Page 176 of Deceived Wrath

A short, bitter laugh escapes my lips before I can stop it.

I know Cormac is hoping his words will make me feel better, but all they’re doing is reminding me that I’m still locked into helping Lorcan, whether I want to or not. Every choice I make, every small decision, is tethered to him.

Cormac shifts closer, placing a hand on my knee.

It’s the first contact we’ve had since we arrived at Kieran’s place, and I didn’t realize how much I needed it.

My vision blurs from the tears as I lean into him, wanting to soak up every minute with him that I have left.

“You’re doing right by her. No one else matters right now.”

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. I want to believe him, but my thoughts keep snapping back to Lorcan, to the laptop, to Amber, and to the impossible position I’m in.

I know Cormac is hoping his words will bring me comfort, but they only remind me of the chains that tie me to Lorcan.

I’m trapped helping him whether I want to or not, and for Amber’s sake, I can’t refuse.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

CORMAC

I don’t knowwhy I’m even bothering to go to bed when I know I won’t sleep. Not when Adrian Smirnov is still breathing.

I’m up long before the sun, choosing caffeine over real fuel as I try to track down the man who wants to kill my son.

Brennan tried his best to get into the laptop I found in the car with Vasil Smirnov, but even his skills are limited.

So, while I wait for Connell to force his way through the security systems, I turn my attention back to Fiona.

I lock myself away in Kieran’s upstairs office, the one that looks more like a private room atThe Blackthornthan the weapons bunker he prefers. I perch on the edge of the bespoke mahogany desk and pull out my phone to give Aiden a call.

“You didn’t show the other night. I figured you were dead,” the PI says the moment he answers. No greeting. No pleasantries.

“I almost was.”

He exhales slowly. “I heard about what happened. Do you want to tell me why someone tried to execute you on your way to meet me?”

“Not over the phone. Tell me what you have.”

There’s a pause, which makes me wonder if he’s reconsidering telling me what he’s found out about Fiona.

“Aiden, I don’t pay you to have a conscience.”

“Pretty sure you’re not the one who pays me… But I dug deeper into Fiona, like you asked.”

My jaw tightens. It’s not like Aiden to skirt around a subject.

“And?”

“She’s not dirty… But she’s not exactly clean.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means she’s been … adjacent to some very bad decisions.”

I lean against the desk, the wood cool beneath my palm.

“Go on.”