Page 71 of Vengeful Secret

She gets up, brushing off her shirt, and wordlessly walks out, putting a hand on my shoulder briefly before leaving.

Sutton finally comes downstairs after I’ve finished my coffee, and I smile at her mussed hair, her puffy eyes. She’s still wearing the robe I gave her, one emblazoned with my initials.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

She groans, sitting in Lara’s vacated seat and grabbing a bowl of oranges. “I still feel so sore and exhausted.”

“I know,a ghrá mo chroí.”

She raises an eyebrow as if surprised at the pet name. It just slipped out. I’m not very good at being stoic around Sutton, it turns out.

“I just want to go back to bed,” she whines, and I chuckle at her tone.

“You can, just a bit later,” I tell her, pouring her a cup of coffee and adding lots of cream, no sugar, just the way she likes it.

She takes it quickly, giving me a grateful look before she sips it.

“Why? Do we have something to do today other than picking up Ciara from my Mom’s and take her to school?”

I nod. “We’re going to go to the gun range after we drop her off.”

Sutton blanches. “The what?”

I sigh. “I can’t be with you every second, Sutton. I need you to be able to defend yourself when I’m not around.”

“I’ve never touched a gun in my life.”

“I know. That’s why we’re going to the range.”

I expect her to push back, knowing how she feels about my dangerous lifestyle, but she doesn’t.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” I raise an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I know you are just trying to protect me. And you’re right. I do need to know how to defend myself.”

I’m shocked at how quickly she’s agreeing to this, but I don’t complain.

“Can I get Ciara ready for school?”

Sutton chuckles. “Be my guest.”

I frown, confused. What’s so funny? She just shakes her head and takes her coffee back up to the room.

I walk into Ciara’s room and find her still on her stomach, snoring, so I shake her gently.

She groans and presses her face into the pillow.

“Not getting up.”

I chuckle. “Mo órlaith, you have to. It’s time for school.”

“Nope.”

In the end, I have to physically lift her out of bed and sit her up.

She stares at me with green eyes, grumpy.

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