Page 108 of Craving Sin

“What are you and Bunny talking about?”

“How annoying you guys are to deal with,” Ollie lies.

“Well, I don’t believe that at all. At least not me. I’m the fucking best.” Rory grins.

Shai wraps his arms around him. “You’re something all right.”

“Dad is on his way home,” Cillian tells me. “He said to tell you we’re going to Fia’s tonight. She’s making an Irish roast dinner.”

“Fia is the best cook,” Rory says. “It’ll be worth it. I promise.”

I love the idea of a home-cooked meal, but I’m reeling some right now. The man has been torturing someone all day, and now we’re going to his ex-sister-in-law’s house for a family dinner? “Okay,” I say, a little overwhelmed.

“If you don’t want to go, it’s fine. Dad will do whatever you want,” Cillian says.

Okay, well, that makes it hard not to smile. “I want to go,” I answer, realizing I really do. I just want to feel normal tonight and try to forget all the bad shit that’s happened.

“Good. It’s good for him to get out,” Cillian says.

“I’ll remember that.”

A few minutes later, the house is filled with more voices as Rian, Conan, and Finan come in.

When Rian comes to me, reaching to cup my face, I can’t help but notice the bruises on his knuckles. It’s the only sign I notice that gives away any of what he was doing today. He said he wouldn’t come to me bloody the way he had the night with the Bellinis, and I believe he won’t.

“Hey.” Rian presses a soft kiss to my lips. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes. Come on. Let’s go upstairs.”

I nod and follow him up, Rian telling the others we’re going to get ready. It’s not until we’re in our room, door closed, that he asks, “Do you want to know anything?”

“Just what you learned.”

He sighs. “Not much. He won’t give up who your father was working with or for—I don’t even know. He’s scared of them, whoever they are. He’s not official government, which we already knew, and just like the others, he doesn’t have much official history.”

“Shit,” I say.

“Yeah, agreed. He did confirm he’d been watching you since you’ve been back, but he wasn’t the one who originally tried to kill you. He said they’re dead, but again, wouldn’t tell me who made that order. He doesn’t try to hide the things your father did and admits…” He lets the words linger, trying to protect my feelings.

“That he’s a rapist?” I ask.

“Yeah. I’m so fucking sorry.”

“I am too.” Not surprised, but I’m sorry. “He wanted me dead because I’d asked him about the women?”

“That seems to be the case. They were trying to clean up his shit behind the scenes, then you started asking about it. I think he got paranoid. His approval ratings had already been slipping. No one expected him to win reelection, so I’m sure he didn’t want to risk anything coming out.”

“He used my mom’s death for political gain. Jesus, you should have seen the press conferences he gave afterward. He would have done the same with me.”

“I wish I could have killed him for you. And I promise you, we’ll keep trying. We’re keeping this guy alive for now.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. “Fia would like us to go over for dinner. She wants to meet you, and I thought maybe you could use a night surrounded by family.”

Family. Because that’s what I have now, even if I don’t know any of these people well—or when it comes to Fia, at all.

“We don’t have to go.”

“No.” I shake my head. “I want to.”