Page 144 of Forbidden Romeo

It was never an alliance between Aimee and me.

It was between Padraic and Connor.

The rage turns cold as hell.

Connor smirks at me from across the ring, clearly enjoying my torment. The realization that I’d been betrayed by my own father. For the man who murdered his son.

I never thought I would see the day that Padraic would do something like this. Would lower himself to an alliance with the family he swore was our greatest enemy.

Isn’t that what you did?I ignore the voice in my head as Connor begins to circle me.

No. The only reason Padraic would form an alliance with the Maguires would be if…

“Nothing to say? So much for the bastard prince of the Duffys,” Connor goads at me.

… If I actually threatened his position as head of the family.

What if Kate was right? What if Ray was just one of many who would willingly join me? To prefer me to lead them over my father.?

A memory stirs in my mind. Arnie sitting across from me at a dive bar.

“… it’s going to take a little more than a botched engagement to get me to leave him for Padraic… You, on the other hand…”

I am the rightful heir to the Duffy empire.

I let the killing calm take over my body, showing Connor the true face of the man who will take him down permanently.

“It was a mistake to come here,” I growl, stepping forward to square off against him.

Connor meets me in the middle. “Your brother isn’t here to take a bullet for you this time.”

His eyes are nothing like his sister’s. That earthy brown is colder, harder, with a vicious tinge that would make a lesser man shrink. But I won’t back down. Not when the monster within me is begging to be unleashed.

The ref puts his arm out between us. Brave man.

“Keep it clean, boys.” The ref steps between us, and with a final glare at my opponent, I turn away.

Over my shoulder, I hiss back, “Nova money isn’t going to save you in the ring.”

I hear Connor’s laugh as I tighten up my hand tape. It digs into my skin hard enough to draw blood if I’m not careful. But I don’t care. I won’t need my hands after I’ve finished pummeling Connor to death.

When I turn back to my opponent, his smile has widened. “No.” Connor looks over to where Padraic is sitting, but I can’t stand to follow his gaze. “ButDuffysmight.”

My roar is drowned by the sound of the starting bell.

I don’t waste any time.

Right hook, left hook, uppercut, all make contact with Connor’s jaw. Each land with a satisfying thump that has Connor retreating.

His footwork is fairly lethal, and he’s quicker than he looks–

I double over, winded from the blow Connor dealt to my stomach. He hits hard too. Goddamn it.

“That was for my sister,” Connor is saying when I return to my stance again. “What the hell have you done to her?”

I dodge his next hook and land a flurry of hits to his shoulder.

“Did Arnie not tell you?” I reply, evading his responding blow. “I just gave her something you never could: satisfaction.”

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