Page 88 of Vengeful Vows

“She sent a birthday card,” I explain. “And he sent a letter back.”

“You read them, of course.”

“Of course.” I nod. “And there was nothing in them. No weird phrasing or something that sounded like a code.”

Cillian glances over at me. “But it’s suspicious, the timing.”

“It is. And what am I going to do if she’s still loyal to her father?”

“It’s hard to tell,” Cillian says. “It’s just a letter, after all, but if they have a code, it might be one you haven’t cracked.”

“Maybe.” I turn up the speed on the treadmill.

“What are you going to do if she did?”

“I don’t know.”

Cillian whistles. “You must really like her.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because usually, you’d kill anyone who even smells like a rat.”

He’s right. I’ve always been brutal about people who became disloyal to the Burkes.

But it’s different with Bree, and not just because of my feelings for her. As well as we’ve treated her, at the end of the day, she didn’t choose this. How can I expect her to be loyal to the Burkes right away?

But of course, if she did do it, I’ll have to deal with it. Gray will want blood, but there’s no way I’ll let him handle it. I’ll handle it myself.

Bree has been so strange ever since the accident. It’s like she’s just going through the motions, and she’s so pale and drawn all the time.

Is it guilt? Or is she just still traumatized by hearing about her father’s many sins? It’s hard to tell.

I haven’t asked her, face to face, so maybe that’s what I need to do. I’m afraid, though, that she’ll come clean, and then I don’t know what I’ll do.

I take in a breath and pull out my phone, calling Lara.

She answers right away. “Declan? What’s up?”

“Are you with Bree?” I ask in a quiet voice.

“Sure. She and Paige are in the pool. Do you need to talk to her?”

“No, no,” I say quickly. “I don’t want her to hear this conversation.”

“What’s going on?”

“I want you to keep an eye on her. Don’t let her out of your sight unless she’s in the bathroom or the bedroom.”

Lara goes silent for a long moment. “I ask again, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” I lie. “I just... want to keep a better eye on her after Murphy attacked us.”

“All right,” she says quietly. “I’ll watch her.”

“Thank you.” I hang up the phone and turn up the speed again, needing to run, needing to get some of this worry and suspicion out.

I focus on the run, trying not to think, and it’s thirty minutes before Cillian shuts his off and gets down.

---