“But … they just met,” Angelina complained.
“It was lust at first sight,” I said.
“She’s your boyfriend’s sister.”
“I noticed.”
“Doesn’t that bother him?”
I thought it over. “I think it would bother him if it was Braden or Redmond.” I had no idea why I was telling her the truth. “Cillian is different. He’s the sensitive one.”
“That’s why he’s the only member of your family I can stand,” Angelina said. “He’s the love of my life.”
Good grief. “Let’s not romanticize things, okay? You guys dated for six months, and you only went after him because it bugged me. I’m not stupid.”
“That might have been how it started,” Angelina conceded. “I really did fall in love with him, though.”
“And then you cheated on him.”
“That was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m trying to make amends.”
“You can’t,” I said. “It’s not possible.”
“It’s possible,” Angelina said. “You just need to tell him to give me a chance. He’ll listen to you. You’re the reason he keeps shutting me out, after all.”
“First of all, I’d rather have sex with an inbred hill freak than tell Cillian to take you back,” I said. “It doesn’t matter, though. Cillian and you would’ve never worked out. It was only a matter of time before you imploded. You’re not good enough for him.”
“I am, too!”
“No, you’re not,” I countered. “You aren’t the type of woman who can enjoy the lifestyle he wants to live. He doesn’t want to spend the weekends shopping and having brunch. He doesn’t want to live in a cookie-cutter subdivision and go to dinner parties. He likes to lounge around and watch sports. He wants to play golf. He wants to just … chill … with the rest of our family. You’re not built for that.”
“He could change,” Angelina said. “He could change for me.”
“You’re missing the point,” I said. “He shouldn’t have to change. He’s better off away from you. Quite frankly, you’re better off away from him. You’ve convinced yourself that you two had some great love story, but it was just a blip on his radar screen. You need someone as shallow as you are. You’re not going to be happy with Cillian, no matter what you tell yourself.”
“But … I love him.” Her ferret face was pitiful.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think you’re in love with the idea of him. I also think you cling to him because you still want to beat me.”
“I’ve already beaten you,” Angelina said. “I’m more successful than you. I have a better house than you. I’m … prettier than you.”
“You are not prettier than me.”
“Yes, I am.”
“You wish.”
“I know.”
“Woody, who is prettier?”
Woody glanced up from the glass he was polishing. He’d acted disinterested in our conversation, but I knew he’d been listening. “Oh, I’m not answering that. You’re both gorgeous.”
“She looks like road kill after it’s been driven over a hundred times,” I said.
“She looks like a skunk,” Angelina shot back. “Who told you those highlights looked good?”
“Everyone who sees them.”
“They’re lying.”
“You’re a whore,” I said, my temper flaring. Even a middling conversation with Angelina sends me over the edge. “You’re a ferret-faced whore.”
“You take that back!”
“No.”
“Take it back or I’m going to rip your skunky hair out of your head,” Angelina threatened.
“You can try.” Angelina reached for my hair, but I spun away from her. “You have the agility of a dead ninja.”
“Hey, if you two are going to fight, take it out to the parking lot,” Woody said. “I’m too old for this nonsense.”
I met Angelina’s challenging gaze. “We’ll be right back. It won’t take me long to beat her down and make her cry.”
“Oh, you’re going to be the one crying,” Angelina said, hopping off her stool.
Immaturity is one of the few skills I can exploit when I’m on the lam and pouting because my family is treating me like a child. There was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass. I needed to get my aggression out, and Angelina was an easy target. “Don’t you dare throw my drink away,” I said. “I’m not done with it.”
Woody waved me off. “Don’t kill each other.”
Angelina moved outside of the bar ahead of me, her shoulders squared. I knew why I wanted to fight. I had no idea why she wanted to sink to my level. Yes, I know I’ve completely lost my mind. I’m just so … frustrated.
“We need to set some ground rules,” Angelina said, swiveling to face me.
“Ground rules? You can’t make ground rules for a street fight.”
“No hitting in the face,” Angelina said, ignoring me. “I have an open house tomorrow.”
“Fine. No scratching with those acrylic talons of yours.”
“Fine. No kicking. I’m wearing heels, and it gives you an unnatural advantage because you’re wearing Converse. You should try buying adult shoes, by the way. Those make you look short and squat.” Angelina’s hands were clenched.
“So, what are you saying? We can hit each other in the chest?”
“Yes.”
Well, it was better than nothing. “Fine. I don’t want to hear you whine, though, when I beat your ass.”
“That goes double for you.”
“Great.”
“Awesome.”
I readied myself. “Wait. Where do we stand on hair pulling?”
“No hair pulling,” Angelina said. “This weave cost me a fortune.”
I knew she had fake hair. “Fine. Let’s go.”
“I’m ready.”
“Well … hit me.”
Angelina narrowed her eyes. “Why do you want me to hit you first?”
“Because, if I hit you first I’m going to look bad when I tell this story later,” I said.
“You look bad regardless.”
“You have all the appeal of a dirty toilet,” I replied.
“You … .” Angelina flew to the side, crashing against the Dumpster as a flurry of black filled the spot she’d just been standing in.
“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” I howled as the wraith focused on me. “You couldn’t wait five minutes? I’ve been waiting to beat her ass for fifteen years. You have the worst timing ever.”
“Aisling Grimlock.”
“You’re like a broken record,” I grumbled. “I know you can’t touch me, so you’d better just … step off.”
“Come,” the wraith ordered. “Follow.”
“No.”
“What is that thing?” Angelina was sitting on the ground, her hand moving through her long hair as she regarded the wraith. “I thought you killed it?”
“There’s more than one, moron.”
“You’re a freak. I always knew it. You just keep proving it.”
“You’re a freak.”
“Come,” the wraith repeated.
I ignored it and moved over to Angelina’s side, watching the shadow out of the corner of my eye as I bent down. “Did you hit your head?”
“Yes.”
“Did you lose consciousness?”
“No.”
“You’ll be fine.” I felt along the ground behind Angelina.
“What are you doing? Are you trying to feel me up?”
“Yes. I want to grab your ass. That’s what I’m doing.” There’s a reason I hate her. “I’m looking for … .” My fingers wrapped around a metal bar. I stood back up and studied the pipe. I had no idea what it was for, but it was the best option I had.
“Oh,” Angelina said.
“You’re such an idiot,” I grumbled. I turned back to face the wraith, brandishing the pipe for emphasis. “I’ve had a really rough day. I’m not abov
e beating you to death with this, though. I was ready for a fight, and you’re as good an opponent as any.
“I can’t beat up Angelina now,” I continued. “You’ve ruined that. If I hit her now, I’ll be the bully because she’s already injured.”
“Suck it,” Angelina snapped.
“Now, you have a choice,” I told the wraith. “You can attack me and let me kill you, or you can live to creep around dirty parking lots another day. It’s up to you.”
“No, it’s not.”
I recognized Aidan’s voice, but I had no idea where it came from. The wraith started to turn, but it was too late. The blade of a knife appeared in the middle of its chest, and the wraith exploded into a pile of ash, leaving Aidan standing there covered with wraith ash and drowning in a pit of fury.
As the dust started to settle, I saw another set of murderous eyes regarding me from the spot next to Aidan. Griffin didn’t look happy.
“You’re in so much trouble they’re going to have to think of a new word for trouble,” Aidan said.
And I was right back where I started.
Thirty-Three
“I can’t believe you brought me back here,” I muttered.
Aidan pushed me through the garage door and into the back foyer of Grimlock Manor. He’d driven Dad’s Bentley back, and I’d opted to ride with him because I feared Griffin would spontaneously combust if I climbed into his car. He hadn’t spoken one word to me yet, and I was terrified the first word to escape his mouth was going to be “goodbye.”
“Aisling, I know you think we’re being unfair to you, but you are just … out of control,” Aidan said.
“I know.”
Aidan’s face softened. “What possessed you to leave? You knew they were looking for you. You’re almost too stupid to live. If this were a horror movie, you’d be the first one to die.”
“I just … I’m sick of being treated like a child. You have no idea what it’s like.”
“You’re sick of being treated like a child, so you decided to steal Dad’s car and walk straight into danger to prove you’re an adult?”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time. How did you even know I was there?”
“Woody called.”
“Of course.”
“What was Angelina doing there?” Aidan asked. He ushered me ahead of him and into the dining room. Everyone was seated around the rectangular table, their faces masks of bubbling anger as they awaited my arrival. Only Maya had the grace – or pity – to shoot a smile in my direction.
“Angelina was there?” Redmond asked.
“Yes. She and Aisling were going to fight in the parking lot for Queen of the Pointe honors,” Aidan said. He nudged me forward. “Sit down.”
The spot next to Griffin was open, but my body rebelled against the notion of heading in his direction.
“He can’t kill you,” Aidan said. “There are too many witnesses.”
I blew out a sigh and sat down, placing the cloth napkin on my lap and focusing on my empty plate. “What’s for dinner?”
“An ass chewing,” Redmond said.
“I don’t need to be talked down to again,” I said. “I know I’m stupid. You’ve all drilled it into my head.”
“You are stupid,” Dad said. “We probably shouldn’t call you stupid, though.”
I lifted my eyes. “Excuse me?”
“You’re not stupid,” Dad said. “You’re impulsive and annoying.”
“Use your words,” Maya prodded.
Oh, I saw what was going on here. In my absence, Maya had given all the men in my life a talking to about the proper way to speak to a woman.
Dad bit the inside of his cheek. “It has been brought to my attention that we might – and I stress might – have treated you poorly.”
“We apologize,” Braden said.
“I don’t,” Griffin said, reaching for a bread stick and ripping it in two.
“Griffin,” Maya warned.
“I’m not apologizing,” Griffin said. “I’m angry. I’m so angry I could just … .” He squeezed the breadstick until it was a mangled mess.
“I agree with Griffin,” Dad said. “I know I shouldn’t do this, but I don’t know what else to do.”
“Do what?” I challenged.
“You’re banned from this family. I have no other options.”
My brothers burst into simultaneous snickers.
“Well, great,” I said. “I’m happy to be out of the family. Maybe now I can go through a day without being referred to as stupid.”
“I’m sorry I called you stupid,” Dad said. “You’re stupid, though.”
“Oh, I know.”
“Stop rolling your eyes like that, young lady,” Dad said, pointing. “I hate it when you do that.”
“I hate it when you point at me and tell me what to do,” I shot back.
“I hate it when everyone fights,” Jerry said. “Can’t we all just get along?”
“Shut up, Jerry,” Dad said. “You’re as much to blame in this whole mess as she is.”
“Excuse me?” Jerry was shrill. “How is this my fault? I didn’t steal your car.”
“You knew she was antsy and you left her alone at the spa,” Dad said. “You know she can’t keep her nose out of trouble. You should have watched her more closely.”
“Oh, now Jerry is my babysitter?”
“I know, it boggles the mind,” Dad said. “I couldn’t leave the two of you alone in a room together until you were teenagers because I couldn’t decide which of you was the greater menace. You’ve edged him out, Aisling. Congratulations.”
I scowled.
“Cormack, I think you’re confused by your emotions,” Maya said.
“I’m not confused.”
“Are you really angry with Aisling?” Maya pressed.
“I’m furious.”
“Could it be that you’re not angry and that you’re really fearful because an enemy has targeted her?”
“Nope. I’m angry.”
“I think you’re all afraid,” Maya said, not backing down. “You’re obviously all attached to each other, and I think losing any member of this family would be devastating for everyone. I also think you channel your fear in unhealthy ways.
“Aisling is the one in danger, and yet Cillian almost died last week,” she continued. “You’re all in danger. You’re focusing on Aisling as a way to deal with the danger. While that’s understandable, I’m not sure it’s fair to her.”
“I don’t care about what’s fair,” Dad said. “I care about keeping her safe.”
“We all do,” Redmond said.
“There’s an interesting family dynamic here,” Maya said. “You all dote on Aisling, and she’s spoiled rotten as a result. She’s used to getting her own way, and you don’t have a problem making sure she gets her own way.
“However, when things shift, you all smother her in an attempt to protect her,” she said. “Now, instead of getting her own way, you all exert your wants and needs on her and demand she fall into line. You’re sending mixed messages.”
“I knew that year of psychology you took in college was going to come back to bite me,” Griffin said.
“Your issues with Aisling are different,” Maya said, ignoring the jab. “You’re a cop, and you’re used to people doing what you say. You’re trying really hard to treat her like an individual and respect her job and decisions, but you’re out of your depth because you’re still getting used to this family’s reality.”
“Thank you, Dr. Phil,” Griffin said, his eyes dark.
“Your other problem is that you fear if you unload on her, and I mean really unload, you’re going to scare her away,” Maya said.
“That is just … .” Griffin shook her head.
“If you’d take a moment to look at Aisling, you’d see that she’s sitting there terrified that you’re going to break up with her because she stole her father’s car and ran headlong into danger,” Maya said.
“I am not,” I mumbled.
“Now, everyone here needs to accept the fact that Aisling is an adult,” Maya said. “However impulsive she is, you guys helped create the problem. Now you have to deal with it.”
“We are dealing with it,” Dad said. “I’m locking her in her room and hiding the key.”
“You might want to try a softer approach,” Maya said.
“I’ll give her pillows,” Dad said.
Maya couldn’t hide her smile. “I was thinking more along the lines of a compromise.”
“Oh, you’re cute,” Cillian said, patting her hand. “Dad doesn’t compromise.”
“I compromise.”
“When have you ever compromised?” Braden asked.
“Is Aisling thirty yet?”
“No.”
“Well, her boyfriend is sitting at the table, and I vowed she wasn’t going to date until she was thirty,” Dad said.
“Oh, well, I stand corrected.”
“How about a mutually beneficial compromise,” Maya said, refusing to let the lead in the conversation get away from her.
“Like what?” Dad asked.
“Like Aisling agrees to stay here with you until this is settled,” Maya said.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Maya silenced me with a look.
“And you all agree to let her go back to work,” Maya added.
“No,” Dad said. “She’s not safe.”
“If she goes out with one of her brothers she’ll be protected,” Maya said. “You can’t lock her up like a prisoner.”
Dad considered the offer. “Only if she agrees that she can go out only on daylight jobs and at places where there are a lot of people.”
Maya glanced at me. “Aisling?”
“Only if Griffin can stay here, too,” I said.
“Fine,” Dad said.
“In my room,” I added.
“Don’t push me,” Dad said.
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“We’ll talk about it after dinner,” Dad said. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. Griffin doesn’t look as though he wants to be anywhere near you right now. I can’t lock him in the house just to make you happy.”
A swift look at Griffin told me Dad was right. I had no doubt he’d be sleeping under a different roof tonight.
Grim Offerings (Aisling Grimlock Book 2) Page 24
