Page 121 of Ruthless Dream

He pats my cheek, trying to reassure me. “I’m all right. I’m all right.”

“Best get going, Cormac,” Da says. I grit my teeth. He’s really going to antagonize Uncle Cormac right this second?

Cormac’s entire body tightens, the rage rolling off him. He mutters a curse in Irish and stalks off toward the plane.

I watch him walk away, knowing the truth. My uncle isn’t one to admit defeat, but he knows when it’s time to walk away.

I round on Da. “How the fuck could you do this?”

“Do what? Convince the Russians not to shove a bomb up your arse?”

“You couldn’t fucking stand it, could you? The idea that your son is better than you.”

Da’s eyes search me. “That’s all a father wants, Ciaran.”

I scoff. “Shame you’ve never been my fucking father, then.”

Da nods, chewing on his bottom lip as he stares down at his shoe. His hands are tucked into his pockets, once again at ease. My anger means nothing to him because I mean nothing to him.

“I’m not done here.” Adeline is here. My heart is. . . I suck in a deep gasp.

Da shoots me a pitying look. “Go home, son. Build your life there.”

I spit on the ground. “Fuck you.”

A soldier throws my bag to me. Everything at my flat, my computers—it's all gone. Just one more way to turn the knife in my back.

I turn, leaving my father. Jesus, how stupid was I? I came here to prove myself to a man who isn’t afraid to kick a dog when he’s down.

“Ciaran.”

I pause at the end of the stairs leading up to the plane.

“You understand the Russians want you dead,” Da says. “Do you understand, son?”

If I come back for Adeline, I’m risking a death warrant.

I don’t turn around, but I tell him the lasting truth. “She’s mine.”

The door closes behind me. The O'Connells are worse for wear. The ones that made it back from the docks are bloody and bruised.

Uncle Cormac’s lips are pressed in a thin line. Thoughts course between us, but we both know it’s not a good idea to speak. We need to nurse our wounds and tamp down on our rage. We’ll come up with a plan. We always do.

I drop into a seat, staring out the small window.

“All right?” Seamus asks, his voice hoarse. Dermot’s got his eyes closed in the seat next to him.

“Bloody fantastic,” I murmur.

The plane takes off, and we fly away from New York City. In a few hours, we’ll be home again. I’ll see Nora and Ian and maybe even my mam.

Adeline won’t be there, though.

I don’t give a damn about the docks or Wallen. They took Adeline away from me. And for that, every single fucker in New York City will pay.