Alec

I thought Alec said he would give me a few hours to cool off?

"Go away, Alec! I don't want to speak-"

"It's not Alec."

I widened my eyes.

Uncle Brandon?

I walked to the door, looked through the peephole and when I saw it was my Uncle Brandon I opened the door.

"Hey," I said, forcing a smile.

He smiled back at me. "Hey, sweetheart... Can I come in? I need to talk to you."

He did?

"Oh, sure, come in. Sorry about the mess, Alec's things are everywhere."

Yeah, because you threw them all around the room like a mad woman.

"Don't worry about it."

I closed the door after my Uncle Brandon entered the room. I sat on the bed while he sat on the comfy chair in the corner of the room.

"So, what's up?" I asked and nervously played with my fingers.

"Why is your suitcase on your bed... and packed from the looks of things?"

I looked at my suitcase next to me and felt my shoulders slump.

"I'm going home today."

I looked at my uncle and expected him to be shocked that I was missing Micah's wedding, or at the very least mad but he wasn't. He looked... understanding.

"I don't blame you."

What... I... Just... What?

"Excuse me?"

Uncle Brandon smiled. "I said I don't blame you. I'd be on a plane headin' back home right now if I was you."

What. The. Hell?

"Uncle... what are you talkin' about?"

Uncle Brandon frowned. "Everly told me about what happened this mornin'."

I picked that moment and time to feel humiliated.

"She did?" I murmured.

"Yes, and since she didn't have my permission she will be punished for it severely. You have my word on that."

I widened my eyes to the pointed of pain.

"Permission?"

Uncle Brandon sighed. "This is why I wanted that lad to go home before he could cause any damage. The reason I know Alec Slater is because I paid for his time and Dante's time to entertain Everly when I was too busy when we went away on business."

"What?" I whispered.

"I'm afraid it's the truth."

They’ve been together more than once?

"That's why they acted weird when I introduced them. They already knew each other... very well. I feel sick."

"I'm sorry honey, like I said before she will be punished for this."

"She will?"

"Yes, I will personally see to it that she is very sorry for hurtin' you."

Wow.

"What are you goin' to do to her?" I asked.

Uncle Brandon smiled and it gave me chills.

"You let me worry about that, sweetheart."

Oh Christ.

"You aren't gonna to kill her, are you? I hate the woman but I don't want her to die!"

Uncle Brandon stared at me for a long moment before he burst into laughter. I sagged back in relief then grabbed a pillow, and threw it at my uncle who caught it.

"You should have seen your face!"

I growled. "That's not funny! I know you're into some shady shite, so murder obviously entered me mind."

My Uncle Brandon tossed my pillow back to me and tilted his head to the side.

"What do I do for business, Keela?"

I shrugged my shoulder. "I don't know, but if you're involved with Marco Miles, it can't be good."

Uncle Brandon looked curious. "Alec told you about Marco?"

I chewed on my lower lip and shook my head. "Yeah, but he didn't go into a lot of detail. He did tell me the type of 'business' Marco runs and some stuff that the brothers used to do."

Uncle Brandon sighed. "You will be happy to hear I don't have my foot in any sex rings or weapon cartels."

That did make me happy, but only a little.

"And drugs?"

Uncle Brandon smiled. "I'm involved with them."

I gasped. "Uncle Brandon, that's against the law! What if you go to prison?"

My uncle laughed. "Sweetheart, I've been doin' this since before you were born. I'm a powerful man, prison isn't on the cards for me. Trust me on that."

My uncle was a drug trafficker!

"Oh my God," I whispered.

"You understand why I kept you and Micah out of that part of my life, don't you?"

I nodded my head. "Yes I do, but still... I feel like I don't know you anymore."

Uncle Brandon frowned and leaned forward on his chair. "I'm still your uncle Keela, and I love you. You're very important to me, like a daughter."

I felt my eyes well up with tears, so I quickly looked down.

"I love you, too."

"And because you're so important you me and in order to keep you out of harm’s way, I want you to do somethin' for me. Okay?"

I looked up and wiped away the tears that fell from my eyes.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked.

Uncle Brandon looked me in the eyes and said, "Stay away from Alec Slater and his brothers, okay?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. "I don't plan on ever speakin' to Alec again, but why do I have to stay away from his brothers? They are nice, a close friend of Aideen's is datin' the eldest brother so I would eventually bump into one of them-"

"Keela," my uncle cut me off. "You're to stay away from the Slater brothers, do you understand me?"

What the hell?

I narrowed my eyes. "What will you do if I don't?"

Uncle Brandon sat forward and narrowed his eyes before he hissed, "I'll kill them."

I felt like I was kicked in stomach, because the wind was suddenly knocked out of me.

"Don't test me Keela, you're to stay away from that family. You're puttin' yourself, and them in danger because if anythin' happens to you I'll kill the lot of them."

I was going to be sick.

"I can't believe you're sayin' this right now," I said, then grabbed my stomach as I began to heave.

"Fuck," Uncle Brandon said when he got up and grabbed me by the arm.

He got me to my feet and brought me into the bathroom where I puked into the toilet for a solid minute. I was still heaving but nothing was coming up anymore, so I grabbed some tissue and wiped my mouth.

"Is there anythin' else I should know about this family? I don't have a secret siblin' who kills people for a livin' do I?"

Uncle Brandon laughed as he helped me up to my feet. "I'm as criminal as you're goin' to get, sweetie."

I shook my head. "How could I have not had an inklin' that you were into somethin' so... illegal?"

Uncle Brandon pushed my hair back out of my face. "Because it was kept from you. I'm not known as Brandon Daley unless it's with family, or other bosses. Everyone else involved in the business knows me as just Brandy."

I snorted because the pop singer Brandy popped into my head.

"You find this funny?"

I laughed. "I find this fuckin' hilarious, I mean me uncle is a gangster."

Uncle Brandon cringed. "I prefer the term business man."

I laughed again, hard.

Uncle Brandon rubbed his head and led me out of the bathroom.

"You want the next flight home, I presume?"

I looked up and nodded. "Yeah, I have to get out of here."

Uncle Brandon nodded then took out his phone, tapped on the screen and put it to his ear. "Afternoon Andrea, I need the next flight out from the Bahamas to Dublin... Three hours? That's perfect. Make it for Keela Daley and put her in business class. Fax the e-ticket to my hotel."

When Uncle Brandon hung up, he turned to me and smiled. "All set."

I gaped at him. "Just like that?"

He nodded. "Just like that."

I eyed him. "Is Andrea forced to work for you? Is she some kind of prisoner?"

Uncle Brandon looked at me as amusement twinkled in his grey eyes. "Andrea is just me assistant, Keela."

I raised my eyebrow. "For your shady business, or your legit business?"

Uncle Brandon chuckled. "Both."

Fuck me.

"I like Andrea! How can someone so sweet, willingly work with a criminal?"