Page 147 of Shattered Veil

“For you? Aye.”

After a moment, I take a breath and speak, “A dead man can’t atone. A dead man can’t make up to me the hole I’d have in my life if he breathes his last breath and takes all his sins with him. I’ll hate him forever, and I don’t want that hate in my heart, Balor.”

He lays sympathetic eyes on me. “I know, my love.”

“I love you, too,” Wes mumbles, his voice choked with blood.

“You’re dying in five minutes.” Lachlan kicks him in the head, drawing more sickening moans. “Shut the fuck up.”

What are they waiting for?

“Dad...” I call him in a shaky voice. “This is an impossible choice for me. Tell me, tell me you love me.”

“Of course, I love you, Estella. Everything I did, I did for you.”

“He’s broke,” Eoghan chimes in. “But there is a small account for you, Ella.”

“Please. Let my father live,” I say with a shaky breath.

Balor kisses my forehead. “Then he lives.”

“Thank you.” I know the massive sacrifice I’m asking, and it speaks volumes to how much this man loves me.

Straightening, Balor turns to my father. “You were told the rules in your car on the way here, but I’m going to repeat them, Snow, for your daughter’s sake. You’re going away for six months to deal with your gambling addiction. When you get out, someone will shadow everything you do for the rest of your life. You will be injected with a tracker. You will be stripped of your identity and given a new one by me, for your protection. I will control everything you do. You are not to leave the city without permission. You will have access to your grandchildren,my children, but visits will be supervised. You never have to work another day of your life. I will pay for your apartment, and you will get an allowance. I will have eyes on you 24/7, Snow. That’s the price you pay for your life. It buys you time to make up your sins to the woman who will be my wife.”

Dad goes ashen at Balor’s demands. A man who lived like a millionaire is being reduced to a groveling peasant.

“There is one more price I’ll exact for next one million breaths,” Balor scoffs a wry laugh. “After this, we’re going straight to the command center, and youarehanding over the keycode.”

Dad visibly swallows harshly. “I...”

“Keycode?” I ask.

“His viruses, like the one he infected the world with three damn days before Christmas are locked in his private server. A vault with all his sins.” Balor looks at my father. “You’re handing it over to me, Corvin.”

Making Baloraka Maverickthe most powerful hacker in the world. I trust Balor would never in a million years hurt innocent people.

Dad’s composure crumples a little more with every passing second. But he brought this on himself.

“Give us the passcode and your six months will be in a cushy rehab center in sunny Malibu,” Balor continues. “Or a torture camp in Ireland. Your choice.”

“I’m headed to Ireland soon,” Lachlan says. “I’d love to continue our...chat.”

Dad just heaves.

“And in case you think you can get around my restrictions.” Balor takes a gun from Lachlan that looks plastic and moves to my father’s side. “There’s one piece of insurance I need from you.”

Lachlan smiles, unlocking the chains on Dad’s wrists. He smooths them like a prima donna, but when his gaze fixes on the ravaged stateI’min, he drops his hands.

I’m draped only in a blanket over my bra and panty, gauze and tape crisscrossing the wounds all over my body. Darragh says they will hold until he brings me to his hospital for proper treatment and skin grafts.

“What? What is my final payment, Mr. O’Rourke?” Dad’s tone ticks up with anger now.

To my shock and horror, Balor shoves the gun at my dad.

Clicks go off around the basement, echoing against the musty cement walls. Everyone points their gun at Dad. Except Darragh, who keeps tending to my wounds like nothing else is happening. And not Lachlan, who has his phone out.

“Call me Spielberg,” the enforcer says, smiling widely, recording my father.

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