That had me pouting. “His guards keep stopping me.”
“They must be damn good if they can get the drop on you.”
I tried very hard not to preen at that. “I’m outnumbered.” His flattery wasn’t just verbal. It was in his eyes. The sight had me sucking in a breath and whispering, “Conor?”
“Yes?”
“You’re here.”
“You’re here too.”
Swallowing, I pressed my hand to his shoulder so I could prod him. “Are you sure you’re not a Brother?”
“Do you remember what I told you?”
“You told me a lot.”
He hummed. “I told you I’m all in, Star. I didn’t say that lightly.”
“I ghosted you.”
“You helped murder my father.”
I bit my lip. “I got you involved in a conspiracy.”
“Plural.”
“Plural,” I admitted, wincing.
“You left me. You said that I’d leave you.” He slowly shook his head. “I didn’t go anywhere, Star.Youdid.”
My throat felt thick so it made it difficult to croak, “I needed to draw Dagda into the open. And it helped that the First Lady was a traitorous cunt.” My chin tipped up as, suddenly, it was easy to get the next admission out. “Your da used you, Conor. You were a tool to him. You deserved to be free of him.”
A single muscle flicked in his cheek. “By that logic, you should kill my brothers too.”
“No! It wasn’t like that.”
He shrugged. “Each of us serves a purpose in my family. Love binds us together, but we’re generals for an army we never chose to enlist in. We’re all doing shit we don’t want to do, Star.”
The lack of anger in his voice surprised me. As did his: “You didn’t kill Dagda.”
“No,” I said with a grimace.I’d missed his heart.
Dead To Me had been ribbing me about that ever since.
Well, before I’d gotten my ass imprisoned, that is.
“Youdidget the First Lady though. Via him, of course.”
“I don’t regret it.”
“No, and I think that includes Da’s death too.” His nostrils flared. “You knew I loved him.”
I closed my eyes. Nodded.
“You did it anyway.”
My head fell back against the wall as exhaustion plagued me. “Are you here for vengeance, Conor?”