Page 76 of Bittersweet Revenge
He’s mine?
That’s all I got.
“Titles don’t fucking matter,” I answer, and she laughs. It’s good to hear her do that. The first few days after everything went down, I was worried about her. I’d wanted to do whatever I could to fix it. I know she used to crawl into bed with Tiernan when they were kids, and then there was the night she slept with me. If I wasn’t there, I knew he would have been there for her, so I’d taken his hand and led him to her room. We slept there with her, both of us, one on each side, for two nights.
The morning after the first one, Tiernan had tackled me the second we’d gotten back to his room, using his lips on mine to saythank youand maybe other shit that’s hard for both of us to actually speak. That was one of those moments where I felt like a fucking king because this powerful, dangerous man appreciates me. Wants me. Again, gets something from me.
“So tonight…you’re going, then,” I tell her. “And you know, maybe there’s something you can do to take control. My mom…” Fuck, I can’t tell her the truth. Can’t say that after her dad killed mine, my mom took self-defense and shooting lessons so she could protect me. “Something bad happened to her once. She hired this guy to teach her self-defense. She also studied martial arts. I don’t know if that would help, but…”
“Oh my God! You’re a fucking genius. I know that shit, how to fight and defend myself, but maybe I can start something on campus where I teach other women to do it! I love this idea! You’re the best, Dean!” She leans over the table and presses a loud, smacking kiss to my forehead.
It’s everything.
You’re lying to her. You’re going to betray her.
That truth eats away at my insides, reminds me I don’t deserve them…but I also don’t have it in me not to take anything they’re willing to give me, to hold on to it, because for the first time in my life, I’m almosthappy.
*
The Bar ispacked, but me, Tiernan, Aislin, Cillian, and Rory have a table against the side wall, where we’re out of the way but still in the middle of the action. Rory has been bouncing on his toes all night, dancing and drinking and meeting people in the bathroom or dark corners to push drugs.
The beer hasn’t stopped flowing. These fuckers can drink me under the table, but they’ve also been doing it a lot longer and harder than me. It was a part of life for them, but my mom never kept alcohol in the house. It just wasn’t her thing.
“I need to get laid,” Cillian says, and Rory nudges him with his elbow.
“We should find someone who wants to play. We haven’t fucked the same girl together in a while.”
Cillian shrugs. “Bet.”
Tiernan, Aislin, and I are in chairs closest to the wall, me between the two of them, Tiernan with his arm around my shoulders. We both marked each other up before we came, not only the hickeys on each other’s necks, but we came all over eachother after our shower. I don’t give a fuck if it’s wrong that I want to be possessed by him. As long as he lets me show everyone he’s mine too, that’s all that matters.
“Why don’t you guys just hook up with each other?” I don’t know if they fuck men, if either of them is bi.
“I mean…I’ve never done it, but I’d dick down a guy. Not Cil, though. He’s like a brother to me,” Rory says.
“Feels a bit ’cest-y.” Cillian takes a swallow of his beer.
“But it’s not if both of you are inside someone at the same time?”
Rory winks. “Totally fucking different.”
They laugh, and I turn to Aislin, both of us rolling our eyes.
“Maybe I should date a girl,” she says. “Men area lot…”
“Can we watch?” Rory pumps his brows.
“Hey, fuckface. Don’t talk about watching my sister have sex,” Tiernan warns, then looks at Aislin. “Yes. Do that. I like that idea better.”
“Because it’s up to you?” I ask.
Tiernan responds by biting my earlobe.
“Ouch. Watch your teeth, motherfucker.”
“You like my teeth, and yes, everything is up to me.”
“God help me from overprotective men. I’ll date who I want. Thank you, Dean, for always having my back.”
