Page 78 of Vengeful Vows

Jimmy and my father follow suit, bringing out their guns as I chuck the crowbar and draw my own.

The crowbar hits a man square in the eye, and I would snicker if I wasn’t currently afraid for my life.

“Stay down, boyo!” Da yells, but I’m already up and shooting.

Shooting, Finn comes in from the back where he was waiting for us.

A bullet whizzes by my ear as I keep shooting, and then I realize that the men are... retreating?

There’s about four of them, so it’s a fair fight, and they’ve already shot through half the windows in the warehouse. Dust is pouring out of a couple of crates where they’ve been shot.

Da takes a shot at the man who fired first and catches him right between the eyes.

The other men curse and scramble, into a minivan that takes off just as Jimmy and Finn run after them, shooting.

I stand up. “Jesus crow.”

The world tilts around me for a second, probably from the adrenaline. I look at Da to see how he is and his face is pale as he looks at me.

“You’re hit,” he says quietly.

“What?” I look down at my chest is covered in blood. The world tilts around me again, and I brace myself up against the crate.

“Finn!” Da screams, and then I go down.

20

BREE

How could I be so dumb? So blind.

My dad will come any moment now. I just know it. I just hope Declan and Patrick aren’t back by then.

And I’m not sure what I’ll do when he comes. I don’t want to live with a monster, but I don’t want him to take his revenge on the Burkes. I can’t be the reason they are hurt. Or worse.

God. It crushes me just thinking about something happening to anyone in this family, but especially Declan. Because I don’t think I can deny for much longer that I love him.

Men yelling and a commotion make me run downstairs.

Is this my father coming now? Oh, lord, please no.

As my eyes land on the front door, I freeze in my steps, and my heart stops in my chest as soon as see him.

Declan.

He is being carried inside and he is leaving a trail of blood behind him.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

This is all my fault.

He is not moving. Why is he not moving? He can’t be dead, can he?

My feet start moving of their own accord and a keen sound surrounds me before I realize it’s me. I’m screaming, my heart shattering as I go because I did this.

I killed Declan.

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