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“Yes.”

I grind my teeth in frustration at the short-sightedness of Padraig’s long-term plan.

“Is it true?” I ask. “Is Brody Murtagh awake? Is he alive?”

Padraig hesitates for a moment.

“Where do your loyalties lie, Padraig?” I press directly. “Tell me now.”

He glances at me, and I can see the fear dart across his eyes. There’s conflict, too. His deepest nature is to cower back, but I can tell he’s trying to be stronger.

I’m hoping it’s for Saoirse’s sake. That’s the only way the man can ever hope to win my respect.

“My loyalties?” he repeats. “Wherever Saoirse’s best interests are, that’s where my loyalties lie, too.”

I sigh and regard him. “As answers go, that’s a pretty good one,” I say with an approving nod. “Lucky for you, I feel the same way.”

“You care about Saoirse?”

“It’s the reason I broke her out of that holding cell,” I say. “I don’t intend on letting the motherfucker she married come anywhere near her again. And if you want the same thing, you’ll help me.”

His eyes go wide as he nods slowly. “I… I don’t know much,” he says. “But I do know that Brody Murtagh is alive. He was in a coma for a long time.”

“Not anymore.”

“Apparently not. Tristan told me about it. The doctors were astounded. They thought he’d be little more than a vegetable.”

“I’m guessing he wasn’t.”

“Not quite. They said his memories came back slowly. He learned to walk and talk again.”

The way he speaks gives me pause. His voice has instinctively fallen into a hush, almost like he’s scared of being overheard.

“What else?” I ask, sensing there’s more.

Padraig looks at me fearfully. “At the time I didn’t think much of it,” he admits. “I never thought we’d be on the other side.”

“Other side of what?”

“This conflict between your family and… them,” Padraig says softly. “Tristan used to refer to Brody Murtagh as Brian’s secret weapon.”

I frown. “What does that mean?”

“The boy—well, I suppose he’s a man now,” Padraig corrects himself. “The process of rehabilitation affected him. He’s twisted. Prone to violence. Filled with vengeance. Brian Murtagh was able to mold him into a killer. Someone cold and ruthless, consumed only with power.”

It seems that Brody Murtagh really has risen from the dead.

Unfortunately for him…

So have I.

“Cillian,” Padraig says uncertainly, “the Kinahans are strong.”

“I’m aware,” I rumble. “But I’m stronger.”

“You haven’t been here for a long time.”

“You can take the man out of the country. But you can’t take the country out of the man. Or fuck, I dunno, something like that. I can handle this.”


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