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“She’s under my roof and still my daughter,” Papa mumbles, his voice strained from Kieran’s fingers tightening around his neck. “I didn’t like what she was wearing. You ambushed me. Demanded to take her today. I haven’t had time to train her.”
“Train her? She’s not a dog.” Kieran seethes but lets him go. After a moment, he glances my way, his cheek ticking. “You look… That’s acceptable for the drive home. Is this all you have?” He eyes my luggage.
Home… A spark of safety hits me, spreading a burst of warmth through my chest.
“Um… Yes, and my purse. I lost everything else in the explosion.” I choke back a sob.
Kieran twitches at my vulnerability, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. “I’ll buy you new clothes. And whatever else you need.” He stomps over, takes the black dress from my shaking grip, and puts it back in the luggage. After roughly zipping it up, he grabs my hand. “We’re leaving.”
“Wait.” I tug gently but don’t pull away. “I need another bag from the bathroom. Can I get it, please?”
“Yes, of course,” he says softly. “That’s how you talk to a lady, Gabe.”
“Get the fuck out, both of you.” My father strokes his throat.
From the bathroom, I grab my makeup bag with all my toiletries. I’ve been living out of it for two weeks. I know I’m leaving other things behind. Shampoo, perfume, razors… Kieran will just have to buy those things for me, too.
I have a few thousand dollars left in the account Mama set up for me freshman year. Unless my father emptied it.
Ivan!
Holy shit. How do I tell him I’m not going to Boston and that I’m marrying someone else? It’s so surreal, but I’m outnumbered. I have no choice.
“I’m ready,” I say, hiding my panic.
Outside my bedroom, the scary brother stands there, grinning at me.
“Put her in the car,” Kieran says to Lachlan. “I’m not done with her father.”
Ice goes down my spine. I don’t want to be an orphan. “No. Please.” I lay my hand on Kieran’s chest, feeling an odd sense of comfort with him. Even though I feel like I’m teetering on the edge, an ache stirs between my legs. “Please. He’s not worth it.”
“I’ll take care of him.” Lachlan cracks his knuckles.
“All I have to do is give the signal, and none of you will leave here alive,” my father grunts.
“I certainly want to stay alive for my wedding night with your daughter,” Kieran taunts my father, pulling me against him. “And you need the money. Forget it, Lach. He’s enough of a mess.”
Kieran steers me out of the bedroom, and I don’t look back. Walking through the upstairs hallway, down the steps, and out the kitchen door is a blur, with Lachlan in front of me and Kieran behind. I feel his eyes on my body, and his last words to Papa echo through me.
My wedding night with your daughter…
I’m breathless, thinking of what he means.
In the car I cluelessly watched drive up earlier, I sit in the back. Kieran gets in next to me after tossing the keys to his other brother, his underboss, whose name I forget. I’m reminded that Kieran drove, but he chooses to sit with me in the back.
“When…when are we getting married?” I ask softly, not believing these words are coming out of my mouth.
Kieran rubs his knuckles. “I’ll work out those details. My parents are on a cruise.”
Panic rises in my chest as it all hits me again, one blow after the other, now losing the chance to finish college.
He said we can talk about school, didn’t he? I doubt he’ll let me live in Boston if I’m supposed to be his wife. Maybe I can attend online. I’ve come so far. I want to finish.
“I’ll call my sister to plan the wedding.” Kieran lifts his hand to my face, and I flinch. His eyes go dark as he whispers, “It’s okay. I’ll never raise my hand to you. I just want to make sure you’re all right.” He takes out a handkerchief to wipe away any remaining blood from my nose. “I swear, I want to go back and fuck him up,” he grinds out through clenched teeth.
“No,” I blurt. “My father never hit me before.” I stifle a sob, thinking of the monster my mother had to put up with. And how she protected me.
Kieran stares out the window for the rest of the drive, and doom sloshes around in my empty stomach, thinking I’ve been pulled out of the frying pan.
