Page 5 of Bittersweet Revenge (Sins of the Father #1)

Dean

I have to keep reminding myself this is the fastest and maybe only way to get what I want.

The whole reason I’m in Ashford is because it’ll be easier to get in with Tiernan than his father.

I want them both—hell, their entire family—to feel the sting of betrayal.

Want to make them suffer the way they made our family suffer.

Want to break them the way they broke my mom, and there’s nothing I won’t do to accomplish that.

It’s all I think about as I work my way through the living room of their ridiculously large house and toward Tiernan. He wants to fuck me, and if that’s something I have to do to accomplish my goals, so fucking be it.

And maybe I can get Tiernan on his knees for me. How will he feel when he discovers he sucked the dick of his enemy? Of the man who kills his father?

The girl who was with him walks away, and she doesn’t look happy about it. Tiernan takes a drink from his red Solo cup, before his gaze finds mine over the brim.

I don’t stumble, don’t let my feet falter as I continue in his direction. He’s wearing another button-down shirt, this one short-sleeved. Does he ever wear a fucking T-shirt, or are they not good enough for him?

“If it isn’t New Kid. I heard you’re awfully far from home. Are you lost?” he says with a lifetime of privilege in his arrogant tone.

“No. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I see you’re still a dick.”

“I see you still like to play with fire. Be careful, or you’re going to get burned.”

“Maybe I like it.” I go to pluck his cup from his hand, but Tiernan pulls it back.

“Who the fuck are you ?” he asks, voice harsh.

Fuck. I pushed too hard. The last thing I need is to have him question my motives. “Dean Smith. Someone looking for a good time, even if you are a dick, but if you’re not interested, I’ll find someone else.”

I turn to walk away, but Tiernan grabs my bicep. “You want me.”

“Assholes get my dick hard. What can I say?”

He sets his cup down. “You got balls, I’ll give you that, but you don’t want any asshole, you want me . And if you want me, I’m gonna need to hear you say it.”

My body tenses, my nails digging into my palms as I try to settle down.

I can’t fucking blow this. Not so soon. It’s actually easier than I thought it would be, if you consider hooking up with a guy you hate easy.

Especially when I don’t have much experience.

All I have under my belt is a few hookups.

“I’m not playing games with you. I don’t want you that bad.”

“Yes. You do.” Tiernan gives me a wicked grin.

Jesus, this guy is a fucking asshole, and I hate that my dick stirs behind my zipper, that my traitor cock thinks he’s so fucking hot.

I hate myself for it, but it doesn’t change that something about him turns me on.

I don’t know if it’s just his looks I’m into or the fact that one day Tiernan will hate himself for hitting on me.

That once I hurt his father, he’ll remember these moments and know he’d wanted the man who took someone so important from him.

What does it say about me that the latter is part of the equation?

That I have so much hate and anger inside me, it comes out like this.

“Fuck you,” I say, which is absolutely not what I should be telling him. I should be doing whatever I can to get close to him, to spend time with him, but he’s so fucking arrogant, and turning me on, and all that does is make me hate him more.

Hate myself more.

This time when I walk away, Tiernan lets me go but yells after me, “All you have to do is tell me you want me.”

It’s not until I reach Aislin again and she says, “You’re shaking,” that I realize I am. “Did something happen? Did my brother—” Her words are low, her mouth close to my ear so the people around us can’t hear.

“He didn’t do anything. He’s just into games, and I’m not.”

“I shouldn’t have brought you here.” She looks away.

I shouldn’t be talking to her at all. When all this goes down, Aislin will be just as hurt by it as the rest of them.

“I came because I wanted to,” I tell her, which is the truth.

“Yeah, but you don’t get it. I… We…” She trails off.

Interest piqued, I ask, “You what?”

“Nothing. Ignore me. We should find boys. That’s honestly the main reason I came tonight.”

It surprises me when a genuine laugh falls from my lips. I wish like hell I could suck it back in, that I didn’t feel it. I have no business laughing at anything an O’Shea says.

“There aren’t as many good options as I would have expected,” I observe.

“Ugh. Right? It’s fucking ridiculous.”

I don’t reply. This is probably one of those moments where I should keep the conversation going, get to know her more, but I’m not good at that.

People approach here and there. Aislin talks to them all, and I realize that even though there’s only been a week of school so far, she’s met a lot of people, and those she hasn’t met are drawn to her.

Maybe it’s because she’s beautiful, or maybe it’s because they all know she’s Tiernan’s sister and can see the power that comes with it.

Just as I have that thought, a girl she’s talking to says, “He’s your brother, right? Tiernan O’Shea?”

Aislin tenses beside me. “Yes, but I assume you knew that. Don’t try to get close to me because of my brother. I don’t play those games.”

A spike of pride jumps in my chest, and I immediately try and tamp it down. I have no fucking reason to feel prideful for her. No matter what it feels like, Aislin is the enemy too.

“I wasn’t…”

“You can go now,” Aislin says. The other girl scoffs and walks away. “Fucking bitch.”

“That happen a lot?”

“My whole fucking life in one way or another. It’s always about Tiernan or my father. And T… I know he doesn’t like it as much as he pretends, but—shit. I’m a little buzzed.”

“But what?”

She ignores the question and grabs my hand. “Let’s dance.”

“What? Hell no. I don’t dance.”

She doesn’t listen, instead dragging me to the middle of the room. The second we’re out there, Aislin wraps her arms around my neck and moves against me to the fast pace of the song.

“Is this all right?” she asks.

“Um…yeah…?” I’ve never once in my life danced with someone—girl or guy. That’s just never been my life.

“You’re not moving, Dean. Oh my God. You’re terrible at this. Loosen up.”

Surprising myself, I try and do what she says, try to move with her. She puts her hands on my waist, guiding me. I feel like a fucking idiot, and I want nothing more than to walk out of this house and never see any of them again, but I don’t. Can’t.

She turns around, her ass against my crotch. “Uh-oh. My brother’s watching us.”

I look up, my gaze clashing with Tiernan’s.

He’s standing in the same place as earlier, only this time, Cillian and Rory are with him.

His face is hard, jaw set, eyes narrowed.

I put my hands on Aislin’s hips, following her directions, but I have a feeling she’s trying to show me off to her brother.

It’s not like I want her that way, and she knows it.

“You’ve definitely caught his attention.” She turns back around to face me. “Maybe it’ll do him some good. Tiernan is used to getting what he wants.”

I grind my teeth, then force myself to say, “He seems like the type.”

“Is it terrible that I like to see him suffer a little?”

She chuckles, and I find myself again genuinely doing the same thing. It’s that thought that makes me freeze. I need to back away.

“You went stiff again. Did I say something wrong?”

“No.” I shake off her concern. “I just…I should probably go.” This night has turned to shit anyway. I let my temper and anger pull me away from Tiernan, the one shot I had with him.

“Oh. Okay. Can you get back to the dorms on your own?”

I frown. I’ve spent most of my life with no one other than my mom to give a shit about me, yet here Aislin is, worried I can’t make it back to my dorm?

“I’m fine,” I say, taking a step away. I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. I don’t understand what it means. My skin feels too tight, and it’s hard to breathe. “I’ll see you in class.”

I walk away, hearing her say something about texting me. I gave her my number the day before.

The weight on my chest gets heavier and heavier, my lungs feeling crushed beneath it. What the fuck is happening to me?

I suck in a sharp breath the second I step outside, pulling air into my lungs.

The house is down a long driveway, surrounded by trees. Gravel crunches beneath my feet as I take quick, hard steps. I notice the sound behind me but don’t stop.

I’m not surprised when I hear, “Why are you running away, New Kid?”

“I thought you didn’t chase after anyone?” I toss back over my shoulder.

His body crushes into mine from behind, not stopping until he has me against a tree, Tiernan’s chest against my back. “I’m not chasing you. I’m warning you. Don’t play with my sister to get to me.”

I tremble at the feel of his breath against my ear. “Not everything is about you.”

“Says who?”

I turn slightly and push into him with my shoulder so I can face him again, and when I do, Tiernan is smiling. He likes this, whatever the fuck this is. I should be disgusted. He fucking disgusts me, but that doesn’t stop my dick from getting hard.

“Are you jealous?”

He rolls his eyes. “I’ve made no secret of the fact that I want you…and then I’ll be done with you. That’s how this works.”

I don’t know how I find it in me to say what I say next, who this person is that Tiernan has so quickly brought out of me.

Yes, I’ve been known to be an asshole myself.

I’m harsh and keep myself at arm’s length from others, but I’m not like him.

I refuse to believe I’m like him. Still, that doesn’t stop me from speaking words I could hear come out of Tiernan’s mouth.

Words that will get me one step closer to where I’m trying to be.

“You wanted to hear it, so here you go: I want you…to suck my dick.” And then I wait to see how he’ll respond.