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“Aye, I know that now. I shouldn’t have trusted you.”
“Punky, naw, please, no.” Ronan sobs as Punky places a gun to his temple.
But his pleas don’t affect Punky in the slightest. A look of utter emptiness is stamped on Punky’s face, and I know that numbness will just continue to grow if he takes this man’s life.
“Punky, don’t,” I say softly. “You’ve got no proof. Don’t be like him. Be the man Connor taught you to be.”
Punky inhales sharply, turning his cheek and squeezing his eyes shut. “Go inside, Cami.”
“No, I will not,” I gently argue, taking cautious steps toward him. “You don’t have to do this. Deep down, you know this is wrong.”
“I don’t know anythin’,” he spits, his pain palpable.
Cian nods, encouraging me to help Punky see the light because right now, he is lost to the darkness.
“You know that I love you,” I say, taking my time as I approach him. “You know that this isn’t your fault.”
“Bullshit!” he shouts, turning around to face me. “Yer sister and Ethan are gone because of me. Hannah was beaten within an inch of her life because of me! My need for vengeance once again got people hurt. Connor was right—emotions make ya weak.
“Ya should run now when y’ve got the chance,” he says, eyes filled with tears. “People I love tend to die as yer collateral.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I affirm, gripping the gun and placing it over my heart. “Where you go, I go, and if you’re headed into hell, then take me with you because living without you will be far worse than any hell on earth.”
“Camilla, don’t say things I don’t deserve. Yer sister is in danger because of me.”
“Yes, she is, but never forget that she’s my sister. My blood runs through her veins, and you can bet she will fight with everything that she’s got. He won’t kill her because he needs her. Like you said, the people you love are collateral.
“He will use her and Ethan as pawns to get what he wants. As long as he needs them, they’re safe. We just need to come up with a plan.”
Punky’s grip on the gun wavers, and I gently lower it, removing it from his hands.
Tossing it aside, I step forward and cup his cheek tenderly. He leans into my touch, broken and defeated in ways I’ve never seen before.
“I’m sorry I got youse involved in this. If anythin’ happens to Eva…”
I don’t let him finish that sentence because I don’t want to hear it. Eva will be okay. She has to be.
With a sigh, Punky accepts defeat, but that doesn’t make him a failure. No, he is victorious in every sense of the word.
“Take him to the hospital,” he says to Cian, eyes still locked with mine.
“Thank you, Puck,” Ronan cries, coming to a shaky stand. “I heard them say they were headed to the factory. I don’t know where that is, though.”
Punky nods but doesn’t seem too enthused by the news as he knows he’s at Sean’s mercy.
Cian helps Ronan as he can’t stand on his own, and they make their way toward Punky’s truck. Only when they’re gone does Punky breathe again.
He pulls out of the embrace and peers into the night sky. “Ronan is right. Sean was tipped off. He knew the kids would be all alone and vulnerable here. He let me kill Brody because I just eliminated the competition for him.
“I did his dirty work, thinkin’ I was in control, but I was wrong. Loyalties may be divided, but Sean has power in the right places. He’s been watchin’ and waitin’, and it’s only a matter of time now.”
A shiver rocks my body at his ominous words. “What do we do now?”
“Now, we wait for him to make his demands. He knows I’ll agree to whatever he proposes. I won’t allow more lives to be destroyed because of me.”
We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place because we’re gambling with Ethan’s and Eva’s lives. Sean took them instead of Hannah because he knew taking my sister would just be extra insurance for him.
“Even if his proposal involves your death?” I question quietly, unable to conceal my fear.
