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On instinct, I strike him in the jaw, cursing the moment I hit him because I’ve let him win. I need to be smarter than that.
Sean cups his face with a smirk. “I hate to tell ya this, but yer ma wanted to get rid of ya. She knew Connor would find out that ye weren’t his.”
“You lie,” I snarl between clenched teeth.
“It’s the truth,” he argues. “I was the one who convinced her to keep ye. I knew ye’d be useful to me. No matter yer ma’s faults, I loved her.”
I slam my fist into his face once again, unable to restrain the murderous rage festering within. He doesn’t fight back. He merely laughs in response, knowing he has crawled under my skin.
“Careful, cub. Ya wouldn’t want Liam to take his anger out on sweet, innocent Eva, would ya?”
Curling my lip, I don’t disguise my disgust at his suggestion.
“Ach, don’t be actin’ like yer better than him. The heart wants what the heart wants, and you wanted Cami, even when ya thought she was yer sister.”
“Aye, but she’s not. Not to mention, Eva is merely a child.”
“She certainly doesn’t look like a chile. But I much prefer my woman to be exactly that. A woman, and Cami—” he wets his lips, a look of pure lust overtaking him. “She’s all woman. Does she taste as sweet as she looks?”
I know he’s baiting me, but something about this suddenly feels…wrong. The same foreboding feeling I sensed earlier overcomes me once again.
“I dare ya to say another word ’bout her…I fucking dare ye,” I warn because if he continues down this path, it’ll be without his tongue.
He reads my caution for what it is. “Y’ve got bollocks, Punky. I heard whatcha did to Brody. I’m thinkin’ that was yer way of sendin’ me a message?”
I don’t reply.
“Well, yer message has been received. Loud and clear. I know that yer stronger than me,” he confesses, which piques my interest. “It’s why I needed collateral. I was never goin’ to hurt Ethan or Eva. They were always goin’ to be returned.”
“Is that so? Were ya so confident I would agree to yer plan?”
Sean nods. “Aye, and that’s because yer noble. Ya care. Ya can’t help but try to save the day. That’s what got ya into this mess in the first place. If only y’d left Cara’s death alone, none of this would have happened.
“But ya had to avenge her. Ya couldn’t leave it alone. And now, y’ve forced my hand.”
“Naw, this is on you.Youare the one who killed her because yer greed comes first and last,” I retaliate, refusing to allow him to slander my mum.
“I only want what was promised to me. Connor said we’d be partners, but it was only him. I was always his second, but that changed when the men saw him in you. Just like his father, they’d say, but he wasn’t yer da.
“Even as a wain, they saw what a great leader ye’d be.”
“Yer jealous of yer own son,” I spit. “This lifestyle was forced onto me. I don’t want it. All it does is destroy. It’s turned me into someone I hardly recognize anymore.”
My phone chimes, and when I see a photo and text message flash on my screen, I sigh in relief. They’re safe.
Cian is standing by Ethan and Eva. They all look okay.
“I’m a man of my word, son,” Sean says, realizing the message was from Cian. “Are you?”
There is one last thing I have to do. I text Rory.
It’s almost over. Is everyone all right?
He replies a moment later.
Everyone is where they should be.
A little cryptic, but it’s Rory, he’s probably paranoid our phones are tapped.
