Page 132 of Vengeful Vows

Paige throws herself into our older sister’s arms, sobbing.

I sigh. “Fucking Murphy happened.”

Bree comes down the stairs, her hazel eyes wide and worried.

“Paige? Are you okay?”

I grit my teeth, wanting to say something, wanting to be angry, but all I can feel is this stupid ache in my heart.

Paige moves from Lara’s arms to Bree’s, hugging her tightly.

“There was so much shooting, and Jimmy... Jimmy got hurt.”

Lara takes my arm. “Is he going to be okay?”

I pull away gently. “Doc says probably. Gray gave some blood.”

Lara hugs Gray quickly. “I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”

Gray just nods, and my father comes down from his office, thunderous rage on his face.

“Niall Murphy better count his days.”

Bree looks up at him when he says it, and I think that she might protest, but her face is blank and serious.

“Anyone have a problem with that?”

I am looking right at her, challenging her to say something, but she just looks right at me, her face expressionless.

She doesn’t say a word.

Paige is safe, but Jimmy is touch and go.

And Niall Murphy’s days are numbered. The only question now is on whose side his daughter will stand. Ours or his.

31

BREE

I fuss over Paige for a bit, offering her food and water, but she shakes her head.

“I just want to go back to bed.” Her voice wobbles.

“Do you want to be alone?” Lara asks.

“God, no.”

I follow them up the stairs and help Lara tuck her in, but I don’t stay. I’m not sure Paige wants me there, given that it was my father who nearly had her kidnapped.

She is hurt. Her eye is swollen and dark purple and I could just throw up thinking this is all my fault somehow.

I go into the guest bedroom, which is fairly empty but has become my home over the last couple of days, and I sit down hard on the bed.

My head is spinning.

My father has just shot Jimmy, nearly kidnapped Paige, and now the Burkes want his head on a pike. I can’t blame them. I can’t even be upset about it. It’s what he deserves.

There is nothing left inside me when I think about him, no warm feeling, no tenderness, no love. Nothing but this disgust of sharing blood with a monster.

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