Page 19 of Vengeful Guard

I’ve gone through all this, and now the man I hate the most is the one that’s going to be assigned as my bodyguard? Why can’t I get a fucking break?

“Why him, Declan? Literally, anyone else could do it.”

“I don’t trust anyone else,” Declan murmurs, and my shoulders slump.

“There’s no way for me to get out of this, is there?”

I wish Sophie was still here. She’d back me up, even if she technically was on Declan’s side before.

“There’s not.” Declan chuckles. “If you don’t agree, Da’ll just force you back to the mansion and lock you in the house.”

Shit.

I fought hard to be able to get my new place. I need a place to be myself without being constantly coddled and pitied after the attack. Constantly watched. There’s no way I’ll let this asshole be the reason I lose everything.

“So, what, he’ll just sleep in his car outside?”

Kael snorts. “Nah, little princess, I’m sleeping in your guest room.”

“Oh, absolutely not.”

Declan groans. “Come on, Paige, be reasonable. You know that we need to protect you. You know that Da won’t allow you to stay here if someone isn’t watching you. I trust Kael. No one else. So, it’s either him, or you go back home.”

Usually, I’d stomp, pout, storm out. And I guess I am pouting, a little, but I don’t want to throw a tantrum in front of Kael. He already thinks I’m a spoiled brat. And I know he’ll use it against me later.

But I’m not being a brat about this. “Kael will just ignore me, anyway.”

“Nah, princess. I’ll watch you like a hawk. Declan knows that.” Kael’s slight Irish accent is coming through. It’s sexy as hell, which makes me hate him even more.

I turn to glare at him. “Why are you doing this, anyway? You’ve barely spoken a sentence to me in years.”

Kael shrugs. “Why would I? We’re not friends. Besides, I’m usually working when we cross paths.”

“Of course.”

Declan looks between us. “Great, you two are already talking.”

I hate that he thinks his sarcasm is funny.

He stands up. “Now, I’m heading out. I’m leaving you two to figure out the living arrangements. It’s a big enough house that I trust you won’t kill each other before Sunday. You know we’re counting on you for dinner as usual.”

I’m not going to win this. It’s over. Gray and Declan and Da are all in agreement, and the three men in my life are stubborn as mules.

“You two figure it out. I’m going home.”

Before he can even turn on his heel, I’m on the move.

I don’t give them time to react. I grab my car keys, stalk out of the house, and drive over to look for Lara, hoping for some big sister sympathy.

Maybe she can talk some sense into Declan, talk him into choosing someone else at the very least.

I bang on her door, and she calls for me to come in.

When I walk inside her room, I’m surprised to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, painting her toenails.

“What are you doing?”

Lara looks up at me, her expression blank. “Riding a bike?”

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