Page 106 of Guilty as Sin

“What? Cora⁠—”

“Recruitment,” he repeats sternly. He’s done talking about my wife. “We need more men.”

I clamp my jaw shut and nod. I’m a good manager, which means I’m a good recruiter.

“Good.” Liam says it like he didn’t just upend my world with news about my wife. Cora, reaching out. Protecting us. Caring. He strides over and claps me on the shoulder. “Get your fucking shit together.”

When my brother leaves, I go about getting my fucking shit together. She cares. I’m in a daze as I drink another protein shake. I trim my stubble beard. I put on real clothes. She still cares.

It’s early evening when the guard calls me again from downstairs.

“Sorry, sir,” he says quickly. “She walked right past me, I didn’t want to restrain her, she’s on her way up.”

“Cora?” I breathe. Every muscle in my body trembles.

“Yes, sir. She⁠—”

The phone falls from my hand and clatters to the floor. A second later, the elevator dings softly, and I stumble over my feet in my rush toward it.

My heart drums in my throat as the doors slide open.

She’s here. She still cares.

She’s come home to reconcile.

Chapter 50

Brady

She is not here to make peace.

My wife is wearing a no-nonsense business dress, no-nonsense flat shoes, and her grimmest expression. Striding purposefully out of the elevator, she carries her laptop bag like a briefcase. She looks like a pissed-off lawyer.

“C-Cora,” I stammer. Like I’ve forgotten how to say her name. “How are you?”

She doesn’t respond. She just brushes past me toward the breakfast table.

In the center of the table, her Claddagh ring rests on a square of red fabric. I’d found the scraps she’d discarded when she’d cut up her long dress, and I’d taken a small piece for myself. I’ve been keeping her ring on it ever since she left. A bright red punishment in the middle of the room. Something to remind me of my fucking failure.

Cora acts like she doesn’t see it. She sets her laptop bag on the table and zips it open.

“We need to talk about our marriage,” she says brusquely, pulling out a legal folder. My heart goes cold.

“Okay,” I say numbly.

I’ll do whatever she asks. I’ll give her whatever she wants. Even if it’s a divorce. That would be the most difficult, most painful thing of all. But I’ll do it for her.

That doesn’t mean I won’t try to save us first.

“I’m sorry, Cora.” My voice cracks. “I shouldn’t have locked you up like that. It was wrong of me. I promised to keep you involved, and then I treated you like—” an animal.

I can’t bring myself to say it. I know it was wrong, just like I know it was wrong to try to have her brother killed. And I’ve hated myself for it. In both instances, I was keeping her safe—I won’t apologize for that—but I took away her choice when I locked her away. And that’s what was so fucking despicable.

Cora stares at me blankly. I gulp down my pride and force myself to continue.

“I treated you like you were less than human. I’ve been treating you like you’re less than me. But you’re better than me, Cora. You wanted to be my equal, but you’re my better. And if you—” I shake my head. “No matter what happens, I vow to treat you the way you deserve.”

My eyes feel hot. I’m afraid to blink.