Page 12 of Deceived Wrath

I force a smile, despite the lead weight that has settled on my chest. "Thanks for letting them in. I'll drop off some gingerbread cookies for you in the morning for Mary."

"You don't have to do that." But the way his eyes wrinkle at the edges lets me know he very much wants the cookies.

I pat Waylan on the arm. "Of course, I do. Everyone deserves freshly baked goods. And make sure there are actually some left for your wife this time."

"Yeah, yeah..." He winks.

I shoot him a wave before stepping into the elevator.

The moment the doors slide shut, the smile drops from my face, and I lean against the railing, clutching a hand to my throat.

I have a horrible feeling I know who will be waiting for me.

Yet, even when the doors open and I lock eyes with him, my stomach still bottoms out.

Lorcan Sullivan.

The last time I saw him, my sister was still alive. That realization hits me like a punch to the gut.

It's because of his family that she's gone, and that I will never get the chance to repair our relationship.

"What do you want?"

Lorcan pushes off the wall and re-buttons his navy suit jacket that likely costs more than my rent. "Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

If I wasn't so terrified, I would laugh in his face.

Old friends? Is he kidding me?

"We're not friends."

Lorcan's dark eyes narrow to slits as he takes a step forward, though his thin lips twitch when I automatically take a step back.

I wish my fear wasn't so obvious, but I've never had much of a poker face.

"You should be careful. My friends get a lot more leeway than those who choose to work against me."

"I wantnothingto do with you."

"It's a bit too late for that, considering you have a debt that you still need to pay."

Shit.

"It's not my debt," I mutter, though I know it will make no difference.

To Lorcan, a debt is a debt.

"Do I need to remind you of the promise you made?" His voice is low as he takes another step toward me.

I suck in a breath and try not to choke on the smell of his musky cologne.

"The promise is void?—"

"You're not clever enough to try and bargain your way out of this. You made a promise in exchange for your sister's life, and you would do well to learn to honor your promises."

"My sister is dead."

"That's not my problem."