Page 98 of Bound By Darkness

Bridget nods, but I can see the worry still written all over her face.She doesn’t press me further, just watches as I crouch down next to Saoirse, who’s sitting on the floor, stacking her wooden blocks with the kind of focus only a toddler can manage.

I brush a hand over her curls, watching as she sets one block carefully on top of another."You be good for your mammy while Dada is gone."

She nods solemnly, then looks up at me with big, curious eyes."Where go?"

I tap her nose lightly."I’m going to bring Aunt Evie home,a stór.”

"Auntie E home," she repeats, like she’s reminding me of my own task.

I chuckle, pressing a kiss to her forehead."That’s the plan, love."

She thinks about this for a moment, then holds up a block."Take?"

A small smile tugs at my lips as I take it from her tiny hand."For luck?"

She nods, very serious."No lose it."

"I won’t," I promise, tucking it into my pocket.

Satisfied, she goes back to her blocks, stacking them with a determined little hum.

Bridget steps closer as I stand, smoothing a hand over the front of my jacket like she’s fixing something, but really, it’s just an excuse to touch me before I go.

“Come home in one piece,” she murmurs, voice softer now.

"That the best you’ve got?"I ask a hint of amusement in my voice.

She huffs, shaking her head, but there’s warmth in her eyes.“Don’t make me say it, Ri.”

I exhale a quiet chuckle, brushing my knuckles softly on her cheek."Wouldn’t dream of it."

Her lips twitch, but she doesn’t argue.Instead, she squeezes my arm, fingers lingering just long enough to say what she won’t.

“Always,” I murmur and press a kiss to her cheek, then turn for the door.

I have a long ride ahead before I reach Dublin, plenty of time to figure out my next move.How to handle Aoife and what to say to make her listen.She’s always been stubborn, always pushed back any time she felt cornered.There’s no avoiding the real issue—she’s not going to back down on working in the Syndicate.

The thought alone makes my grip tighten on the wheel.It’s not only about keeping her safe, though that’s a part of it.However, my sister is a capable young woman.She can shoot with the best of them, and I’ve seen her sparring skills.She’d give anyone a fight, but she shouldn’t have to.

The things I’ve seen and had to do—I don’t want that life for her.I never have.I want to keep her kind and loving.The world I live in is dark.The last thing I want is for it to twist her into something she was never meant to be.

But I can’t tell her any of that.She’ll shut down.If I refuse to give her a place in the Syndicate, she’ll dig her heels in to spite me.And if I try to dance around the subject, she’ll know I’m lying.

I need to be careful and play this right.Because getting her home is only half the battle.The real fight will be making sure she stays.

By the time I reach Dublin, I have a plan I think we can both live with.A compromise.Something that gives her just enough of what she wants without putting her in the kind of danger she doesn’t fully understand.

I pause outside the pub, looking through the window to assess the situation.As head of the Syndicate, I know better than to walk in blind, especially here, in O’Sullivan’s territory.I didn’t bring guards with me.A deliberate choice.If I want Aoife to trust me, I can’t treat this like a battlefield.

Still, that doesn’t mean I’m careless.I scan the nearly empty space, noting the exits.A handful of patrons scattered around.A couple of men sit hunched over their drinks near the bar.They appear lost in their own conversations.Nothing immediately sets off alarms, but I keep my guard up as my eyes land on Aoife.

She’s already here, sitting at a small table tucked in the back corner.Her fingers lightly trace the rim of her glass.She looks lost in thought, but there’s tension in the set of her shoulders, in the way her foot taps absently against the floor.In the quick, darting glances she keeps throwing toward the door like she’s waiting for something.Or bracing for it.

After taking a measured breath, I step inside.

My footsteps are heavy as I walk across the wooden floor."Aoife."

She looks up."Ruairi."

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