Page 147 of Ruined Wrath
Chapter Thirty-Three
FIONA
Adrian Smirnov should be dead.
I watched the entire scene play out from the window as I held Scout in my arms, needing to see for myself that Cormac was alive. I watched how he gave up a clear shot and let the man who kidnapped his son walk straight through his front door, and I can’t help but feel it’s because of me.
I press my forehead against the glass, watching Adrian disappear from view, and my stomach twists violently.
If this goes wrong, if Adrian comes back and Scout gets hurt, I’ll be the one to blame.
Scout shifts in my arms, his fingers curling into my shirt like he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go.
I tighten my arms instinctively around him, my heart hammering in my chest.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper, though I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince.
The house is too quiet now, and that feels almost worse.
My arms ache from holding Scout, so I carry him over the floor between the bed and the dresser.
My body still feels jittery from the adrenaline, and I’m desperate to hear what is going on downstairs, but I refuse to leave Scout.
He’s quiet, which, in Scout terms, is never a good sign. And his body is rigid, like he’s bracing for something that hasn’t happened yet. I murmur to him softly as I rub my hand up and down his back, but he barely reacts.
The last time men stormed the house, he was taken. One moment, he was here, the next, he was gone, ripped out from underneath us before he could even scream.
“It’s over,” I tell him quietly. “You’re safe.”
He doesn’t answer. He just holds on to me even tighter.
Eventually, heavy footsteps come up the stairs, and when Cormac enters the room, I swallow a sob of relief.
He drops down onto the floor and wraps his arms around Scout and me.
“You did good,” he murmurs. “Everyone is safe.”
I don’t want to upset Scout, so I force myself to hold back my tears.
We sit there in the quiet for a moment, until Brennan’s voice cuts through it as he calls from downstairs. “Cormac! Just a small thing… Kieran is back, and he’s… Well, he’s pissed!”
Cormac curses as he gets to his feet and crosses over to the window.
“This is going to be fun,” he mutters.
I climb to my feet, adjusting my hold on Scout, and move to join Cormac at the window.
At the bottom of the driveway stand Ronan and Kieran, staring at the mangled gates with a cold sort of fury on their faces.
Cormac sighs. “Stay with Scout. I’ll handle this.”
Scout lifts his head from my shoulder at the mention of his name.
“Is he coming to take me again?” he whispers.
A look of complete devastation passes over Cormac’s face, so I quickly chime in.
“No one is taking you anywhere. We’re safe. It’s just Uncle Ronan and Uncle Kieran.”
