Page 74 of Witch's Promise

The line went dead before Sean could respond. He stood there for a long moment, staring at the phone in his hand as if it might offer some solution to this nightmare.

"Fuck!" Sean shouted, slamming his fist into the nearest wall. Pain bloomed across his knuckles, but he welcomed it. It was better than the crushing weight of guilt and fear threatening to overwhelm him.

As he turned to head back to the meeting room, to figure out how the hell he was going to explain this to Gabe and the others,Sean froze. Standing at the end of the hallway, eyes wide with shock and fear, were Jessy and Finn.

"Shit," Sean muttered, his stomach dropping. How much had they heard?

Jessy's face had gone pale, the tray of food she'd been carrying now scattered across the floor. "What... what's going on?" she asked, her voice small and trembling. "Why does that man want me?"

Sean crossed the distance between them in three long strides, pulling Jessy into a fierce hug before he could think better of it. "It's okay," he murmured, even though they both knew it was a lie. "You're not going anywhere. I'll fix this, I swear."

Jessy pulled back, her eyes searching Sean's face. "But your father... I can't let someone die because of me. I should-"

"No," Sean cut her off, his tone brooking no argument. "This isn't your fault, Jessy. None of this is. You're staying here with the Reeds where it's safe. I'll handle Riley."

Finn, who had been watching the exchange with growing alarm, finally spoke up. "Sean, you can't seriously be thinking of going alone. We need to tell Gabe, get the team involved. This is exactly the kind of situation they're trained for."

Sean shook his head, guilt and determination warring in his chest. "There's no time. If I don't show up in an hour, my father's dead. I can't risk that. And I sure as hell can't risk Jessy."

"So what, you're just going to walk into an obvious trap?" Finn demanded, frustration coloring his tone. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I've patched up Marcus after some truly spectacular fuck-ups."

Sean managed a grim smile. "Yeah, well, I've got a talent for dumb decisions. Look, just... promise me you won't tell Gabe. Not until I'm gone. Tell him I had an emergency or something."

Finn's expression darkened. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you do this. Gabe would never forgive me if something happened to you."

The mention of Gabe sent a pang through Sean's chest. God, what would Gabe think when he found out? Would he hate Sean for running off half-cocked? For putting himself in danger? Or worse, would he blame himself for not seeing this coming?

Sean pushed the thoughts aside. He couldn't afford to get distracted now. "I don't have a choice, Finn. My father, for all his faults, is the only family I've got left. I can't let him die. Not when I have a chance to save him."

He turned back to Jessy, who was watching the exchange with wide, frightened eyes. "Stay here, okay? The Reeds will keep you safe. I promise."

Before either of them could argue further, Sean was moving. He headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. His mind raced, formulating and discarding plans as quickly as they came. He had no illusions about his chances against Riley and whatever force he'd mustered. But he'd be damned if he went down without a fight.

As Sean burst out of the house and into the cool night air, he allowed himself one moment of weakness. He thought of Gabe, of the future they might have had if things were different. Of lazy Sunday mornings and shared laughter and a love strong enough to weather any storm.

"I'm sorry," Sean whispered to the night, hoping somehow Gabe would understand. "I love you. Always have, always will."

Chapter 22

Sean

His motorcycle roared to a stop at the edge of a desolate stretch of land, the address Riley had sent burning a hole in his pocket. The place looked like it had been forgotten by time itself – overgrown weeds, crumbling fences, and in the center of it all, a single wooden house that had seen better days. It stood there like some twisted parody of a homestead, all peeling paint and sagging shutters.

"Fuck me," Sean muttered, killing the engine. "Could this be any more cliché?"

He dismounted, eyes scanning the perimeter for any sign of a trap. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, which only set Sean's nerves more on edge. Riley wasn't the type to leave things to chance. This quiet, this apparent normalcy – it had to be a setup.

As Sean approached the house, he noticed something odd. The whole place was bathed in an unnaturally bright light, as if someone had cranked up the sun's intensity. But despite the abundance of illumination, there wasn't a single shadow to be seen. No dark patches under the bushes, no silhouettes cast by the decrepit fence posts. Nothing.

"Clever bastard," Sean growled, realization dawning. Riley had neutralized his shadow manipulation abilities before he'd even stepped foot on the property.

With a deep breath, Sean pushed the door open and stepped into the lion's den.

The interior of the house was a stark contrast to its dilapidated exterior. Everything was neat, orderly, almost painfully normal. A fire crackled merrily in the hearth, casting warm light across well-polished furniture. Family photos lined the mantel, smiling faces frozen in moments of apparent domestic bliss.

It was all so goddamn wholesome that it made Sean's skin crawl.

"What the fuck are you playing at, Riley?" Sean muttered, his eyes darting from corner to corner, searching for any sign of a trap or hidden assailant.

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