Page 85 of Killaney Blood

"Jesus, you're awake," the familiar voice says, stepping forward. "Can you hear me?"

It's Keira.

She's got her red hair in a messy bun and worry is etched across her face.

I grunt and try to sit up, but pain shoots through my left side like I've been struck by lightning. "Fuck," I rasp, falling back.

"Don't fucking move too much." Keira appears above me and motions to my side. "She stitched you up."

I blink, trying to shake the fog from my brain. "What the hell happened?"

Keira grabs a nearby water bottle, opens it, and helps me sip. The coolness stings, but I drink it down.

"The short version, Dec, is that you almost died, and your little nurse friend saved your ass."

My chest tightens. "What? Where is she?" I look around the room, trying to spot Lyra, but only see Shane and another of my men standing by the door.

Keira comes closer, grabbing my hand in hers. "Hey, don't worry. She's all right." Her voice softens. "I guess she gave you too much blood and passed out. Some classic ride-or-die shit. They took her into a bedroom. She's resting. Callum's checking on her now."

In my mind, I want nothing more than to see her, to make sure she's safe. But the fear in Keira's eyes tells me she was terrified.

"I'm okay, Keira," I say, squeezing her hand.

"You better be." She wipes under her eye quickly. "You fucking scared me, asshole."

"Sorry," I say with a weak smile. "You're not rid of me yet, sis."

She scoffs and smiles. "Goddamn right I'm not." Her eyes glance back to the blood-stained gauze taped to my side. "So what the hell happened?"

I pause. The truth is right at the tip of my tongue. Shadowharbor. The Phantom King. The card. The feathers. The kill order that was meant for me.

But I can't tell her. Not yet.

"Was it those damn Albanians?" Keira asks, her eyes narrowing. "I told you to be careful about her."

"Yes," I lie. If she thinks it's them, I can regroup and go after this fucking Phantom King person and kill him with my bare hands.Let her not worry, let Callum play the Don role. It's too personal now. Shit, I mean, I almost fucking died.

"But," I wince, trying to move again, "it's not her fault. I think it's more to do with what I did to them after Joyce than her. That's why they came back."

"What do you mean 'came back'?" Keira asks.

"Their Don, uh, Amar."

"What about him?"

"He crawled out of whatever hole he was in and was trying to assemble a crew. I may have killed him."

"What?!" Keira hits my arm.

I wince, pain radiating from the impact. "Fuck, Keira."

"Shit, sorry." She pulls back. "You just can't go around killing mafia heads without talking to Dad, or, Callum now I guess."

"I know, it just happened. I was basically finishing what I started."

"Apparently not," Keira says, motioning at me from head to toe.

"Well, yeah..." I admit.