Page 125 of Vengeful Union

Duncan blinks at him. “Are you sure? Rory, you don’t want?—”

“I don’t want to be boss,” Rory says bluntly, clapping Duncan on the shoulder. “If you want to run things, that’s all right by me. You’ll just have to talk to my sister.” He laughs. “I’ll even put in a good word for you.”

Duncan’s eyebrows draw together. “Rory?—”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.” Rory looks at him seriously. “Unless you have a problem with the Burkes taking over our territory.”

Duncan swallows visibly, his eyes flickering to me and then back to Rory. Then he shrugs. “I guess it doesn’t much matter who runs things. I was born an Irish thug, and I’ll die an Irish thug.”

Rory grins. “Aye. But not anytime soon.”

Duncan roars out laughter and pulls Rory into a hug, and I stand there smiling at the two of them.

It feels like there’s life in this house for the first time since I’ve been here, feels like some deep evil has been swept away.

And even if Rory seems shaken, I can feel that he’s going to come out of this. I can feel that he’s going to take this in stride and become a better man for it.

I just know it.

Chapter Thirty-Four

34

RORY

I’m finally gettinga second wind when the intercom at the gate buzzes, and the Burkes show up.

It’s Declan and Gray, I presume, who are at the door, but I’m confused when Lara barrels past her brothers and hugs the man behind them.

He laughs out loud, and when the sunlight catches on his silver temples, I realize that it must be Patrick, her father.

Gray and Declan walk in, giving me a wide berth as if I’m a venomous snake that might strike.

I go to close the door before an irritated, breathless voice comes from the stairs.

“I forgot how steep these porch stairs were.”

As I recognize the voice, a grin spreads across my face, and I fling the door open to see my sister.

Her hair is frizzed, her expression frazzled, and she’s so heavily pregnant that I gape at her.

“I know,” she whines. “I’m fat.”

“You’re glowing.” I walk toward her, and she smiles as I hug her as tightly as I can, given her rounded belly.

She huffs. “Your nephew has orders to be evicted soon.”

I laugh, looking at her stomach in awe. It’s strange to see her so pregnant.

She chuckles and rubs her hand over it. “He’s sure earning his keep, kicking around in there.”

I keep hold of her hand as she steps into the house.

She looks around, her eyes glassy with tears. “God, it feels like it's been years since I've been back here.”

“I know the feeling,” I mutter, and Lara smacks Declan for something he said that I didn’t hear.

“Rory, this is Declan and Gray, my brothers.” Lara points to each of them.

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