Page 38 of Vengeful Secret

But Liam shows up in an hour, as expected, and brings two men—Jon and Otis. They’re not big and burly like bodyguards, but lean and squirrelly.

“Jon is the best surveillance guy I know,” he says as I usher them upstairs into my library. Declan and Kael trail in, too, with a couple of guys they’ve recommended. “He can hide cameras like a motherfucker.”

I chuckle at his vulgarity. “I’ll have the address by tomorrow morning.”

“And Otis, he blends right into the background because he’s so ugly.” Liam chuckles, clapping the smaller man on the shoulder.

Otis glares at him but then looks at me with a serious expression.

“I can kill someone in ten different ways with a pocketknife. I won’t let you down.”

“Perfect.”

I’ll be also sending one of Kael and Declan’s men—two is better than one when it comes to protecting a woman and her little girl. She might be staying here for now, but her home is sacred to and needs to be surveilled in case her assailants decide to pay her a visit.

We set all the details and by the time we’re done, my head still feels like it’s on too tight.

Sutton will be here, in front of me, every day, and I have to try not to want her.

I just have to protect her, not make her mine.

Can I do that?

11

SUTTON

I can’t believethat I’ve asked for Gray’s help. It’s the last thing I wanted to do, but at the same time, I feel like I had no other options. I don’t know anyone well enough in town to protect me, but isn’t this just me going right back inside the lion’s den?

“Mama, why are you sad?” Ciara looks up at me from where she’s been playing with dolls on the floor.

“I’m not sad,mo stóirin. Just... thinking.”

“You’re thinking too hard.”

I snort out a laugh, realizing that’s one of my mother’s sayings.

God, my mother. I’m going to have to call her, tell her that Ciara and I will be away for a while. I’ll need someone to watch the house, water the plants. I have a cactus I’ve been trying to keep alive for the last six months that’s on its last legs. Maybe she can help it stay alive.

They’re supposed to be unkillable, but I have a black thumb instead of a green one.

“I’ll be right back, baby. Gotta call your Granny.”

Ciara looks up at me briefly and then back at her dolls, and I walk into the kitchen, worrying my lip between my teeth.

My mother isn’t the world’s most understanding person, and she’s overprotective. If she knew that I’d been followed, almost attacked, she’d freak out. And of course, she wouldn’t understand that Gray can protect us more than the cops can. It’s not like I can explain to her that my ex is an Irish mobster.

My mother answers on the fourth ring, sounding out of breath.

“Sutton?”

“Mom.” Is she on her Stairmaster? “Are you busy?”

“Oh, you know me. Just getting my steps in,” she says brightly. “What about you?”

“A little.” I try to think of what to say and how to say it. “I wanted to ask you a favor.”

“Sure, anything.”

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