Page 3 of Bittersweet Revenge (Sins of the Father #1)

Dean

I feel like I’m in a book or a movie—the poor kid at the fancy college, surrounded by those who are wealthier and more privileged.

Which is the life I would have had if Sloan hadn’t taken my father from me.

Dad had some money put away for Mom and me, but not nearly enough.

He spent most of his life thinking he was part of a family and not planning for an escape.

When things began to change between him and Sloan, he didn’t have enough time to prepare for our future.

It’s why he stayed longer, trying to make more, hoping things would get better, but all that did was give Sloan time to realize he wanted to leave.

Ashford University is like something out of a dream, though—a sprawling campus filled with redbrick or white buildings in this mixture of Gothic and Italianate architecture.

It’s only been a day, and I haven’t seen Tiernan yet. We don’t have any classes together so far. He’s a sophomore and turns twenty in November.

I’m in my math course, when a girl with long, dark hair that reaches her ass comes in and sits beside me. I recognize her instantly.

Aislin O’Shea.

My muscles tense, a white-hot blast of heat rushing through me.

I could use her instead. She might be an easier way in, depending on how connected she is. But the idea doesn’t sit right with me. Misogynistic? Maybe. My mom would hate me doing any of this, but she would hate it even more if I brought Aislin into it.

“Hi.” She gives me a confident smile—must run in the family. She’s beautiful, with dramatic cheekbones and green eyes. “You’re…really hot. I already love college,” she says, and I fight back the urge to say something cruel because of who she is.

“Gay,” I answer instead.

“Damn it.” She grins. “I guess we’ll have to be friends.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those girls who try to collect gay besties,” I play along, acting friendly, though bile burns in my throat.

“Oh God no. I would want to be your friend if you were straight too. Friends with benefits maybe.”

I cock a brow. “Not boyfriend?” Maybe I don’t have enough experience with people or women, but I figured most girls would go with that over hooking up.

“Fuck no. I’m free for the first time in my life. There’s no chance I want to settle down. Just don’t tell my brother that. It’s okay for him to fuck anything that walks, but God forbid I want to do the same.”

I have no idea how to reply to that. I’ve never met a girl like her before, and most of the time, I’d rather keep to myself than talk to anyone, much less a random stranger, but to make this work, I’ll have to get used to it. Plus, the mention of Tiernan is exactly what I need. “Brother?”

“Tiernan. If you haven’t heard of him yet, you will. And since you’re queer, you definitely want to keep an eye out for him. He’s bi and can never turn down a pretty face, and like we already discussed, you’re a pretty face.”

“I thought I was hot?” I test the playful words on my tongue and hate myself for saying them, for sitting here beside her when her family has taken everything from me. For having to pretend I don’t hate her too.

“That as well. Do I get your name?”

“Dean. Dean Smith.” My mom went with the plainest name she could think of.

“Hmm… That doesn’t fit you.”

I tense, my back going straight, as I try like hell not to let my discomfort show. No, it’s more than that. It’s my rage. I am Dean, but I wouldn’t have to be if it wasn’t for them.

Before I can try to force out any joke or teasing, assuming I could make myself say anything at all, the professor comes in, saving me from myself.

“Hello. I’m Professor Taylor.” He has short black twists in his hair, looks about forty, and has a unique style—he’s wearing suit pants with Jordans. “Welcome to Math 110.”

I try to give him my full attention, but throughout the class, I can feel Aislin beside me, and I’m on alert every time she moves, every time she breathes.

If not for the photos I’d seen online, I would have forgotten Tiernan had a sister.

I was only four last time I saw her, so she was three, and she wasn’t around as much.

I sit here and think of what to say, to get myself to the point where I’m able to speak to her without blowing this before I ever have the chance to accomplish anything.

The good thing is, she clearly doesn’t recognize me.

I doubt anyone else will either, not just because I’d been so young, but my hair was light as a child.

The older I got, the darker it became, and now I keep it buzzed short.

“Do you want to grab lunch?” Aislin asks when class is over.

No, I really fucking don’t. What I want is to put a gun to her father’s head and blow his brains out the way he’d done to mine, but for now, I find it in myself to smile. “Yeah, that’d be great. I don’t have another class yet.”

“Me neither. And just so you know, you don’t have to. I’m not in the habit of pushing my friendship onto others. It’s just…second day and all. Last thing I want is to hang out with my older brother and the guys I’ve grown up with all my life.”

Rory and Cillian. I don’t remember them, but I’ve done my research. “You all grew up together and go to the same college?” I ask, as if I don’t know. “Are you local?”

“Boston, and yeah, it’s a family tradition that we come to Ashford. Cillian is my cousin, and Rory is a close family friend. But enough about me. Tell me about you.”

We head out of the building and toward the campus café, while I give her a lie sprinkled with as much truth as possible.

My dad died when I was young, though I tell her it was a car accident, which is the story we always told.

My mom died recently. I’m a computer science major.

I moved around quite a bit, but instead of Massachusetts, I tell her I was born in North Carolina and lived in Arizona before coming here.

“I’m sorry. I can’t imagine losing both my parents,” she says as I pull open the door to the café. Does she even consider how many children don’t have their parents because of her father? And maybe even because of her brother?

“I don’t like to talk about it,” I answer honestly. “What’s your major?”

She tells me it’s communications, and we ramble about that and other random shit. And by we, I mean her. I stay quiet as much as I can and let her do most of the talking.

The café has both cold and hot food, plus numerous buffet counters.

I haven’t been in here yet. I’m in the dorms like all the freshmen and have mostly just stayed in my room since arriving.

Saving money for my college education was always important to Mom, but she hadn’t planned on a school as expensive as Ashford.

I have enough for my first year, but I’m basically fucked after that.

We each grab a sandwich and chips. We’ve hardly sat down at one of the tables when the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I don’t have to look to know he’s coming. It’s like I can feel him, fucking sense him. My vision blurs slightly, my pulse racing.

I force myself to glance up just as Tiernan approaches with a dark-haired guy—Cillian.

Tiernan is…hate and power wrapped in a pretty package—green eyes, dark lashes, dark hair that’s just slightly wavy and rests against his forehead.

His features are sharp but not too sharp, with sculpted cheekbones and a flawless jawline.

It’s like he was crafted out of stone with the perfect features and body, long, lean, and muscular, because everything about him must be the best.

“Who the fuck are you?” he snaps.

“Jesus, T,” Aislin says, shaking her head.

“Your daddy know you take the Lord’s name in fuckin’ vain like that?” Cillian asks.

“Fuck off, Cillian.”

Tiernan’s hard gaze hasn’t left me yet, and I swear, it’s suddenly hard to breathe. I don’t know why, don’t know what it is about him, but I almost hate him more than his dad. Maybe it’s because he grew up with what was taken from me.

“I asked you a question. Who the fuck are you?”

“A friend.” I take a bite of my sandwich, pretending I don’t understand how dangerous he is, pretending I don’t have a care in the world.

Aislin sighs. “His name is Dean, and he’s in my math class. I asked him to lunch. That’s all you’re going to get. I’m not a fucking child, and I won’t let you treat me the way Dad does.”

Cillian laughs, but all Tiernan’s attention is still on me.

“Don’t try to fuck my sister.”

“Who she fucks is up to her…but it won’t be me.

I don’t swing that way.” I pop a chip into my mouth and see Tiernan’s expression change, his pupils blowing wide, something like interest or curiosity in his gaze.

Is it due to finding out I’m gay, or because I’m not responding to him the way he expects me to?

“Now you know he’s gonna want to fuck you, right?” Cillian tells me.

“Who are we fucking?” Rory approaches, his red hair messy.

Tiernan’s wearing black jeans and a tight, black button-up shirt that’s rolled up to his elbows. The other two are in jeans and tees, but it’s all high-quality shit.

“No one yet.” Cillian pumps his brows.

“These idiots have this thing where they like to screw girls together,” Aislin tells me.

“Why the fuck you spilling our secrets?” Rory asks, then sits. “Who the fuck are you?”

“ Dean, ” Tiernan answers for me.

“Who the fuck is Dean?” Rory asks again, stealing one of Aislin’s chips.

“Some asshole.” Cillian sits down too.

“Fuck you,” I reply, and the table goes quiet. Yeah, the three of them aren’t used to someone talking to them like this, but I’m not going to sit around and take their shit.

“Be careful, New Kid,” Tiernan warns. “You don’t want to talk like that to the wrong person and get yourself hurt.” He doesn’t blink when he looks at me, just holding my stare like a fucking psycho.

Aislin pushes to her feet. “I hate all of you. If you’re not careful, I’m going to hurt you .” She turns to me. “Come on, Dean. Let’s go outside.”

I should stay. I don’t want to give the impression they’ve sent me running, or that I’m scared, and I also need to find a way to get in. What I’m doing now isn’t fucking that, but my stomach is also twisting. I feel sick seeing him, hell, even breathing the same air as him.

I stand up, grab my food, and wrap it up. I don’t keep mine like Aislin does, tossing it into the trash as we head toward the door.

I feel Tiernan’s eyes on me the whole time.

When we get outside, Aislin says, “Hey…I know this sounds weird, but be careful with them, okay? You’re new, so you don’t know how it works, but they have a lot of pull. My brother and his friends…don’t get on their bad side.”

I nod at her warning, knowing I won’t listen. They’re the reason I’m here. It’s them who should fear me.

“I, um…should go. I don’t feel all that great.”

Aislin nods, and without another word, I walk away.