Taking Risk Series Read online

  What in God’s name is going on here?

  “Thank you. I’d like that. She’s very special to me,” Declan answers, kissing my cheek before flashing me a wide grin.

  I return it, leaning into him as his father says, “That’s to be seen, I guess.”

  Mrs. O’Callaghan waves him off. “Ivor, please, she is lovely. You should come for tea, darling. Lena would love to meet you.”

  “I met her earlier. She was sweet and has made plans to call me next week.”

  “Wonderful, I will join to get to know you better. Declan seems pretty smitten with you.”

  My cheeks hurt from grinning so hard as I look up in his eyes. “I feel the same way.”

  “Lovely!”

  Looking back at Mr. O’Callaghan, he asks, “Are you having a nice time, then?”

  “Yes, sir, it’s a lovely ball. You have a beautiful home.”

  Mrs. O’Callaghan sends me a pleased smile as Mr. O’Callaghan says, “It is nice, huh? My great-great-great-great-grandda built it. It has been in the family my whole life. I was born here. Declan and Lena were born here. It’s special.”

  “I bet. That’s amazing,” I gush, biting the inside of my cheek.

  “Have you ever seen something like this back in the States? Where are you from, Tennessee? Do they have houses like this there?”

  I slowly shake my head while Declan lets out a breath as he says, “Let’s go, Amberlyn. I’d like to dance.”

  “Now, don’t run off. We are talking, Declan,” Mr. O’Callaghan says before setting me with a look. “Do they?”

  “No sir, but I wouldn’t consider this a home. It’s more a castle. We have mansions but not castles like this. It’s breathtaking here, and sometimes, I’m scared to touch things when I come to visit.”

  “Scared, huh? Maybe that’s why she doesn’t want to marry our son, Noreen, even though the paper says otherwise.”

  “Da,” Declan warns. “The papers are rubbish, and you know it.”

  “Sure, because she hasn’t said yes, right? Have you even asked her? Better get to work, son. Time is ticking.”

  Whoa, what? I have no clue what they are talking about, and I need answers. Looking over at Declan, I can see that he is fighting to control his anger. His eyes are narrowed, a vein is sticking out of his forehead, and his breath is labored.

  “Ivor, that is enough. Don’t do this in front of his lovely girlfriend.”

  “Why not? It includes her, if she’ll marry him.”

  What. The. Fuck?

  Sputtering, I ask, “Declan?”

  “Ignore him, come on,” he says, pulling me with him.

  But not in time before I hear his father call out, “Ignore it all you want, Declan. You only have three months before Micah takes over. I’d make a move if I were you. Even though, I’m pretty sure she is not made for this life.”

  “Declan, what the hell is going on?”

  “Nothing,” he says, pulling me through the ballroom and out a side door to the side of the house. The warm air hits my skin as we head toward where it looks like the cars are parked. Declan’s body is shaking with anger, and he won’t look me in the eyes as he says, “I’m gonna take you home, okay, love? I’m not feeling well.”

  Stopping in my tracks, I take hold of his wrist, stopping him. “Whoa, no, stop. What the hell was your dad talking about? Who’s Micah?”

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closes his eyes as he takes in a deep breath. “Please, Amberlyn, let me take you home. I’m sorry to ruin the night. I just need to go to sleep, I think.”

  “No,” I answer, taking a step toward him. Removing his hand from his nose, I take his face in my hands and whisper, “Don’t shut me out. Please, tell me what’s going on.”

  Closing his eyes, he leans into my hand before opening them to look at me. “Micah is my sister’s fiancé, and he will take over the distillery in three months if I’m not married.”

  Huh? Raising my brow, I ask, “But I thought everything goes to you when your dad retires?”

  “It would if I’m married. You know how you call the way I am treated by the town dumb and stupid? Well, it gets worse. I am obligated to be married before I turn twenty-one, or I don’t get the distillery. Only a man in love can love the distillery the way it should be loved.”

  I am so confused it isn’t even funny. “But you’re twenty-two?”

  “Things were ignored because of what happened to Lena. They blamed the fact I wasn’t married on that, but it wasn’t that. I just never cared for anyone, and I refuse to get married unless I love the person.”

  I’m speechless; I don’t know what to say. Blinking, I can only look at him as I process everything he has just said. Watching me, he tucks his hands inside his suit pants and I say, “Why are you just now telling me this? This is huge. This is something you share with someone, you know? Why were you are hiding this from me? Don’t you know you can tell me anything?”

  He kicks at the ground as he slowly meets my gaze. “I know, Amberlyn. It’s just that I am nervous. When I met you, everything changed. You awakened me and made my life worth living in this very short time of being with you. I was so scared to lose you, and I didn’t want to scare you away with my stupid family drama. I don’t even remember what was important to me before I met you. All that matters is you now, and I’ve decided that being with you is way more important than this distillery or anything else, for that matter.”

  My heart is singing, but still, I can’t believe he didn’t tell me this. “I am thankful you feel that way because I feel the same, but still, Declan—”

  “No, Amberlyn, as much as I want to have it all, I refuse to rush you and make you feel as if you have to marry me. I won’t do that. I know you, and I know that you’ll jump to help me, but I refuse to do that to you. Instead, I’ll lose it all in the hopes that one day you will marry me and continue to make me the happiest man alive because I—”

  “Leave me alone!”

  Declan stops short, and my heart stills because I am sure he was about to tell me he loves me. I want that more than anything, but instead of saying anything else, he turns to look in the direction that the voice came from. Following his gaze to where two people stand in a heated conversation, I ignore them and am about to ask him what he was going to say because obviously, we are not done here. But then someone who sounds very much like Casey says, “No, you have to tell them I didn’t touch you! I can’t leave. I can’t move my ma. I have to stay here!”

  “I don’t know if you did or not! Take the money and go, Casey. Your ma will be fine wherever you move her to. Just leave, make my life and yours better.”

  “Lena?” Declan asks and Lena whips around, shock visible on her face.

  “Declan, what are you doing out here?”

  “I should ask you the same,” he says and starts for her. I rush to catch up as he says, “What the fuck are you doing here, Casey, especially talking to my sister?”

  “Declan, it’s nothing. We were just talking. He’s leaving,” she says quickly, putting her hands up to stop her brother, but Declan pushes her to the side, beelining for Casey.

  “How did you get on this land? You are not welcome here.”

  “I know the spots to get in, Declan. Fuck off,” Casey says, his voice filled with nothing but hatred.

  “Declan,” I say sternly, taking hold of his wrist.

  “Not right now, love. I need to know what this wanker is doing talking to my sister,” he says, his voice dripping with acid.

  “It’s none of your business, Dec, what my business with Lena is.”

  “The fuck it isn’t. You better tell me before I beat it out of your ugly arse,” Declan warns.

  “Declan, please, it’s nothing,” Lena pleads once more, but Declan ignores her, his eyes set on Casey.

  “Leave it be, Dec. Go on inside, dance and mingle with your pretty girlfriend,” Casey says, sending me a menacing grin.

  “Don’t look at her or Len