Page 10 of Bittersweet Revenge (Sins of the Father #1)

“I have a feeling you have no idea what I just said.”

“Fuck,” I curse. I’m going to screw up the chance to hook up with someone else because I can’t stop focusing on Aislin. “I’m sorry. I’m just…protective.”

“Super fucking hot,” he says, and I can’t help but grin.

My gaze happens to shoot toward the dude with Aislin just at the right time.

The bartender hands her drink to him, and then the second he turns around, the guy grabs it from the top as if he’s moving it, and I see something fall into the glass.

He immediately stirs it with the straw, then pushes it toward the empty stool beside him, and I see fucking red, can’t breathe.

Before I can think about what I’m doing, I’m shoving off the stool. It falls over and hits the ground with a loud clack .

“Dean?” Omari says, but I don’t respond.

Every bit of logical thought inside me shuts off as I push through the crowd, some yelling at me and shoving me back along the way.

My heart feels like it’s going to explode, like it’ll burst out of my chest any minute now.

The second I reach the guy, I slam my fist into his face with everything I have in me.

He gives a shout, but I can’t make out what he says as I’m dragging him off the stool, pain shooting through my hand with every punch—face, gut, any fucking thing I can hit.

There’s blood on his face and all over my hands.

“What the fuck?” someone shouts, and arms wrap around me and pull me off him. I hit and kick at whoever is holding me and don’t stop until I hear, “New Kid, chill the fuck out,” and realize it’s Tiernan.

I don’t know when he got here or how I missed him, but that doesn’t matter right now.

“Get the fuck off me.” I try to jerk out of his hold, but I can’t.

“Dean? What the hell?” Aislin says as she walks over and kneels beside the guy who’s made it to his knees, blood pouring out of his nose and onto the floor.

“He’s fucking crazy, man,” the date raper says, and I know I should call him out for what he did, but I can’t fucking find the words. Instead, I try to lunge at him again, catching Tiernan off guard, but he recovers quickly, with Cillian’s help, both grabbing me.

“Get the fuck out of the bar!” the bartender shouts. “I’m calling the cops.”

“Let’s go,” Tiernan tells me, then nods toward the counter, and Rory heads over, I assume to deal with the bartender. Everyone else has lost interest, getting back to their drinks and dancing like this is an everyday occurrence. “You’re coming with me,” Tiernan says.

“Fuck off. He—”

His hand presses against my mouth. “Outside, dumbass.”

And he’s right. This isn’t the place to say it because there’s no doubt in my mind that this guy isn’t coming back from what I’m about to tell Tiernan.

Maybe that should bother me, maybe I should want him to be locked up, but I don’t.

I want him to fucking suffer for what he tried to do to her, what he’s probably done to others.

Of course, I can’t let Tiernan know I’m onto what will happen. That doesn’t stop me from telling Cillian, “Don’t let her stay with him.”

He frowns, then looks at Tiernan, who’s watching me. He gives Cillian a nod, and he’s immediately heading over to Aislin.

I don’t fight Tiernan as he drags me outside, but the second we’re in the fresh air, I jerk out of his hold.

“What the fuck was that about?”

“He put something in her drink,” I spit out and see his expression ice over, his face hardening. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The murderous expression on his face is proof he’s like his father, that I was right and the guy inside won’t come back from this.

“You’re sure?” There’s a tightness to his voice that would probably scare a normal person, but not me.

“Yes. I fucking saw it. He put his hand over the glass, trying to be inconspicuous, but I saw it fall, and I saw him stir it afterward, and then he pushed it over for her.”

“Get the fuck outta here, New Kid.”

“Fuck you,” I spit back just as the door opens, Cillian, Aislin, and Rory coming out.

“Jesus, Dean. Why in the hell did you do that? You’re just like him!” She points to Tiernan. “We were only dancing.”

“Can you take her home?” Tiernan asks me.

“You can fuck off and die with that,” Aislin tells him. “I don’t need anyone to take me back, and I’m not going anywhere with him right now.”

“Ash…” he begs, and I can tell he doesn’t want to tell her, that he doesn’t want her to know, but I’m not playing that game.

“He put something in your drink.”

Aislin pales, her voice softer when she asks, “You’re sure?”

“I don’t walk around attacking people if I’m not fucking sure.”

“That motherfucker.” She turns and tries to go back for the door, but Cillian wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her. “Put me down, Cil. I’m going to fucking kill him. I’m—”

She quiets when someone walks out, all of us waiting until they’re in their car and driving off before we speak.

“This isn’t the place,” Tiernan tells her.

“Fuck the place. He was going to date rape me. I’ll kick you in the balls if you don’t put me down, Cillian. I’m going to fucking kill—” Her words are cut off when Cillian’s hand covers her mouth.

“This. Is not. The place,” Tiernan says coldly, then glances my direction.

Ah, he doesn’t want to speak in front of me. He trusts me to some extent, though, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me to take her back to the dorms.

“Whatever you’re going to do, I want in,” I tell them.

Cillian and Rory laugh.

“Fuck you both,” I tell them.

“Mind your business. What do you think we’re gonna do, New Kid? We’re not fuckin’ animals. We’re going to turn him in like we’re supposed to.”

Yeah, right. I believe him as far as I can throw him, but making that obvious will have him questioning me.

“Cil, you take our little hero over here back to the dorms. Rory and I will take Aislin to report what happened.”

“I can get back by myself.” I push away, anger festering inside me. That guy was going to hurt Aislin, but I saw it, I fucking saved her, and now I’m supposed to walk away?

“Dean.” Aislin saying my name stops me. Cillian lets her go, and she walks over to me and pulls me into a hug. I tense against her. “Thank you. If you weren’t there…”

My body relaxes a hair, relief washing over me. “But I was.” I couldn’t take care of my father, and my mom spent most of her life having to take care of me. I couldn’t handle it if Aislin got hurt because I wasn’t good enough.

She kisses my cheek, then returns to her brother. Cillian’s by me, and I know arguing with him will just delay the inevitable. So when he says, “Let’s go, New Kid,” I follow him to the car and get in, body still tense and ready to burn the world down for what that motherfucker just tried to do.