Page 60 of Sins and Salvation

"Conor, do you remember Aunt Sarah's house? By the ocean?"

He nods, still crying but quieter now.

"That's where we're going."

Sarah isn't really his aunt, but my old roommate from nursing school. She lives in a small house on the coast, thirty miles from Dublin. If we can reach her, maybe we'll be safe for a while.

The SUV is still behind us, but farther back now. I take every turn I can, trying to lose them in the maze of country roads.

Finally, after twenty minutes of white-knuckle driving, they're gone from my rearview mirror. I slow down slightly, my hands cramping from gripping the wheel so tight.

"Are they gone?" Conor asks.

"I think so." I reach over to squeeze his hand. "You were so brave, sweetheart."

"I want Declan," he says, surprising me. "He'll keep us safe from the bad guys."

My heart breaks for him. "We'll find him soon. I promise."

But right now, Declan is probably walking into the trap at the docks, not knowing we've escaped. And I have no way to warn him.

CHAPTER15

DECLAN

"What do you mean she's gone?" I slam my fist on Cormac's desk, sending papers flying. Pain shoots through my injured shoulder, but I ignore it. "Where the fuck is she?"

Cormac's face is stone-cold, but I see the concern in his eyes. "She took one of my cars. The gate guard thought she was running an errand."

"She's gone to the docks." I check my watch. Thirty minutes until the deadline. "She's going after Conor herself."

"That's suicide."

"You think I don't know that?" I grab my gun and check the clip. "She watched her son get kidnapped. She blames me. Us. The whole fucking Donovan family."

"And she's right."

I stop and look at my brother. For once, he drops his mask, showing the guilt underneath.

"We need to move." I tuck the gun into my waistband. "Now."

Cormac nods. "My men are already in position around the shipyard. But if we storm in?—"

"They'll kill Conor and Maeve on sight." I pace the room, mind racing. "I need to go in first, alone, like they wanted. Create a distraction."

"That's exactly what Petrov wants."

"I don't give a fuck what Petrov wants. This is about my son. My woman."

Cormac looks at me for a long moment. "You love her that much? After all this time?"

"I never stopped."

He picks up his phone. "I'll tell the men to hold position until you're inside. Ten minutes, then we move in."

"Make it five." I check the bulletproof vest under my shirt. "I've got a feeling we're running out of time."

The ride to the docks is silent. Finn drives, his face grim in the rearview mirror. I load extra ammo into my pockets, ignoring the throbbing in my shoulder. The doctor wanted to give me painkillers. I refused. I need a clear head.

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