Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
RILEY
Kieran Sullivan’s kitchen island has officially become my new study space, which is not something I ever thought would happen.
It’s pretty perfect considering its proximity to both the fridge and the coffee pot. His collection of snacks is significantly underwhelming and something I will have to rectify if I’m still here by the time I start my senior year, but for now, it works.
By the time I come up for air, the sun has shifted across the hardwood floor, and my coffee’s gone cold. I’m surrounded by textbooks, highlighters, and sticky tabs, but my notes are no longer making sense, and I’ve read the same paragraph four times without taking in a word.
I flick through to another chapter, hoping that switching topics might help, but my phone starts vibrating on the counter beside me.
I eagerly jump at the chance for a break. Though that eagerness instantly fades when Oscar’s number flashes on the screen.
I let out a groan.
I ignored three calls from him last night and another two this morning, but my brother is not getting the message that I’m not interested in talking to him.
“Why the hell didn’t I block him already or withhold my number?”
I wait for the screen to go black, but just as soon as it does, it lights up again with another incoming call.
In my anger, I stupidly decide to answer. “What part of ‘I need space’ do you not understand?”
Oscar is silent for a beat before he answers. “Riley, don’t be a brat.”
I hold the phone away from my ear and let out a silent scream.
If Kieran is watching on the security cameras right now, he’ll likely think I’m having a nervous breakdown, but I just can’t cope with the sheer audacity of my brother.
I can’t understand how he’s not even being the slightest bit sympathetic toward my situation, the very one that he has forced me into.
Maybe my brother is more like my father than I thought, and the Walsh bloodline is made up of nothing but male sociopaths.
“Leave me the hell alone, Oscar.”
“Do you think this is a game? Do you think pulling this little stunt is going to make things easier?”
“I didn’t pull a stunt, I made a choice. One you clearly weren’t going to let me make on my own.”
“You think I wanted this? Sean is dangerous—”
“Exactly! Which is why you should have never even considered handing me over to him like some kind of prized cow!”
“You have no idea what you’ve done. Rion is furious. You’ve embarrassed him, and you’ve embarrassed me.”
“I really couldn’t give a shit. I’m not coming back.”
“You will if you know what’s good for you.”
My stomach flips at that tone. It’s identical to the one my father used every time he tried to get me to fall in line.
But I’m older now, and I’m not so easily intimidated.
“Lose this number, Oscar.”
“You’ll regret this.”
I hang up the call and let out a noise somewhere between a groan and a scream.
“What the hell is that sound?”
Kieran.
My phone falls from my hand and crashes against the marble countertop as I spin around to find him standing a few feet away.
“Jeez, you scared me.” I hold a hand to my chest.
He’s wearing his usual all-black outfit that makes him look like some kind of mafia grim reaper and a slightly alarmed expression on his face. In my Oscar-induced rage, I hadn’t noticed the sound of the elevator opening, and my heart is now paying for it.
“You and I both.”
When I say nothing, his dark brows pull together, and he looks at me with something that I can only decipher as concern. “Is everything okay?”
Did Kieran Sullivan just take an interest in how I was feeling?
Clearly, I don’t do a very good job of hiding my surprise as Kieran rolls his eyes before crossing over to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
“Contrary to what you might believe, I’m not a complete ass.”
“Jury’s still out on that one. Unless you got that personality transplant that I suggested?”
The corner of Kieran’s lips twitches, and I find myself biting back a smile.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I start tidying up my study notes. “Anyway, nothing is wrong. Just tired.”
“Well, I suggest you take a nap before our big date tonight.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Be ready to leave at seven.” He takes a sip of water.
“For what?”
“Karaoke.”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
Kieran’s dark eyes dance with amusement as he looks at me. “I’m taking you to Caesar’s for dinner.”
“Caesar’s… as in the fancy Italian place in Soho?”
“Only the best for Princess Riley,” he teases. “Unless, of course, it’s not high-end enough for you?”
I scowl as my stomach knots, and not from the fact that I’m going to have to sit through a dinner with Kieran Sullivan.
In my haste to pack a suitcase and flee my gilded cage, I didn’t think to pack cocktail attire, and the fact that that’s the detail I’m choosing to focus on only makes me more anxious.
I should be disgusted by the idea of sitting in a low-lit restaurant across from a man who could easily pass for a GQ model while drinking expensive wine and gouging myself on pasta, and yet…I’m not.
Maybe I’m the one who needs a personality transplant. Or maybe just a prescription for a strong anti-psychotic because something is clearly wrong with me.
“No, it’s…fine,” I manage to choke out.
“This dinner is all about optics. People are going to start hearing about the marriage, and we need to be seen together. Caesar’s is public enough to make a statement but private enough to control the crowd.”
“Sure…” I’m barely listening, too busy worrying about what the hell I’m going to wear tonight.
I doubt he would let me out of the penthouse to go shopping, in case I decided to go running back to my uncle, and even if he did, I don’t have any money and I’m not about to ask him for his credit card.
No. I’m going to need to take a different approach here. “I need a favor.”
Kieran’s eyebrows briefly shoot up before briskly returning to their usual frown. “What?”
“My friend Lucy and I were meant to study together this afternoon.”
“So?”
“So, it’s a bit too late for me to cancel, and she really needs my help with this particular exam.”
“That sounds like a you problem.”
“Look, I doubt you’re going to let me go to the library, so can she come here to study for a few hours? I promise we’ll stay in my room.”
“No.”
“Kieran, please.”
“Is Princess Riley saying please?” He puts a hand to his chest in mock horror.
For a moment, I consider turning on the waterworks to double my chances of persuading Kieran to let me see my friend, but to my surprise, he gives in without further begging.
“Fine, but only if you stay in your room. This is my apartment, not a damn sorority house, although…”
His eyes purposefully roam over my outfit.
But unlucky for him, I’m wearing a pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that hide everything from view.
Not that I think it’s making much of a difference from the way his eyes darken.
“Such a pig.”
I’m starting to rethink my choice of not warning Lucy before she turned up at Kieran’s swanky penthouse that I had temporarily moved in with the resident whore of the Sullivan family.
The bottle of wine that she’s holding almost goes crashing to the floor the moment she steps out of the elevator and takes a look around at my new digs.
“Oh, you have some explaining to do.”
As promised, I take Lucy immediately up to my room so we can stay out of Kieran’s way.
He’s locked himself away in his bunker, so I doubt he could hear us, but I don’t want to piss him off just in case, especially when I’m going to have to spend an evening in his presence.
I press my back against the door. “Did you bring the dresses?”
Lucy pats her overflowing tote bag. “Yeah. But tell me again why you needed them?”
Her eyes dart around my room, taking in the expensive furniture and the handful of belongings that I’ve scattered around.
“You might want to sit down first.”
Lucy’s eyes widen for a brief second before she plops down on the end of the bed and unscrews the bottle of wine.
“I…have a date.”
“A date.”
“Yes.”
“With whom?”
I take a deep breath, mentally bracing myself for the conversation I’m about to have.
Lucy might not have grown up in a crime family like me, but she knows enough from what I’ve told her over the years, which means when I come clean about who I’m currently living with, I’m going to be in for one hell of a scolding.
“Kieran Sullivan.”
Lucy stares at me for a moment before bringing the bottle of wine to her lips.
“I realize this is a lot to take in.” My stomach twists at the look of horror on my best friend's face.
“So, I’m guessing your family doesn’t own this place?” She looks around the room again.
“No…”
“You keep talking, and I’ll keep drinking.”
By the time I’ve finished recounting the entire story, from how I overheard Oscar and Rion discussing my impending nuptials to Sean O’Keefe down to my dinner date with Kieran Sullivan, Lucy has drained half the bottle of wine.
“I’m glad I bought this. Christ, it’s like I’ve woken up inside some insane version of The Bachelor.”
“You’re telling me…” I sigh, flopping down on the bed.
“I mean, I was starting to wonder if you were going to check yourself into a convent after graduation, and now you have two guys wanting to marry you?”
“I think you’ve missed the point of my story, Luce.” I snatch the bottle of wine and take a swig.
“This is…”
“Insane? Moronic?” I hand back the wine.
“Kinda hot.”
“Lucy! This is Kieran Sullivan we’re talking about!”
“I know, which is what makes it so hot. I mean, we’re talking about you getting fake married to one of the most dangerous men in the city.”
“Believe me, I’m not thrilled about it, but I have no other options. Oscar wasn’t going to stop Rion from marrying me off to Sean, so I had to do something.”
Lucy’s face hardens at the mention of Sean O’Keefe. She’s never met the man, thankfully, but she knows enough about him to understand that being his wife is nothing short of a death sentence.
“What a creep.”