Page 210 of Quinlan

I close the distance between us, while Joseph stares at me. He doesn’t say a word, shifting his gaze behind me. To my real family.

“Too scared to face me on your own?” Arrogant prick. He smirks, his eyebrow quirking. “You’ve always been such a coward, Roman.”

“He’s not a coward, you fuck,” Anne hisses, moving to my side.

Small fingers squeeze my waist from behind.

Quinlan.

Once this is over, the three of us are dragging her home. She’ll cry and come and—

Not now.

“No one calls me Roman anymore.” No one has for years.

In fact, he’s the only one who’s ever called me that.

Forget about dinner, Roman.

Was that attitude? Good job, Roman. You just landed you and your sister a forty-eight-hour water fast. Just water.

You think you can punch me, Roman? Look at you. You’re weak. You’ll always be weak.

I changed my legal name to Rome the second I broke my trust fund. Couldn’t run fast enough.

“Triggered by a name?” he goads me, playing games. It was always games with him. “You’re the same pussy you were when you ran out of here. With your tail between your legs, if I remember correctly. Weak, pathetic man-child. Your position and money mean nothing when deep down you’re a loser.”

His fingers tap on the screen of his phone. Elaine ambles toward the hallway, undoubtedly trying to escape my wrath.

“Don’t.” I point a finger at him.

Anne stalks toward the cowardly woman, grabbing her by her bun. My sister laughs at the sound of her screams, the giggle even more unhinged than before. I don’t blame her.

Elaine’s pain is delicious.

“Or what? You’ll hurt me?” Joseph’s chuckle draws me back to him. It grates on my nerves.

I soak it up, knowing damn well the man is terrified and doing his best to hide it.

His smile never reaches his eyes. It used to, before. Doesn’t anymore.

“You’ll go to prison for this.” He waves his phone at me. “Then what? You’ll leave your sister with her poor excuse of a husband?”

“Nick is a better person than your useless ass will ever be,” she growls, tugging on Elaine’s hair harder.

“Ahhhh!”

Anne smiles down at her. “Shut up, bitch.”

“You’ll leave her with these people?”

This is how he’d always manipulated me. Anne is my weak spot. But even if I die today, nothing will happen to her. She’s strong all on her own. The people I’ve surrounded myself with are just as strong and love her just as fiercely as I do. She’ll never want for anything again.

“Who the hell is this woman, anyway? You’ve finally found someone desperate enough to dateyou?” He tilts his head, looking at Quinlan. I step in front of her. “You’re not that bad looking. You could do better than this good for nothing. This man-child.”

The second I see Liam shoving Quinlan behind his back, I pounce forward. I’m around the leather sofa and past the coffee table at an inhuman speed. Fueled by my rage. By my thundering sense of justice.

My teeth are bare. Fists clenched.

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