“Aisling, do you know that my brother is here?” I probe delicately.
“Of course. Master Kian wanted to make sure I was aware. So that I can steer clear of the basement. He knows the trauma of what I went through with Drago. He wouldn’t ask me to go near him.”
I look down, realizing that nothing is simple. Nothing is uncomplicated.
“You were right before,” I mumble to Aisling. “There are no heroes or villains. Just people who make choices.”
She nods. “Which is why I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
I smile sadly. “And I appreciate that,” I say. “I should have done the same for you.”
She gives me a small nod. It’s a tiny gesture, but it makes me feel slightly better. “I should go,” Aisling tells me. “Do you need anything?”
“What I want, you can’t give me,” I say, looking at my cuffs.
She gives me a regretful look. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
I will not put this on Aisling. I will not make my problem hers. Her loyalty is with Kian, and in her case, I think it’s justified.
But I’m not Aisling. And Kian is not my savior, no matter what he says. I can’t rely on him to protect me. I can’t rely on any man.
As Aisling disappears up the stairs, I eat my sandwich and try to think about my next move. If I’m sitting around waiting for my freedom to be given to me, then maybe I don’t deserve it.
Everything is so fucking tangled. Including my history, my parentage, my relationship with my brother. A part of me hates him. But I still feel a sick sense of obligation towards him. I don’t know why. I hate that I do. I just can’t escape the feeling that we have unfinished business, the two of us.
Of all the people that left me over the years, he never did. There’s a reason for that, and it sure as hell isn’t brotherly love.
And I’m going to find out what that reason is.
Then, after I get the answers I need, I’ll make sure he atones for his sins. I’ll make sure that Aisling’s suffering is avenged. I’ll make sure the world is made right.
But before I can do any of that—first, I need to get free.