Page 52 of Vengeful Vows

“You look ready to be home,” Bree muses.

“I am,” I admit. “It’s been a long trip.”

“I actually had a great time.”

I smile at her, and she leans her head against my shoulder.

“I did, too,” I utter, and she takes my hand, squeezing it.

My heart clenches in my chest.

What is this feeling? Guilt? Pity? Is it just because this is the kind of marriage, the kind of life I’ve always secretly wished for?

It’s not real. It’ll never be real.

Real or not, though, her nearness comforts me on the trip home.

When we arrive home, there’s barely time to put the bags down before Gray and my father whisk me away.

I wave slightly at Bree as she gets carted off by my sisters, and she waves back.

My father sits me down, and I wince a bit as he puts his hands on my shoulders.

“Did you speak to Renno?”

“Of course I did. After one of his men tried to dislocate my shoulder,” I drawl.

My father laughs at my pain. “You should’ve known not to sneak up on them.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“What about Sullivan?”

“Took him out. Me and Finn. They're in the desert.”

My father nods. “Good job, Declan. I knew I sent the right man.”

Gray scoffs. “You only sent him because I don’t have a cover to go to Las Vegas.”

I look up at Gray. Is he jealous?

I wouldn’t be surprised. Gray’s always been kind of the golden child of the Burkes, but lately, my father has been taking up a lot of time with me and giving me a lot of work. It’s not that Gray couldn’t do most of what I do—he just wouldn’t be good to have a marriage as cover. He’s just not the marrying type.

I never thought I was either, but having Bree makes me rethink things. Having a wife has been more fun than I imagined. You have a smart, funny, beautiful woman to come home to, and if you feel up to it, she’ll argue with you, and you can have hot make-up sex.

What more could a guy want?

It would have been nice to be able to choose it, but I have to admit, I don’t think I ever would have chosen someone as great as Bree. The way she makes me feel should really terrify me, and it’s starting to.

It’s not just that she’s a warm body. It’s because it’s her, because she’s bright and funny and sassy, and I like her. Love is a different story, but I definitely like her, and that’s enough to make me feel a little panicky.

“How was your honeymoon?” Gray smirks at me.

“I won fifty thousand dollars.”

He chokes.

“Did you get thrown out of the casino again?” my father asks in a scolding tone.

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