Looking For Answers (closed)

[zydrate]

Tori Jenkins was awaken when her phone buzzed on her nightstand. She was used to random calls in the middle of the night... actually, anytime of the day, because of her job as a private detective.

As a private detective, Tory Jenkins was used to phone calls at the oddest hours of the day and night. And her phone buzzing on her nightstand, waking her from a somewhat restless sleep, was no different. She glanced at the small digital clock on her nightstand, 3:15AM... great. She wasn't on any active cases so the call was unexpected.

Looking at the caller name, she sighed and fell back onto the bed as she answered, "Rachel, it's after 3AM and if you're calling for a ride home from some bar or club, then you need to ca--"

"Tori! Help! I'm in danger!!" Rachel's voice was frantic and Tori knew she tended to overact sometimes.

"Rach, what's going on--what's wrong!?"

"I was at some club earlier tonight and this guy... he brought me to some motel or something. I think he drugged me! I don't remember getting here and I pretended to be asleep as I heard him on his phone saying he was going to sell me! Please Tori, I'm scared!"

As soon as she had stated she was at a club, Tori started to record the call, "OK Rachel, listen, look around, describe the place to me...the layout of the room. Look on the landline phone and tell me the number there."

Rachel quickly gave the layout of the room as Tori got up from her bed and grabbed a notebook from her desk and started to draw out a diagram of the room. "OK, now, what about the number on the phone?" Rachel said there was no phone... "OK, is there is a window in the bathroom?"

"Umm... I--yes! Yes there is! It's kind of small..? Like maybe 2x2 feet..."

"Good, now, grab a towel and--"

A scream and voices could be heard in the background and then Rachel screamed. She kept screaming until it faded and Tori could tell someone picked up the phone, "Who is this?" she asked, her voice calm and collected.

No answer.

"Listen, you have no idea what you've done... even if you hurt one hair on her, you're going to know a whole different kind of definition to the word pain..."

A small chuckle was in response to her 'threat'.

And the call ended.

"Well...shit..."

**************************************

Tori sat there at her desk and knew she had to do something. She called up a friend, knowing they'd be a little pissed to being woke up, "Listen, just get me the last location of this number, OK?" She gave them Rachel's cell number and hung up.

Now, it was time to make another call she had been dreading since she heard Rachel's voice.. but she didn't hesitate for long as she dial his number... a number she knew by heart.

At first the number rang a few times and Tori thought she was going to have a leave a voicemail but luckily, he picked up. His voice was gravely as she knew he probably didn't want to answer and talk to her. "Listen, don't say anything, Rachel called and she's in trouble."

"Why the hell didn't she call me?!"

"I don't know, I didn't ask! I'm going to send you the recording of our call and then the coordinates of where her phone last triangulated and meet you there."

Not waiting for an answer, Tori threw on some clothes and grabbed her jacket and her gun before heading out of her small rental home and to her car. This was just like Rachel to call her when she was in trouble. She always called Tori ever since Tori had started dating Rachel's brother. Even after they had broken up, Rachel still called Tori... even when she got in trouble. She even asked Tori not to tell her brother when she needed Tori's help. And for some reason, Tori always agreed.

Now, she'd have to see him again... it had been almost 4 months since they had broken up... He hadn't liked Tori worked a dangerous job and always alone. What was she supposed to do? Work with someone? That would just slow her down. Besides, she knew what she was doing... but she also knew he was the overprotective type. If he was that way with Tori, she knew he was a million times that way when his little sister was involved.

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan Conry was just walking in the door of his apartment when his phone rang. "What the fuck? Who the hell can that be at this time of morning?" Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he looked and saw that it was Tori. "What the fuck does she want?"

It had been almost four months since they broke up. Her job was the reason for the stress between them, which ultimately led to their break-up. Well, not really her job, but the way that she conducted her business. She always worked alone and was constantly putting herself in danger. Declan tried to talk to her about that, but she would never listen. She was as hard-headed as anyone he ever knew, and trust me, he knew a lot of hard-headed people.

Working as a bartender at Gravediggers was a pretty decent gig, but it wasn't Declan's main source of income. Gravediggers was an Irish Pub that was also a front for some Irish mob activity that went on in town. They ran numbers, took bets, loaned money, and other illegal activities out of the large room upstairs. One thing they did not delve into was drugs. They left that for others.

Declan was an enforcer for the group. Being a bartender helped with his job as an enforcer, because he got to know a lot about his clientele, some of which could be used if he needed to collect money from them. Talking with people while they were drinking, he was able to get personal information from them. This information was often used to help in his collections, and to keep Declan from having to resort to violence, although the threat of violence was always present.

Of course, Tori had found out about his line of work outside of bartending, and that had only added fuel to the fire. She pointed out that his "job" wasn't all that safe, but Declan had reminded Tori that he always had someone with him when he was collecting, and sometimes, he was just the muscle as someone else was collecting. She didn't buy it, and remained stubborn. Her constantly working alone and their constant battles over it finally led to the demise of their relationship.

"What is it Tori?"

"Listen, don't say anything, Rachel called and she's in trouble."

He was very protective of his sister, and hearing that she was in trouble caused Declan to freeze. He was upset that Rachel had called Tori instead of him. He wasn't surprised, though. The two of them had become very close while he had been going out with Tori.

Going to his safe, Declan took out his gun and put it in the back of the waistband of his jeans. He didn't normally carry a gun, even when collecting, usually using a baseball bat, but he had no idea what was going on here, so, he took the gun with him.

Pulling up in front of the motel, Declan looked around. He didn't see Tori. He went storming into the lobby of the motel and showed the clerk a picture of his sister that he carried in his wallet. "What room is she in? Who rented the room?" The man looked at Declan questioningly, and did not immediately respond. "Listen to me, if you don't tell me where this woman is and tell me right now, I am going to hurt you... badly."

The clerk said he had not seen her. "Okay, then I need you to tell me who checked in her recently and what rooms they are in." The clerk babbled something about not being able to give that information. Declan was about to reach over the counter for the man when the door opened.

Turning around, Declan saw Tori walking in. "What fucking room is she in Tori? This fucking piece of shit is no help. I am about to take his fucking keys and go room to room."

 

[zydrate]

Tori’s father was an enforcer from the ‘old’ times, when each request from an enforcer was emphasized with a metal pipe. Nothing to worry about. So, he always said. Then, he was killed. Tori was only 12 at the time and lived with her mother, who was not married. Tori was a ‘product’ of her father’s unfaithfulness to his own wife. And as many times as he said he would leave his current wife; Tori’s mom knew he was only saying that to make her feel better…

That was probably what caused her an early death from heart disease. No, it wasn’t the disease, it was the heartbreak. Tori was never fooled though. Even though he was her father, she never called him that. He tried to get to know her, but she didn’t return the favor.

Then one day, he stopped coming around. Tori thought maybe he was tired of her mother. But no, it turned out, a week before her own mother died, her father was killed in some hit job. At the time, Tori was only 19, old enough to be on her own but still young enough to not understand how the mob scene work.

That’s what lead her to do what she was doing now. A private detective. Mostly working on domestic cases… kidnappings, beating… husbands cheating. She had been snooping around a lot... well, maybe too much, in the neighborhood where she had met Declan. She hadn’t told him why she was always around the bar he worked at but she knew he figured it out in time. She had been spying on someone that frequented the bar… some douche who had left his mistress high and dry to raise his kid alone.

Just like her mother. Yeah, that was a case that hit home for Tori. She shouldn’t have taken the case, but she did. She even did it pro-bono.

She wasn’t going to use the money her father had left her for herself, no, she put it to use to catch idiots like him. Tori took self-defense classes as well as classes on how to handle guns. The last of her money was spent on getting certified as a private investigator.

Probably the only good out of this, besides having a few good months with Declan, was his sister. She was just getting to live her own life and was very rebellious against her one and only big brother. He had wanted to make sure Rachel took care of herself and finish college. Tori knew he didn’t want her to end up like some of the others in his neighborhood. Rachel seemed to listen to Tori more than she did with Declan…

There were times when Tori helped Rachel even after when she and Declan had broken up. Of course, neither would want Declan to find out because there would be hell to pay, not only for them but for those involved.

Tori thought all about this as she drove to the small roadside motel… “Damnit Rach, what happened?!” she thought to herself. She was probably driving at least 40 over the speed limit but thankfully, there weren’t any cops out. When she reached the motel, she was a bit surprised when she saw Declan had arrived before her.

How the hell…? She thought as she parked and jumped out of the car and toward the small lobby where it almost looked like the poor night clerk was about to get the beating of his life.

“Room?!” Tori said, “I didn’t have time to get what room she was in. Look, just..” she was about to tell him to calm down but knew that would probably just make him more upset. “Let me talk to him, OK? 2 minutes… go out and see if you can find anything..”

She watched him leave reluctantly as she turned to the guy behind the desk and smiled at him, apologizing for everything…

3 minutes later, Tori walked out after convincing the guy to at least give her the room number because the key hadn’t been returned. She told Declan the room and they both headed over there… of course the door was closed and just as Tori was going to knock but the door was suddenly kicked in by an impatient Declan. As much as she was about to say some smartass remark, Tori knew that wasn’t the best thing right now. The longer they took, the farther Rachel was being taken.

 

[BeachBum25]

Yes, he was aggressive, there was no doubt about that. He was also very protective of his sister. Rachel always told When him that he was too protective, but Declan didn't believe he could be too protective of his sister. She was all he had left.

Their father left before Rachel was born. Mom worked her ass off to keep a roof over their heads. She worked two jobs, and very often Declan had to watch Rachel while mom worked. When Declan was 16, he started working for the local bookie. He ran numbers for him and made a little bit of money to try to make it easier on their mother.
Mom didn't like who Declan was working for, but she knew it was useless to try to stop him. Even at that age, Declan had shown himself to be stubborn. The knock on the door in the middle of the night a week before Declan's graduation from high school brought life-changing news. Their mother had been killed in a robbery on her way home from her second job. Mom never carried more than a few dollars with her, so, whoever did it, killed her for next to nothing.

Suddenly, Declan was the head of the house, and totally responsible for Rachel. He went to the bookie to see if he could get any more work. He was offered a job as a barback, which also included helping out with collections. The hours were not the best when it came to Rachel, but she was only a couple years younger than him and able to be by herself at times.

Rachel was not happy with how Declan treated the boys that she dated. When he found out that one guy had called her a tease because she wouldn't put out for him on their first date, Declan found him and left him with a broken nose and two black eyes. Word got around that you don't mess with Rachel, which was good in some ways, but it also kept a lot of guys from asking her out. Needless to say, Rachel was not happy about that.

When Declan started going out with Tori, Rachel immediately took a liking to her. It seemed like she was always confiding in Tori, and Declan thought that Rachel was hiding things from him. That led to arguments between Tori and Declan, because Declan would ask Tori what she was talking to Rachel about, but Tori wouldn't share.

Once Tori and Declan broke up, Rachel was angry at Declan. She kept blaming the break-up on Declan; saying that they broke up because he didn't like how close she was with Tori. Despite all of the anger she showed toward him, Declan was still very protective of his sister.

The door went crashing in as soon as Declan got to the room. He knew that Tori would want to slow-play it, but this was not the time for slow-play. Rachel was in trouble, and, if she was a victim of human trafficking, time was of the essence. He needed to find her NOW.

The room was empty. The beds were a mess. He checked the bathroom, and there was blood... not a lot, but it was enough to make him even more worried than he already was. "The fucking clerk is going to have to give up some information or I am going to bust both of his fucking legs."

Over Tori's objections, Declan stormed out of the room. As he made his way back toward the office, he looked around and saw that there were cameras on the parking lot and several on each level of the motel. He walked into the office with his gun in his hand. "Somebody dragged a woman into your fleabag hotel and then back out again. She would not have gone either way without putting up a fight. Since you chose to ignore what happened, you are now in very serious danger of a violent beating, which could cost you your life. One way you can minimize your risk of injury and death is to show me where I can view the cameras."

The clerk reached for his phone. "That will get you hurt immediately." Declan grabbed the clerks phone and smashed it to the floor. Cameras... NOW."

Once the clerk led him to the monitor, Declan had him sit right in front of him while he started looking through the video. Declan was so focused on finding a lead on what happened to Rachel that he forgot about Tori. That was a mistake, because Tori was great at developing leads. He turned to Tori. "There has to be something here that can help us find her."

 

[zydrate]

It was no use in trying to get Declan to calm down. Deep down, Tori knew he was overprotective but he also loved his sister and just wanted what best for her. Yet, he had trouble understanding she was an adult... an adult who sometimes did crazy things like this. How the hell had this happened anyway?

Seeing the blood in room made Tori worry even more... not just worried but scared for her. She watched Declan leave the room and head for the lobby once more. She didn't try to stop him but she had wanted to. Instead, she called up a favor to see if they could get a recent ping on Rachel's phone. Then Tori looked at Rachel's Instagram to see if that had any info. She saw the last picture she had uploaded was from earlier in the evening. Rachel was standing with some of her friends, making over exaggerated poses. The check in of the picture was at the Saltwater. That was one of the newest clubs around and run by... of all people, the Moores.

"Damnit Rach..."

Could this be a territory thing?

With the picture in hand, Tori went to the lobby to both let Declan know and also to save the front desk clerk, who was probably just doing his job.

Walking up to the lobby, Tori saw them looking at something behind the counter and she nodded as he spoke, "Let me take a look... here, this was posted earlier tonight," she said, giving him her phone. Tori told the guy to move so she could look at the footage. She saw the timestamps and compared it to the time Rach had called her..

"Goddamnit," she said under her breath, "it's too dark.." There was a shot of a car leaving in a quiet a hurry, and then another shot of it going North.

That's when Tori heard it, sirens... "Tell me you didn't call the cops?" she said to the guy who turned extremely white as the blood nearly drained from his face. "Perfect.." with that, she deleted the camera footage, which of course, included herself and Declan busting in on the poor guy.

"They went North, probably heading back to the city, but we need to get going, now!"

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan looked to the clerk when he heard the sirens. "Just remember this, I know where to find you." He followed Tori out the door and jumped in his car, yelling to her, "Call me."

Pulling out onto the road, Declan headed north back toward the city. The video didn't do them any good other than to tell them which direction the car had gone. Passing the patrol cars that were headed to the motel, Declan yelled, "How about you protect my sister and not some asshole clerk in a fleabag motel."

Picking up his phone, he called Tori. "Yea, I know I told you to call me but you know how impatient I am. Something bad is happening to Rachel and I want to find her now. Where do we start looking? I know you have connections from work. Is there any way you can get them to ping her phone?"

He listened as Tori told him she was already on it and waiting for a call back. "Fuck Tori, do we have anything to go on? Do you have any idea of where she was tonight? I know she trusted you and would tell you things that she wouldn't tell me because she said I was too overprotective."

Tori told Declan about the pictures at Saltwater. "She went there? The place is owned by the fucking Moores. Why would she go there? She knows how much I hate them and how much they hate me. Those fucks are involved in bad shit Tori.... drugs, prostitution, and I have even heard they are into human trafficking. I am going to fucking kill them."

Tori was able to talk Declan off the ledge.. for the time being. "I know, but, I need to find her.... WE need to find her. I am going to pull over and catch my breath and try to get my thoughts together." Declan disconnected the call.

A moment later, Tori pulled up behind him. Declan got out of his car and walked back to Tori. "I just remembered. I downloaded an app that is supposed to let me track Rachel's phone. I have never used it before. I was afraid she would never talk to me again if she knew I was tracking where she was." He handed his phone to Tori. "You are good with all of the spy shit, do you think the app will help us find her?"

 

[zydrate]

“Whoa, whoa… hold on Deek, Rachel knows that. She knows about the Moore’s, but the Saltwater just opened a couple of weeks ago, so she probably didn’t know the Moore’s owned it,” or maybe she did, thought Tori. Of course, it was only a thought as she didn’t want to say anything out loud, “Deek, we’re going to find her, OK?” He pulled his car to side of the road, and she did the same.

They both exited their respective cars, and she met him near hers as she placed her hands on his shoulders to try to get him to calm down. She knew he must be sick with worry and that usually clouded one’s judgement, especially when it was mixed with anger.

That was when he told her about the app and it took a lot to keep from telling him Rach would kill him if she found out he had a way of tracking her, but now wasn’t the time. Taking his phone from him, Tori looked at the app and it looked simply, and inside, she felt kind of honored he called her a spy, even though he didn’t like her putting herself in danger. The phone was linked to Rachel’s phone, so that was good, “OK, it’s searching…” that’s when Tori got a call from her ‘source’ and just as he told her that Rach’s phone last pinged near the waterfront in the city… and that’s when the app showed her the phone’s location as by Union Warf…

She gave Declan his phone and pushed herself against him, “She’s in this area so it looks like she’s in one place for now. I need to call—” That’s when he had told Tori that he didn’t want the cops involved, “Deek, I—” but Tori stopped and thought about it before nodding, “OK, no cops. We go in quietly and Deek, I mean quiet. We need to get her out fast but in a safe manner, got it?”

“Let’s go in and at the first stop, we leave a car and ride in together, that was its less suspicious, OK?”

***

They stopped at a small gas station that was closed but it didn’t matter, at least they wouldn’t have to explain anything to anyone. Tori decided to let Declan drive that way she could keep an eye on the app. She grabbed her own gun from the glove compartment and shoved it in her shoulder holster as she got into Deek’s car. Looking down at the phone, the small red dot that signified Rachel’s location showed her holding steady…

 

[BeachBum25]

This was personal to Declan. In his mind, he knew that the right thing to do was to call the police. In his heart, he was going to handle this on his own with help only from someone he knew and trusted. There wasn't time to call a couple of his friends who would have been more than happy to come and help him dance on the heads of some of the Moores. He was going to do this with Tori.

When Tori got into the car with him, Declan turned and looked at her. "I know this isn't the smartest decision Tor, but you know me... I have to do it this way. If you want out, you can wait here. I would understand." He could tell from the look on Tori's face that she wasn't staying behind.

Putting the car in drive, Declan eased out of the gas station parking lot. Taking his time so as not to draw any attention, Declan made his way toward the building where Rachel's phone said she was. He looked around; trying to see if there was anyone acting as a lookout. He was pretty sure that Tori was doing the same.

Pulling the car to the curb almost two blocks from where they believed Rachel was being held, Tori and Declan got out of the car and went the rest of the way on foot. They could be less conspicuous on foot, and Declan agreed with Tori that they needed to go in quiet.

As they approached the building, Declan found a rear entrance that was unlocked. Entering the building in front of Tori, Declan looked around. There was a large open area with what appeared to be offices on the opposite side of the building. There were lights on in the office area, and Declan could hear voices. He listened closer, hoping to hear Rachel say something, but heard nothing from her.

Declan stopped and waited for Tori to move up next to him. He pointed toward the offices. She made a motion indicating that they should go in opposite directions and meet up at the offices. Declan shook his head no. He let Tori know they should stay together. He wanted them to work as a team. In his mind, having Tori stay with him minimized the chance that Declan would go rogue and go rushing in like a bat out of hell. He knew his shortcomings, but rarely was he able to control his temper. Until he was sure Rachel was safe, he was going to do everything he could to remain calm. Once he had her back all bets were off.

They slowly moved around the rear of the large open space; staying in the dark. They could see men at the front entrance, obviously guarding against any interruptions. As they got to the side of the building with the offices, Declan started to move a little faster. He felt Tori grab his arm to slow him down. Pausing for a second, he turned to Tori and whispered, "is she still in there?"

When Tori said that the phone still indicated that Rachel was in that area, Declan turned and made his way to the offices. As he opened the door, he saw a man with a gun, and Declan did not hesitate to shoot him. That quickly, Declan had thrown caution to the wind. "Where are you Rachel? Call out. Let me know."

 

[zydrate]

Even though they were working on one goal, which was to save Rachael, Tori had never worked with Declan like this before. Although he had seen her in action, he still had told her that what she was doing was too dangerous. She could get hurt... something bad could happen...

Yes, Tori knew all this but it was her job. She got paid to do what needed to be done.

When Declan called out for Rachael and nothing was heard in response, Tori moved forward a bit more when she finally heard Rachael scream. "Rachael!" Tori called and went to her, racing to where she heard her. The Moores didn't' seem to be expecting someone working with Declan and Tori took advantage of that. Just as she reached the office where Rachael was, she was met with a punch to the gut, which of course, knocked the wind out of her. Before she could catch her breath, she heard Rachael call out to her and then she felt someone grab her by her hair and pull her up. Without hesitation, Tori shot the man and he dropped her out of surprise as he clenched his wound to the stomach.

Tori pushed away from him and headed toward Rachael, who was handcuffed to a desk, her face battered... oh boy, someone was going to pay for that... without any more hesitation, Tori went back to the man on the ground and searched him, looking for the keys to the handcuffs and then releasing Rachael and talking to her, telling her things were OK now.

"Deek! I have her! I'm getting her out of here!"

"Tor, I'm so sorry... I thought---" Rachael was near hysterics and Tori held her close, "Rach, it's OK, we're getting out of her and it'll be OK, got it?"

Rachael nodded, trying not to cry... they got a few feet away and she stopped Tori, "You told Declan?!"

"Let's go and we can talk about it later, OK? Let's get you to the hospital first Rach." Tori should have waited for Declan but knew he knew how to take care of himself as he wanted Rachael safe first.

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan covered Tori as she uncuffed Rachel and led her away. When Declan saw Rachel's battered face, he almost blew a gasket. he didn't say anything while Rachel and Tori were still with him, but people were going to pay... big time.

"Take my car and take her to the hospital. I will make my way back to your car and meet you there in a little while." They exchanged keys and Tori led Rachel out of the building after Michael snuck up behind the two men guarding the front door. It would have been much easier to just shoot them, but Michael wasn't interested in easy right now. All he could think about was making people pay.

After disarming the two men, he used the cuffs that had been on Rachel, to handcuff the two men together. He then proceeded to take turns punching each of them in the face. If he hit them once, he hit them 20 times. Michael could feel bones breaking in their faces as his fist connected. When he got tired of punching them, Michael went back into the office to check on the guy that Tori had shot. He probably wasn't going to make it... oh well.

Before leaving, Michael took the cell phones from all three of the men. He started to leave through the front door, but noticed headlights approaching at a distance. Not wanting any more confrontation tonight, and not wanting to take the chance that it was the police approaching, Michael used the back door to leave and made his way back to where they had left Tori's car. He went home, washed the blood from his hands, through the bloody clothes in a bag that would be burned and then headed off to the hospital to check on Rachel.

On his way to the hospital Michael made several phone calls to let certain people know what had happened to his sister, and also to let them know that the Moores were responsible for it. The Moores, and their people, would be sorry for what they had done. It was obvious that they had hoped that nobody would figure out that they were behind it. The Moores were trying to make inroads in the area, but this would just mean that the association that Michael was working with would crush them. It might not happen tonight, but it would happen, because they had fucked with the wrong people and had hurt a woman instead of going directly at a member.

Once he arrived at the hospital, staff started asking him a lot of questions. "Just tell me where my sister is. That is all you need to do. Don't ask me any more questions. Take me to my sister or I will go bed to bed until I find her." A security guard put his hand on Michael's arm. Michael turned his head and looked at him, "Take your fucking hand off me before I rip it off your fucking arm."

Obviously Michael was not quiet, and Tori must have heard the commotion, because she came out into the waiting area to get Michael and to try to calm him down. "How is she Tor? Is she going to be okay? How bad did they mess her up? I need to see her."

 

[zydrate]

Both Tori and Rachael walked into the ED, with Tori doing her best to hold up Rachael. She had called for help and a few aids came to them and placed Rach on a gurney before wheeling her into a room, they were checking her vitals and making an assessment on her when a security guard approached Tori. He had asked her what happened, and Tori said she found her like that, which wasn’t really a lie…

Tori gave her name as Rachael’s as she didn’t want any trouble. She would fix it later and call in a few remaining favors she had left and fix it all later. Right now, they would tend her and see how hurt she was, then go from there. As she was worried about Rachael, Tori thought about Declan and wondered if he was OK. He had to be as he always figured ways out of difficult situations.

Thankfully, after an hour, it was found out that Rachael only had a few minor injuries from the beating she took. Nothing was broken, all physically would heal but mentally… that was yet to come but for right now, it was good enough.

Hearing some commotion outside nearby, Tori knew it had to Deek, she got up as Rachael slept from being sedated. They were still waiting on some tests for her and after that, she could go home.

Rushing out to the waiting area, Tori found Declan, who had obviously changed clothes and that was a good thing. The only evidence was his cut up knuckles. Immediately, Tori took his hands in hers, hiding it from anyone watching. “Deek, she’s fine, she’s resting in a room right now as we’re just waiting for word on some other tests, OK? They’re standard and shouldn’t be much longer.” She said in a hushed tone, calming him down, “I need you to remain calm when you see her, OK? Just remember, she’s going to be OK.” With that, Tori led him to see Rachael. The doctors had wanted to admit her but that wouldn’t be a good idea because once the Moores found out what had happened, they would definitely come and try to find anyone they could get their hands on, whether it be Tori, Rachael or Deek, it was going to be a mess. Tori told the doctor they would want her released as soon as she’s able.

“I have a friend whose apartment is empty for the next week or so, he asked me to check in on it while’s he gone. We can go there if you're OK with it."

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan surprised himself with how calm he remained when he walked in to see Rachel. She was a mess, but he was set on making sure that he showed no outward signs of how she looked or his anger. He also was not going to let her know he was upset that she called Tori instead of him.

"Hey kiddo. How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Declan walked over and took her hand. He squeezed it a little and gave Rachel a little smile. It took all of the self-control that Declan had, which wasn't much, for him to not rush out and start extracting revenge on the Moores. That would wait until he was sure that Rachel and Tori were somewhere safe.

Turning to Tori. "Yea, the two of you can go hang out at your guy friend's place. I am going to have to get ready for work. I have a day shift today." Declan didn't really have a day shift, but he didn't want Rachel to worry about what he was doing. He was pretty sure that Tori knew what he was up to, but she wouldn't say anything in front of Rachel, because she wouldn't want her to worry.

He saw Tori give him the side eye, but he ignored it. "I will get you two to his place, where I am sure you will be comfortable. I will check in with you regularly so that I know you are okay." Declan looked at Rachel. "You are going to be just fine Rach. You just need a few days to rest and you will be good as new."

Once Rachel was discharged, something that took some coercing from both Tori and Declan, Declan drove them to the apartment that Tori had talked about. He walked them to the door, but did not go inside. He wasn't sure just what kind of friend this guy was to Tori, and did not need to see anything that might anger him more. It was true that Tori and he were no longer together, but that didn't mean he did not have feelings for her. She had ended things with Declan because of his temper. He never did anything to hurt her, physically, but when they were out together, Declan did not take kindly to other guys looking at Tori, and he let them know about it.

After making sure that the ladies were settled in, Declan headed to "Diggers." On the way, he made a couple of phone calls and asked several people to meet him there. One of the higher ups in the organization called Declan as he was driving. He had heard from others that something was going on and wanted to know about it. "The Moores kidnapped my sister and beat the shit out of her. I was able to get her back. She is safe now, but..."

Declan was not given an opportunity to finish his statement. He was told to await the arrival Patrick Flannery. Declan agreed, and the call was disconnected.

Once inside the back room at Gravediggers, Declan was met by several of those he had called, and quite a few others who he had not called. They all approached him for details. He told them to hang on because he only wanted to tell what happened one time.

When Flannery arrived, he came up to Declan and asked him about Rachel. Declan went through the story detail by detail from what he heard from Tori up through getting her back. "It was the Moores. She went to Saltwater. She had no idea it was a Moores place. Someone there recognized her. The fuckers beat up a girl... and not just any girl.. my sister. They need to pay."

Flannery told Declan to relax. "The Moores are going to pay for this Declan, but not in the way that you want them to pay. I know you want to go rushing in and take as many out as possible as quickly as possible. To you this is personal. We are going to treat it as business. They will pay.. trust me. They will pay physically and financially, and you will get your revenge, as well."

It wasn't what Declan wanted to hear, but he had no choice, unless he wanted to go it alone. He took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. Flannery continued talking to him. "You are going to stay here with me. You can work the bar if you want, but you are not to leave here. You can use the apartment upstairs to sleep. Communicate with your sister by phone. Tell her you can't come see her, yet, because you don't want to lead anyone in her direction."

Things were settled. Michael Flannery was going to call the shots. Declan would get his chance, but not until Flannery said so. "If I am going to be here, I might as well be the barman. At least it will keep my mind off of everything."

Flannery smiled at him. Declan, as frustrated as he was, knew he would get his revenge.

 

[zydrate]

“Where are we?” Rachel had asked as she woke up from a needed long nap. It was late afternoon and Tori had spent the day watching over Rachel as she slept on and off. She had made sure she had eaten something earlier and now, they were approaching dinner time and Rachel had just got up, seemingly a bit more coherent than before.

“At a friend’s place. A friend who is out of town and asked me to check in on his place from time to time, just to make sure everything was OK.” She sat down next to Rachel, handing her a makeshift ice pack, “we’re just going to put this right here…” with that, Tori placed the ice pack on the side of Rachel’s face, “keep it there.”

“Someone you’re dating?”

Tori smiled, shaking her head, “No, just a friend… someone I helped out once.” She ran a hand gently over Rachel’s hair, “How are you feeling?”

Rachel shrugged, “Really stupid… I can’t believe I—”

“Hey, stop it, OK? There is no need to feel bad about anything. The main thing is you’re safe now.”

“How upset is Deek?”

Tori shrugged, “He’s not upset, just more worried.” And it wasn’t that Declan was upset at Rachel, he was UPSET about what happened to her. Tori knew him well enough he could never be mad at his sister. “I had to tell him; you know that right? I couldn’t have done any of it without him.”

Rachel shrugged, “I remember you getting punched hard..”

“Yeah, well, it’s not the first time, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last time,” Tori was going to say something else when her phone rang… Declan. “Do you want to talk to him?”

Shaking her head, no, Rachel laid back as Tori answered, “Hey… not right now, she just went back to sleep but she’s doing good. I was just about to order some dinner…” She took the call back out in the living area, away from Rachel, “Listen, give her another day or two, I’m sure she’ll come around. But I think for right now, we’ll just hang out here where its safe” Tori knew he was worried about Rachel and it kind of hurt to know that he wasn’t aware that Tori was worried about her too. This was something traumatic and to honest, Rachel was doing good so far. “I’m going to talk to her more and see what else I can get from her. There must be a reason she went to Saltwater—just let me find out.”

A few hours later, Tori had ordered some pizza and she and Rachel watched a romcom or two. Anything to get her to think about anything else. About 15 minutes into the second movie, Rachel had fallen asleep, so Tori let her sleep, hopefully she would sleep more than a couple of hours. As Rach slept in the one bedroom, Tori took the couch and finally let out a deep breath. She had done her best through out the day not to give anything away about what could and probably would happen with Declan planning his revenge. No, he didn’t have to say anything about it but Tori knew something was going to go down. If not now, then in the next couple of weeks. Perfect.

After doing a quick sweep of the apartment, checking to see if it was safe, she carefully looked outside to make sure no one was there, after that, she put her gun on the coffee table in front of her, making sure the safety was on. She hadn’t realized how tired she was as she sat there in the dark and closed her eyes.

Tori had been packing up her things she had brought to Declan’s place, an extra toothbrush, a few clothes to have when she stayed over…things of that sort. She was almost done, hoping to finish before Declan got home…

No luck. Just as she slung her bag over her shoulders, the door unlocked, and he walked in.

Things from there just got messy. They started to argue about her leaving and him telling her he wasn’t sorry about what he said about her line of work and that he was worried for her and that’s when she hot back at him telling him his second line of work was just as dangerous… as much as it pained her to leave him, she had to. She cared to much for him that she didn’t want to see him get hurt in what he was doing.

Of course, the next day, Rachel came to Tori’s apartment and begged her not to leave. But Tori had no choice in the matter… in the middle of talking to her, Tori had a sudden pain in her chest and found it hard to breathe… Rachel wanted to call Declan but Tori told her no… just give her some time to catch her breath—but that never happened and Rachel ended up calling 911 …

Tori remembered waking up in the hospital, the sound of different monitors waking her from her sleep… then she saw Rachel on a chair, sleeping. Tori had made a sound and immediately, Rachel woke up, coming to Tori’s side… telling her how much she worried her and that in an emergency decision, the ER rushed her to surgery because her heart stopped twice… once they looked at Tori’s medical history, they decided a pacemaker was the best way to go…

“Tor?” She heard Rachel call for her. Immediately, she woke up and checked the clock. 5AM. Going to the bedroom, Rachel was still in bed… it took some prodding, but Tori finally was able to get her to talk about what happened…

“You know you have to tell your brother also, right?”

Rachel nodded, “Yeah… he’s going to be so pissed… did you ever tell him about your surgery?” There was no need to upset her, Tori nodded, not able to confirm verbally. The truth was, she never told Declan about her heart surgery… why would she? Would he still care about her after she was the one who broke things off?

 

[BeachBum25]

Sitting in the back room, Declan watched as Flannery made a phone call. Declan was certain that he was passing on the detail to Booby McShea. McShea was the head of the organization and one of the most powerful men in town. In addition to owning Gravediggers, McShea owned a trucking company, a trash removal company, and a company that delivered bags of ice to convenience stores for them to sell. All of his companies, other than Gravediggers, operated with virtually no competition. Others running similar businesses in town did so, because McShea allowed it.

The Moores really had not been a problem for McShea and his organization, up until now. This was a big mistake on their part. While talking to Flannery, McShea reiterated that Declan was to be kept on ice for a while, but that he was to get his revenge. Flannery said that he didn't think the Moores were dumb enough to plan something like this, and that it was probably a couple of lone wolves who were trying to make a name for themselves. McShea's response was short, "make sure nobody else makes that same mistake."

Flannery came back over to Declan and talked to him. "The Boss says to relax for a little. He promises you will get your revenge." Flannery patted Declan on the back and made a motion with his head toward the bar. Declan knew that he was being told to go open the bar. Declan knew that the regulars would be stopping in soon.

Working the bar during the day kept Declan's mind off of what happened to Rachel. As long as the bar was busy, Declan could focus on serving the customers and engaging in the craic that took place among the regulars. It was the down time in the afternoon when the regulars left and before people got off work that gave Declan time to think about what happened to Rachel. He was frustrated and angry. He was even angry with Rachel for not calling him first. He was angry at Tori.... he wasn't sure why, because without her help he might not have found Rachel, but he was angry with her.

Of course, he was angry with the Moores. If it was up to him, he would go to Saltwater and chain the doors closed and burn the place down. That wouldn't go over well with McShea or Flannery. It sure wouldn't go over well with the police, and it would definitely be counterproductive to building trust with Rachel. However, that was how he felt. The fact that he knew that it wasn't a good idea was a step toward accepting that letting Flannery deal with everything was the answer.

As the after-work crowd started in, Declan was feeling a little run down. It had been a long night, and then a long day working behind the bar. He was thinking of trying to find someone to cover for him and going to get some rest when he over heard a couple guys talking. "A couple of low-level Moores guys ended up in the hospital over in Riverdale. It seems that somebody just dumped them at the entrance to the ER and took off. One of them was shot and died. The other two got the shit beat out of them. My buddy is a cop over in Riverdale and he says the two that got their asses kicked said they were walking along the street and got jumped by a group of guys, and the next thing they knew they were in the ER. Some crazy shit, but couldn't happen to a better group of guys."

Declan listened but didn't say anything, and didn't react in any way to what was said. Just then, one of Flannery's right hand men came out of the back room and told Declan to take a break for a while. When Declan got to the back room, he was met by Flannery. "So D, it looks like you got some revenge on the three who had your sister." Flannery went on to recount what Declan had just heard at the bar. "The Moores reached out. They are saying they are sorry. They have returned the shell casing and the projectile that went through the guy that died. They also cleaned up the scene where it happened. Where is the gun D?"

He wanted to keep Tori out of it, but he had to be up front with Flannery. "It is my ex's gun. She is a PI. She helped me find Rachel. One of them grabbed her and she popped him. The gun is registered to her."

Flannery nodded his head. "She is lucky that the Moores are trying to make it look like they had nothing to do with your sister and that it was a few rogue guys that did it. They are still going to pay so that they send the message to everyone in the shitty organization not to mess with us or anyone related to us. Now, go up to the apartment and get some rest."

Declan knew it wasn't a suggestion, but an order. When he got upstairs, he took out his cell phone and called Tori. He hadn't called before now because he knew that it would upset Rachel if she felt he was being too much of a nag, and he knew Tori would be pissed because she would think Declan didn't trust her.

"Hey Tor, how is she?" Tori told him that she was resting and left it at that. Declan told Tori about the three guys showing up at the hospital in Riverdale and the one with the gunshot dying. "We have the casing and the projectile Tor. It was a through and through. There is nothing to tie either of us to it." Tori was worried. She didn't want to go to jail. She didn't want to lose her PI license or her license to carry.

"Don't worry about anything. I will make sure you are okay in all of this. Just relax. Isn't that what you always tell me?" He laughed a little, and he thought he heard a little chuckle from Tori. "Okay Tor, just tell Rachel that I was asking for her and that I love her. Bye" After disconnecting the call, Declan said, "I still love you too."

 

[zydrate]

Rachel was starting to open up, the initial wave of trauma seeming to pass as she started to talk more and engage with Tori a little more. She had finally gotten her to eat a little more for lunch. Tori had even stepped out for a bit to get some clothes for Rachel just so she could take a shower and feel somewhat better.

Tori wasn't sure what was next for Rachel but she just needed to wait for the all clear from Declan. Rachel had her own place but didn't want to go there, fearing someone might be there. Tori could only sympathize as she knew she was still a bit freaked out by all that happened to her in the past 24 hours.

"Tori...why did you have to tell Declan?"

Looking up from her slice of pizza, Tori took a bit before responding, talking patiently and quietly with Rachel, "He had to know Rach. He's your brother and even though he seems overprotective of you, he still needs to know you're doing OK. Besides, imagine if I hadn't told him and he found out? He doesn't like me as it is, imagine if I hadn't told him about all this?"

"He loves you still."

Tori sighed, nodding, she knew that deep down. She had really intended for their break-up to last a few weeks but then, weeks turned into months and well... they hadn't any time to get together as Tori was getting her business off the ground, along with some new clients. Besides, she knew Declan was still irked at her for continuing in her line of work.

"It's late, you get some rest and then tomorrow, we'll head back to my place and you can stay with me until I can get some sort of security system set up in your place, OK?"

 

[BeachBum25]

After trying to relax for a few hours, and actually falling asleep for a short time, Declan went back down to the bar. It was very crowded, and the bartender was slammed because Declan was actually supposed to be working this shift.

Moving behind the bar, Declan got right down to helping out. It wasn't long before things calmed down a little and Declan apologized to the other bartender. The bartender nodded, "It is no big deal mate. I heard what happened. If you want to take the night off, I can handle it. Of course, I will be busy, but the tips will be nice."

Declan laughed a little. "I need to keep my mind occupied so that I don't go off the deep end about what they did to my sister, but, I will tell you what, since I left you here alone to start the shift, you can keep all of the tips for yourself for the whole night."

The next hour was fairly routine. The patrons were drinking a lot, but with the two bartenders, they were able to keep everyone happy. Then, Declan saw Flannery walk out of the back room. He hadn't been there when Declan came down from the apartment. He motioned for Declan. Declan let the other bartender know he would be right back.

When they got into the back room, Flannery told Declan to relax and sit down for a second. "Just to keep you in the loop D, because it was your sister they messed with, I want to let you know what is going on. We have stopped picking up the trash at Saltwater. Since we are the only game in town, it will be a big problem for them, and eventually the city is going to start fining them. We will resume in a week or so, but they will get the point. In addition, some of the deliveries that are supposed to be made to Saltwater might get delayed or lost. We are going to hurt them financially. We had been cooperating well together. What they did, even if it wasn't sanctioned, will hurt them and they will have to make sure to keep their people in line."

Declan only nodded. Yes, that would hurt the Moores, but he wanted people to feel real pain. He wanted to hurt people physically. He didn't care if what happened to Rachel was "sanctioned" or not. He only cared about getting revenge and extracting his pound of flesh. "What about the two that survived? What is going to happen with them?"

Flannery said that there were ongoing discussions with the Moores about that. He told Declan that the Moores wanted to take care of those two themselves. Declan shook his head. "NO. I want them." Flannery gave Declan a look that clearly told him to calm down and listen. "I know what you want D. You may get that chance, but we have ways that we negotiate that you may not understand. Just do as I say and maintain a low profile right now. Take a few minutes to relax before yo ugo back to work."

Flannery got up and left. Declan sat there... fuming. His frustration was boiling over. He took a few deep breaths and decided to check on Rachel. He took out his phone and called Tori. "Hey Tor, how is she doing?"

 

[zydrate]

Tori had just done a quick sweep of the apartment loft when she sat down on the couch and removed her shoes and sat back, relaxing. She was sure it was safe to go back now but she wanted to wait for Declan to give her the word. She knew he would probably agree to Tori bringing Rachel back to her place for a while.

Picking up the phone, Tori made a quick call to a friend... she had many friends in this business and it never hurt to call in the favors she needed from them. She called Zak Mills of Mills Security and set up for him to do quote on a simple security system for Rachel's apartment. She told him he could pick up the keys tomorrow at her place and she would let him know if anything changed.

OK, so that was set up and Tori suddenly felt really tired. She sighed and lay down on the couch, feeling run down from everything. She needed a good night's sleep, she had realized she hadn't really slept well since getting Rachel's call a couple of nights ago.

Her phone buzzed and she saw who the call was from... Deek.. She hadn't changed nor deleted his information in her phone... or his ring. Answer, she heard him on the other side, and could tell he was tired, probably more tired than her. Sitting up in the dark, Tori answered him, "She's doing better, she just went to bed a few minutes ago... How are you doing? You sound tired."

She listened to his answer and nodded to herself, "Yeah, you should get some rest. I was planning on getting her to my place tomorrow and let her stay there for a bit while I get her some security set up at her place. Just to make sure. And then, I need to get her car from the Saltwater before it gets towed. She had said that's where her phone app was saying it was still parked there."

"No, you stay, I'll get it, OK? I'll be alright Declan. I promise. I'm just going to get her settled and then get the car and bring it home. That's it. While I'm doing that, you should really talk to her. Let her know what's going on, OK?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan was not happy about Tori going to pick up Rachel's car. He did not want her taking the risk of having someone come out of Saltwater and something happening to her. He knew, however, that arguing with her would be fruitless. This is what had led to their break-up. He was always afraid she would get hurt because she always took chances.... many of them were not well calculated.

"Tor, I would rather you didn't go get the car. I know you are trying to help, but it would be better for me to get it. Of course, I know from past experience that trying to talk you out of doing it will be a waste of my breath."

He also knew that Flannery would not approve of him going anywhere near Saltwater, and if McShea found out he went without Flannery's approval, Declan would find himself in a very unenviable position. So, despite not wanting Tori to go there, Declan only put up a little bit of a fight with her.. nothing like he would if he wasn't being kept on a short leash by Flannery.

"Tori, I would love to talk to Rachel, but she won't talk to me. She thinks that everything I do is intended to stifle her. All I want to do is protect my little sister, but she fights me every step of the way. Hell, she called you instead of me when she was in trouble. I am sure that if I call her, she won't even answer."

Declan felt his anxiety rising again. He wasn't angry with Rachel. He was just frustrated.

"Tori, if you think I need to talk to her, you are going to have to get her to call me and talk to me. I will be happy to call her, but, like I said, she won't answer my call. If you can get her to call me, I will listen, and I promise that I won't lecture her and I won't say anything about her calling you first."

 

[zydrate]

Tori sighed and relented, she didn't want to fight with Declan so she nodded to herself, "All right, I'm going to send someone else to get the car only because I don't trust anyone that area and they might do something to it or have it towed."

"Once I get her settled at my place, I will talk a little more to her about all this..." As she knew he was right about how likely it was that Rachel wouldn't answer him. Tori was sure that Rachel just needed some time to get her bearings and figure out what to do next. Perhaps they could send her to a college out of state? Some place fresh?

"Listen, I realize that she called me but in all reality D, you..." Tori stopped, "Forget it... let me get her back to my place tomorrow morning and then I'll come see you and see what we can do, how does that sound?"

This was the most they had spoken to each other since they had broken up and Tori had to admit, she missed it. Hell, she missed him but sometimes... well, sometimes he was too much. But damn, he did have a softer side that Tori had slowly chiseled away at but just as they had gotten more serious, he had gotten more protective. Not obsessive but just telling Tori her job was too dangerous for her to do alone. At first, she had brushed it off and then it got to the point she felt like he didn't trust her in the sense that if she did get in trouble, she wouldn't have the sense to call for help.

That's when she said they needed a break.

Her business slowly started to pick up and then she suffered her heart attack which she still hadn't told anyone about so no one knew about it, except for Rachel because she was there when it happened... she hadn't wanted to tell anyone because she hadn't wanted people to treat her any different or think she couldn't do her job...

"I'll see you in the morning, Declan.." she said and they ended their call...

The next morning after breakfast, Tori cleaned up the apartment, making sure everything was in its place. She and Rachel were heading back to her apartment and from there, Tori would get her settled before going to see Declan.

It was still early in the morning when Tori knocked on Declan's apartment door, "Deek, it's me." She said.

 

[BeachBum25]

At the end of the night, Declan convinced Flannery to let him go home so that he could get some sleep. He hadn't been able to really sleep in the upstairs apartment. Flannery agreed to let him go home as long as he agreed to stay away from Saltwater and not do anything to any of the Moores... until he was given the go ahead. Declan knew that he really had no choice.

When they closed up for the night, Flannery met him on his way out. "Somebody wants to talk to you D." Flannery led him to an SUV sitting in front of Gravediggers. The back window went down and McShea was sitting there. "Declan, I know you are frustrated. I understand you are angry about what happened to your sister. Trust me, you will get your pound of flesh from the Moores. Do you trust me?" Declan nodded. "Good, just be patient and do as you are instructed. That revenge might come tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year, but I promise you, you will get your revenge. For now, just take care of Rachel." Declan nodded again and McShea put the window back up and the SUV pulled away from the curb.

Declan drove to his apartment and immediately undressed and took a long, hot shower. Once he was finished, he pulled on a pair of gym shorts and got into his bed. No sooner had his head hit the pillow and he was out. The sleep was sound. Someone could have kicked down his door and he probably would not have heard it.

After several solid hours of sleep, Declan rolled over when he thought he heard someone at his door. He got out of bed and grabbed his gun, but put it back down when he heard Tori. Sleepily, he walked to the door and opened it' stepping back to let her into the apartment.

He closed the door and looked at Tori. "Did you bring coffee at least?" He knew the answer, since her hands were empty, but he liked teasing Tori. The truth was he missed her. He knew a lot of the reason for their break-up was his being so protective, but he couldn't help himself. It seemed that him being so protective had caused him to lose Tori and it also drove Rachel away from him.

"Tor, I know I haven't said it yet because I have been so upset that Rachel called you, but.... thank you for everything you have done for her. Without you, I am not sure what would have happened." He leaned over and kissed Tori on the cheek before pointing to the kitchen table. "Since you didn't bring any coffee, why don't you have a seat and I will make a pot."

 

[zydrate]

Tori made a face when he asked if she brought any coffee. She knew he was teasing but seriously, she never thought about it... in fact, she had given up drinking it as much as she could, but him, how could she refuse?

As the coffee brewed, a memory flashed before... the many times they had slept in late after he had worked all night and then had breakfast and coffee in bed. He did spoil her in some ways and at times, she relished in it but a feeling deep inside her told her she didn't deserve it. Sitting at the table, Tori leaned her elbows on the table as he sat across from her and thanked her for her help with Rachel.

She had wanted to say that he didn't have to thank her but she didn't want to cause any friction or start an argument, right now, they were both talking like civilized people. "You're welcome. She's a good kid when she wants to be, that is."

"I did talk to her a little bit this morning but I don't think what we talked about was really registering. Something happened that night besides them taking her. She has bruises yes, but she wasn't assaulted... just threatened, from what I can tell. She's going to need awhile to process all this but right now, she doesn't need her big brother hovering over her and grilling her. My best advice would be let's give her time. She told me she didn't want to go back to her place alone so I told her she can stay with me for the time being... that is if it's OK with you."

She realized she had been making the decisions and expecting him to follow along. "Rach is just scared right now so it's going to take some time for her to overcome this. We just need to be patient, OK?"

Even after he poured the coffee, Tori was holding the cup and not drinking as she was lost in thought. "I asked her why she didn't call you first when she was in trouble and she said she didn't really know but I think it's because she didn't want you finding her and killing everyone in sight... not that you would do that, right?" It was both a teasing question and yet, it was serious at the same time. "She'll come around... we just have to be patient and whatever it is that's planned for the Moores, then I would suggest we get Rachel out of town first. What do you think?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan just let Tori talk after he thanked her. He did not want to cause any problems. It seemed that when he tried to talk when she was on a roll that they ended up arguing. He didn't want that, so, he just listened.

He nodded his head every once in a while when she told him what she thought and when she said "OK." It wasn't worth disagreeing with her; not that he disagreed with anything that she was saying.

He sat drinking coffee as he allowed Tori to get everything out. He waited until he was certain that she was finished before he said anything.

"Tori, I trust your judgement. I am not going to ask her anything. I am definitely not going to grill her about what happened. When she is ready to tell me what happened, I will listen to what she has to say."

He got up from the table and poured more coffee in his mug. He saw that Tori had barely touched hers. After sitting back down, he smiled at Tori. "If you think it is best to get her out of town, that is what we will do. It will put less pressure on her to feel that she has to talk with me about it. I don't think there is anything to worry about the Moores with, but I think having Rachel get away for a while is a great idea."

"I just bought a house up at the lake last month. She can go there. Nobody knows about it. In fact, you are the first person I told about it. I wanted to have a place where I could go to think when my temper was getting the best of me. I think that would be the perfect place for Rachel. We can tell her it belongs to a friend of yours if you think she will resist if she finds out it is mine."

 

[zydrate]

She was a bit surprised to have him go along with what she was suggesting. But in the end, it was the right thing to do, "There's a lot to do but nothing we can't handle I guess..."

"A house?" Tori said, not sure if she was saying it an excited way or shocked way. Either way, she was surprised as she was going to ask him when he planned to tell her about it, but remembered they weren't dating anymore so he didn't have to say anything about it. Although it wasn't long ago when she actually couldn't picture her life without him...

Instead, Tori sipped at her coffee and nodded, "That would be a good place since no one knows about it." She set her cup down and pushed away from the table to stand and closed her eyes to get her bearings as she wobbled a bit. She instantly felt Declan's hands on her shoulders as she tried to laugh it off, "Wow... sorry, I just stood up too fast. My eating schedule is a bit off these past few days..." she finished, as it had been just because of how crazy things had been these past few days, "I'm fine..." he hadn't let of her and to be honest, it felt good to be this close to him once more.

She saw the concern on his face and she just smiled it away, "I'm fine... listen, I am going to go back to my place, get something to eat and then..." she had almost said she was going to get Rachel's car but decided not to as it would only cause another argument... "I will get to the office and see what's what and from there, I'll talk to Rachel more later tonight." They were still mere inches apart, "I should get g--" was about all Tori had managed to get out when they kissed...

It wasn't just any kiss either, it was a kiss they both fell into... it was both desperation and want...

 

[BeachBum25]

Declan saw that Tori was unsteady on her feet, and moved to help steady her. He placed his hands on her shoulder, gently, just to make sure she was okay. It did not surprise him that Tori just tried to laugh it off. That was the way she was. In that sense, the two of them were so much alike.

While Tori told him what she was going to do for the remainder of the day, Declan kept his hands on her shoulders. They had not been this close in a long time, and, despite the fact that Tori might be uncomfortable with it, he did not make any attempt to put more space between them.

He had no idea who initiated the kiss. Declan didn't know if it was him or Tori that had leaned in for the kiss, and it did not matter. He wrapped his arms around Tori and pulled her close to him. The kiss, which started off tenderly, got more and more passionate. Declan's tongue slid over Tori's lips. Their tongues engaged in a slow duel to begin, but that didn't last long. Even when kissing, they challenged one another. The duel between their tongues became more aggressive; each one wanting to assert it's dominance.

Moving one hand up her back, Declan placed a hand behind Tori's head and ran his fingers through her hair as they kissed. Their bodies pressed together as they got lost in the kiss. He forgot how much he enjoyed Tori's kiss. He forgot how much he enjoyed Tori's closeness. He forgot how much he enjoyed just being with her.

Sliding both hands to her perfect ass, Declan picked Tori up without breaking the kiss. Holding her close to him, he carried her toward his bedroom. As they got to the doorway, Declan stopped. Breaking the kiss, he looked into Tori's eyes, but didn't say a word.

 

[zydrate]

It wasn't that what they were doing was wrong... hell, it did feel so right and Tori had the power to make it stop and she knew Declan wouldn't push the matter but she didn't want it to stop. She wanted this---no she needed this.

She wrapped her around his neck and shoulders when she felt him pick her up in his strong arms, all while not breaking the kiss... at least that was until they got to the entry of his bedroom... his bedroom where they had spent many a night together and on their coordinating off days, they wouldn't bother getting out of bed at all.

Looking into his eyes, Tori didn't break eye contact with him as she gripped him by his shoulders and ground her hips against him, urging him and letting him know she was good with what was happening... he didn't need a second hint as he continued to carry into the bedroom and laying her on the bed, leaning over her as their kisses continued, still hard and fast. Feeling his hands at the side of her shirt, pulling it up, she leaned up a bit and he pulled her t-shirt off of her and began kissing her neck while leaned her head back, arching her neck toward him, her hands rubbing his sides...

He stopped... why?

Breathless, Tori looked up at him, "What? What's wrong?" She asked, hoping he wasn't having second thoughts because she as hell hadn't been having any herself.

She saw he was looking at her scar... fuck! Her pacemaker scar... goddamnit, she had forgotten about that, "Deek, don't... please, just..." she leaned up to kiss him again before he could ask...