Page 24 of Destructive Truths

“You’re right.”

Her smile widens as she peers up at me. “Can I get that in writing?”

Suddenly, the front door of Saoirse’s cabin swings open, gaining all my attention, and Saoirse steps into view. The morning sun greets her face, highlighting the delicate curve of her jawline as she closes her eyes and tilts her face towards the sky. My lungs contract as the breath I drew halts.

Saoirse Ryan has been stunning for as long as I can remember. Even when we were budding teens, she blinded me with her natural beauty. But not a goddamn thing could have prepared me for the young woman she’s blossomed into. In her absence, Saoirse has grown into something words could never describe. Her long hair hangs down her back in waves of dark silk, accentuating her olive skin and framing her round whiskey eyes and button nose. She’s pint-sized perfection, barely a hair over five feet and a few inches.

The moment I found her lazing in the lounge seat in our back garden after years had passed and all I had were distant memories, I knew what I needed to do. Divine timing placed her right in front of me, the answer to all my fucking problems wrapped in a sexy bow.

Much to my father’s delight, it didn’t take any convincing for me to pursue the Ryan heir… because I’d wanted Saoirse to be mine since we were kids playing in these very cabins. I always knew Saoirse’s lineage destined her for the throne. More so, I knew I was the man who needed to stand beside her.

When I told my father of Saoirse’s existence, I stupidly thought it would bring us together and give me a chance to claim her, not push her further away. Back then, I was unaware of the danger she faced, and I allowed my selfish needs to overshadow the command Lorcan gave me. In doing so, I lost the girl and my chance to prove my worth.

My father has a plan, though. And although I’m not one hundred percent on board with his method, I can’t deny that the outcome appeals to me. If following his orders guarantees my place next to her, then that is a price I will happily pay.

“Should we tell Rohan what happened to her?” Beibhinn prompts, forcing me from my thoughts. Peering over my left shoulder, my brow hikes towards my hairline, shooting her a wordless response. The moment I saw Saoirse and Rohan together for the first time, I knew he’d become a problem. The chemistry between could ignite a forest skyline. Telling Rohan isn’t an option. Not right now, at least. He has feelings for Saoirse, even if he won’t admit it. For my plan to work, I need to keep him as far away from her as possible—at least until I can remind her of how we used to be.

“He deserves to know, don’t you think?”

Silence fills the cabin, neither of us willing to break the heavy tension weighing down my shoulders. Stubborn to a fault, Beibhinn narrows her eyes, surveying me from tip to toe, then back again, assessing my body language with her all-knowing death glare. Sometimes the twin thing works in my favour, but other times, I wish my sister couldn’t read me as easily as she does those tortured heroes in one of her twisted romance books.

“No, I don’t,” I argue. “He said it himself… it’s best for everyone if he stays far the fuck away from her. Telling him would have him rushing to her side like some hero on a white horse, but we both know that is not the case. Everyone has a motive, Bev. Including Rohan.”

“What’s yours?” she bites out through gritted teeth. “Let me guess… you want to use her for the final trial, don’t you?”

“What I want and need are two very different things.” But it just so happens I can have both with Saoirse by my side.

“I’m not okay with this, Liam. The third trial should be her choice, not some dick-swinging contest between you and Rohan. Besides, whether we tell him or not, he’s bound to find out. Lorcan said Aodhán found her at Ryan manor, so it’s only a matter of time before word gets back. You know as well as I do Aodhán keeps nothing from Rohan.”

She’s not wrong. Aodhán can’t hold his fucking piss where Rohan is concerned. But, regardless of what Rohan shared with Beibhinn and me back at the house, I got the feeling he didn’t give us all the details. He’s withholding something, and I don’t know what.

Rohan isn’t one to back down, so if he’s staying away from Saoirse, you can bet he has a valid reason. Do I think he’ll stay away? No, I don’t. But I’m hoping whatever he’s plotting allows me enough time to remind her I was who she wanted once upon a time.

“Exactly. Time’s ticking, Bev.” I square my shoulders, stretch my backbone to full length, and allow my feet to carry me to the front door.

“Wait,” Beibhinn calls out, halting my footsteps. “What are you doing?”

My father’s words echo through my mind, the command loud and fucking clear. Drawing my determined gaze over my shoulder, my eyes latch onto Beibhinn’s curious stare.

“I’m going to show her why a Devereux is the better option.”

FIFTEEN

SAOIRSE

My thoughts hold my mind captive as I wander towards the shoreline with my head tilted towards the sun. After everything my mother shared—the horrid glimpses of her past and how she ran to keep me protected—my heart struggles to maintain a steady beat.

I want to hate her for so many reasons, but that’s a tall order when all she’s ever done was keep me hidden from the monsters of her past. What she lived through should have broken her, but it hadn’t. No matter how I twist it, I can’t deny she was always there for me, even when I thought she wasn’t.

My mind is a minefield, and with every step I take, a new wave of anxiety washes through me. Do I really believe I’m strong enough to go back and face my mother’s past in hopes of re-writing my future? Can I overcome every obstacle the syndicate throws at me when I don’t have the years of training my peers received? My gut trembles at the thought, and fear skirts up my oesophagus until it lodges in the base of my throat, blocking my airway.

Sealing my eyes shut, I force myself to gulp a soothing breath while replaying the words that have become my mantra until they finally sink in and calm my racing pulse. Never feed your fears. Never feed your fears. Never feed your fears.

I’m lost in my meditative state when a hand lands on my shoulders, scaring the life out of me. My hand flies to my chest as a familiar chuckle flitters through the breeze.

Spinning on my heels, I twist to face the silent ninja who made me jump out of my skin. “Jesus, Liam. You almost gave me a heart attack.”

His steel-grey eyes crinkle with amusement as a slow and lazy smile tugs at the edges of his mouth. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I was calling you. You didn’t hear me?”

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