31. Kael

31

KAEL

After dinner is over, the girls go upstairs, and Declan, Gray, and I stay at the dinner table, talking about our plans for the near future.

I look at Gray and Declan in turn. "Where do we start?"

Declan shrugs. "I can ask Bree to call him. Tell him to meet her somewhere, and then we'll be waiting."

"Do you really want to do that?" Gray shakes his head. "That's her father we're talking about. And sure, he might be a snake, but I can't imagine the guilt that would put on her shoulders, sending her own father to be a lamb in a slaughter."

Declan curses. "You're right. We have to do it without Bree."

I hesitate for a second, but then just go for it. "We ask for a ceasefire."

Declan and Gray both look at me, raising their eyebrows.

"A ceasefire? You mean, a retreat? Burkes don't retreat."

I point my finger at Declan. "But he doesn't know that. He doesn't know that we're not backing down. We ask for a ceasefire and a meeting, and at the meeting, we take him out."

Gray hums, looking at me. "That actually sounds like a good idea."

Declan nods. "Thanks, Kael. But I think maybe we should wait and see how Da is doing. I don't want to be in the middle of avenging his injury if he...."

Declan swallows visibly and stands up. "Maybe I should be with him. Maybe it was wrong to leave him alone."

Gray stands and grabs Declan by the shoulder. "It wasn't wrong. Da would want us to be home protecting the girls."

Declan nods, but he doesn't seem convinced.

"If it makes you feel better, go. I've got Paige, and Gray can keep an eye on Lara and Bree. Right?"

I glance over at Gray, and he nods.

"We got this. If you want to be with Da, then go."

Declan sighs and claps Gray on the shoulder, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you. Both of you."

He tries to be discreet about it, but it doesn't escape me that he wipes his eyes before leaving the room.

Gray sighs, looking over at me. "You'll watch out for the girls while I sleep? I haven't been sleeping well, and I think they're having a monster movie marathon."

I nod. "Of course."

Gray nods back tiredly and heads up the stairs.

I follow him, trailing apart from him to find the theater room. When I open the door, Lara is yelling and throwing popcorn at the screen with Bree doubled over, laughing.

I smile, happy they're having a good time.

"Where's Paige? "

"I don't know," Bree says. "She watched a bit with us, but then said she was tired. Maybe she went to bed?"

I frown and leave the room, hearing Lara's peals of laughter through the door.

Why would Paige leave when the girls seem to be having so much fun?

I head to Paige's room, opening the door without knocking, but the room is empty, her bed is made up, and the shower isn't running.

I frown harder.

A thumping noise comes from down the hallway, and I head down to the gym, finding Paige punching the standing bag over and over.

She hasn't wrapped her knuckles, and they're red and cracked and bleeding.

"Princess." I walk toward her, careful not to startle her.

She doesn't look at me. She keeps punching the bag, in the same spot, again and again, just like I taught her.

My heart aches for her. I know how hard tonight's dinner was and how hard it was at the hospital.

"Paige, sweetheart, your knuckles. Stop." I grab her around the waist, tugging her backward.

She yelps and fights me with all she's got, but I keep her in my arms, finally turning her around to face me.

"It's okay to break down, princess."

"I—I can't." She shakes her head. "I can't because I don't know if I can pull myself back together after. If I'll be able to keep going if I do."

"I'll help you. I won't let you stay broken. I promise."

She fights me until I let her go, and she goes to start wrapping her bloody knuckles.

I want to tell her it's a bit too late for that, but she seems determined not to stop and think .

"If you want to help me, spar with me," she shoots back, and I run a hand through my hair.

She needs this, needs some kind of release, and it's something I understand so deeply it hurts. This was how I'd worked through when my sister died, and I can't deny her the same need to let things go. The same way to let things go.

"All right, fine. Get on the mat."

She bounces over to the mat, holding her stance just the way I taught her.

I motion for her to come at me, and she does.

I avoid the first couple of throws. Sloppy, instinctual, primal.

She's not thinking, she just wants to hit something, to let it all go.

I let her throw in one punch, before dodging the following blows as well.

I dance in place, trying to urge her to do the same, to remember where she is, who she is.

Her eyes are slits aimed at me. Except I think she doesn't even realize who's in front of her. I wonder what or who she's seeing. Who or what she's facing.

Grunting, she tackles me around the waist with her legs.

Stumbling, I try to regain my balance, but I can't without hurting her, and I'm bringing her down with me.

I go down on my back.

She's growling as she straddles my waist, punching me around the ribs.

Knowing she needs this, I let her have a few throws, but she has gotten better, stronger, and I'm feeling every single hit.

When one of her blows hits me just right, I let out a groan and flip her over, pinning her wrists above her head.

She wiggles in my grasp.

"Now will you stop for a minute?"

She doesn't. She frowns at me, her brows drawn together, and her knee comes up, hitting me in the crotch.

My balls hide up in my stomach, and I cry out, rolling off her and holding them.

"Shit." She giggles. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." My voice comes out strained as I try to stand up with difficulty, but Paige can't seem to stop laughing.

In fact, she is now laughing so hard, she doubles over, holding her stomach.

Except the sound is off somehow. As if her laugh is not her laugh. and it's only then I realize she's not laughing anymore. She's sobbing, and the sounds ripping through her body seem to tear my heart in two.

But she unfurls from the floor, gets up, and comes at me again, hitting my chest, her fists furious on my body, and I just stand there and take it, letting her deliver blow after bllow, helping her to let it all out.

"You give me everything you need to, princess. I can take it."

Paige moves away, turning her back on me, wiping furiously at her eyes as she hiccups. "I'm fine. Let's go again."

"Paige," I start, but she gets into stance.

I nod and this time, I come at her, and she manages to throw me over her with her body weight.

"I did it!" She jumps up and down, arms high above her head as I lie on the mat, all the wind knocked out of me, fighting for air. "I really flipped you!"

"You did," I manage, the oxygen making its slow way back into my lungs. "Good for you."

She gets into position. "Again. "

I'm getting the hell beat out of me here, but I know that she needs this, so I get up and get into position too.

She kicks at me, and I grab her ankle, flipping her over onto her back and pinning her wrists again. This time, I use my thighs between her legs to keep her from kicking me in the bollocks again, and her breath starts coming shorter.

I remember what she feels like inside, what she looks like with her back arched, her eyes dark with lust. I know what she looks like on her knees, looking up at me, and it's almost too much to bear.

She is right here beneath me, so beautiful, so irresistible.

I lean down.

I don't know if I want to kiss her or just press my forehead to hers or what I'm leaning for, but as I do, she bursts into tears all over again.

"It's okay, princess." But I'm not sure if anything will be okay ever again. I still say it because she needs to hear it. "It's okay. I got you."

She buries her face in my chest, and I sit up, still holding her, rocking her back and forth in my arms.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, and I don't know what she's sorry for, but I just murmur words of comfort, platitudes and sweet little nothings as I stroke her hair.

I hate the way she's crying, it hurts somewhere deep in my bones, my very soul, and I wish I could make things better. I wish I could make it all go away, but I can't.

Paige has to get through this on her own. And all I can do is be here for her. If she even wants me to.