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“I’m Imogen. You can call me Gen if youwant.”
“Imogen,” I said, my voice thick and hard.Projecting nothing.
Her smile didn’t waver. I didn’t know her. Ididn’t owe her anything. This time tomorrow, she’d be out of thispenthouse and in the streets with the rest of her family.
“He looks so much like you,” she said.
I pulled my hand back and turned from her. Iwasn’t an animal at the zoo.
“Imogen,” Maddox said. “You’re making himuncomfortable.”
“I can speak for myself, thank you,” Ihissed out. “And yes, please keep your distance,” I told her.
That made her frown, and her brotherspractically snarled my way. I turned to Tristan, my hands claspedin front of me. “Why am I here?”
I ignored Imogen sulking back to herseat.
“I wanted to introduce you to yourfamily.”
I snorted. “It’s been twenty years,” Isnapped, unable to call him father. “Why now?” I couldn’t hide thedisdain in my voice.
When Tristan didn’t speak, I slowly got tomy feet, ready to bolt out of this place. “Well, this has beennice,” I said dryly.
Tristan and Maddox got to their feet. Maddoxseconds away from pulling a gun out, I was sure.
“Kieran,” Tristan said. “Please. Just let meexplain.”
“Explain?” Fucking explain! I wanted toscream.
“This was a mistake,” Declan said. “Talk himdown or get him out. If Cillian finds him here, he’s going to doworse.” With that, Declan motioned to Imogen and made haste to getout. They still didn’t know Cillian was dead.
“Kieran, please sit.”
I saw no other way out of this unless Iplanned on gunslinging my way out of here. I sat. Liam and Maddoxmoved closer. Tristan seemed to need his brothers. Yay him.
“You are twenty now.”
I held back another snort. So he did know mybirthday.
“Your mother and I,” he started.
The mention of my mother made me bristle.All my muscles tensed, and I had to restrain the urge to charge thefucker. I felt my blood drain from my body, and I regretted nottaking my insulin before I came up here.
“We wanted you to be free of this life. Tolive a normal life until you graduated college. It was the reason Istayed away.”
“But you didn’t stay away. You took me awayfrom my grandmother after I lost my mother. I was ten years old. Doyou have any idea what he did to me?” The threads that held metogether started to fray. I was going to lose my shit.
Tristan clamped his hands together in avice-like grip. Uncanny at how similar we were in not only ourappearance but our mannerisms. I hated it. I hated him. “Cillianfound out about you after your mother died. I made the mistake ofvisiting her before … and I was followed. He took you. I…” he shookhis head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Like fuck it doesn’t,” Maddox said. “Tellhim everything or I will.”
Tristan looked about ready to murder hisbrother. I would be onboard with it too. “Your grandmother calledme crying that they’d taken you. It took me months to find outwhere he put you. And then everything changed.”
“Your wife died. Your real son needed you.You left me to be tortured, trained, used as his weapon. I get it.I’ve lived. Survived with it. I don’t want anything from you,really,” I didn’t want to hear this shit, I got to my feetagain.
Tristan dropped an envelope on the table infront of me. “Cillian kept a catalog of your kills with,” hesighed. “with video. I don’t know how he plans to use it.” Maddoxgrunted. Tristan ignored him and went on, “but if you sign, you’llbe protected as my heir. Anything you ever did will be backed up byour name, our family. Your past and future mistakes are ours.”
Cillian Brennan used me. Even in death, hestill had power over me, and I hated him for it. I should’veprolonged his torture. He’d gone too quick. And Tristan was givingme a safety net. A way out. He was giving me what I wanted.Legitimacy. For the first time, I saw something different than theman I hated. He looked tired.
