Page 30 of Sweet Vengeance
“I’ll cover for you,” Rory says. “If there’s anything that needs done while you’re with your pet.”
Yourpet. He’s lost theour, but much likekitten, thispetthing seems to be sticking.
“Okay.” I nod. This is a lot. Really, I just want to sleep right now, and all this is making my brain hurt.
Cillian goes upstairs, and Tiernan rejoins us. He sits in the armchair but doesn’t speak. As Dean talks to me, I feel Tiernan watching me. I don’t think his gaze leaves me the whole time. I can’t say it’s very comfortable. I try not to but shift multiple times, run my hand up my arm to try and hide the goose bumps there.
When Dean is quiet for a moment, Tiernan’s smooth, dangerous voice finally adds to the discussion. “You know I don’t have to let him do this, right?” he asks.
“T…” Dean starts, but Tiernan holds up his hand to stop him.
I hope my voice doesn’t shake when I say, “Cillian is an adult. He can do what he wants.”
“He is an adult, but you don’t understandus. Cillian always takes care of his responsibilities. He is always by my side. I would burn down the world for him, and he would do the same for me.”
I swallow around the boulder in my throat. Why is he saying this to me?
“I just want to make sure you appreciate the gifts you’re given—no matter how much or how little time you have them. There’s no one better to watch your back than him. I hope you appreciate that.”
I do. I honestly don’t want to, but I do. The truth is, I don’t want to be alone. It’s not something I care to admit, not something I like feeling, but I’m scared of what might happen to me, and as much as I hate it, it feels good knowing I’ll have Cillian close.
That’s not what Tiernan is saying here, though. He’semphasizing how good Cillian is and the sacrifices he’s making for me.
Why?I want to ask Tiernan.Why is Cillian doing this for me?
But then, maybe this is just part of who he is, maybe we’re all more than just one thing, and while there’s a lot of bad in Cillian, maybe there’s good too, and that good extends to a lot of people and not just me.
“I do.” I look away, unable to make eye contact with any of them. Unsure of what I’m even thinking or feeling.
Footsteps on the stairs save me, as Cillian comes down with a backpack and a duffel bag. “Come on. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
I stand too fast, not caring about the pain, needing away from them. Well, all of them except Cillian.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cillian
Tiernan wasn’t keenon the idea of Ollie staying with us, but he disliked even more the thought of me being gone to stay with Ollie. We’re used to being together. If something happens to one of us, we always have the others there to have our backs. Me being away when there’s a chance some assholes will come after Ollie wasn’t an easy sell to my cousin, but when I told him I was going no matter what, all he did was groan and rub his temples, which he’s been doing much more of lately, then told me he would give me one week.
Ollie’s quiet as we make the quick drive from our place to campus. I drop him off in front of his dorm, wait until he gets inside, then drive to the student parking garage before making my way back to his place. It’s a fucking hike, and I don’t want him to have to do it in the state he’s in.
When I get to his end unit, the door is ajar, and my eyes roll so hard, they nearly fall out of my head.
“People might be after you, and you’re leaving your door open.”
His expression tells me he hadn’t considered that. “I knew you were right behind me,” he lies, as if he’d weighed the pros and cons, though we both know he didn’t.
“Yes, and you could have been dead when I got here.” I set my bag on the chair. He’s sitting at his desk, with his laptop and books in front of him. “You’re not supposed to be looking at screens or reading.”
“I have work to do, Cillian.”
“You have a brain to heal, Kitten.” I close his laptop.
“You’re so bossy.”
I just shrug because it’s true, then look around the space. It’s big by dorm standards but small by mine. It’s going to be interesting sharing this room with him. Hopefully we get shit figured out by then and we can go our separate ways, but if not, I need to get him home with me.
“God, I hate this. That one stupid decision is messing up everything. I wish I never stopped to help that guy.”
