Page 143 of Killaney Fire

Octavian turns to me, his eyes scanning my face, my arm.

"Just tell me if you're okay?" he asks.

I scoff.

"You care now?" My voice trembles. "Did the Ionescus get what they wanted? I hope it was worth it."

"Look, I don't know what they told you, but they don't know the truth."

I shake my head, and the tears come before I can stop them.

"You've confirmed they did. They're fucking nuts, but they showed me the tracking device. They told me."

I wipe at my eyes with the back of my hand.

"I knew I was just a mission to you. A job. I told you. And you made me feel seen. Special. You came in and shook up my world. Made me fall in love with you. And for what? So you could get what you wanted. Which wasn't me."

The words hang in the air between us.

And for a moment, Octavian just stares at me. The look on his face is one I've never seen before.

Stunned. Shattered.

Like I just gutted him.

Then the elevator stops, and the doors slide open.

Declan and his men are waiting at the loading docks, guns drawn, their faces hard.

The moment they see us, Declan sprints forward.

"What the fuck happened?" he demands, his eyes moving between me and Octavian.

Declan points his gun at Octavian.

"I've been calling you for the past twenty minutes! You shut us out, you didn't answer."

Then Declan's eyes drop to my arm.

To the M.

His face goes white, then red.

"What the fuck is that?" he says, his voice low and dangerous.

I don't answer.

Instead, I look at Octavian.

"Ask him," I say. "He watched the whole thing."

Octavian goes to speak, but I'm done with him and just want to get out of here.

"I'm fine. Let's just go already,” I say and walk to Declan.

Octavian steps forward, his hand reaching for me, but my brother moves faster than I've ever seen him move.

He shoves Octavian back, hard, his hand on Octavian's chest.