Wretched (Never After Series)

I’m staring into my father’s face, trying to figure out what he’s thinking and coming up blank.

A thousand different things are racing through my mind though. Mainly about the close call I had with Brayden earlier today. I knew it was stupid to stay in his room, and when Zeke came by and knocked on his door in the afternoon, I ran and hid in the bathroom like a kid caught stealing candy.

Not because we’re doing anything wrong, but because I have no interest in sharing Brayden with the rest of the world. What happens is between us, no one else.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Dad grunts.

“Changed my mind.” I smile, although my lungs squeeze tight at the thought of going to the On the Water event.

“Well, good. I’ve been meaning to talk to you anyway,” he continues, lighting the end of his Black & Mild. “I’ve got a gift for the Cantanellis.”

It takes a minute for his words to register. “For the who?”

“Come on, Bug. You knew I was planning to expand. I can’t do that without help. We need the Italian’s on our side or they’ll come after us.” He looks at me. “We’re the little guys here.”

“They’re already coming after us. You know they’re about to bid on that new construction site in downtown Kinland?”

He scoffs. “They can’t touch our city.”

“They can, if they’ve got the mayor in their pocket.” I shake my head. “You need to be smart about this.”

His fist slams down on the table. “Don’t you lecture me. I’m doing what’s best for us, for our family. If we supply the Cantanellis, we’re valuable.”

I let out a disbelieving laugh. “No, Dad. If we supply the Cantanellis, we’re their bitches. Plus, we piss off the Cartel, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anything to do with that. We’re doing just fine in our own little corner of the world.” I press my hand into the table until it aches. “Not to mention I don’t even have the capacity to produce enough for that level of distribution.”

“We’ll bring on more people.”

“Fuck. That.” I blow out a frustrated breath. “Look… we’ve got enough problems as it is. Remember I caught Liam’s piece of shit cousin cutting our drugs and keeping the profit? Who knows what other little shit is doing the same.”

Irritation wells inside of me, bubbling like a cauldron about to overflow. I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes.

Ten. Nine. Eight…

Once I’m back under control, I open them again. “The point is, you’re making a mistake. And on the off chance the Cantanellis do take you up on this offer, you’re asking me to do the impossible.”

He shrugs. “Then I suggest you figure it out.”

“Nessa would have never done this,” I snap.

His eyes flash as he puffs on his cigar, watching me. He brings the Black & Mild down, tapping his front two fingertips on the table. “Maybe if she had, then we wouldn’t be little fish in a big fucking pond.”

My fingernails dig into my palms to keep from lashing out and doing something I’ll regret. “She was cautious.”

“She was stupid,” he hits back. “And a laughingstock. You know how much work it took to get our name in good standing after the shit she did? The mistakes she made?”

My veins heat, fury rushing through them and I shoot up from my chair. “Shut up.”

“Excuse me?” He rises just as fast, leaning over the table and gripping my face tightly in his hands. I wince at the pain. “Watch the way you fucking speak to me.”

“You don’t know her,” I grit out through clenched teeth. My voice wobbles as emotion sprouts up and bleeds into my tone. “You never knew her.”

He laughs, tossing my face away from him. “Quit being dramatic. The best thing your sister ever did was take care of you. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, Bug, and I know you loved her. I know you miss her. But she wasn’t the hero you have her painted as in your head.”

My nostrils flare, a burn searing through my throat.

There’s no place like home and there’s nothing like family. Stick together.

My vision grows hazy in the corners, the urge to lash out and make him feel a tenth of the pain I do fills up my stomach and expands to my chest. But a knock on the door holds me in place. He goes to answer it and I’m standing stock-still, my fingernails still piercing into my palms, and my chair knocked on its side behind me. My jaw aches from where I’m sure red fingerprints are left behind.

Voices filter in through the hall and get closer as they come toward the center of the room, but I don’t look. I can’t move, my body frozen with the rage I’m trying like hell to stuff back down and hide.

“What’s wrong with you?” Dorothy says, stepping close and waving her hand in front of my face.

I look up.

My father’s staring at me, Zeke isn’t paying me any attention at all, and Brayden is scanning the room, a frown pulling at his features. My stomach flips when our eyes meet and he quirks a brow. He drops his gaze to my cheeks and his body stiffens.

It disgusts me how badly I want to walk over and wrap myself around him. Let him comfort me through the pain my dad just wrought from the darkest parts of my soul. I’ve been nothing but loyal to this family, yet this is how he repays me?

“Everything okay?” Brayden asks, his gaze never leaving mine.

“Everything’s fine,” my father replies, walking over and slinging an arm across my shoulders.

My body tenses, not liking the touch. I shrug out from under his grip.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” Dorothy sighs.

“Plans changed.” I grin at her, trying to find enjoyment in her distaste for me being here.

“Where have you been?” Dad snaps at her.

Her eyes grow wide. “I went down to the hotel spa and got a massage. I didn’t think you’d need me.”

He grunts, and I tilt my head, watching the way her fingers latch together and twist as though she’s nervous.

Brayden moves across the room while the attention isn’t on us until he’s standing close. He looks at me from his peripheral vision. “You alright?”

It’s such a small question. Inconsequential, really. Still, my heart flutters at the fact he’s asking.

“No,” I answer. “But I will be.”