Page 79 of Vengeful Union

We arrive at the creek without another word, and she bounds toward the shore after I hand her my burner phone.

I stand close to her as she puts the phone on speaker, calling the number I’ve simply saved as “Bree.”

“Lara?" I believe it’s Gray who answers, although I can’t quite tell the brothers’ voices apart.

“Are you okay? Is Declan okay? Da?”

“Everyone’s all right,” he says softly. “I guess you heard about The Pit.”

“I’m so sorry, Gray, I didn’t know?—”

“It’s not your fault. We lost Miles.”

I watch as Lara’s eyes fill with tears.

“Oh, no. Anyone else?”

“Kael was hurt. Shot in the shoulder, but he’s going to be okay.”

“God, Paige must be so worried.”

“Don’t worry so much about us, Lara. You can’t control what Murphy does.”

“There’s a gala tonight,” she says quickly. “I’m going to be there.”

“Where?”

She looks over at me, and I shake my head.

I don’t want her telling her brothers where the gala is. It will only cause more bloodshed. We have to see this through, get some dirt on my father and put him away.

Lara frowns, but she doesn’t argue.

“I don’t know.”

“Rory won’t tell you?” Gray’s voice is strained.

She glances up at me and then back down to the phone. “It’s too dangerous. We’re working on getting this situated.”

“How?” Gray demands to know. “And how do you know you can trust him?”

“I just know.”

Gray lets out a sigh. “So, what’s the plan?”

“We’re trying to get evidence to put Niall away.”

He scoffs. “That’ll never work. He keeps everything locked up tight.”

I take the phone from her, slightly irritated. “I’m going to find it, Gray. And I’m taking good care of your sister.”

“You’d better be,” he growls.

Lara frowns and takes the phone back from me. “I have to go. Just... sit tight. How’s Da?”

“He’s doing fine.”

“Tell Paige I’m sorry about Kael,” she says quietly. “And tell Da I’m sorry about Miles.”

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