Page 33 of Toxic

Dante's hand makes circles on my back, and his deep voice cuts through the air. "Bridge. I'm so sorry. We all came home as soon as we heard."

The whiskey glass slips from my hand, shattering on the floor. He pulls me into his chest. I don't look at him as I wail into it. When I finally can speak, I meet his eyes.

There's pity in them. It's something I've never seen in Dante Marino. I hate everything about his stare. It makes me think once again about telling him everything. So I push away from him, booking it toward the door.

"Leave me alone, Dante. I don't need you around my children or me. Don't come back."

"Bridget, what are you talking about?" he questions.

I speed up and move up the staircase, not looking at him. "I meant what I said. We aren't friends. We were never friends. Don't come back."

"Bridget!" he roars.

I run faster, locking myself in my suite, taking deep breaths. No matter what, I need to stay away from Dante. He's the one person I might not be able to hide the truth from. And I won't risk my children's lives.

7

Bridget

5 Years Later

"Whatever, Bridget,"Sean sneers.

"Stop calling me Bridget! I'm your mother!" I cry out for the hundredth time.

He scowls. "Don't you mean a liar?"

My insides shake so hard, I grip the doorframe for support. "Sean—"

"Oh, you're just in time, Fiona. Bridget is going to give us another lecture on—"

"Enough!" Dad's voice booms.

I momentarily close my eyes only to catch Sean refocusing his glare on my father. Ever since he overheard us arguing about the O'Malleys and found out I lied about them not wanting to be in our lives anymore, the love my children have for me seems to have vanished.

They hate me.

I hate me.

Over the last five years, I've spun a massive untruth about the O'Malleys to keep my children safe, but it was that or have the Baileys and Rossis come after them. Then my father made some deal with Sean's brother, Killian. Dad came home, insisting that enough was enough and that he wasn't going along with this anymore. He demanded I tell him why I've lied about the O'Malleys not wanting to see the kids. For weeks, we've gone around and around. I've always held my ground that the kids aren't seeing them. That it's not safe.

Dad kept pushing, just like my brothers. A year ago, my brothers went to Ireland to handle family business. While I missed them, a part of me was happy. I only had to deal with Dad. Whenever I ended our conversations, we'd spend days not talking, but I always kept my kids safe.

Until everything came crashing down around me. One day, my father said he wasn't backing down anymore, and that's when we really got into it. Our voices got louder, and the door flew open.

I'll never escape the betrayal on Fiona's expression or forget the look on Sean's face when he said, "Uncle Killian wants to see us? You lied to us?"

And now, my kids are stepping into the lair. Pandora's box is open, and everything is unraveling around me. I no longer know how to protect them. Sean is insisting on changing his last name back to O'Malley and claiming he's moving to Chicago. He tries to convince Fiona to do the same every chance he gets. My fourteen-year-old baby girl is just confused. I see her indecision on whether to follow her brother or forgive me. All of it breaks my heart on a daily basis.

Sean jerks his head toward my father. His anger radiates all around him. He challenges, "You aren't any better thanher, are you?"

"Sean, stop," I beg.

Dad steps next to me. I put my arm out to stop him from getting any closer. The situation only gets more volatile, and I lose control of the ability to hold my tears.

Dad points his long finger at Sean, his face red, seething, "I'm two seconds away from canceling your evening."

Sean sarcastically laughs. "You think you're going to keep me from my family? My blood? Go ahead. Try it."

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