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Anger bubbled like scorched caramel. “Mandy would not have believed him.”

“I couldn’t risk it. She’s the love of my life. I was scared of losing her.”

In a perverse way, she almost understood Roman. After being selfless for years, he wanted something—someone—for himself. And Kyle had known how to exploit that.

“You covered for him this entire time.” Acid rose in her throat as she pushed away from the table. “I need some air.”

Oliver caught up to her before she cleared the exit. “Wait.”

“You should have told me.” She marched along the cobblestone street, not caring where she was going as long as it was away from that bar, from Roman.

He fell into step beside her. “I thought you knew.”

“No. I fucking did not.”

“At least Roman called the ambulance.”

“Yeah, he isn’t a murderer. Big deal. I’m horrified, Oliver. I can’t believe they’d do this.”

His hand closed around her elbow, and he pulled her to a halt. “Addy, stop. You have every right to be angry at Roman. I have been too. But you heard him, right? He’s the only reason I’m alive. If he hadn’t called—”

“If he’d stayed, Kyle would have been held responsible.”

“If he hadn’t made Kyle come back, I’d be dead.”

The truth of Oliver’s statement gutted her. “Kyle should have been arrested that night.”

“It’s not too late for that.”

“It is too late! They can’t prove it’s a DUI now.”

He caught her shoulders and brought his face level with hers. “He’s done a lot more since, which can be proved. Why don’t you go back to the hotel? I’ll see what else Roman knows.”

The bright-red paneling of the Temple Bar didn’t look as inviting as it had not even an hour ago, but she couldn’t leave Oliver to handle this alone. “No. We’ll talk to him together.”

Oliver held out his hand, the gesture so natural that she almost took it. But she couldn’t. They weren’t a couple. Kyle would always be in the way.

They found Roman at their table, a half-finished pint of Guinness in front of him. His eyebrows rose as they approached.

Addison returned to the chair she’d vacated. “I’m still mad at you. But I want to know if you have any idea where Kyle can be. There’s a rumor that he’s in Dublin. The PI can’t be that useless. Are you keeping something from me?”

The waitress appeared just as Oliver sat. Guess she needed them to order or get out. Oliver ordered a whiskey, but she picked a beer at random, hoping it might settle her stomach.

“The PI keeps coming up short,” Roman said when the waitress sped away. “I’m not keeping his updates from you.”

She wished she could trust him, but she didn’t know what to believe anymore. “Does Mandy know about that night?”

“I told her everything earlier this week. Somehow, she understood.”

Of course she understood. Mandy loved him. If only Roman had trusted his wife from the start.

The waitress returned, setting her and Oliver’s drinks in front of them before moving away.

Addy pulled her beer closer, but couldn’t stomach a sip. “I can’t believe you’d cover for him like this.”

“I can’t explain it. We all grew up together. It feels like he’s my brother too.”

“At least you aren’t blood-related.”