Page 35 of Forbidden Bond

“We’re in a tight spot.”

“What does that mean? A tight—where is he, Daly?” If she got no answer to any other question, she wanted the answer to that one. “Tell me how he is, please.” God, she was already on the floor, but if he needed her to get on her knees and bow down to him, she would. “The pain, right here…” Pressing her hand to her heart, she struggled to breathe. “Daly, I need to know.”

“He’s in a bad way.”

Her mouth opened wide, relief couldn’t take root when terror still existed. “Tell me.”

“He can’t… None of us can…”

What was he trying to say? She couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe in anything more than short, desperate pants.

“Please. Daly, please tell me.” Moisture dropped from her lashes. “I can take it, whatever it is. Please I—”

“We failed.”

“Failed?” He’d spoken in present tense, hadn’t he? It couldn’t be that—if Conn was gone… Her tongue dried while she sought balance. “Daly, is he alive? Tell me straight.”

“I’m told.”

“You’re… told? What the fuck is—”

“No one’s seen him, he won’t see anyone.”

Shit. “Then how do you know he’s alive?”

“I’ve been told.”

Which was completely useless. “So you don’t know? No one’s seen him?”

“Not since… the night.”

“What happened?” That was a glimmer of hope. “The night I went missing, the night this started, what happened?”

He shrugged. “We’re not allowed to talk about it. Even to each other.”

“I’m not no one, Daly. I’m Cushla Machree! I’d drink acid before even thinking about hurting him.” On purpose anyway. “You can trust me. Please, I need him!”

“There’s a lot going on.”

A lot was going on before they went to the meet with her father. So many questions. She wanted to know about Whisper, Raze, the prison meet, Biz, Score—fuck, no, truth was none of that meant anything. Nothing meant anything without him.

“All I need to know is his location,” she said. “If I can go to him—”

“No,” a shot of panic joined the word, “under no circumstances.”

“Under no circumstances, what?”

“Are you to go to him.”

What? That seemed damn final.

“Are you telling me we’re through?” she asked. “No. Only I can stop this.”

Wasn’t that what Conn said? That only she had the ability to end their relationship. Even if they were over, she still wanted to know he was alive. Relationship or not, they were part of each other.

“I don’t fucking know. You think Ire talks to me about that shit?” Daly said, coming halfway up the stairs, holding out a pen. “I’m the grunt here for your signature.”

“On what?” Snatching the folder, it was possible the documents would give her an idea where her love’s head was at. “They’re blank.”

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