Page 113 of Deliver Us From Evil

I don’t know why I bother because his actions have proved he only cares for one thing—power. He worked his way through everyone, using and abusing them, and once he was done with them, he discarded them like nothing but garbage.

Annette was an easy target. She’s lost her entire lineage, thanks to me. Sean no doubt offered her the world. She allowed her revenge to blind her to who Sean really is.

As I sit here, tied to a chair, I can’t help but think that this has come full circle. No matter how hard we fought, it was always going to come down to this—father versus son. I hoped I would be the victor, but it seems I was mistaken.

Tugging at the ropes at my wrists, I feel they won’t budge. We’re at the factory, not the most discreet of locations, which gives me hope that maybe a miracle can still happen. I need to stall him and hope and pray Cami and Cian will find me in time.

“Why didn’t you just kill me when you had the chance? There were multiple times you could. I can’t get my head around it. Why go to all this trouble? You just wanted to fuck with me, is that it?”

Sean continues smoking, but something is different, something I didn’t see coming. “I knew I’d lost,” he reveals calmly. “So, I learned from you. I can see why everyone risks their life for you. Yer a leader. Yer hope.”

A laugh bursts free. “Are you fucking serious? The time for bondin’ has come and gone. Please kill me as I would rather die than listen to this nonsense.”

“I was tryin’ to save yer life,” Sean states, continuing like he gives a fuck. “Annette had men comin’. I did it for your own good.”

“My own good? Is that why I’m tied up? For my own good?”

I don’t know what game he’s playing, but I want out. And apparently, so does he.

“I needed to explain. That’s why I brought ya here. I want to make a deal. Spare my life. Y’ll never see me again. I can’t beat you; I see that now. I always wanted to rule with ya, son. I’ve not made that a secret.”

“Bullshit! This is another one of yer mind games.”

“No, it’s not. I thought I wanted this, and I did. But with you alive, I can’t win. I don’t want to win.”

I don’t want to believe him, but he’s had ample opportunity to kill me or have me killed, yet here I am, still breathing. “You couldn’t do it,” I state, shaking my head in disgust. “When it got too hard, you realized it wasn’t worth the hassle.

“Do you know how many people have died because of you! And now, suddenly, y’ve had a change of heart? No, I don’t accept it. You wanted this, so take it. I fucking dare you. Kill me and take what so many have died for!”

This makes no sense.

Sean has Alek in his corner with Annette dead. This is what he wanted. So why isn’t he gloating in victory?

“I can’t kill you, Puck. Don’tcha see that? If I wanted ye dead, ye’d have been dead years ago. I thought ye’d eventually concede, but ya never did. Yer so fucking stubborn and I am so tired of fightin’. I protected you against Connor because I really do love you.”

“Shut up,” I snarl, shaking my head angrily.

I refuse to accept his words because they can’t be true. But are they? Is that why he was reading over journals from the past? Is that why I’m still alive?

“With you alive, I can never be a leader. But the thing is, I can’t kill you. So, what do I do? Everythin’ I’ve done was because I hoped we’d rule together. Think about it, Puck. I know I’ve not given you reason to trust me, but you know I speak the truth.

“All of this was because I wanted you by my side.”

“Is that why my son is dead?” I challenge.

“I want you to really think about this for a minute. Every single person involved made a choice—yer ma, Connor, Ethan, Cami, Rory, everyone. I never forced anyone to do anythin’ they didn’t want to do.”

“What about my choice?” I scream, angered he is still trying to make me believe he gives a fuck about me. But the more he speaks, the harder it is to deny the truth.

Ishouldbe dead. And the fact I’m not isn’t because of luck. Sean has stuck to his claim of wanting to rule with me since I confronted him in this very factory.Iwas the one who refused. There once was a time I trusted him with my life.

He was the person I went to when Connor couldn’t control his temper.

“You have every right to hate me. I killed yer ma and made ya watch. I am a monster.”

I wait for something more, but there isn’t anything else.

Sean has lied to me about many things, but he’s never lied about wanting to rule alongside me. He’s made that very clear. Has he kept me alive, hoping I would have a change of heart?

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