Page 33

33

KAEL

Getting ripped out from Paige has my blood boiling in my veins.

Who dares? I’m about to kill someone.

When my eyes meet my attacker, I freeze.

“I said, get the hell away from my sister.”

I stare at Declan, probably matching his shocked expression.

God, what have I done?

She was sad and hurting and looking at me as if I hung the moon and something took over me. The feelings I have for her are so overwhelming that I could take on world armies for her. Slay dragons.

She has a lot to deal with already. She’s back in this house because of what happened to her father. A father who may be dying, and instead of protecting her, letting her process those feelings, I go ahead and kiss her.

And she kissed me back. Passionately.

And I wanted more. I wanted it all. I wanted her .

For myself. To have, to hold. To love.

Forever .

But reality came crashing down with a hand yanking me from her.

Wanting her, having her, was never something I would ever be allowed. I was told from the start that she was untouchable. Forbidden. Off limits.

She’s a princess, I’m a nobody, a wiseguy trying to make do and support his mother.

She deserves so much more, so much better.

All she’s hurting now is my fault. I failed her time and time again, and I’m still failing her.

But the worst part is that this time, I betrayed my best friend too.

He may have caught me kissing his little sister, but he has no idea of how far I took this betrayal. How much farther I would take it if I could. Because I’d do anything for her. Even fight my best friend.

I’d take on the world for the woman I love. And I love Paige Burke more than life itself.

But now that my best friend caught us, I know the potential punishment I face. This is the mafia after all.

I should have known better, should have fought harder to keep my feelings for her in check. And because I didn’t, I ended up hurting everyone I really care about.

Paige sits up. “Declan.”

My best friend seems to come off whatever weird spell was keeping him frozen on the spot.

His hands clench on his sides, and he takes one slow step forward, my way.

“Why? Why the fuck would you take advantage of my little sister?”

“I’m sorry, Dec?—”

“You shut the fuck up. Shut your fucking mouth right now, or I will shut it for you. ”

“You don’t understand, please, let me just?—”

His face transforms into a true gruesome mask of anger. Something I’ve never seen before flashes before his eyes.

And then, he’s flying my way, rushing me and tackling me down to the mat.

I brace for impact. I’m still not one hundred percent recovered after Paige kneeing me, and this is my best friend coming for me. Someone I love like a brother, Someone who’s more than entitled to beat my ass.

He may not know all I did, but I do. And I deserve every single hit I get. This means, I will let him punish me, but I can’t let him kill me, not in front of Paige, she doesn’t deserve another blow like that.

So, as his fists come at me from all sides, I try my best to defend myself, to block some of his attacks, to make sure no lasting damage is done, but I never strike back.

Same as with his sister, I have to wait for him to let it out, but it doesn’t mean I have to let him beat me to death. It just means I deflect what I can, absorb what I can, and pray his steam runs out before my strength does.

“Declan, you need to listen to me, man.”

“I told you to shut that fucking mouth up!

“I have feelings for Paige.”

Pain explodes to the side of my jaw where his fist connected.

“You leave her name out of you fucking mouth.”

“Declan, stop!” Paige screams, but Declan doesn’t let up, kneeing me in the stomach as he hits me.

We go at it until he rolls off me, and we are both left panting.

“How could you? I trusted you!”

Paige takes a step toward us. “He didn’t hurt me, Declan! ”

Slitted eyes whip to her, and she freezes in place.

I want to go to her, hold her in my arms, tell her everything will be okay, that she doesn’t have to fear Declan because I’m here. I want to jump to his throat and teach him that he can’t treat his sister like that, not while I’m around.

But I have no doubt if I do any of those things, the gun he has on him will be out and pointed at me in less than a second. And the way he is now, he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

I can’t do that. Not to Paige, who doesn’t deserve to have that on her conscience, because I know she’s blaming herself for this even though I was the one kissing her, nor to Declan, whose hot blood now is preventing him from thinking, from feeling anything other than the red haze of rage.

If he’s forced to kill me, it’ll break something inside him too. Even if he never admits to it.

Paige holds herself around her waist. Her whole body is shaking violently. She’s seconds from falling apart. “Declan, please, let him go.”

Declan stares at her for a couple of seconds longer before turning at me. “Get the hell out of my father’s house."

“I’m sorry…” I don’t know what else to say.

I’m a monster. I’ve hurt everyone I care about. I didn’t listen when my brain told me to leave her alone. I didn’t protect Patrick because I was distracted by Paige, by how much I wanted her.

I’ve fucked everything up and lost the only family I have other than my ma.

Paige’s tears are streaming down her face. “Declan, no. You can’t do that.”

He puts his hand out as she tries to struggle past him .

“I can do whatever I want, and I want this sonofabitch out of my house.”

I want him to understand. “I’m sorry, Declan, I fucked up, but it’s not what you think. I l?—”

“I told you to keep that fucking mouth shut.” He looks at me, and that’s not my best friend in there. I have no idea who that is. “Get out before I kill you.”

I go to the gym door, standing there for a moment and looking at Paige, who’s still struggling to get past Declan and get to me.

I look at the woman I love. The only woman I wouldn’t mind having by my side forever. Then I look at my best friend as he holds her back from me. “It’s not what you think, Declan. I hav?—”

A push over my chest sends me stumbling back and falling against the stairs.

I have feelings for her. I love her. That’s what I’m going to say, but Declan keeps pushing me until I’m up the stairs and by the front door.

Lara and Bree are in the hallway, and Lara’s clearly drunk, staring at me like I’ve come out of nowhere.

“What's going on?” Her voice is slurred as she frowns at us.

I need to defend myself, need to make sure Paige will be okay because that’s all that matters now, that Paige is okay.

Except I have no idea if she’ll be because I won’t be there to make sure.

Declan opens the front door and pushes me out.

I go down, stumbling and probably rolling my ankle. I can’t focus on the pain, though.

“I’ll go.” I don’t want Paige to hurt anymore, so this might be for the better. For her.

Declan leans down, spitting in my face .

I don’t even bother to wipe it away.

“You’re done here, Sullivan. Get the fuck out of my father’s house.”

Pain deeper than the one from Declan’s blows grips my chest, and I have to force myself to stay standing.

It’s all over. I’ve lost everything and everyone. And it’s my fault.

I wipe Declan’s saliva from my face with the edge of my shirt, heading to my car to get out of the Burke Mansion as fast as I can given my injuries.

I’ll be damned if I’m going home, though.

I pull out my phone as I go.

I call the only friend I have other than the Burkes—Cillian.

He answers right away. “What’s up?”

“I need you to meet me at the nearest pub.”

“Is it drinking time?”

“Maybe.” I sigh, getting into my car and taking off.

Cillian is already there when I arrive, sitting at the bar with a couple of beers.

I down mine, and he stares at me.

“I can’t believe you just chugged that. You never drink like that.”

I shrug. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“What the hell is going on? You look like shit. Who beat your ass?”

I groan loudly, wanting to hail the bartender for another beer but not doing it. “I’m in love.”

Cillian says something else, but it doesn’t matter. None of it matters.

Everything I’ve been, everything I’ve known—it's gone.