Page 113 of Ruined Wrath
I nod again, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“And then what do we do?”
Cormac’s jaw tightens. “That’s for me to know, at least until I’ve worked out the logistics.”
Panic gnaws at me.
Is that really it, or does some small part of him not trust that I’m fully on his side?
“That’s it? You’re just going to leave me in the dark?”
“I need you to trust me.”
And I needyouto trustme.
I take a breath and close my eyes, willing my heart to stop hammering in my chest. “Okay. I’ll do it. But you have to promise me you’ll watch out for me.”
Cormac’s expression immediately softens as he closes the distance between us. “Always.”
He brushes his knuckles over my cheek. And then he’s gone, leaving me alone in the kitchen.
My stomach knots with a mixture of fear and anticipation as I unlock my phone and open up a new message.
I stare at the screen for a long moment, trying to will courage into my fingers.
It takes me a few tries to type out the words, and once it’s done, my thumb hovers over the send button as I read the message once more.
Cormac was here, so I couldn’t talk. It’s not what you think. I’m letting him believe I’m on his side, but I’m not. Trust me, I know what’s at stake if I were to disobey you. I’ll be in touch.
I exhale and tap send before shutting off the phone.
I toss it onto the counter and start endlessly pacing, trying to expel the nervous energy bubbling inside me. I expect Cormac to appear, but when he doesn’t, I collapse into his vacant chair and reach for his mug of coffee that has long since gone cold and take a sip, trying to calm the tremor in my hands.
My mind is still racing as I try to imagine every possible response Lorcan might send, every scenario Cormac might have anticipated, but they all end up with me dead.
Minutes pass.
I grip the edge of the table, thinking of the double bind I’ve put myself in.
Every move I make from now on must be perfect.
My phone is silent, though I know it’s only a matter of time before he plays his next hand.
I try to take a deep breath and focus on anything other than my pulse ringing in my ears.
The house is quiet except for the soft murmur of the TV from down the hall.
Somewhere, Cormac is putting together his plan, one that I know will end in death.
I just hope it’s not mine.
Chapter Twenty-Six
CORMAC
The plan is decided.The only thing left to do is execute.
I find Fiona upstairs in the nursery, rocking Aubrey to sleep, the room lit only by the soft orange glow of the nightlight.
