Page 43 of Bittersweet Revenge (Sins of the Father #1)

Tiernan

M y gaze shoots to my father when his cell phone rings. He answers it, but he’s too far for me to hear who it is. “This is a pleasant surprise. Let him in.” There’s a pause, and then he adds, “He can keep it.”

Dad sets his phone down again. “Your boyfriend is here. I thought I would need to make a call to get him here like I did you. I see he’s a computer science major. He must know his shit.”

“Don’t,” rushes out of my mouth, and I hate myself for how the word trembles, the fear in it, but still, I keep going. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him.”

“We both know that’s not going to happen. He was supposed to die with his father. They all were.”

“He was a fucking kid!”

“So? That’s what happens when you betray me, and Liam betrayed me. That’s why you’ll never be as good at this as me. You’re too soft.” My father pulls his gun out of his jacket, walks over, and holds it against my head. “For security,” he says, clear enjoyment in his voice.

I get the job done, I’ll always do what needs to be done, but I don’t live for this part of it the way he does.

“Let’s see if he really cares about you as much as you think.”

The door opens, and Dean walks in, holding my second gun out in front of him. Oscar, of course, took mine when I arrived. I swear my heart fucking swells seeing him again, but I also want him gone, know that being here means he’ll be hurt, and I’ll do anything to keep that from happening.

“Dean! Go. Don’t fucking listen to him. No matter what he says, he’s going to kill you,” I rush out just before the butt of the gun hits me in the side of my head. Everything goes blurry, my ears ringing as I struggle to keep my focus and not pass out.

“Don’t fucking touch him!” Dean shouts, and somehow, through it all, I notice he’s wearing one of my shirts. I left the house in his hoodie, and he’s wearing one of my button-ups.

I’m sorry I failed you. I should have kept you safe.

“Temper, temper,” my father mocks. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

“But I’m not because you didn’t have it in you to get the job done.” Dean keeps walking forward, and I wish he’d shut up. “My mom was better than you. My father too.”

“Don’t,” I grit out, struggling to speak. Control, Dean. Keep yourself under control.

“How would you know? About Liam, at least. I put a bullet between his eyes before you could even get to know him.” He’s provoking Dean on purpose.

“Shut the fuck up about him!” Dean moves forward quicker, his gun shaking.

Blood runs down my brow, narrowly missing my eye. I try to shake the hair out of my face, but it falls right back, Dean visibly wincing from where he stands.

“Let’s cut to the chase. You have a gun on me, I have one on my son.

I really don’t want Tiernan to die. He could be useful, but I won’t hesitate to kill him if I have to.

We both know what I really want is you, and sure, I could have taken you myself, but this was more fun.

Now, you can set that gun down, and I can kill you quickly the same way I did your father, or you can fight back.

Maybe you’ll get the shot off before me, but that doesn’t mean my finger won’t slip and pull the trigger.

You’re taking a huge risk with Tiernan if you don’t follow the rules.

Liam was shit at it. I would have probably killed him eventually, even if he didn’t want out. ”

“Stop saying his name!” Dean yells.

My father is trying to rattle him, and it’s working. Dean’s gaze shoots to me, his broken heart in his eyes.

“Don’t listen to him, baby. Don’t believe him. He’s not going to kill me. Do it. Do what you came here for. This is why you’re here.” The truth is, my father might kill me, but that could be Dean’s only way out of this. He kills me, and Dean kills him.

“Listen to him, making that sacrifice for you. Would you do the same for him? Or was this all a game to you? You’ve made Tiernan believe you really love him, but I’m not so easily swayed.

” He takes a calculated breath. “Your father…he was more like me than you’ll ever know.

He loved hurting people. It’s why I always sent him.

He was ruthless. Liked knives. Said he could be more up close and personal that way.

He only left because of your mom. The stupid bastard really did love her. What about you? Do you love my son?”

“Fuck you!” Dean’s arms move, the gun bobbing up and down as he loses even more control.

“The question is easy: do you love Tiernan? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself the way Liam did for your mom? The way Tiernan did with you? Or are you just as selfish as me?”

I see the switch turn off in him, see the moment he’s going to give in, trying to save me.

I fight against the ropes around my arms and legs, but it doesn’t work.

They rip and pull at my skin, but none of that matters.

My chest is so tight, I can hardly breathe.

How do I do this? How do I see this? “Little fighter…don’t do this. Do what you do best. Fight.”

“I’m sorry.” He takes one hand off the gun and swipes at his eyes. “I love you.” He returns his attention to my father. “Do what you want with me. Just don’t hurt him.”

He bends down, setting the gun on the floor, before standing again, arms in the air.

“Stupid, just like I hoped.”

The second the words are out of my father’s mouth, I do the first thing that comes to mind, throwing myself backward.

The chair hits my father just as his gun fires, Dean crying out.

My father stumbles but doesn’t fall. My chair is sideways on the ground, and I look up to see my father point the gun at Dean again.

“No!” I call out.

And then…my mom is there. Covered in blood, gun aimed. Another shot goes off. I don’t know who shot first or if they both did, but then my father hits the ground beside me, eyes open, blood draining from a hole in the middle of his forehead.

“Tiernan!” Mom sobs, running toward me.

“Oscar is out there.”

“I slit his throat.” Her voice is harsh, stilted, as she uses a bloody knife to cut through my bonds.

“Dean…hurry. We have to help him!” Words continue to fall from my mouth, but I don’t even know what I’m saying, what I’m feeling. The adrenaline is rushing fiercely through me, my need for him ripping me up.

“Hold on. One more.”

I look at Dean, his head to the side, looking at me. Blood pools beneath him, gasping sounds coming from his mouth.

The second I’m free, I run to him, collapsing to the floor beside him. “Baby…it’s okay. You’ll be okay.” His shirt is covered in blood, but he looks up at me and gives me a small smile.

“You’re okay.” His voice comes out broken.

“You are too. We’re going to fix this. You’re going to be fine, I promise.” I run my hand over the hair I just cut last night. My chest aches. Tears run down my face, landing on Dean.

He was willing to sacrifice himself for me. He gave up his chance at killing my father, for me, and I can’t live in a world without him, not after that. Hell, not even before it.

My mom rips open his shirt, blood bubbling from the wound. “Call Conan,” she shouts at me.

I freeze, unable to move, to think.

My mom reaches out, placing a bloody hand on my cheek. “Tiernan, we’re going to fix this. I’ll take care of him. I need you to call Conan.”

Yes. Make a call. I can fucking do this. Dean is going to be fine. If not, the world will have hell to pay because of it.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Dean says choppily before his eyes fall closed and he loses consciousness.