Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98000 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
When Mass is over, I breathe out a sigh of relief as we step into the Boston sun.
“You didn’t even pretend to be interested,” my younger sister, Aislin, says. She’s eighteen and will be a freshman this year, while I’m going into my sophomore year. I’m thankful as fuck she’ll be with me where I can keep an eye on her. I don’t trust anyone to take care of her as well as I can.
“I’m not as good an actor as you.” I cock a brow at her.
“I can’t wait to get the hell out of here,” she says, echoing my thoughts.
We’re never truly free, not of who we are, or our birthright, and…I don’t really want to be. The power is fucking incredible, even if stifling on occasion.
“We should go have lunch before the two of you head out,” Mom says, making me tense. It’s a reminder that again, I’m leaving her alone. She hates it. Sometimes I think she hates everything about our life, but I don’t believe it was always like that.
“Yeah, okay,” I say, but Dad shakes his head.
“Fia, we have business to take care of,” he warns her. “You can have lunch with Aislin, and then Blain will take her to school. Tiernan will head up later.”
Blain works for my father. He’s hired muscle, though I guess we all are, but he has Blain driving Aislin around a lot. He doesn’t always do the same for me, as though Aislin can’t take care of herself just because she’s a girl. She would fuck us both up, but my father would never be able to admit it.
“I can drive myself.” Aislin crosses her arms.
“Stubborn like her mother,” Uncle Rian says.
“She’s tough like her,” I cut in.
“Yes,” Dad says, “and your mother still has a bodyguard.”
“Dad—” Aislin starts, but Dad holds up his hand, silencing her.
“He won’t stay with you. He’s driving you there. I don’t know how late your brother will be. And then you’ll have him there to keep an eye on you.”
I can see my sister biting her tongue, but Mom, always the peacekeeper, puts an arm around her. “It’s just a ride, and then Tiernan will be there.”
But that means he’s leaving her without a car. She’ll be living on campus, and I won’t, so in his mind, that must ensure she’ll be dependent on me.
“Whatever,” Aislin replies. Dad kisses her forehead, and she says nothing and walks away. He would never accept that behavior from me, so in some ways, she has the advantage, and in others, it’s better to be me.
“I’ll miss you so much.” Mom pulls me into a hug, squeezing so tight it’s hard to breathe.
“I’ll miss you too.” It’s true. Sometimes I think she’s lonely. Actually, there’s no sometimes about it. She is, though it’s confusing. How can we be lonely with so many people around us all the time? How can we want for anything when we have everything? But then, I guess she doesn’t. She has a husband who treats her like shit and a son who will follow in his footsteps.
“Have a good semester. Call me every day and—”
“Fia. He’s a grown man. Let him go. We have business to attend to.”
We both know my father has the last word, so we pull away. Her eyes are watery, and I wonder if it’s hitting her that both her children will be away for college now. We’re close, all of us, even if we show it in different ways. And besides, Aislin and I will be back. We’ll always be back because we’re O’Sheas and we stick together.
“I love you,” I whisper, for only the two of us, then follow my father to his black SUV.
As soon as we approach, Oscar, his new driver, opens the door for us. I get in first and scoot all the way over, and my father slides in beside me.
“Someone stole from us, and we’re handling it.”
My pulse kicks up, and probably not in the way it would for most people. I dislike liking this part of it, but I can’t deny that I do. I’ve been taught my whole life that all that matters is the power you wield and how others fear you. My father is the best at both, and while I hate him for it, I also want to be like him.
No. I want to be better than him.
Still, I don’t know why he’s bringing me with him to handle this business. He could have brought Rian or anyone else, but he chose me. “Why?” I ask.
“Because I wanted you,” he answers, knowing what I meant. “Is it so bad that I enjoy seeing my son succeed?”
Succeed is a strange word to use, but I don’t call him on it. Don’t call him on anything he says, though it’s like a knife to the heart each time.