The Love She Craves: Selling Her Soul to Declan by Gemma Jenkins Page B

figuring that out, I’m going to think you were dropped on your head as an infant.”
    Nyxie turned to face the window. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”
     
    They made it to the cell phone store just after it opened and before any other customers arrived. There were four employees in the shop. Declan moved to the middle of the floor and announced in a loud voice, “I need four phones, all the same, with something like a Ballistic case or an OtterBox. If you can get us out of here in fifteen minutes, I’ll give y ou fifty dollars to buy some pizza for lunch. We need each of the phones programmed with the names and numbers of the other three phones and my number. Also, you have to download the family locator app and turn on the GPS.”
    Nyxie watched in awe as he took control of the situation. She liked his decision-making and self-assuredness. He knew what he wanted and easily commanded the situation. It amazed her that four people jumped to do his bidding. He was a natural born leader. She wished she could be like that. She only led her family. In most things, she was a follower. If difficult decisions had to be made, she had to deliberate and weigh her options. The only time she ever made a quick decision was when her family’s welfare was clearly at stake.
    “You’re getting four phones?”
    “How else can the girls call their favorite aunt?”
    Neither one mentioned Cody, it was just too soon to hope.
    Declan put his arm over her shoulder as the clerks worked frantically to beat their deadline.
    She stood stiffly trying to decide how she felt about the contact. It felt completely foreign, but not unpleasant. No, not unpleasant at all. She kind of liked it.
    Nyxie wondered if he had a particular protocol he wanted her to use when she wanted to express her gratitude. She tilted her head down. “Sir, thank you.” She brought up her head and frowned. “Is that the way I’m supposed to do it? That didn’t feel right. I’m extremely grateful and I don’t think that conveyed it at all.” 
    “How about a hug instead.” He already had his arm over her shoulder, so it only took a minor adjustment in their positioning before she was ensconced in his embrace.
    “Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you, so much.”
    He chuckled stepping away. “You’re very welcome.”
    “How are we going to get the phones to Lotus and Reina?”
    “The lawyer can figure it out. But I guarantee my lawyer is a pit bull and he’ll get the phones to them. You’ll be talking to them in no time. And with the family tracker, we’ll also know where they are.”
    It took twenty-two minutes before they finished and left the store, but he rewarded the workers with the pizza money anyway.
    As they drove to the lawyer’s office, Nyxie fiddled with her phone, calling each number and listening until one of the phones in th e bag rang then she dialed Declan’s number.
    He frowned at the unknown number. “Dr. Stryker.”
    “Did I remember to say thank you?”
     
    Declan escorted Nyxie through the bank lobby to the row of elevators in the back. He punched the button to the fourth floor in one of the few buildings in Lubbock that provided a piddly excuse for a skyline against the flat landscape.
    Nyxie tightly clutched the bag containing Lotus and Reina’s cell phones as she stepped into the lawyer’s outer office a pace behind Declan.
    “Dr. Stryker,” the woman behind the reception desk greeted warmly. “Mr. Vaughn didn’t tell me you were coming in.”
    “I’m afraid he’s not expecting me, but I need to speak with him on an urgent matter.”
    The woman looked past Declan to Onyx quickly taking in her day old appearance. “This is my friend, Nyxie. Her brother was hit by a truck yesterday.”
    The woman’s eyebrows lifted with recognition. “Oh, it was on the news last night. In Chimera Flats, right? How is he?”
    “Critical.”
    The woman smiled sympathetically at Onyx. “I’ll keep him in my prayers.”
    “Thank