Vengeful Secret (The Burkes Mafia #3)

8. Gray

8

GRAY

Declan sits at his desk across from me with Kael bringing up the rear, leaning against the closed door with his arms crossed.

We’ve been in this meeting for half an hour, and we’ve resolved absolutely nothing.

“What about retaliation for Paige?” Kael asks, and Declan holds up a hand to stop him.

“We can’t focus on that right now, Kael. We have to worry about Da and keeping his injury as quiet as possible from our enemies.”

Declan’s right, but it’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for weeks.

If Da wasn’t injured, we would never have allowed our baby sister to be kidnapped and abused without going after Murphy’s men.

But if we strike now, we start a war, and we’re down our strongest general.

It’s not something that we can handle at the moment. I can understand why Kael is so gung-ho about it. She’s the love of his life, and if anything like that happened to Sutton, I’d want to burn the world down.

“As far as people know, he’s still up and running things. Only our own men know that I’ve taken over in the interim.”

Da doesn’t usually do drop-offs or pick-ups, anyway. He runs things from behind the scenes while Declan and I are more visible. That’s worked to our advantage over the last few weeks, and I’ve tried to be as much in the public eye as possible, given all my work back at home.

There are always phone calls to be made, meetings to be had. I can’t keep up, but I’m trying my best.

“It’s only a matter of time before they find out. Murphy’s the one who put out the hit, who saw the damage it caused. I’m sure they had men staking out the hospital, knowing how long he was inside,” Kael points out. “So, why can’t we go after them now?”

“I know that you’re worried about Paige.” I can understand it. But at the same time, Kael only has to worry about Paige. I have my whole family and the clan at large to worry about. “We all are. But it’s easier to keep her safe if we’re not going after Murphy right now. There’s too much going on.”

Kael huffs out a breath but seems to understand.

“I want to discuss things with Da, but I also don’t want to impede his health.”

Declan looks at me curiously. “You want to run things without his input?”

I rub a hand across my face. “Want is a strong word. What I want is for him to get better, and his health is fragile right now, as much as I’m loath to admit it."

I don’t say it, but I’m thinking that I don’t want any of this. I’ve always been groomed to take over for Da, and I’m willing to accept the responsibility, but not now . Not when things are so up in the air with Murphy.

We started a war between the Burkes and the Murphys when Declan kidnapped and married Bree, and we thought we were prepared.

We weren’t.

“Aye,” Declan agrees. “But he would want to be kept in the loop.”

“I’m not saying we go behind his back. I’m just saying that I don’t want him worried about the day-to-day stuff. He’s barely awake these days, and I don’t want him getting daily updates and having to worry.”

Da always wants to know exactly what’s going on, a play-by-play, but right now, he just needs to focus on getting better. I know he’d push himself too hard if he knew that I’m struggling, and it may impede his recovery. I can’t have that on my conscience.

Declan nods. “I understand. You’re more than capable of doing this on your own, Gray.”

Kael hums. “I think so, too. You’ve been doing a great job.”

Although I know they’re genuine, their words don’t ring true to me. I think it’s because I’m so hard on myself, putting so much pressure on my shoulders about everything that’s going on with Da.

I blame myself in many ways, even though Da has assured me that it was no one’s fault but Niall Murphy’s. I still feel like I should have known, should have somehow stopped it.

But even if that’s true, I can’t go back in time. All I can do is try to lessen the damage from here, and not bothering Da about every little thing will help him get better faster.

“But we are going to retaliate,” Declan assures Kael, looking back at him. “We’re not letting Murphy get away with what he did to our family.”

“What’s the play?” Kael asks, and Declan glances at me.

I nod. Kael’s family now, after all.

“We play the long game,” Declan says quietly. “We let Murphy think that we’re rolling under, and then we attack.”

“When?”

I know he’s worried about Paige; I know that he’s even more worried now that they’re together, but I need him to trust me, to trust that I have her best interests at heart.

His repeated questions make me feel like he doesn’t.

I can protect my baby sister. I can protect all of us. I have to.

This is my family, after all, and I’m not going to be pulling any punches when push comes to shove. Especially when it comes to my baby sister.

“Be patient,” Declan answers for me, and I’m grateful, because I likely would have snapped at Kael.

I’m under a lot of pressure, and I find myself feeling angry or annoyed easier than ever.

I’ve been wanting to find Sutton, but with everything going on, I simply haven’t had the time.

Kael sighs. “I know I’m being a pain, but I just don’t want him to get away with it.”

“He won’t,” I state, looking up at Kael, who meets my eyes with a glare of resolve. “That’s a promise.”

Kael looks at me a moment longer and then nods, and I know he trusts me to make the right decision.

My shoulders relax and the anger drains from my system.

Declan’s always been the hothead, but lately, so have I. I’m glad I managed to get through this meeting with a cool head.

“So, all that’s left is what do we reveal to Da and what do we keep under wraps?”

Declan puts his chin in his hand. “I think we just give him a report if he’s awake and asks. Otherwise, we let him rest. If something big goes down, we’ll discuss it and go from there.”

“I agree,” Kael says, always a man of few words.

The buzz of the intercom startles me. “Let’s table this for now. We’ll meet back here tomorrow, same time.”

“Aye,” they say, almost in unison, and I chuckle.

“Two peas in a pod, you two.”

The best friends are more alike than they think.

Kael and Declan snicker and open the door, presumably to go back to their respective partners.

When they leave, I answer the buzz from the man at the gate. “What is it?”

“There is a lady here, boss?—"

“It’s me,” a small, shaking voice sounds, and I blink.

I know that voice. I’d know it anywhere.

It can’t be. There’s no way it can be Sutton, coming here as if I’d dreamed her up by being unable to stop thinking about her all week.

What would she be doing here? Has she changed her mind?

“Sutton? Let her through.”

No matter what she’s here for, of course I’ll see her.

When I make it to the front door, it’s her all right, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a crop top that shows off her flat belly.

Her hair is swept back from her face with a headband, and she’s bare-faced, void of any makeup.

My heart aches, seeing her look so natural. It’s how I’ve always preferred her.

Declan turns to look at me in the foyer, his eyebrow raised.

I ignore him, moving to usher Sutton into my office even as Declan tries to peek his head in.

He’s never officially met Sutton, but he knows of her, and I’m sure he’s dying to know what’s going on.

Too bad. That’s between me and Sutton.

Why is she here? Has she changed her mind? Does she want to reconcile after all?

My heart races as I shut the door.

It takes me a moment to realize that she’s trembling all over.

“Something's wrong." A statement, not a question, and Sutton nods. “Please, let’s sit. We can talk privately here.”

She nods slightly and when I put my hand on her lower back, she sways toward me.

I was taken aback by her beauty at first, but now I realize her hair is a bit frizzy, her clothes in disarray. She looks frazzled and scared, and a wave of protectiveness for her washes over me.

Whatever trouble she’s in, I’m here to help. No matter what.

I lock my office door with a click. Sutton looks around at my bookshelf, running her fingers across the spines.

“Didn’t peg you as much of a reader,” she murmurs.

“You'd be wrong about that,” I say with a slight smile. “I love to read.”

“Mysteries? Horror?”

I shrug. “A little bit of everything. I like biographies and memoir, too.”

Sutton seems to be avoiding the subject of whatever has her so stressed, but I don’t push her, waiting for her to get her thoughts together.

Finally, she takes a seat on my couch, and I walk over to the bar close to my desk.

“Would you like a drink?" I hope it will calm her nerves.

“Yes, please. Anything white.”

I pull out a bottle of vodka and pour her two fingers over ice. I take the drink to her, and she takes it with both hands, trembling.

She takes a deep sip, wincing at the burn before looking up at me.

“What’s wrong, a ghrá ?” I ask quietly, and Sutton’s face falls.

She’s afraid, and a protective urge rises in me.

I’ll burn the world down for Sutton, if she only asks. I’d do anything for her, and I think she knows that. I think that’s why she’s here.

Sutton is an independent woman, and she’s always taken care of herself and her family. When her mother got sick five years ago, breast cancer, she dropped everything, moved in with her. She was her caretaker through the worst of it, and as far as I know, she’s in remission.

Maybe that’s changed.

My thoughts whirl, trying to figure out what it is, but finally, Sutton opens her mouth to speak.

“I need your help.”