Claimed - a Portwright Book

Chapter Ten: Sophie

Well, I'd done it. Declan still didn't know, but I'd done it.

Monday, he'd dropped me to Shauna and, as soon as he'd left, while I pulled a pint of plain – I was getting the hang of some slang – for Sean, I'd opened my mouth.

"Shay..." I started.

"Soph-love..." she answered with a smile.

I grinned. "Say a girl had done some thinking and–"

She held up a hand and I stopped. "If ye're sure, I'll ask ye two questions, love, and I need ye to answer with the first honest thing that pops into yer head. Can ye do that?"

I passed Sean his beer and nodded.

Shauna's eyes shone. "All right. Tell me, Soph, what do ye see when ye look at Declan?"

I paused, then, "Home..." I whispered. I shook my head and spoke louder. "It's crazy, but...home. I don't know what it is, but I feel safe. I look into his eyes and I see loyalty and trust and something that tells me he'll fight to the ends of the world for me. And..."

"And what, love?"

I shook my head. "God, it sounds so lame."

She chuckled. "What, Soph?"

"And..." I took a deep breath. "And I feel the same about him. I look at him and realise I've never really felt home before him. At the Mothership, it was a house I lived in, like I was staying at a hotel or something. Alice is great, but as much as I love her I couldn't possibly be with her twenty-four-seven. My house is my sanctuary, a place where I hide from the world. But Declan makes me feel... He makes me feel like I can be safe in the world, makes me want to face the world, not hide. He makes my house feel like home... Oh my God, I sound so stupid," I huffed self-deprecatingly.

"No, ye don't. Second question, love. Would ye die for Declan?"

I looked up at her sharply, wondering if she was possibly for real. Nothing on her face suggested she was even remotely joking. And, I'd seen enough of their world to believe it was a deadly – no pun intended – serious question. I'd watched Declan pull a gun on his family for me, I'd watched him take on three of Sikola's men for me with no hesitation, I'd watched the dirty looks he gave Callum whenever the younger guy made me laugh. He was fiercely protective of me and none of that, at least, was for show.

I took another deep breath as I looked for the answer. It came easier than I thought it would.

"Obviously, dying isn't high on my priority list, Shauna, and I think Declan would be fairly pissed. But..." I sighed, knowing it was like a Band-Aid – say it quickly and get it over with. "I would suffer anything just so he doesn't have to suffer any more than he already has. I would die for him because I can't imagine a world without him in it. He might be a criminal, Shauna, a killer for all the media talks about these things, who knows, I don't. And, I might not have known him that long, but he is mine as I am his... Whether he likes it or not."

I finally had the guts to look at her and I didn't think I'd ever seen such open approval and respect on anyone's face. I wasn't sure if Shauna was going to tear up, if she was going to laugh. I didn't know if I'd said the right thing or if I'd said too much. Maybe a simple yes or no would have sufficed. I'd just told her the truth and I didn't know if that was good or bad. It was scaring me, but I couldn't pretend I felt otherwise now.

Slowly she nodded and I saw her eyes focus on something behind me. I turned and saw Paddy leaning against the doorframe to the back. One ankle was crossed over the other and his arms were crossed over his chest. He was watching me carefully, like he was looking for bullshit.