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“CIARA!”
Liam’s eyes flew up, and Ciara’s grip on his shirt loosened. A certain dark-haired man came running to them. Ciara’s fingers let go of Liam’s shirt, and she flung herself into Theo’s arms.
Something tightened around Liam’s heart, and for a second his hand clenched into a fist. But he wasn’t angry. Not with Ciara. She needed all the comfort she could get—and perhaps she didn’t want it from Liam.
Theo’s eyes were wild, moving between the woman in his arms, the blood on the snow, and Liam. “Are you okay?” His question was for Ciara, but his eyes flew back to Liam.
Liam nodded, confirming Ciara was okay—at least in some sense. Theo was worried about the blood, and it wasn’t Ciara’s.
It was Josh’s.
“J-Josh.” Ciara’s voice shuddered, the word coming out with a gasp.
The name was enough for it all to dawn on Theo. His eyes grew round, his muscles freezing. For a moment, he remained unmoving and out of it. Like he wasn’t present.
Liam was about to step in when Theo’s eyes moved back to Ciara, whom he was still somewhat hugging. His fingers moved restlessly, and little by little he gripped onto Ciara tighter, bringing her closer to his chest. His jaw clenched, and his eyes seemed remote. He was there—at least enough to acknowledge Ciara was there.
Josh and Theo had been colleagues once, too. Even Liam had known Josh, but they had never been that close. They hadn’t known each other that long.
Still, a frosty feeling rushed through Liam when he thought about the way Josh had bled out. How his corpse was still there. Liam’s stomach twisted.
Josh had been a great guy. Someone who wouldn’t have deserved to go in such a way. In any way.
“H-how?” Theo’s voice broke, and it snapped Liam back to reality. He had never seen the guy show any emotion with anyone except Ciara. This was a new side of Theo—for Liam, that is.
“It was a trap.” Liam knew Ciara would answer, so he beat her to it. “Theresa’s trap.” His eyes moved to the house, and anger filled his chest. That bitch had done more than enough, and Liam was dying for her to pay for all of it.
Something changed in Theo’s eyes. They remained remote, but the emotion turned colder. And for a moment, he looked like the killer again. The killer Liam had thought him to be.
“She’s going to—” Theo let go of Ciara and spun around.
Liam saw it coming and jumped in Theo’s way—between him and the house. “No.” His eyes flickered between Theo and Ciara.
Ciara’s eyes widened, registering what Theo was planning.
“We need to deal with this the right way.” Liam focused his gaze on Theo, so the guy wouldn’t slip past him.
“Tell me you don’t want that bitch dead!” Theo screamed at Liam, pointing at the cabin.
“I can’t tell you that.” Liam wanted Theresa dead as much as Theo, perhaps even as much as Ciara. But they couldn’t go around killing people like the witch hunters. He wouldn’t let Theo do it. The guy was already a criminal, and Liam wouldn’t let Theo pull Ciara deeper into his bullshit.
“Then move!” Theo pushed at Liam, eyes narrowed, but it did next to nothing. Liam had expected it.
“Stop, Theo!” Liam raised his voice too, knowing he needed to get the guy’s attention. “She’ll get what she deserves, trust me. But we’re not killing her. Not like she killed Josh.”
“I’m kill—”
“The fuck you are!” Liam was done with Theo—and even more so with his bullshit. “I get you did bad things to protect Ciara, but this isn’t for Ciara. This isn’t for anyone. Not even Josh! Revenge isn’t right, so back off before you do something you regret.”
Theo’s eyes grew wider, the words sinking in.
“You’re already a criminal. Don’t make this worse for all of us.” Liam pointed a finger at Theo and glanced at Ciara, but he couldn’t read her face. It was like she was wearing a mask again. She did it when things got bad.
“We need to call Brody.” Ciara’s voice came out hoarse, yet strong enough to gain both of the guys’ attention.
“We can’t let him know about Theo.”
Theo spun around, turning to look back at Liam again. “Excuse me?”
“Josh understood. We were lucky he did. But let’s be real, he’s more understanding. And I bet he was closer to both of you. Brody might not listen, even if we try to explain everything.” Liam looked between Theo and Ciara, hoping they would see his point. “So do you, honestly, want to go to jail?” Liam stopped to look at Theo when he finished his question.
Theo didn’t answer, but it was enough for Liam to continue.
“Brody will start to wonder if he even sees Ciara here. He might know you’ve vanished from England.” Liam let his eyes linger on Ciara, heartbroken by how good she was at turning on the mask-like stare. The stony stare.
As if she didn’t care, when in reality she was dying inside. It broke Liam’s heart to see her so strong for everyone else.
Ciara nodded. “That’s true.”
“We need your mum to help us.” Liam turned back to Theo. “We have to say she came home, and Theresa was there waiting. Josh was dead. Does your mum know Josh?”
“Not well, but she would know who Josh is. She’d recognise him. She’d know he’s my old colleague.” Theo cleared his throat, eyes watering. “Or was.”
“Do you think she can call Brody or someone? Anyone from your work? Could she have their numbers?”
“I think she has Brody’s number.”
“Good.”
––––––––
“YOU NEED TO CALL HIM and say Theresa was there and killed Josh,” Theo explained to his mother.
“He’s really dead?” Theo’s mother Estella looked around the room, scanning the three younger adults’ faces. She stiffened each time she looked at Ciara, who still wore her mask—the stony façade.
“Yes.” Ciara’s voice hadn’t returned its strength, but she wasn’t the wreck she had been a moment before. She was calm and collected—unlike the woman Estella knew her as.
“And what about t-that woman?” Estella’s eyes moved to the door, which was the only thing between them and Theresa.
Liam stood near the door, knowing Theo would take any chance at revenge.
“What about Theresa?” Theo joined in, turning his gaze to Liam.
It wasn’t Liam who spoke; it was Ciara. “Even trapped, it’s too dangerous to bring her there. We’ll figure something out later.”
Estella’s eyebrows furrowed, but she nodded.
“You need to make sure Brody takes you to a safe house.” Theo turned his full attention back to his mother, still kneeling in front of the sofa where Estella was sitting. “Insist on it being Brody. Don’t trust anyone else.”
Estella exhaled. “So only Brody?”
Theo nodded. “Yes, and insist on it. He’ll know he needs to do it if you insist.”
Liam frowned and turned to Ciara for answers, but for once Ciara looked as clueless as him. Did Brody and Theo have a pact or something?
“And remember not to mention any of us.” Theo glanced around, his eyes lingering on Ciara before he turned to look at his mother again. “You never saw us. Especially not me.”
“Theo.” Estella’s eyes filled with tears, looking at her own son with heartbreak.
Liam wondered how his own mother was, not knowing what was going on. Liam had vanished after he had left the house to go talk with Ciara. His family had to be worried, and he didn’t even know if they were safe. Kellan was supposed to take care of them, but Liam couldn’t know for sure.
If the witch hunters had his family...
No. He couldn’t think like that. He needed to prioritise more urgent matters.
They finished briefing Estella, and afterwards Ciara insisted on taking Estella to the house.
Liam shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
Ciara’s eyes snapped to him, narrowing a little. “I’m going.”
“You can go with them.” The message behind Theo’s words didn’t go unnoticed by Liam.
“So you could kill Theresa? No.”
Estella’s eyes widened at Liam’s words, but she didn’t voice her worries. “I can go on my own.”
Liam nodded. Ciara and Theo seemed to hesitate, so he talked first. “I think that’d be for the best. I’d advise you not to go upstairs, though. You don’t want to see it.”
Estella shuddered but nodded. For such a gentle and caring soul, the woman was tough. Liam had to give her points for that.
“Okay. I don’t think—”
“I’ll be fine.” Estella placed a hand on her son’s forearm. “Don’t worry about me. You have enough to worry as it is.”
Theo sighed and pulled his mother into a tight hug. “Don’t go...there. Upstairs. And remember to insist on Brody. Don’t forget that, no matter what. If something goes wrong, get away. Come here or something. Anything.”
The witch hunters were still a threat to Estella. They could only pray their plan worked, and Estella got to safety before it was too late.
“It’s time to go. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets,” Ciara said reluctantly—as though she didn’t want to part ways with Estella.
But she was right. The witch hunters could go looking for Estella. The sooner Estella got to safety, the better.
Estella finished her goodbyes with her son and then hugged Ciara. She thanked Liam, looked at Ciara and Theo one last time, and took her wand. Flicking it, she disappeared.
Theo exhaled shakily and ran his hands through his hair.
“She’ll be fine.” Liam’s words didn’t do anything—and he knew it—but it was the best he could offer.
“I can’t believe Josh is gone,” Theo breathed out.
Liam struggled to wrap his head around the fact that the killer in the room could be so upset about death. Rationally, it made sense. But Liam had seen Theo kill Doherty—the man who had trusted Theo. Theo had even tried to murder Liam. Sorrow for another’s death didn’t change any of that. Theo was still a cold-blooded killer.
A killer that Ciara loved.
“I’ll go see our guest.” It was Liam’s way of excusing himself. He wanted to get away from the pair.
He and Ciara had broken up, but he still loved her. It was his fault; he had messed up. She had every right to be angry with him and he half-expected her to be. But he hated the thought of her rushing into Theo’s arms.
Yet that was exactly what had happened earlier that day. She had chosen Theo to be the one to comfort her.