“What the fuck does that mean?” He sighs and shakes his head. “You fucking started this, so finish it,” I taunt him, wanting to know what crawled up his ass and died.
“What are you gonna do, beat it out of me with your cane?”
“What is your problem?”
“My fucking problem is that it’s yours and Finn’s fucking world, and we all live in it. Lorcàn spent years with Elena, pining after her, taking care of her, and not once did either of you thank him for that shite. He’s back in this house, the only one able to give her any comfort, and yet he’s still a second-class citizen. He came from the same fucking ball sack as you motherfuckers, but because he didn’t have your bitch of a mother?—”
“Watch yourself, Declan,” I growl, cutting him off.
“I’m just saying, you and your fucking womb mate are the whole reason we’re in this pile of shite, and yet you both act like you’re the ones saving this fucking family.” He laughs and shakes his head. “This family, pack—whatever the fuck you wantto call it—is carried on the backs of us lowly servants, and don’t you forget it,” he sneers before turning around and walking down the hall.
I feel a presence behind me, assuming it’s Elena. But it’s Maeve acting like she’s dusting the wall.
“You have something to say too?” I snap, but she just continues dusting the already pristine wall.
“I think my boy said everything worth mentioning,” she replies before walking into Elena’s room.
If tonight doesn’t kill me, having to deal with everyone in this house will.
23
LORCÁN
I knewthis was a bad idea the moment Finn brought it up, but there’s nothing I can do about it.
Finn, as much as he might be entertaining Cillian being in charge, is the head of the family.
At least when our father isn’t here, which has been more often than not over the past few years.
It’s a hierarchy I became well aware of the moment I walked through the O’Brien front doors and realized my new reality. I was the unwanted son of an illicit affair. For all my father’s downfalls, I can definitively say that out of everyone in that house, I felt like he was the only one who didn’t hate me. However, I knew I’d never be on the same pedestal as Finn and Cillian. Yet, my stubborn dumbass couldn’t quit searching for validation, wanting so badly to fit into the family that didn’t want me.
I thought about leaving, starting a new life where I wasn’t in the shadow of my half-brothers, but something always held me back. There was always another reason to prove myself, another way to garner my father’s favor.
But I think that part of me is dead.
When Elena asked me to run away with her, I automatically said yes, but now I think I mean it.
What if I could take her away from all of this? What if I could have this one thing that belongs to me? Selfishly, I also want to take away something that Cillian wants, but more than anything, I want Elena.
She could do so much better than this life of corruption and darkness.
The warehouse starts to fill up. We have security around the perimeter, and there are extreme precautions being taken at the entryway. There was no way to prevent weapons. There never is in this town. But there’s an incredibly strict list of who can and cannot be let in for the event.
Salvatore Barbieri walks in, a young, flashy Beta on his arm as he and his own personal security head towards the seats we reserved for them in the front row.
He squints at me, recognizing me from all the years I trailed behind Elena at different functions, but clearly, he can’t put a name to my face.
“Mr. Barbieri, your seats.”
“Weren’t you one of Matteo’s men?” he asks, arching one of his thick, dark eyebrows.
“Was always an O’Brien, sir. Mr. Amante kept me on as Elena’s future mate.”
“Ah, his daughter always was an interesting one. I suppose I can’t talk,” he sighs, looking off to the corner. I can almost see the festering anger bubbling inside of him over whoever took his daughter.
“It’s quite odd for a leader to volunteer to go into the ring. Does Seamus’ son really think he has what it takes to take on my top fighter?” he asks me.
I don’t say that I’m also Seamus’ son or that Finn has been fighting his entire life. Honestly, if he wasn’t expected to hold theseat for the family, he could have gone professional. I think we would’ve all been happier for it.
