Page 107 of Reckless Promises

Guns and explosions ring out like music playing. But all I see is Odette’s lips parting with her exhale as her hand reaches to grip her stomach with the force of Joseph tossing her body to the ground.

He’s so focused on her that he doesn’t see me coming. I lift my gun and blow out one of his kneecaps before he can reach her again. But just before he falls to the ground, I reach him and grab him by the hair to force him to his knees instead.

“Cillian.” Tears stream Odette’s cheeks, and her eyes are puffy from crying.

“I’ve got you, Clover,” I reassure her.

“Don’t be an idiot,” Joseph sneers up at me as I push him against the car.

He’s gripping his busted knee and sweating through his screams, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me. One of his men tries to get to me, but Daniel’s quicker and intercepts.

Every last one of Joseph’s men will be dead by the time we leave, and as happy as that makes me, all I care about is one.

Joseph sits in front of me with his big eyes looking up. Blood gushes from between his fingers as he grips his knee and winces.

“You aren’t your father,” Joseph spits. “You should have never come back.”

Maybe not, but unfortunately for him, I did.

“You’re right, Joseph.” I squat down to face him, reaching behind me and grabbing the hunting knife holstered to my back. “My father was weak, offering up my sister to pay his debts. Bending to your will to get you money. Believing you wouldn’t turn on him.”

Spinning the knife around, I grip the handle and drive the blade into the meat of his thigh.

Joseph screams out as I twist the blade and it scrapes against his femur.

“I’m not him.” I pull out the blade, only to sink it into his other leg. “I don’t let people who betray me live to talk about it. And the people who hurt the ones I love suffer.”

He’s bleeding out of both legs, his knee, and his gut. But it’s not enough. I want to slice him open until that’s all he is—blood. A red river painting his driveway, and a reminder of what’s to come if anyone tries to take what’s mine.

“You’re a fool.” Jospeh’s eyes are rolling back as sweat beads down his forehead. “It didn’t have to be like this. We could have built an empire.”

“You took my wife.” I thrust the blade into his gut on the other side, making sure I miss anything vital because he deserves this to last as long as he can stand the bloodloss. “I’d rather hang your flesh from my front gate than go into business with you.”

Pulling out the knife, he’s gushing more blood. And I bring the point of it to the center of his throat because, even if I’d like for this to last forever, he’ll die soon from loss of blood, and if he’s going to go, it will be by my hand.

My revenge for my father.

For my sister.

For my wife.

For him forcing me to be a man I don’t want to be, even if I was born to be him—raised to be him.

I sink the blade in, deep enough to slice his vertebra. And it’s so quick; his eyes are wide and then empty in a split second. He’s here and then not. And I slump back, leaving the knife sticking out of his neck.

Odette grabs her stomach beside me, and everything snaps back into focus as she leans forward like she’s going to throw up.

Rushing to her side, I hold her hair back as she gags. Her entire body heaves, but nothing comes up. When she finally relaxes, I peel off my jacket and wrap it around her, pulling her into my arms.

“I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to see that.”

Even if she’s probably seen her fair share of death in her life, I don’t want her to have to witness it like that—at my hand.

She shakes her head, gripping my jacket so tight her knuckles pale. “It’s not that.”

Daniel stops beside me, and the gunfire is quieting. “Two-thirds clear.”

I nod. “I’ve got to get her out of here.”

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