Page 33 of Bittersweet Revenge (Sins of the Father #1)

Tiernan

M y eyes jerk open the second my phone rings. It’s on vibrate for everyone except my father so I always know when it’s him.

Dean stiffens beside me, familiar with the sound, knowing exactly who it is.

After last night, he must understand more, must get why talking to my father puts me in a bad mood and why so much of what we say in our calls is secret.

I still can’t believe what I admitted to him last night, the things I shared and how it felt to listen to him talk about his parents.

I wish I could find out who killed his father so I could make them suffer.

I’m not sure there’s a battle I wouldn’t fight for him, nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

I hate it and love it at the same time. I crave him in a way that can’t be healthy, but all I want is more, more, more.

My phone keeps ringing.

“Ignore it,” he says.

“I can’t.” I sit on the edge of the bed, back to Dean, and answer the call. “Hello.”

“I want you in Boston today.”

Shit. My eyes squeeze shut. “I have to study for a test.”

“Jesus, Tiernan. Do you hear yourself? Who cares about that stupid fucking school of yours? You have responsibilities. Get home.”

The bed shifts, Dean wrapping his arms and legs around me from behind, his mouth suction-cupped to my neck, and though I hate my father, hate even speaking to the man…I smile. “Cillian and I will be there in a few hours.”

“I didn’t ask for Cillian. I asked for you.

Get home.” He ends the call, so I toss the phone to the mattress beside us.

I hate it when he demands stuff like this from me.

It’s never something I want to do. Most of the time, it’s a job he can do himself, but he likes to show his control over me by making me do it for him.

“Take me with you.” Dean wraps his hand around my cock and gives it a slow stroke. That, along with his mouth against my skin, starts to get me hard again.

“No.”

“Yes.” He keeps going, moving his hand up and down my shaft.

“I can’t just fucking bring home someone my dad doesn’t know when he likely has a job for me. That’s not how this works, little fighter. Now, I know you have some pent-up energy you need to get out, so instead of trying to go with me and create violence, why don’t you use that energy on my dick.”

He laughs. “Fuck you…” Bites my neck. “Asshole.”

But then does exactly what I want, getting off the bed, kneeling between my thighs, and not stopping until he’s swallowing my load.

Somehow, it helps. And just before draining the last drops from me, he pulls back and jerks me off so I shoot the rest all over his chest. Fuck, he’s so hot.

But even more than that, he makes me feel alive , when I hadn’t realized I needed resuscitation before him.

“I’m going to make you smell like me before you go.”

I grin at this man…my man. “I’m counting on it.”

He pushes me to the bed, jerks himself off, cum splattering on my torso.

Maybe I can soften my father up to the idea of Dean when I get to Boston, let him know I found someone, so that Dean can be a part of our family.

*

“He didn’t tell you what’s happening?” Cillian asks as he, Rory, and I sit in my office at the house.

“As if he ever does. He calls, and I come.”

“Did your dad say anything?” Rory asks Cil, who rolls his eyes.

“Because my dad and I have such a talkative relationship.” He glances away, pretending it doesn’t bother him, but we all know it does.

“He can’t know about Michael Jensen, right? No one knows but us and Conan,” Rory continues.

I shrug. “I’m not sure there’s much he can’t figure out if he wants to. I don’t think that’s it, though. If so, he would want me to bring you two with me. I think he’s just pissed I haven’t been home as much this semester, and he’s found another way I need to prove myself.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Cil adds. “Your boy staying here?”

Warmth floods my chest at the question. “Yes. If he tries to sleep anywhere else, don’t let him.”

“So he can hit Cil again?” Rory laughs, and Cillian gives him the finger.

“He won’t. He’ll be good. Plus, I told him not to hit Cillian again because you’ll always hit back, and then I’ll have to hurt my own cousin.”

“Fuck you, motherfucker,” Cillian responds with a grin. “I see how it is.”

I shrug. “He’s mine.”

The two of them glance at each other before looking back at me. “Yeah…yeah, we know, T,” Rory says.

“We’ll keep him out of trouble while you’re gone.” Cillian stands.

“Good luck with that.” I lead the way to the door. As soon as I open it, Aislin is there with her arms crossed and wearing a scowl. “I was going to tell you.”

“First.” She pokes at my chest. “You should have told me first.”

“Have fun getting yelled at,” Rory says, he and Cil walking away. “What do you want to do, Cil?”

I turn my attention to Aislin. “Dean was there when he called, and then I wanted to talk to them. I was coming to find you next.”

“How long will you be gone?”

I shrug. “No idea, but I told Dean to watch out for you.” He was surprised I didn’t ask Cillian or Rory. They will always keep an eye on my sister, but she’s close to Dean too. Plus, I trust him. It’s fucking wild to consider, but I do.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” She wraps her arms around my waist and sets her head against my chest. “Be careful.”

“I will. You know me. I’m always fine.” I kiss her temple, trying to ignore that weight in my gut. I am always fine, but realistically, there will be a time when I’m not.

“And now you have a boyfriend to come home to.”

I roll my eyes, but the words drum up powerful emotions in me.

“You’re not even going to argue?”

“What’s the point?” I ask as she pulls away. “You keep an eye on him too, okay? He’s…”

Her expression softens even more. “Yeah, I know. I will. And I feel slightly better about you asking him to watch out for me since you asked me to do the same. You worry too much about everyone, try to take care of everyone. You stress so much about others, you don’t spend enough time thinking about yourself. ”

“Not everyone,” I tease. “Just the people in this house.” And Mom, but then, in a way, I’ve abandoned her by coming here, haven’t I? “I gotta go, Ash.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I don’t go upstairs to say goodbye to Dean again, but I know he’ll understand. It feels good to have someone who understands me like that.

I spend the drive to Boston thinking about last night. Dean is an artist, and he draws me. A lot. I know how difficult it must’ve been for him to show me that because just like he knows me, I know him.

When I get to the house, Dad isn’t there. Mom is sitting in the library, in her robe and slippers, a book on her lap.

“What are you reading?” I walk over to the couch and sit by her.

“Tiernan! You’re here.” She pulls me into a hug, her response saying my father didn’t tell her he’d called for me. “Is Aislin with you?”

“No. She stayed in Ashford. I have some work I need to do with Dad.”

Her expression clouds over, the sunshine and excitement from just moments ago dimmed.

“Tiernan…”

“It’s my responsibility.”

“It shouldn’t be.”

“But it is,” I counter, and we both know it. “And I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t know the first thing about living any other way.”

She sighs and gives me a sad smile.

“How are you, Mom?”

“Better now.” She grabs my chin and pushes it up, using her other hand to tug down my shirt collar. “What is this?”

“Um, not something…sexual…at all. Because that would be really awkward.”

She shakes her head but smiles. “Is it the same boy you mentioned?”

“It is.”

“Tell me about him.”

“He’s an asshole,” I reply, and she laughs.

“They usually are.”

“But he’s…kinda great too. He reads. I can actually talk to him about books, and he gets it.

He’s smart. Good with computers. Loves his parents, but he’s lost both…

He…gets me. He’s also an artist. Ash loves him.

They’re basically best friends. He would protect her if I needed him to.

” I look away, trace circles on the couch.

“That’s good. She’s strong, your sister. Sometimes we forget that. I want more for her.”

More than what Mom has, she means. More than being married to someone like Sloan O’Shea.

“She’s a badass. She’ll be okay.”

Mom nods, watching me for a moment. “You love him…this boy.” It’s a statement, not a question, and while part of me wants to blow it off, I can’t.

“I think so…but how do I know? And what if it’s a mistake? What if he’s hurt because of me?”

Mom wraps an arm around me, pulling me to her side, and I let her. I can’t remember the last time I sat with my mom this way. It’s not something a man in my position usually does, but I don’t let that stop me from enjoying it now.

“You love him,” she says again. “Just…be good to him. Treat him the way he deserves to be treated. Can he handle it? This life?”

“Yes.” I’m confident about that.

“That eases a huge part of the concern right there, because I know you. When you love someone, they’re the luckiest person in the world. You would move heaven and earth for them. Just be who you are, Tiernan…the real you.”

I nod against her, let her words soak in, appreciating her more than I can say. “His name is Dean.”

“Dean.”

“But I call him little fighter.”

“Oh great. Sounds like we’re in trouble with him.”

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Soon.” First I must figure out how to make it all work.