Page 119 of Dual
Mads was carrying this burden alone. These were her secrets. She’s been trying to protect me all along. And I didn’t notice the signs or press even when I did, too wrapped up in my own stupid happiness. Until now that I’ve lost it all.
“What game?” The question comes out rough, my control hanging by a thread.
Moira takes a deep breath. “They want something from me. Something I have to give them. And when I do, they’ll let Mads go.”
I shake my head, rage bubbling up again. “That’s not a fucking plan.” It’s a surrender. It’s giving these bastards what they want. It’s letting them win.
“It’s survival,” she says, voice flat. “And if I do it right, everyone—including Mads and you—comes out of this alive.”
My jaw clenches so tight it aches. “What do they want?”
She hesitates, and I see genuine fear in her eyes for the first time. “I have to break up with Bane.”
I blink, caught off guard. Of all the things I expected, this wasn’t it. Rage slams back into place almost immediately. “This is about Bane? They’re threatening my fiancée because of your goddamn husband? Who the fuck cares that much about a feckin’ priest? Is he in witness protection or something?”
Even as the words leave my mouth, I hate myself for them. For the venom in them. For being so accusational instead of trying to show my sister I care and I’m listening.
She exhales, slow and controlled, but I can see her hands trembling. “His father is Brad Blackwolf. That’s why Mads got scared for you. I think he hired the guy who still has Mads.”
The name Blackwolf rings faint bells. I vaguely remember Bane mentioning a wealthy father, but nothing that would suggest this level of power or danger.
“He’s not exactly thrilled about me as a partner for his son,” Moira continues. “He tried to pay me off to leave Bane a little while ago, but I didn’t take it. And now, if I don’t walk away from Bane, bodies are gonna start dropping.”
I stare at her, breathing heavily, my mind racing to catch up. Pieces click together, and a cold realization dawns. “Shit,” I mutter. “Mads didn’t tell you to come here, did she? She didn’t want you to tell me anything at all.”
Moira shakes her head. “No. She thinks we shouldhandle it ourselves. She thinks getting you involved will make things worse.”
A bitter laugh threatens to escape me. Of course, Mads wouldn’t want me involved. Of course, she’d try to handle this alone. There she goes again, always trying to protect me, even at her own expense. The thought makes my chest ache with a pain so deep it steals my breath.
“Well, she can fucking forget it. Because I’m getting involved.” My voice is a growl, low and lethal. “And if you think I’m sitting back while you try to handle this alone?—”
“Why the fuck do you think I’m here?” She cuts me off, her voice rising. “ Of course, you have to get involved. If this goes wrong, you’re the only one who’ll know what happened. You have to find Mads and tell Bane it’s his father if my leaving doesn’t call off the attack dogs. Do something to fix this clusterfuck. But let me try to fix it first.Please.”
I want to refuse and charge into battle, guns blazing. But another part—the strategist, the one who survived the horrors of my own childhood—recognizes the logic in her words. If I rush in, everyone I love could end up dead. Moira’s right. If there’s one person who can outgun my resources, it’s Brad Blackwolf. And then what happens to Mads?
“Why don’t you just tell Bane about his father?”
She swallows hard, looking down. Then she grabs the paper towel to scrub at her face. “Bane left that world behind for a reason. His father’s obviously a monster. And I—” She blinks hard, clearly fighting tears. “This is for thebest, anyway. We both know I wouldn’t be any good for him in the long run.”
My heart cracks at the self-loathing in her voice. I’ve never seen her like this. She’s never so… vulnerable with me. We don’t talk about real things like this. Before I cut her off, we only joked around at the club or if I was barking orders and rules at her. Somewhere in the last handful of years, she went and grew up, didn’t she?
I want to tell her she’s so wrong. That she deserves happiness. That Bane doesn’t deserveher. But I can’t find the words.
She reaches out, resting her fingers on my knee. “Please, Domhn,” she whispers. “I know I fucked up last year. I know I’ve disappointed you in every way a sister can. I brought the vilest piece of shit back into your and Mads’s lives, and even before that, I was too much—all the time—when all you deserved was a normal sister?—”
“Stop it, Moira.” The words snap out of me. I can’t bear to hear her talk about herself like this, and I can’t stand to think that I’ve made her believe these things. “I never needed normal. You’re my sister. I always knew you were capable of standing on your own two feet. I just needed you to see it, too.”
She blinks at me, stunned into silence. I wish I had more to give her. I wish I were the kind of man who could find the right words in the right moment to heal the rift between us. But all I have is this small truth: I’ve always believed in her. And I’ve always loved my sister, even when I couldn’t show it.
“I’m going to fix this,” she says, voice steadier now.
“Well, you should have a chance to any second because I texted Bane you were here.”
“What?!” She lurches to her feet, the chair screeching against the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me that when I got here?!”
I shrug, affecting a stoicism I don’t feel. Truth is, I’d forgotten in the chaos of learning about Mads. My mind’s been spinning, jumping from one crisis to the next. “I didn’t know what you’d have to say. And he’s been freaking out since you left. If you were running from him for a good reason, I figured it was best for me to be here when you reunited.”
She drags a hand down her face. “If I’m going to break up with him, I can’t do it here. I need it to be somewherethey’llsee. They’ve probably got us under surveillance back at the church parish house. I’ve got to do it there.” She stands up quickly and shoves a hand at me. “Let me borrow a car and some money.”
