Page 17 of Broken Dreams

I know he’s doing the equivalent of shaking some sense into me, but I flinch in shock. They never yell at me. What the fuck?

“I’ll be careful,” I whisper, blinking away the tears that are threatening to fall as I push past him.

“Quinnie,” Callum sighs.

“Fuck me,” Duncan says under his breath as I run down the stairs like the hounds of hell are chasing me.

I can’t continue to talk to them. I can feel the word vomit beginning to rise. The kind that will cause issues because I’m not supposed to tell anyone what my father and theirs told me. Everything inside of me is telling me to run away.

My father is standing by the front door as if waiting for me, his brow raised. Glancing past me, I can tell he knows who I was speaking to.

“I didn’t say anything,” I hiss. “They don’t want me to go, though.”

“The guards are waiting in the driveway,” Dad says in a bored tone. “Sadie and Riley’s parents both told me how excited they are to be going with you to the mall.”

This entire thing is a mafia family stunt to solidify our ties. The idea is, if the daughters can play nice, then so should the families. Everything lately is political in my life. It’s gross, but I’m doing my part to help.

That was another conversation I had with my father after the Kellys’ dad left. I’m sick of talking at this point. Nothing good comes of it except another broken dream or reminder of my responsibilities.

“Great,” I say brightly instead, moving around him to open the front door. “I’ll see you later then.”

The guards bustle me into the SUV, while Fergus drives to pick up Sadie and Riley. The thought is that it’ll give us more time to bond. Fergus and another guard remain in our vehicle as we drive to the mall, and the small talk is awkward.

Sadie and Riley eventually ignore me, talking about a party they went to recently. Gazing out the window, I’m reminded of why I don’t like seeing these girls. They’re very judgemental and boy crazy, while I enjoy playing on my computer and talking with the Kelly brothers.

They don’t typically act as if I’m a silly girl, and Callum taught me how to code. I’m a bit of a nerd, which isn’t exactly how other mafia daughters act. It’s all so exhausting.

I fucking hate it. Can I go home yet?I thought this was what I wanted, but I think I was wrong.

“I want to go to Prada first,” Sadie says with a giggle as we exit the vehicle.

I have a cross body because it has my essential items. It’s not fancy in my eyes, though it’s designer. When Callum saw it the first time, he teased me about it. He was right: the purse isn’t really “me.” It was a gift from my mother.

I’m doing my best to fit in, but I’m straddling the line between what I want and what’s expected of me badly.

I trail the girls from store to store, our guards getting more and more bored as we trek across the mall. The agreement was that the three of us would have guards who would ensure our safety.

In reality, they end up chatting with each other by the fifteenth store.

“Now would be a good time to blow them off,” Riley hisses as she glances at a top disinterestedly.

I don’t have a great feeling about this, and I say as much.

“There are girls disappearing,” I remind them. “We have guards for a reason. We shouldn’t go out of our way to lose them.”

Sadie rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “I would know if anyone was disappearing, Quella,” she says. Giggling as if calling me the wrong name on purpose is funny, she walks further into the store, dragging Riley and I with her. “Daddy would have told me.”

“Exactly,” Riley says. “My dad would have told me as well. I think you’re lying, and trying to make yourself seem more important. You’re a little dumpy, Quella. You should work out or do something to look prettier instead of getting into business that has nothing to do with you.”

Holy hell. I really want to punch her. Callum taught me how, I could totally do it. I hate myself as I rein it in, taking a deep breath. If Riley and Sadie’s fathers haven’t told themabout the missing girls, then maybe they’re the ones who aren’t important enough.

Or the people who told me this want to keep me in my place. Or… they trust me?

I just don’t understand or know why I have information no one else does. I’m very confused, so I make a bad decision at the spur of the moment.

“It’s Quinn, girls. You really should be able to remember it,” I remind them. “Where are we going if we’re blowing off our guards?”

“To the diner to meet some cute guys!” Riley squeals, hurting my ears as she pulls me right out the back door of the store.

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