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Chapter one
Brendan
Gripping my cigarette a little harder than necessary, I take a drag filling up my lungs with nicotine and trying to convince my body to relax. Not that it works. The day I’ve waited for but dreaded is here. Suri Jones, back from her self-appointed exile. She left four years ago to get her degree. She always does what’s expected of her like a good little princess.
I’m not sure why I’m here… watching. For some reason, I needed to see her. I needed to punish myself. She looks the same as I’ve pictured her in my dreams over the years but I can’t seem to forget the night she shattered my world.
That night plays over and over in my mind. Standing on the balcony together, getting ready to profess my love to her, but before I can even get the words out she blurts, “Brendan, I’m engaged to your brother. When I graduate college, I’m going to marry him. It’s what’s best for my family.”
A car door slams and my head whips to the driveway. I see her foot first with one of those strappy sandals that she loves and I can’t tear my eyes away from her seriously long legs. As she folds herself out of the car, my breath stalls and my jaw clenches. Fuck…she’s even more stunning than I remember. Her curves seem fuller encased in those cut offs and a shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination. Her hair grazes her shoulder. She licks her lips…
Well fuck. Standing here staring at her, my cock starts to take notice. Technically she belongs to my brother. But only one word comes to mind when I look at her. Mine.
I shake my head. This will be messy. Complicated. But Suri will be mine. Deep down I know she feels the same but fear and obligation keep her in line. I need a plan. A surefire way to get the girl without letting anyone get in our way.
The memories of her telling me about being engaged try to run rampant through my brain. Her angelic voice ringing in my ears, "Brendan, we were never supposed to be together. I'm destined for bigger things than you. This is something I have to do.”
“Bullshit,” I whisper. Great, now I’m talking to myself like a pussy. What the fuck is wrong with me. Suri…she does this to me. Makes me crazy.
A dull throb starts to take flight in my chest. I take another drag of my cigarette but it does nothing. My lungs feel like they can’t get enough air. We always talked about the future and getting married. She never cared about the pretenses of our family's expectations.
I know her stepmother orchestrated the engagement to my brother. The whole thing just pisses me off. Making matters worse, I saw her after the gala. Holding hands. Smiling. She looked stiff and the smile didn’t reach her eyes, and Kieran’s eyes kept roaming around the room never focusing on her. But that didn’t stop the jealousy from swirling low in my stomach.
Clenching my fists around the pack of cigarettes, I crush them. While Suri has been away preparing herself for marriage, my brother has been off fucking his way through the city. I overheard him bragging to Henry how he loves to check out the auctions. It disgusts me to think that he has the most precious thing in his possession, and doesn’t even care.
Looking at her now my eyes take in her glowing dark skin, flawless as always. Her gorgeous ass fills out her jean shorts and makes me want to march over there and spank it. Make it sting so that every time she goes to sit down she remembers that she belongs to me.
I bet she still tastes like coconuts. Maybe I'll run my tongue up and down her legs to find out. The sun hits the cleavage spilling from her halter top and I can see the outline of her perfect breasts. My hands start to twitch with the need to grab them. I have never met a woman more beautiful than Suri. Since I first laid eyes on her when we were kids, I knew she was it for me. Quiet. Reserved. Shy almost. She has no idea the effect she has on men. Wearing shorts and tennis shoes, face clear of makeup, I can’t take my eyes off her. We never did much more than kissing before she left. She was young and not ready. Now…all bets are off.
Finishing the last drag of my cigarette, I throw it on the ground and grind it out with my shoe. Concentrating on the cigarette butt, I try not to think about how she would feel underneath me, writhing with pleasure. I can feel my cock straining against my zipper. Shit, I need to leave before I go after her right now. I’m not supposed to be here. I need a plan before I fuck this all up for a second time.
My father will kick my ass if he finds me here. He made a deal regarding my brother and Suri and my dad never backs out of a deal. His decisions revolve around power, class, order and money, not the desires of his second born spare.
My phone starts to vibrate in my back pocket, bringing me out of the trance that she seems to have me in. I look down as I pull it out, and see that it’s the devil himself, my father. He’s got quite the sixth sense. I hit accept “Yeah.”
My father’s voice fills the air when he grunts out, “Where are you?”
I can’t let him know where I’m at so I keep it vague. “I’m out.”
He hums, “Get to the warehouse. We need to talk.”
I just grunt, hanging up the phone. As hard as it is to pull myself away, I get back into my car. Throwing my phone down in the passenger seat next to me, I don’t look back. I just keep moving forward. It won’t be long before I never have to secretly drive away from her again.
Pulling up to the warehouse, I see Kieran standing next to my dad. Our men hustle all around them, taking orders from Henry, orders that Da and Kieran had passed along to him.
My brother and I are complete opposites. He takes after my father while I look more like our mother. He has light hair with green eyes and I have dark hair with blue eyes. We’re both tall, but where he’s toned and lean, I’m more filled with muscle. A must in my job within the family. I need to be strong, look imposing to our enemies, and I was bred to protect the family at all costs. He runs the family businesses. I know he thinks I’m only good for getting into fights. The brains and the muscle - or so my family believes. They treat me like the hired help without any skills or knowledge of the business side of things. My whole life has revolved around my look, my image, my brawn. Deep down I know my worth but that’s not to say it doesn’t get to me sometimes.
My brother and father have their heads down talking in whispers. Conspiring about something I’m sure. I can tell it’s serious because my father seems tense. Something bad must have happened for them to bring me in. They only need me when there’s trouble. The sacrificial lamb. The second son, not the heir, just the spare, as my brother likes to remind me. Neither one of them would be caught getting their hands dirty. But mine? No problem. I can’t fight Da. If I dare to defy him then he will cast me out, not just out of the organization, but out of the family. I would never be able to contact my brother or mother again. It would break her heart.
I push open the car door and get out. When the door slams, they both look up at me.
Nodding my head to show the respect their positions grant them, I say, "Hello Da, Kieran."
Putting my hands in my pockets, I stop right in front of them. I don’t say anything and let the silence fester. Most people can’t help but fill the silence and in my line of work, in this family, I use it to my advantage.
Finally, my brother rolls his eyes. He glances over to Henry who is standing behind them, nodding his head, to indicate that Henry should join us. Once Henry joins, he finally speaks. "Brendan, we have a job for you. Sean from the butcher store doesn’t want to pay what he owes us. I need you and Henry to go make sure they know that the O'Sullivan's are in charge."
He passes me a paper with the address on it. I take a deep breath and move my eyes away from my brother to the head of our family. "Da, why are you sending us to do this? We have men who could shake him down?"
