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"Stop," I cut in."I swear to you, he’s coming back.Eamon and I are doing everything in our power to find him."

Silence stretches between us.Then, finally, she whispers, "Okay."

"I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything," I promise.

"Please," she murmurs, her voice still shaking."Please find him."

“I will,” I whisper, the guilt of my deception crushing me.

As soon as we hang up, I drop the phone onto the counter and press the heels of my hands against my eyes.

I hate this.I hate lying to Bridget.I hate knowing I’m the reason she’s crying.I hate knowing that right now, Ruairi’s sitting in a cold, dark pit, being worn down by my choices.

But I can’t stop it.Not yet.

A quiet movement behind me makes me stiffen.I turn to see Eamon standing in the doorway."What happened?"he asks, his voice low.

"Bridget called."I swallow, willing the emotions away."She’s pregnant."

His brows lift slightly."Fuck."

I nod, pressing my lips together."She begged me to find him."

Eamon watches me for a long moment before stepping closer."What do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you want to let him go, I’ll order my men to release him right now," he says simply."It’s your call."

A part of me wants to say yes.To end this.To stop lying, stop twisting myself deeper into an unwinnable game.

For a moment, the words teeter on the edge of my tongue, trembling there like a secret I don’t dare speak aloud.

But then I see Ruairi, in my mind’s eye, staring at me with that same stubborn, unyielding glare he’s worn since we were children.

Not the boy who once stood between me and the monsters.

The man who would walk blindly into their jaws now if I let him.

But I can’t.Not yet.

Mercy is a luxury I can't afford.Not when the walls are already closing in, not when every decision I've made has been another stone in the tomb I'm building around us all.

The game isn't over yet.

And until it is, I have to be the one holding the blade.

"No."I meet Eamon’s gaze."I’m not letting him out until he gives in."

"Then he stays where he is.You have my full support.And that of my men."

"Thank you."I press onto my toes, brushing my lips against his in silent gratitude.He deepens the kiss, his fingers skimming along my waist, grounding me, but I pull back before I let myself fall too far into him."I need to get to work," I murmur.“My boss doesn’t take kindly to employees who are late for their shifts.”

Eamon smirks, his hands still resting on my hips."Sounds like a real hard-ass."

"The worst," I tease.

Amusement flickers in his eyes."Maybe you should quit.Find a boss who treats you better."