Page 39 of Ruined Wrath
“Okay…”
“Don’t worry, so are Brennan and Riley. And even Kieran and Cormac.”
“Trust me, the Kieran I just saw was more of a dragon than a duckling.”
“He’s all bark and no bite. Riley, though…she can be terrifying, so watch out,” she teases.
“I’ll do that.”
I’m just heading back upstairs after dinner when I almost walk straight into Cormac coming out of the upstairs office.
“Hey—”
“Come in here.”
He steps aside to let me pass, making sure to put enough space between us so there is no chance of touching.
I stand hovering by the door, feeling like I want to peel my own skin off as Cormac takes a seat in one of the leather chairs.
“Sit.” He indicates the couch opposite him.
I lower myself onto the edge of the leather couch and subtly try to wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans.
This room holds so many bad memories. It’s where our relationship fractured, and even just sitting across from Cormac makes me feel like I can’t breathe.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Do I look like I need one?”
“Yes,” he says plainly.
“I’m fine. What did you want to talk about?”
“We need to get our story straight. Lorcan expected you to delete the file, so you need to convince him you did without letting on that you know what was on it.”
My throat tightens. “I know.”
“You can’t hesitate when you talk to him, even for a second. It will give you away in an instant.”
That alone sends a chill down my spine.
“You will tell him that the file has been wiped, that’s it. Under no circumstances do you mention the transactions or Adrian.”
“What if he asks questions?”
“You deflect. You act like I’m watching you too closely so you can’t talk for long,” Cormac says simply, as if I asked him what’s for dinner.
That part almost makes me laugh. “That won’t be hard.”
His eyes linger on me then, and for a second, I think he might say something,anything, but of course, he doesn’t. And the unbearable silence stretches between us once more.
He frowns. “Are you sure you can do this?”
I know he’s not just asking about lying to Lorcan. It’s about whether I’ll crack. Whether I’ll betray him again. Whether I’m worth the risk.
“Yes,” I say with absolute certainty.
Cormac studies me for a long moment, his gaze sharp enough to cause my skin to break out in goosebumps.
