Page 68 of Vengeful Vows

Lara laughs. “Poor thing. He ended up getting hit by a car, too. Didn’t even die of natural causes.”

“And he’d lost all his hair. He looked like one of those weird Sphynx cats.” Paige giggles.

“Hey, leave Jack alone,” my father interjects. “He was a good cat.”

“Da used to hate cats,” Paige explains, and just like that, Bree seems to have been brought out of her strange mood.

It makes sense that she just misses her family, so I have to cut her some slack.

“Yeah, he told me if I brought home another stray cat, he’d make me sleep in the basement with it,” Lara says with a laugh.

“And he did, too.” Gray chuckles.

I laugh along with them, and Bree’s smiling. It makes me happy.

“Molly’s almost seventeen,” Bree tells us. “But I’d rather hear the story about Jack.”

“Jack be Nimble, we called him,” my father says, sounding sentimental. “He used to scratch all over the furniture, but he would also bring me my slippers.”

“A cat?” Bree’s mouth hangs open before she shakes her head. “There’s no way a cat brought your slippers.”

Lara brings out her phone, showing Bree a series of pictures of Jack carrying my father’s slippers, up until he was old and hairless.

“That’s so crazy,” Bree mutters. “I didn’t even know cats could do tricks.”

“Oh, he expected a piece of steak after each time,” my father says, chuckling. “And then he started bringing them to me at all times of day, not just after dinner, just to get that treat.”

“I miss him,” Paige whines. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t let me get a chihuahua. Maybe when I move, I can get one.”

“He’d be a little ankle-biter,” my father says. “No more pets in the house. Feel free in yours, but don’t bring him here.”

“But we have such a big yard here!” Paige complains.

Gray frowns. “If you bring your dog here, I’m getting my own dog.”

My father throws up his hands, but he’s still smiling. “It’s like I’ve still got a bunch of kids in the house.”

After we sober a bit and dessert is on the table, my father clears his throat, clinking his fork against his glass to get our attention.

“I need a family meeting after dinner,” he says. “We have some business to discuss.”

Bree starts to stand up and excuse herself, but I take her hand.

“You’re part of this family now, too,” I whisper, and she sits back down.

“Should we just talk over dessert?” Gray asks.

Da sighs. “You know I hate business at the dinner table, but fine, just for tonight.”

Bree sits quietly while Gray starts to talk.

“I know this subject might be a little sensitive given our company,” Gray starts, giving Bree a side look. “But Niall Murphy has intercepted yet another of our shipments.”

Lara groans. “Isn’t this the third one this month?”

Gray nods. “Exactly. So, I think, personally, that it's time to take him down.”

I can’t help looking over at Bree, and her hazel eyes are wide and wet.

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