Page 146 of Deceived Wrath

What the hell has happened?

“Scout, come here,” Cormac orders, though his voice shakes.

Brennan puts Scout down, and Cormac instantly scoops him up into his arms.

“Daddy, I can’t breathe,” Scout chokes, but Cormac doesn’t seem to listen.

He only hugs his son tighter, as if he’s worried he might disappear.

Normally, I would find such a sight heartwarming, but right now it only terrifies me.

“Cormac?” Ronan presses.

Cormac gives Scout one last squeeze before setting him back down.

Scout simply laughs, finding nothing but humor in the fact his father is acting strange, but again, it only makes my stomach sink.

He looks at Ronan and Brennan. “Go on up. I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Scout, you can have some tablet time,” I whisper in Scout’s ear as Brennan and Ronan head up the stairs.

“No more lessons!” Scout snatches his tablet off the table and throws himself onto the couch.

“Cormac, what’s going on?” I ask once Scout is safely occupied.

“Nothing.” He reaches out to cup my chin.

“Say that to your face. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Cormac noticeably flinches, which immediately has alarm bells ringing in my head.

“Cormac, what is going on?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“I’ve got everything under control. I just need you to focus on Scout. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, but?—”

“I can’t explain right now. But I don’t want you to worry, ok? You’re safe here.”

I frown.

What does he mean, I’m safehere? Does that mean I’m not safeoutsideof the penthouse?

I don’t get a chance to press for more details as Cormac disappears upstairs to join his brothers. I stand frozen, staring after him, my thoughts already spiraling out of control.

I need to know what’s going on. And if Cormac won’t tell me, then I’m just going to have to find out for myself.

“Scout, I need you to stay put for a second, ok?”

He nods without looking away from his tablet. I hover just to make sure he’s definitely distracted before tiptoeing up the stairs and down the hall to Cormac’s office.

I can hear the low murmuring of Ronan’s voice, so I hold my breath and press my ear against the door.

“You’re sure about this?”