Page 5 of Vengeful Secret

“I’mlooking for a man,” Rosa points out.

I frown. “Thought you had a man?”

Rosa presses her lips together in a thin line. “Thought I did, too. Until I caught him texting his ex.”

I gasp. “Jorge? He really did that?”

Jorge had always seemed to have eyes only for Rosa. They’d been off and on since high school, and sure, Rosa had seen other people on their off weeks, but I would never have imagined Jorge to stray. Especially since the last I heard, things were going great between them.

“Yeah.”

Sarah puts an arm around her.

Marisa puts her hand on Rosa’s arm. “I’m so sorry, Rosa. You deserve better.”

“Hell yes, she does,” Sarah states. “I’ll buy us another round. Mixed drinks?”

“Cosmos,” Marisa suggests, and I grin.

There’s nothing like a good cosmopolitan.

Let the fun begin. No more thinking about Ciara’s father.

He’s not in my life or hers, and he never will be.

That was my choice five years ago. Now I have to live with it.

2

GRAY

Why didI agree to this? I’ve avoided this place like the plague for years, because of the bittersweet memories it holds.

But deep down, I know why. There’s nothing like familiarity to make hard times easier, and I’m glad that Declan has suggested Tess’s Tavern as our meeting place rather than somewhere new.

The ambiance is always light and fun here, and it wraps around me like a hug as I walk in the doors.

“Gray.” The bartender smiles at me. “I haven’t seen you in a dog’s ear.”

Her slight Irish accent floats over to me, and I can’t help but smile back despite the shitstorm my life has become.

“It’s good to see you, Nessa.”

“Good to see you, too.” She jerks her head over to the end of the bar. “Your brother’s waiting for you, nursing a beer.”

I nod and walk over to the end of the bar, sliding onto the bar stool next to Declan and ordering a double whiskey, neat, and Declan raises an eyebrow.

I sigh. “Don’t start, Declan. It’s been a rough couple of months.”

“It has.”

“And it’s all on me, now.” I raise a hand to stop him when he opens his mouth to protest. “You help a lot, but at the end of the day, I’m acting boss now. Everyone in the clan is coming to me for answers, and fuck, Declan, I don’t have any!”

“I know.” His voice is calm and even, and that almost makes me more frustrated.

Declan used to be such a hothead, kind of a loose cannon, but ever since he met and married Bree Murphy, he is making an effort.

I wish I could be like that, and maybe I’m a little resentful.

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