table. “Drink that. It will calm you.”
“What is it?” Declan asked.
“Lavender tea,” Jade said.
He didn’t usually care for tea, but she had made the effort and he took a sip. “Not bad.”
“Now tell me what’s on your mind,” Jade said.
“The protesters,” Declan said. Between them and Livia, every Colton event took a downturn.
“I know they’re hard to deal with, but let’s focus on the best part of the night. Evelyn and Mac are engaged!”
He was happy Mac had been able to move on from his past with Livia, but he couldn’t shake the heaviness hanging over him. If he could share his past with Jade and then put it behind him, he could move forward. “I’ve been struggling with talking with you about something important.”
Jade nodded and sipped her tea.
“River and I have the same father. My father’s affair with Livia is the reason my parents divorced. Livia is the reason my dad killed himself. Livia Colton is the reason that my mother had a break with reality and dropped me off on the streets of Louisiana. My mother knew it was too far for me to walk back to Texas and since I had no money, I would be stuck there. She hated me because I looked like my father. She left me to fend for myself with nothing except my clothing and shoes. Not even a dollar so I could buy anything from a vending machine.” Declan swallowed hard, memories from those long-ago nights cutting him to the quick. He had been terrified and alone.
Jade’s eyes were dark with emotion. “Declan, I had no idea.”
“I don’t like to talk about it. I’m not sure that anyone aside from Edith and River knows that part of the story. Those first nights on the street were terrifying. But a police officer noticed me and took me to family and protective services. Without his kindness, I don’t know what would have happened to me.” He had been so thirsty he had drunk water from a puddle. He had eaten food from a garbage can.
Jade wrapped her arms around herself. “My mother was an abysmal person and knowing you were one of her victims, I don’t know what to say to you.”
“I didn’t tell you so that you could feel terrible. I told you so that you’d know. We’re involved and keeping it from you felt like a lie.”
She reached for his hand, taking it in her own. “Thank you for telling me. I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
She leaned against him and put her arms around him. “I’m sorry, Declan.”
Declan felt the weight of his anger and grief and sadness rushing through him, but this time, it didn’t stay and linger. It evaporated, leaving him feeling lighter and refreshed.
Somehow, falling in love with Jade Colton had brought him healing and closure. Admitting it to himself was powerful and Declan was overcome with emotion. “I want to be alone for a bit.” He stood and Jade released him.
He had fallen in love with Jade Colton. It was as plain as day to him. Now he just needed a way to tell her.
* * *
Jade had no trouble rolling out of bed when the sun rose. Declan preferred to take his time and wake around seven. After their difficult conversation, he had slept in the guest bedroom. Declan didn’t know how to bridge the gap. Telling Jade about his past had been hard for him. It felt like a weakness, admitting that Livia had easily pulled his family apart.
He wouldn’t entertain the fantasy that Livia had cared about his father, even after getting pregnant by him. Livia had used his father and then discarded him, sending Matthew into a tailspin from which he couldn’t recover. Unable to sleep Declan went outside. The morning was chilly and Declan strolled around the house, admiring Jade’s garden, and thinking.
The sight of the black sedan parked across from Jade’s stable filled Declan with anger. This nonsense ended today. Except he was wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants and he had no weapon. What would stop the driver from peeling out of Country Hill? He couldn’t read the license plate from this distance.
Declan returned to the house and called Bud.
“I’ve seen a man in a dark sedan watching the Colton family. He’s parked outside Hill Country Farm now.”
Bud sighed. “Those Coltons. Always making trouble. First, it’s their mother. The FBI agents in town, asking questions and bothering me. Then the protesters and now this.”
Declan tamped down his irritation. “Bud, you need to get down here or I’m going over your head. You might be unaware that the governor is a poker buddy.”
Bud sighed heavily and dramatically into the phone. “Fine. I’ll be there shortly.”
Declan didn’t want the car to leave. He took several photos and watched from a distance.
Bud must have put his foot on the accelerator, because he turned into Hill Country Farm with two other deputy cars closing off the driveway in under fifteen minutes. They had the sedan blocked in.
Bud and his deputies approached and the man got out of the car.
He said something to Bud. Hands gesturing and pointing. Then the man took a swing at Bud, catching him across the chin. Bud stumbled back, holding his face. His deputies moved in to arrest the man.
If they only had him on trespassing, now they could add assault charges. If Bud would have let the man slither away out of sheer laziness, now he would throw the book at him for the landed punch.
Jade came out of the stable. “What’s going on?”
“The man who’s been watching you showed up again. I called Bud.”
Jade’s jaw dropped. “I’ve seen that guy! He was parked behind me in town. At a certain angle, he looks like the man who held a gun to my head in the stable.”
“I’m calling Knox. We’re going to find out who he is and why he’s stalking you.”
* * *
The man who had been watching Jade’s house admitted he was Roman Blackwell, a former associate of Livia’s, and according to the FBI, a suspected general in Livia’s crime organization.
Knox, Jade and Declan were observing the interview between Blackwell and the FBI agents investigating Livia Colton’s jailbreak.
Bud was pacing in his office, phone pressed to his ear. He was speaking on a tan landline, the curling wire attached to the base whipping back and forth as he moved around the room. His face was red and the middle button on his shirt had popped open.
Agent Monroe was seated at the head of the table, taking notes with a red pen. Agent Fielder questioned Blackwell from the corner of the room. His arms were folded and he tapped his foot every few seconds.
“Come on, Blackwell. You’ve got a dozen outstanding warrants for your arrest. You added more charges today. Level with me about Livia Colton and I’ll see about getting some of the lesser charges dropped.”
Blackwell’s mouth was drawn into a thin line. His dark hair matched his pencil-thin mustache. “I don’t know where Livia Colton is.”
The agents exchanged looks. “Too bad. Because that piece of information would be highly valuable. Like the biggest get-out-of-jail card possible.”
Blackwell tapped his handcuffs against the table. “You’re not the only ones looking for her.”
“Who else is looking for her?” Monroe asked.
Blackwell forced a cruel bark of laughter. “She hurt many people. She kept her mouth shut in prison, which kept her from meeting her end. But there are those waiting for their due.”
“What does Livia owe you?” Fielder asked, leaning on the table.
“Livia had contingency plans for everything. And contingency plans if those went wrong. Escaping prison was bound to happen. Sticking around this area must mean she has resources hidden. She had stash houses all over the country. No way they’ve all been found,” Blackwell said.
“What do you think she has hidden in Shadow Creek?” Monroe asked.
“I heard about a rare set of gold coins that went missing twenty years ago. Then I heard that Livia had been overseeing the transaction. The coins didn’t go missing. She had them. She couldn’t have fenced them back then without being found out. I heard from a friend in the district attorney’s office that they were not listed in the inventory of the items confiscated from the house.”
Jade set her hand on Declan’s elbow. “He believes she’s sticking around for those coins.”
Declan didn’t think Blackwell knew the whole story. If Livia wanted the coins and knew where they were, she would grab them and go. “Could be part of her reason for staying.”
“What’s the other part?” Jade asked.
“To terrorize us,” Knox said. “What else?”
* * *
Idling in her pickup truck outside the small blue clapboard house, Jade had no idea how to move forward. The house had a narrow porch and bare gardens. A cross was hung on the front door and the gravel driveway had an old beige sedan parked in it.
Declan’s mother, Beatrice, was still alive. He had not spoken to her since she had abandoned him, on the street to fend for himself. After speaking to Declan the other night about his trials with his father’s death and his mother, he needed to speak with her and find closure to the situation. Though it was incomprehensible to imagine how Beatrice could have left him, she must have had her reasons.
Arguing with herself about it, Jade was hesitant to get involved, except she could see how much it hurt Declan. A man of Declan’s means could hire a PI to find his mother and he hadn’t.
With Hawk’s help, Jade found a lead on Beatrice Sinclair. She had changed her name to Beatrice Lake. Armed with that information, Jade was surprised how much of Hawk’s guidance had to do with using the right online resources. Beatrice had volunteered information about herself in the form of a publicly accessible social media account. Though she didn’t have many pictures, Jade wondered about the woman who said nothing about her late husband, Matthew, or her son. Only posted were pictures of Beatrice’s second husband and what looked like her teenaged daughter. More surprising, Beatrice was living twenty minutes outside Shadow Creek.
When Jade had presented him with the information, Declan had been willing to come to the house. Jade was having second thoughts. Declan might not want his mother in his life. He could have hired a PI to find her. It could have been a step he was afraid to make, or it could have been a step he did not want to make, and now she had pushed the issue.
“What if she isn’t the same Beatrice Sinclair?” Declan asked.
Jade touched his shirtsleeve. He was normally so confident and yet she could feel the self-consciousness and worry pulsing from him. “Then tell her that you’re sorry for bothering her and leave.”
“What will I say if she is?” Declan asked.
Jade shifted in her seat, adjusting her seat belt to be able to look at Declan. “She might recognize you. You’ll have to stay calm. That will be hard in an emotionally charged situation.”
“Will you come with me?”
She would be by his side, though her mere presence presented a complication. “She might recognize me as a Colton, which could understandably anger her.”
“That’s okay. After what she did, I’m not sure that she has the right to judge.”
Jade recognized Beatrice Lake when she stepped out of her house. Jade slid lower in her seat, hoping the glare of the morning sun hid her. Beatrice was one of the members of The Victims of Livia Colton who had protested outside of her house. But now, it blew her mind to think about how close Declan had been living to his mother and yet they hadn’t connected.
The same way that Livia Colton was in Shadow Creek and she remained elusive.
Declan was halfway out of the car before Jade realized his intentions. She scrambled to follow him, wanting to be close without crowding him. He stood at the end of the sidewalk, silent and unmoving.
His mother started when she saw him. “Oh, you surprised me.” Beatrice looked at Jade and her eyes narrowed. “What are you doing at my home?”
Declan folded his arms across his chest. “You’ve been to her home. At least she isn’t shouting and holding a sign. You know we could. I have a lot to say about a woman who protests a Colton, but threw away a child.”
Beatrice’s mouth fell open. “How did you know that?” The words escaped on a choked whisper. “I never told anyone.”
Then her hand clamped over her mouth and she started to cry. “You’re Declan. You’re the little boy I gave away.”
She fell to her knees and covered her face. Declan said nothing. He wasn’t moving. Perhaps her display of emotion was enough to prove she felt bad. She was speaking, but it was impossible to hear through her sobs.
A man came out of the house, alarm written on his face. “Bea! Beatrice? What did you do to her? Who are you?”
Beatrice’s daughter came to the screen door, but she didn’t come outside.
Beatrice’s husband was yelling now, confused. “Who are you people? Wait, I recognize you. You’re the daughter of Livia Colton. The youngest one.”
The words didn’t upset Jade the way they usually did.
Declan stepped in front of Jade protectively. “I’m Declan Sinclair. Beatrice is my mother.”
* * *
Declan felt no obligation to stay, but he had come this far and he had questions to ask his mother. Jade sat quietly on Beatrice’s back porch. Her husband was fixing them iced tea and her daughter was watching from the window.
“I’ve thought of you every day since I left you,” Beatrice said.
Small comfort. “Why? Why did you leave?” Declan was keeping a lid on his anger. His mother didn’t look the way he remembered. She had deep lines around her eyes and mouth and across her forehead. Of slender build, she seemed almost frail.
“I couldn’t take care of you,” Beatrice said.
“You felt the only option was to drive me across state lines and leave me on the street?”
Beatrice flinched but Declan didn’t feel he had to temper his words. It was the truth of what had happened. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“Why Louisiana? Do you know how scared I was? I had never been there.”
Though his volume was low, the sharpness in his tone was brutal. If Beatrice started to cry again, Declan would leave. His mother had disappointed him then and she was a disappointment now.
Instead of breaking down, Beatrice straightened. “You had been to Louisiana before.”
Declan stared. Not that he could recall.
“When you were a little boy, your father and I took you there for Mardi Gras. You loved it. It was exciting and fun. You danced and clapped along to the music and you gathered so many beads. When your father killed himself, all I could think about was that happy time and how much you liked Mardi Gras. I thought about Livia Colton coming for you. You don’t know how evil she was, Declan. She controlled this town. She made people disappear. I didn’t know what danger your father had put us in getting involved with her. I felt I had to protect you. If I went to the authorities and asked for help, they would have taken you, but then she could have gotten to you.”
Declan heard the fear and desperation in his mother’s voice. “You could have run and stayed with me.”
“That would have been the right thing to do. But your father committed suicide and I was going out of my mind with fear and worry. I made a terrible mistake. By the time I realized that and tried to find you, I’d learned you were in the foster system. I didn’t have money for a lawyer to get you back and I knew my mistake would cost me,” Beatrice said.
Declan heard her love for him. She had cared. She had been sick and panicked, but she had cared. That realization opened a part of his heart he had closed off.
“How are you involved with The Victims of Livia Colton support group?” Declan asked.
Beatrice glanced at Jade.
“Please, tell him. It’s okay,” Jade said.
“I needed to be part of a group who understood my anger. After our family broke down, I lost everything. I had nothing. Your father had spent our savings on gifts for her. He took out a loan against the house for her. He ran up our credit card bills. Without him and being upside down on the house and in debt, I fell apart. What I did to you was wrong and under other circumstance, incomprehensible. But at the time, I did what I could to protect you. I admitted myself to a mental hospital. When I was better and I started my life over, I kept tabs on you. I never told anyone you were my son. I felt like I would be taking credit for something I didn’t do. But I have never stopped loving you, Declan. Do you want to meet your sister, Sarah?”
She had been lingering in the doorway. At the mention of her name, she came outside.
Declan extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Declan.”
Sarah ignored his hand and hugged him instead.
* * *
Jade caught a glimpse of Declan through the window. He was standing behind her house with wood between two sawhorses to create a makeshift table. In front of him were unrolled scrolls of paper, held open with gray rocks on each corner. At the sight of him, her heart beat faster. He had mentioned earlier that day he had something special planned for the night. It had been on her mind for hours; she’d been wondering.
It was two-dollar margarita night at El Torero’s, but she had the feeling it was something more than that. In the last few days, since talking to his mother, he had been acting differently. Not in a bad way. The conversation with Beatrice and Sarah had changed him.
Beatrice had spoken to The Victims of Livia Colton group and they had toned down their protests. They were still running their website and dedicating themselves to bringing Livia to justice, but the Colton siblings hadn’t reported any protests at their homes.
Jade tapped on the window and Declan looked over his shoulder at her. He waved her outside. Jade was barefoot and she slid on a pair of sneakers she had lying by the back door.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked. The weather was warm, but the occasional breeze felt great. It made her happy to have a job working outdoors.
“Making plans,” Declan said.
He was looking across her land, the fenced pasture where she grazed her horses and beyond that, the untouched land she hadn’t yet made plans for. More room for her horses and maybe an expansion of her stables. “Plans for what?”
He stepped to the side and showed her the drawing he was looking at. White paper with blue sketches. It almost looked like her father’s barn and it took her a minute to follow.
“You want to move my father’s barn here?”
He nodded. “I spoke with Allison and she has a specialist in mind for the job. You’ll have a piece of your father with you at Hill Country.”
Tears of happiness filled her eyes, blurring her vision. “That’s incredibly nice of you. What made you think of it?”
“I saw the look on your face when I spoke of the barn. When you were looking around inside it, I could see the happiness on your face. I want you to have it.”
Jade hugged him.
He was trembling slightly.
“Are you cold?” Jade asked.
Declan released her. “I’m not cold. I have something important I want to talk to you about.” Then he dropped to one knee and took a ring from his pocket. Holding it out to her between his thumb and index finger, he knelt before her. “Jade, I need you in my life. I love coming home to you each night and I love our conversations. Most of all, I love you. Will you be my wife?”
Jade couldn’t take her eyes off Declan’s. “Yes, I’ll marry you. I love you too, Declan.” She threw herself against him, knocking him to the ground.
They laughed and Declan slid the ring on her finger. “I also have one more piece of news.”
Jade’s heart already felt so full, she didn’t know if she could take anymore.
“I called your father’s family in Argentina. After I move the barn, they will deliver a foal that is a descendant of one of your father’s favorite horses. Your grandparents would very much like to meet you and get to know you.”
Jade and Declan sat in the grass. Jade laid her head on Declan’s shoulder. “For so long, I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. That I was an outsider in my family and since I had lost my father, I didn’t belong anywhere. But now I feel like I’m part of something more.”
They sat outside as the sunset and the moon rose higher in the sky, the shiny lights from the stars twinkling above them, like good luck wishes for the future.
* * *
Jade couldn’t take her eyes off her engagement ring. It had only been four days and every time it caught her eye, she felt butterflies all over again. Declan was at physical therapy for his shoulder and she had time to think about their wedding.
Funny, she had never considered herself the type of woman who wanted a big wedding, but now, she couldn’t stop thinking about flowers and dresses and menu ideas. Obviously, she would invite her whole family and their significant others and Declan’s mother, stepfather and half sister. They would move on from the hurts of the past and build something real together.
She heard a noise behind her and turned to welcome Declan home. His shoulder was doing much better and his physical therapist expected he would regain full use of it.
When she turned, she came face-to-face with her mother holding a gun. Livia looked tired and ragged. Jade had last seen her mother appearing put-together and in control. Now she was wearing ill-fitting clothing, the roots of her hair were dark. Jade felt physically ill. Fear and horror rolled over her.
“Hello, Jade. It’s been a long time. Where’s your boyfriend?” Livia asked.
The protesters hadn’t been around in a few days and now Jade wished they would come by. Or that anyone would. “He’s not here.”
Livia sneered. “Obviously. He has something I need. Take out your phone, very slowly, and call him.”
Jade reached into her back pocket and withdrew her phone. With quaking hands, she called Declan.
“Hey, just finishing up here, about to drive back to the farm,” Declan said.
“Declan. I have a problem. Livia is here. She wants something that only you have.”
* * *
A key. Livia was holding Jade at gunpoint demanding a key.
As he drove, Declan called Knox. Knox said he would alert the authorities, the local sheriff and the FBI, and meet Declan at La Bonne Vie. Declan’s heart was racing and he felt almost light-headed, but he had to stay focused and get to Jade. Livia could kill her and finally have the revenge she craved. She wanted the key, but Declan trusted nothing Livia said or did.
Livia’s instructions were to bring the key from La Bonne Vie to Hill Country in twenty-five minutes. Drive time alone would take him most of that. Four minutes had passed. His heart was racing and the adrenaline firing through his body was making him simultaneously tuned up and dizzy. To think clearly, he had to stay calm. With Jade’s life in Livia’s hands, that was impossible.
Declan got out of his car, leaving his high beams on to illuminate the house. A key. Something so small in the house. If it wasn’t exactly where Livia said it would be, if it had been moved during construction, he wouldn’t find it. Jade would die.
Headlights turned down the long driveway. Declan didn’t wait. He entered, knowing the tear-down process had left the house unstable. The floors seemed to shake under his feet. He located a flashlight. The electricity had been turned off in the house and he didn’t have time, nor did he know if it was safe, to turn it back on to help aid his search.
He took the stairs to the bathroom where Jade had showed him the hidden cabinet behind the bathroom vanity.
The last time they had looked, it had been empty.
“Declan? Are you here?”
Knox’s voice. “Upstairs.”
Declan pulled off the door to the secret compartment and felt inside. He couldn’t find the key. His arm wasn’t long enough to reach to the back.
Knox entered the bathroom. “How can I help?”
“We need to move the vanity. Livia believes there’s a key in this cabinet, but I can’t find it.”
Together, they tore the vanity from the wall, throwing it out into the hallway. Then they resumed the search.
With better access, Declan patted around inside the enclosure. The key wasn’t there. Using the flashlight to illuminate the space, Declan caught a flash of metal glinting back at him.
Nailed to the top of the compartment was a key. He pulled down on the head of the nail, but it wouldn’t budge. “I need a hammer!”
The construction site had a few lying around. Declan maneuvered inside the small space with the hammer and pulled down on the nail, freeing the key. He caught it in his palm.
“This better be it,” he said.
The clock was ticking and Knox and Declan raced to their cars. Declan would need to drive like a madman to reach Hill Country in time.
* * *
Livia had instructed Declan to come alone. With Jade’s life on the line, he wouldn’t risk angering Livia. She had asked him to leave his car keys in the ignition with the car running. Once she had the key from La Bonne Vie, she would take off.
Livia was waiting for him in the barn. When he entered, Jade was sitting on the floor by her goat pen. The goats were bleating and pigs were moving around their pen, obviously agitated.
When Jade lifted her eyes to meet his, terror shone in them.
“I have the key,” Declan said, holding it up. “Let Jade leave and you can have it.”
Livia didn’t look well. Her face was gaunt, her hair stringy and greasy. Gray hair streaked through her once blond locks. Her clothing was torn and dirty. “You are not in a place to negotiate. Toss me the key.”
Declan threw the key high and to the right. Livia reached for it, taking her attention off Jade. Jade rolled away and Declan launched forward, tackling Livia. His shoulder burned where he had been injured, but he ignored it. He had to protect Jade.
Declan reached for the gun, forcing Livia’s arm away. The gun went off.
Adrenaline fired through him. Knox, Mac, River, and Thorne had been waiting outside. They rushed into the barn.
Livia was shrieking and fighting to get free of Declan’s grasp, but he wasn’t letting her get away. She had to be stopped. Her reign of terror ended tonight.
Knox, River and Declan subdued Livia, tying her hands behind her back.
“I will never go back to prison,” Livia said. “Be smart. I have allies. Rich allies. Let me go and I’ll make it worth your while. This key is important. It’s the only way to open a security box I have with priceless treasures. One of these coins, and you’ll be rich beyond your wildest dreams.”
Then Roman Blackwell had been right about the coins. Livia did have them hidden away.
“You killed my father. You are a liar and a cheat. Why would any of us let you go?” Jade asked. Her voice was calm and Declan was thrilled she had this opportunity to speak her mind.
Livia narrowed her eyes. “You. It was you who turned me over to the authorities.”
Declan hugged Jade and ignored Livia’s ranting. No one was interested in a bribe from Livia. “I am so glad you’re safe.”
“Isn’t this interesting? Matthew Sinclair’s little boy falling for my daughter,” Livia said.
Declan heard manipulation and calculation in her voice. She was likely already thinking of ways to hurt them and pull them apart. The trouble with Livia’s plan was that he and Jade were stronger than ever before. Nothing could tear them apart. They had truth and trust between them.
“You betrayed your family, your own mother, and for what? So you could go live in a run-down ranch house with Mac?” Livia’s voice was shrill and shrieking. The more Declan and Jade ignored her, the more panicked she seemed to become.
Mac glanced over, but said nothing.
“Mac was a better parent to me than you ever were,” Jade said.
Livia snorted. “One of you will let me go. This isn’t how family treats each other.”
The Coltons exchanged glances. They weren’t releasing Livia. They had their own definition of family now: the people who kept each other safe, the people who loved each other. Livia wasn’t part of either of those.
Special Agents Monroe and Fielder arrived on the scene. They handcuffed and leg cuffed Livia. She shuffled to their car and they pushed her inside. As they watched her drive away, a sense of relief washed over Declan.
He wrapped his arms around Jade. “I was terrified she would kill you.”
“I thought she would kill me too,” Jade said. “While I was waiting for you, she ranted about the problems she had with my brothers and sisters. How none of us helped her in prison and how she would make us pay by killing us.”
“She can’t hurt you now or ever again. She’s out of our lives forever and I’ll be at your side for the rest of your life, making sure of it,” Declan said.
“And now we can have a fresh start and a new life together.”