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Michael says she isn’t.
I repeated the words in my head, then I looked at him, a plea in my eyes that I didn’t know how to voice.
He pressed a kiss to my temple, and because I was so distracted, I allowed it. But Finn, of course, translated what the beseeching look I sent him meant and translated it perfectly. “Conor’s dealing with him.”
It took a second for his words to penetrate, but when they did, I was even more confused.
I reared back, spluttering, “Conor?”
“Trust me, sweetheart—”
“How the hell can I?” I snapped, and the words were like he’d tossed a live hand grenade at me. I leaped into action, shoving away from him as I launched myself onto my feet.
“You can trust me with this,” he whispered, but I knew I’d hurt him, and all I could think was that I was glad I had.
I doubted it hurt as much as this ache in my chest. This gnawing, empty pain that could have been the start of heartburn or a heart attack for all I knew.
But as that ache took over, something filled it.
Something solid. Weighty. Heavy.
A need I’d never felt before, a need I didn’t even know I had in me to feel.
“I want to see him.”
He stared at me blankly. “What?”
“I want to see him.”
My flat tone had him muttering, “You couldn’t handle what—”
“I could.” My words were grim. Loaded with resolve. “I want to ask him if Elizabeth was involved in this. I want details. I want to understand why my mom was murdered.”
“He won’t say anything new, sweetheart.” He reached for my hand but I dragged it out of his hold. “What Conor does—”
“Conor’s a fucking hacker, Finn. He’s anerd. What the hell can he do—”
“Let me speak, Aoife,” he growled. “Conor’s a nerd with a fascination for electricity. You don’t see that side of him because it doesn’t come out to party when he’s with goddamn family eating roasted chicken as we bitch about the week we’ve had.
“If there’s a brother who’s like Aidan Sr., it’s Conor. Where shit like this is concerned, where the family ishurt, where we’re maligned and when he’s interested enough to care, he’s fucking wicked.”
I tried to imagine Conor, the guy even his baby brother called ‘Kid,’ beingwicked, but I couldn’t see it.
“No,” I denied. “Brennan’s the fixer. Why isn’t he handling this? He should be handling this. This is the worst kind of betrayal, dammit. I want Brennan to make him pay. To make himhurtlike I’m hurting.”
Finn got to his feet. “Listen to me, Aoife. There is no worse fate than Conor doling out his brand of justice.”
I didn’t believe him.Couldn’t.It went against years of knowing his family. Of knowing who Conor was.
“I want to see for myself.”
Ineededto see that that fucker was paying. That he was suffering like I was suffering now.
Oh, God.
The pain expanded.
The grief was like a wave churning over me. Submerging me beneath it.
