Page 13 of Vengeful Guard

Am I ever going to get over this?

4

KAEL

What the feck?

I blink at Declan. “What? I must’ve misheard you because you sure as hell aren’t suggesting?—”

Declan nods. “That’s exactly what I am suggesting.”

“Declan, that’s...” I pause, trying to gather myself. “That’s crazy. Paige hates me. She’s always hated me.”

“She doesn’t hate you.” He looks away.

“You’re making your lying face.”

“My what face?” Declan chuckles.

I frown and cross my arms over my chest, his gaze slicing through me.

“Okay, maybe she hates you. But that’s part of the draw. Well, for me, at least. The only person I want around my baby sister twenty-four seven is someone that I know would never touch her.”

I make a face. “Of course, I wouldn’t. Wait. Twenty-four seven?”

Paige might be what, twenty-six, twenty-seven? But she’s a spoiled little mafia princess. I don’t want anything to do with those types. They don’t understand real life. They don’t understand real struggle.

And I know Murphy’s a mean son of a bitch, but why do I have to be the one to give up on everything and babysit her?

I take a deep breath. Count to ten in my head.

No need to explode at Declan over spoiled little Paige.

I work for the Burkes, and I can’t disrespect them. I don’t want to. They’re like family to me. Besides, a paycheck is a paycheck. I just have to deal with it and hope this shit’s over and done in a couple of days.

Yeah, right. But still. Grin and bear…well, without the grin part.

I owe them a lot. Maybe my life and my mother’s, too.

After my father died, a lot of people came collecting. Apparently, he wasn’t just out on jobs or screwing around with other women. He was also busy out gambling what money he made. And then some.

At the time, I’d called Declan to vent, have a friendly ear, a fucking shoulder to lean on because I had no idea how to dig me and my ma out of the hole the old man had dug for us.

When I finished telling my best friend everything, he went very quiet.

A couple of days later, Patrick Burke comes calling. I knew him not just because he was Declan’s da, but also because my father also used to do the odd job for him.

Patrick told us to get packed and get going, and neither my ma nor I had asked questions.

And ever since, I’ve never questioned a job from the Burkes. They help us have a roof over our heads and hot food on the table. So, I’m not about to start now, even though I find this particular job boring and annoying at the same time.

I shrug. “All right. I’ll babysit the little one.”

Declan groans. “Don’t call her that; she’ll kill you.”

I snort. “Like to see her try.”

“Until all this is over with Murphy, I don’t want her alone for a second. You hear me?” Declan’s gaze in mine is as serious as I’ve ever seen it.

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