Page 122 of Vengeful Guard

But the worst part is that this time, I betrayed my best friend too.

He may have caught me kissing his little sister, but he has no idea of how far I took this betrayal. How much farther I would take it if I could. Because I’d do anything for her. Even fight my best friend.

I’d take on the world for the woman I love. And I love Paige Burke more than life itself.

But now that my best friend caught us, I know the potential punishment I face. This is the mafia after all.

I should have known better, should have fought harder to keep my feelings for her in check. And because I didn’t, I ended up hurting everyone I really care about.

Paige sits up. “Declan.”

My best friend seems to come off whatever weird spell was keeping him frozen on the spot.

His hands clench on his sides, and he takes one slow step forward, my way.

“Why? Why the fuck would you take advantage of my little sister?”

“I’m sorry, Dec?—”

“You shut the fuck up. Shut your fucking mouth right now, or I will shut it for you.”

“You don’t understand, please, let me just?—”

His face transforms into a true gruesome mask of anger. Something I’ve never seen before flashes before his eyes.

And then, he’s flying my way, rushing me and tackling me down to the mat.

I brace for impact. I’m still not one hundred percent recovered after Paige kneeing me, and this is my best friend coming for me. Someone I love like a brother, Someone who’s more than entitled to beat my ass.

He may not know all I did, but I do. And I deserve every single hit I get. This means, I will let him punish me, but I can’t let him kill me, not in front of Paige, she doesn’t deserve another blow like that.

So, as his fists come at me from all sides, I try my best to defend myself, to block some of his attacks, to make sure no lasting damage is done, but I never strike back.

Same as with his sister, I have to wait for him to let it out, but it doesn’t mean I have to let him beat me to death. It just means I deflect what I can, absorb what I can, and pray his steam runs out before my strength does.

“Declan, you need to listen to me, man.”

“I told you to shut that fucking mouth up!

“I have feelings for Paige.”

Pain explodes to the side of my jaw where his fist connected.

“You leave her name out of you fucking mouth.”

“Declan, stop!” Paige screams, but Declan doesn’t let up, kneeing me in the stomach as he hits me.

We go at it until he rolls off me, and we are both left panting.

“How could you? I trusted you!”

Paige takes a step toward us. “He didn’t hurt me, Declan!”

Slitted eyes whip to her, and she freezes in place.

I want to go to her, hold her in my arms, tell her everything will be okay, that she doesn’t have to fear Declan because I’m here. I want to jump to his throat and teach him that he can’t treat his sister like that, not while I’m around.

But I have no doubt if I do any of those things, the gun he has on him will be out and pointed at me in less than a second. And the way he is now, he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

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