Page 37 of Sweet Vengeance (Sins of the Father #2)

Cillian

The house is full of people.

We haven’t had as many parties this year as we did last year, but they’re good for money and status—reminding people we’re here and that nothing goes down without our permission.

Music pumps through the speakers, alcohol and weed are shared around freely, the house smelling like a mixture of both.

“Dude, we go to school with a bunch of cokeheads,” Rory says when he finds me sitting on the piano bench. I’ve suddenly started keeping guard of the thing, as if I didn’t ignore it for years. Now I don’t want anyone near it, don’t want anyone to touch it or even look at it wrong.

I’ve played a few more times since the night with Ollie—not in front of anyone but him yet. I’m still finding my way with it, but it’s a path I want to be on. “You’re a cokehead,” I tease Rory.

“What? No. I only do it sometimes and hardly ever lately. Your boyfriend doesn’t like it.”

I laugh. No, he doesn’t, and surprisingly, Rory listens to him.

“He’ll pry weed out of my cold, dead hands, though.” He lights up a joint.

“No shit.”

Rory takes a hit, then passes it to me. I do the same, letting the smoke sit in my lungs for a moment before setting it free.

“Ash is here with that girl she’s trying to get with,” Rory says. “What’s her name?”

“Zuri.” I pass the joint back to him as he sits beside me and we watch everyone around us.

“She’s hot. Think Ash will share her with me?” He pumps his brows, and I roll my eyes.

“Fuck no. And she won’t let you watch either.”

“Yeah, it’s not the same without you anyway. I miss it… I get it, but I miss it.” He shrugs. “I like being with you that way.”

My heart feels weirdly twisted up because I miss it too.

Not the part about having someone else between us because I don’t want anyone other than Ollie, but I miss that…

thing with me and Rory. Sharing those moments with him.

Connecting with him that way. I get it a little when he watches me and Ollie, but it’s not the same.

I wrap an arm around his shoulders, pull him close, and kiss his temple. “I like being with you that way too.”

“No shit,” he teases, then passes the joint back.

“I fucking love him, Ror. I can’t believe it.”

“No shit about that too. Like we don’t all see that shit. It’s nice seeing you happy. Like I said before, he’s good for you.”

“He’s good for you too.” I nudge his arm, then look down at the gray-and-black rug beneath us.

“Yeah. I know.” Rory’s red, wild hair sticks up even more when he slides his fingers through it, his leg bouncing.

“It’s kinda fucked when you think about it.

I’m not in love with you. I don’t want to be with you, but like I said, I miss what we used to do.

I had this threesome a few weeks ago, and it wasn’t the same.

With you and someone else…it’s one of the only times I really feel something…

well, then and when I have the adrenaline rush from doing shit we’re not supposed to do. ”

I watch him, try to work out what’s going on inside Rory’s head. Usually, I’m pretty good at it, but right now all the pieces aren’t connecting.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing. I don’t fuckin’ know. I don’t want you to think this means something it doesn’t. I don’t want you to think I don’t want you with him or that I don’t get why it probably won’t happen again. The watching is a fun consolation prize, though.”

Is Rory spiraling? Is he needing those moments we used to have, sharing someone between us? Last time we talked, and now too, he said he understood if it didn’t happen, but there’s something more frazzled and almost sad about him tonight.

“He cares about you.”

“Yeah, it’s fuckin’ weird, right? Because I know he does, and even though he’s yours, like I said before, it feels like he’s mine too.”

Just like I told Ollie that night, there’s not an ounce of jealousy when it comes to Rory.

Hearing him say that just fills me up with all these good feelings even more.

“That’s partly because of us. Because we’re…

whatever the hell we are. And partly it’s because of Ollie.

There’s just something about him. I played the piano the other night, man. ”

Rory’s head shoots up, blue eyes wide in surprise. “Are you shitting me?”

“No. It felt good.” Better than good.

“It used to calm me down. You remember that? I’d be doing something wild, tearing up shit or whatever the fuck, and you’d play and it would help.”

I do remember. It always made me feel like I was something, giving Rory that. “I’ll play for you. I want to play for you. I’m not ready for everyone else to know yet, but when it’s just us…or me, you, and Ollie…let me play for you.”

“You better fucking play for me.”

Before I can reply, a couple of guys come stumbling over. They’re loud, one of them tripping, beer sloshing all over the place. His friend laughs, shoves him playfully, and the guy hits my piano.

Before I know what I’m doing, I’m on my feet, forearm pressed onto the drunk asshole’s neck, his body against the wall. “Watch. What the fuck. You’re doing,” I warn.

“It wasn’t my fault! He pushed me.” He claws at my arm, but I don’t let go.

“Did you push him into my brother’s piano?” I hear Rory ask, his voice even and cold.

“I didn’t…it was an accident.”

“Not what I asked.” I glance over my shoulder to see Rory stand. “I asked if you pushed him into my brother’s piano.”

“I’m sorry,” the guy says.

I look at the one beneath my arm, who’s trying to pull free. “I’m sorry too,” he says.

“I can’t hear you.”

“I’m sorry too!” He does his best to yell with pressure against his throat.

I pull back, straighten his shirt. “Good. That’s all we want to hear. Now get the fuck out of my house.”

They scramble away, tripping over their feet as they go.

Rory laughs, and I wrap an arm around his shoulder, joining in the pleasure of this moment with my best friend. When I look up, Ollie is standing there with Aislin, watching.

“Bunny! We missed you!” Rory shouts, breaking the ice. He slips out from under my arm, walks over to Ollie, and hugs him. “I thought you were gonna stay in your room all night. It’s not a party without you.”

He rolls his eyes. “It is absolutely a party without me.”

Honestly, I thought he would stay in our room all night too. Parties aren’t really his thing, and no one is allowed upstairs, so he had as much peace and quiet as possible up there.

“I thought I would see what you’re up to.” He finally looks at me.

“He was miserable,” Rory tells him, “talking about how much he missed you the whole time. Do you drink?”

“No,” Ollie answers.

“I meant water.”

“Everyone drinks water,” Ollie counters.

“Bet. Let’s go get it. I’m kidnapping your boy. We’ll be back, Cil.”

I chuckle, and Ollie gives me a smile that soothes something inside me before slipping away. It was meant to reassure me we’re okay, but also because he likes Rory. As wild as Rory is, and even though he drives Ollie crazy, Ollie likes him.

“Where’s your girl?” I ask Ash.

“In the bathroom. And she’s not mine…yet. Oh my God. Trying to date a girl is so hard!”

“Trying to date anyone is hard.”

“You and Ollie are doing a good job of it.”

“That’s because I told him I want him. Did you tell Zuri that?”

“Tell me what?”

I look up to see a beautiful Black woman with light-brown eyes. She’s got braids that start at her scalp, mixed in with loose, curly strands, purple twisted in with her black. There’s a name for it, I’m sure, I just don’t know what it is.

“That we’re glad you could come,” I tell her. “Also, purple is Aislin’s favorite color.”

Zuri cocks a brow, then crosses her arms. “You tell me that like I don’t know.”

Ooh, shit. Ash has definitely met her match in Zuri. “I like you. What are your intentions with—”

Ash’s hand covers my mouth. “Oh my God, Cillian. Don’t make me kick your ass.”

I laugh and glance over at Zuri, who is smiling too.

“Go find your boyfriend and your person and leave us alone.” She threads her arm through Zuri’s, the two of them walking away.

Good for her. I hope it works out.

I grab a random guy. “What’s your name?”

“Brian.”

“Brian who?”

“Jacobs.”

“Sit here, Brian Jacobs. Don’t let anyone near this piano. If they touch it, I’m taking it out on you.”

“I…what?”

“You heard me!” I answer as I weave through the crowd. Ollie is with Rory, so I know he’s good. I’m going to find Tiernan, sell some drugs, then find my man.