Brutal Kiss

“What’s going on?” Dad asks, frowning at us.

“Everyone out,” Aiden barks, looking at the cousins. Nobody moves for one long moment. “Right now.”

They shuffle to the exit. Dad doesn’t argue, only frowns at me until the room is cleared and Aiden shuts the door. I stand there seething, hating myself for falling back into this trap. I knew it would be like this, with my controlling brothers and my insane father and my overly large and intrusive family, but I didn’t think it would happen on my first night home.

“What’s this about?” Dad asks, sounding more tired than anything else.

“Daley says she didn’t quit her job.” Aiden stalks around the side of the room, staring at me. “Did you know about this?”

Dad sighs and rubs his face. “No, I didn’t.”

“I’m not quitting my job. When did I ever say I was quitting my job?”

“You moved back home,” Aiden says. “You chose to come back here. That means you’re living by our rules.”

“Aiden,” Dad says, but Aiden keeps going.

“You’ve gotten a lot of leeway over the years, Daley, but times are changing. You can do so much for this family. There are dozens of crews with good guys running them, guys of marriageable age—”

“Oh, hell no,” I say, anger flaring. It always comes back to this with Aiden. He wants me married off to some politically advantageous criminal and bred like a goddamn cow. I refuse to marry for the family, much less to pump out a bunch of babies that my father and brothers will turn into criminals before they’re even ten. If I’m going to marry and have children, it’ll be with a man I love, and I’ll raise my kids far away from the Halloran clan. As far as I can get, anyway, since it’s becoming clear that I’ll never escape them, not entirely.

“When are you going to understand that everything you have comes from us?” Aiden glares at me, standing off to the side of Dad’s desk. “Your college was paid for with clan money. Your MBA program was paid for with clan money. Hell, you got into those damn places because Dad—”

“Enough,” Dad snaps angrily and Aiden stops, but the damage is done. I stare at my older brother, then slowly turn to my father.

“What’s he talking about?” I’m breathless and my heart’s racing in my chest. “What did you do?”

“Daley, please. It was a long time ago and it’s nothing. Your brother’s only being difficult.”

“Dad. Tell me. What’s he talking about?”

Dad sighs and takes a long drink before putting his cigar down. “I wrote a letter to the admissions board for you. That’s all, nothing else. I just reached out to some contacts—”

I take two steps back, my eyes wide. “You’re kidding me.” All this time, I thought I got into college on my own. I had good grades. I worked really hard, and I always told myself I would’ve been accepted no matter what my last name happened to be. Yes, I took Dad’s money to pay for everything, and I do owe them for that, but I thought I got in on my own merit.

Now I’m realizing everything I ever did was a damn lie. Everything comes back to my dad, my brothers, to this damn clan.

“Daley, please, your older brother is only trying to be a bastard.” Dad glares at Aiden, who shrugs smugly. “My letter was not the deciding factor.”

“But it was a factor.” I groan and tug at my hair, pulling and twisting it. “Would I have gotten in without you?”

“Yes, of course you would have.”

“But we’ll never know.” I start pacing and shake my head. “No, no, goddamn it, no, I’m not letting you two take this from me. I’m not quitting my job. I’m not becoming a tool for the clan.”

“You’d better rethink that position,” Aiden says softly.

“Aiden, enough. Daley, you don’t have to quit your job. Rian will continue to be your bodyguard, and he will escort you to work.”

“Dad, it’s dangerous.” Aiden sounds pissed, and I’m glad the shithead isn’t getting what he wants. “If the Turks—”

“If the Turks do what, attack her in broad daylight on a crowded train? She’s safer on regional rail than she is sitting around this house. Now both of you get out. I have a headache.”

I turn and storm to the door. I whip it open and walk into the hall, but Aiden catches up. He’s grinning at me as I whirl on him. “You’re a prick, you know that? Why the hell are you such a dick to me all the time?”

“Sorry, little sister, but you’ve been a liability for this family for way too long. I know it hurts, but let’s call this tough love.”

“God, you’re such a twisted, pathetic little man. Go to hell, Aiden. The worst thing that ever happened to this family was losing Shane, because it meant you got a little taste of power.”