Vengeful Secret (The Burkes Mafia #3)

30. Gray

30

GRAY

When I wake up, it’s a little later than usual since I was out late, and I immediately head to my father’s bedroom. I can’t keep this from him anymore. Murphy is escalating things, trying to get us to act, and I know it.

Da will know what to do. I knock on the door, and he grunts for me to come in.

He struggles into a sitting position, but I notice that his heart rate and blood pressure are good, pretty normal, and he doesn’t seem to struggle to sit as much as he did only a week ago.

“Gray,” he says quietly. “I was expecting you.”

“You were?”

“I’ve got ears all over this place, boyo,” Da drawls. “I know you had a parlay with Murphy.”

I sigh. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

“I’m not worried. I know you can take care of things, Gray. But I would like to be kept in the loop.”

“Of course. I just wanted you to get some rest last night.”

“Aye,” he says, but from the way he has bags under his eyes, I don’t think he slept well at all.

Guilt washes over me, but I push it away. That’s a useless emotion to have right now.

“He asked me to trade Lara for Bree. Said that he’d stop stealing our shipments as a bonus.”

Da curses in Gaelic.

“I know. And he tried to act magnanimous about it, like he was doing us a favor by not grabbing Paige because she’s pregnant.”

“He knows Paige is pregnant?”

I nod. “Darragh, the man I interrogated and took care of, told me that he had eyes on all the girls.”

“He seems to know everything,” Da muses. “Does that mean we have a leak?”

I shake my head. “I’ve thought about it, but I don’t think so. I think he’s just surveilling for the moment.”

“So, he doesn’t know how bad off I am? Why didn’t he address the parlay invite to me, then?” Da asks, and I’m reminded that his mind is as sharp as ever, even though he’s injured.

“I think that was a dig, because he had his men shoot you,” I explain. “I don’t think he knows the extent of your injuries.”

“Thank God for that.” He pauses. “You did the right thing, son. You turned down his ridiculous offer and didn’t escalate things further. That’s why I chose you over Declan, you know. It’s not because you’re older. It’s because you’re more level-headed.”

Pride swells in my chest, but I push that away, too, only focused on trying to figure out how to move forward from here.

“What do I do now, Da? He says he wants war. He’s coming after us.”

Da scoffs. “He's been coming after us for years. We’ve always outsmarted him, haven’t we?”

“Yeah, but?—”

“But nothing, Gray. You’re doing great, taking over for me. I'm proud of you. We just stay the course, keep our heads down. We don’t retaliate just yet. We’re playing the long game. Chess instead of Checkers.”

I nod. “That’s what I keep telling Declan and Kael. But they’re worried.”

“Of course. We’re all worried. But I’m not worried I made the wrong choice having you take over.”

“Thank you, Da,” I say quietly, tears pricking at the backs of my eyes that I don’t let fall.

“I heard Sutton went with you,” he says, changing the subject, and my cheeks flush.

“Yes. I wanted her there to keep her safe, and for support.”

“And did she support you?”

“She did,” I agree. “I’ve been teaching her to shoot, and she kept her hand on her purse the whole time.”

“Good girl,” he praises, smiling. “I think I like her the most of any girl you’ve brought home, Gray.”

“I’ve never brought any other girls home,” I say with a chuckle.

“Exactly.” He grins at me. “You know, Gray, the way I’ve always lived my life is knowing I’ll leave behind a legacy. And if that legacy is you, Declan, Lara, and Paige, I’ll die a happy man.”

Tears spring to my eyes again, and I can’t push them away, letting one or two fall before I wipe at my face.

“That’s good to hear, Da. All I’ve ever wanted is to make you proud.”

“And you do, Gray. Every day. I’m proud of you for handling this thing with Sutton so well, too.”

“Thing with Sutton?”

He laughs. “You can’t convince me you knew about that little girl all this time and just kept her from us. I’m not stupid. But you forgave her, understood why she did it. You didn’t blow your top, and I’m proud of that.”

“Me, too,” I have to admit. “I didn’t think I would handle it as well as I did.”

“But you love her, aye?”

“Aye,” I say solemnly, looking down at my father, who smiles up at me.

“Then that’s all that matters.”

I lean down to give Da a hug, and he hugs me back tightly.

“Thank you for this, Da. For everything.”

“Thank you, son. You’re the one handling everything. Lean on me whenever you need to.” He pauses. “And lean on your brothers and Sutton.”

Sutton.

Things aren’t exactly great between us right now, and I don’t want her upset with me. I need to talk to her.

I hurry out of my father’s room and peer into our bedroom, but she isn’t there.

I frown and go downstairs, but she doesn’t appear to be anywhere in the house.

Panic rises in my throat, but then I remember that she likes to swim, and I walk out to the pool house to find her and Lara drinking mimosas by the pool.

“Isn’t it a little early?”

“Not for mimosas,” Lara sings out, clinking her glass with Sutton’s.

“They’re mostly orange juice,” Sutton says in a small voice, and I hate the way she sounds, like she’s upset.

“Can I have one?” I ask, and Lara pulls down her sunglasses to look at me curiously.

“You hate mimosas.”

I shrug. “Want to try it again. Maybe it’ll be different this time.”

She hums and goes over to the table to pour me one, bringing it back.

I suck it down in one go and grimace, shaking my head.

“Nope. Still don’t like it.”

Lara bursts out laughing and when Sutton doesn’t laugh with her, she looks back and forth between us.

“I think I’ll go scare up some more pancakes,” she murmurs, walking back up to the house and leaving Sutton and me alone.

“I’m sorry,” I say instantly, sitting down next to her. She’s on one of the pool lounge chairs.

“I’m sorry, too,” she says quickly. “I’m sorry that I was upset, that we argued.”

“It wasn’t exactly an argument.”

“It kind of was,” she says with a weak smile. “But I just can’t help being worried, Gray.”

“I know that. You have Ciara to worry about. You’ve always had her on your mind. But I swear to you, Sutton?—”

“You don’t have to swear anything to me.” She leans up and cups my face. “You don’t have to convince me that you'll protect me. I know that you will.”

“Then everything’s okay?”

I search her face, but I find nothing there but affection.

“Everything’s okay.”

I smile. “In that case, can I join you in the pool? I haven’t been to the gym in a week, and I feel gross.”

She chuckles. “Yeah, of course.”

She stands, and the curve of her ass in her bikini catches my eye, and I bite my lip.

I head inside and hurry upstairs to change into my trunks.

When I come back down, she‘s doing laps in the pool, and I join her, matching her stroke for stroke. She’s always been an excellent swimmer.

I come up out of the water, getting tired, putting my arms on the side of the pool.

Sutton swims over to me and wraps her arms around my neck.

She kisses me deeply, and I groan into her mouth.

“Better quit that, or we’ll have to go take a shower.”

“Oh no,” she teases. “I‘d hate that.”

I laugh and make my way to the steps to get out while she heaves herself up over the side.

We put on our robes and head upstairs, taking the time that Ciara is in school to be together.

After we undress and get into the shower, I can’t stop staring at her body. It’s changed since I knew her five years ago, but it’s as familiar to me now as it was then.

And just as beautiful.

I run my fingers along the stretch marks on her stomach and thighs, and Sutton puts a hand over mine, blushing.

“Don’t do that. They’re so ugly.”

“No part of you could ever be ugly.”

I drop to my knees. lifting one of her legs over my shoulder, and spread her with my tongue, seeking out her clit so that I can suck on it lightly.

She gasps out my name, and I suck harder, inserting one finger and then two to check her wetness. She’s slick already, but she could be slicker, and I make her come once on my tongue before I stand. I’m already so hard that I want to slide right into her, but Sutton has different ideas.

“My turn,” she croons and kneels in front of me, taking me in her hand.

I can’t help but sway toward her.

“It doesn’t always have to be all about me, you know,” she says, taking my head into her mouth, and she works her tongue along my underside until I’m panting.

Then she takes me deeper, bobbing her head and using her hand to pump and twist, driving me crazy.

My balls draw up, and I’m close within moments, bracing myself against the wall.

Sutton loves this, this flip in control, having me under her spell, and I have to admit that I love it, too.

“I’m going to come,” I grunt, and she scratches along my thighs to encourage me to thrust into her mouth.

Uncaring that she’s gagging, I keep my thrusts deep and spill down her throat.

Sutton pulls away, swallowing and smiling up at me, and I lift her to her feet and kiss her deeply, spent.

My muscles ache from the pool, and it feels nice, finally having a workout.

Two workouts, I suppose. My heart rate is certainly up.

Between Sutton and me making up and my father’s advice, I’m feeling ten times better than I was earlier this morning.

I can’t wait to go and get Ciara, have some family time.

Because like Da said, family—legacy—that’s all that matters in the end.