Page 175 of Deceived Wrath

I freeze, and Lorcan laughs again.

“She’s a child,” I choke.

“That means nothing to me. So, I suggest you do as you're told, or Amber will no longer be receiving treatment for her littlecondition.”

I swallow hard. “You…you don’t have that power.”

“Don’t I? You seem to have forgotten your conversation with Dr. Langford.”

Amber will continue to receive the best care, granted you do everything you’re supposed to.

“You’ve grossly underestimated how much power I have over people. One wrong move, Fiona, and everything you care about evaporates.”

He’s backed me into a corner because he knows that I would never do anything to risk Amber’s life. Even if he is bluffing, I’m not willing to take that chance.

My chest tightens as the panic builds.

“I—I can’t…”

“I suggest you figure it out. You have twenty-four hours.”

Later that night, I stand in the shower until my skin feels red raw, trying to think of a way out of this. But by the time the water runs cold and the mirror has unfogged, I’m back at square one.

I can’t refuse Lorcan, not when his threat hangs over Amber like a black cloud. I just have to hope that whatever this file is that Lorcan wants me to delete is enough leverage for Cormac and his brothers to finally take him down.

When I exit the bathroom wrapped in a towel and my hair dripping down my back, Cormac is sitting on the edge of the bed, looking seconds away from passing out with exhaustion.

His eyes find mine. “Is everything okay? You were in there for a while.”

“Yeah. Just…needed to clear my head.”

Cormac narrows his eyes as he shifts on the bed to face me. “Talk to me.”

I wish I could.

I want to talk to him more than anything, but I’m terrified that the moment I open my mouth, everything I’ve been bottling up will come out, and he won’t give me a chance to explain myself. I’m not ready to lose him, or Scout, for that matter.

“You’ve got something on your mind, Fi.”

I know I can’t lie to him, at least not completely, but I also know Cormac won’t drop the subject until I give him something to fix because that’s who he is. He wants to take away everyone else’s pain, even if it’s to the detriment of himself.

“I…I’m worried,” I blurt out as I grip the towel around myself.

“About what?”

Everything.

“About my niece, Amber, and…” I hesitate as I drop onto the bed beside him.

“And?”

“How I’m ever going to be able to have a proper relationship with them again. Being around Riley and Ciara and seeing how close your family is… I miss that. Why does everything have to be so damn hard?”

My voice cracks as I lift my eyes to Cormac.

He studies me silently, his dark eyes soft but steady.

“The most important thing is that Amber is in the care of one of the best clinicians in the county. You’re doing everything you can for her. That’s what matters.”