From the Don's Son's Plus-Size Girl to His Brother's Claim novel · Chapter 14 of 24

Chapter 14: The Name

"Then I'm coming with you," I said.

"Meghan."

"He said end it by Sunday. He didn't say end it alone."

Sunday at one, Killian parked in front of the River Forest house, and I got out of the car before he could open my door.

There were eleven cars in the drive.

"He called the whole family," Killian said.

"Good," I said. "Let them watch."

The dining room was full.

Rosario's two sisters in black, with their husbands. A row of cousins in good sweaters. An old uncle with a cane who'd been at every funeral on Taylor Street since I was born.

Tiziano sat at his father's right hand in a dark suit, turning his gold watch on his wrist.

He looked up and saw me, and he smiled.

Rosario looked up and saw me, and he didn't.

"I asked for my son," he said. "Not a guest."

"She's not a guest," Killian said.

There was no chair for me.

One of the cousins started to get up and give me his, and his mother pulled him back down by the sleeve.

So I stood behind Killian's chair with my hand on his shoulder, and nobody passed the bread.

"Killian," Rosario said. "Your brother tells me things."

"He always has."

"He tells me you went after this girl to get to me. To make the Fennellys love you, and Taylor Street love you, and me feel I owe you a seat." He folded his hands. "He tells me the alley is a story you made up after you saw her in the deli."

One of the aunts murmured something to her husband. I heard the word "Irish".

"Do you think I made it up?" Killian said.

Rosario didn't answer.

"Pop," Tiziano said, very gently. "Ask him why he never mentioned it. Sixteen years."

"Because it was hers," Killian said. "Not yours."

The old uncle with the cane looked at me over his glasses.

"Girl," he said. "Did you know him? Back then?"

"I didn't know his name," I said. "I knew he ate a ham and swiss in four bites and wouldn't look at me."

The uncle grunted.

"That's not a con," he said to the table. "Nobody makes up a detail that stupid."

"Zio," Tiziano said, smiling. "Please."

Rosario took his glasses off his head.

He folded them.

He put them in his cardigan pocket, and the whole table went quiet, the cousins too.

"I'll ask once," he said. "End it, and keep your place in this house. Or keep her, and go."

Killian looked at him for a long moment.

Then he stood up.

He reached into his coat and took out his keys.

The car. The warehouses on the river. The security office in the tower. The gate of this house. A ring of them, heavy, older than me.

← Chapter 13 · All chapters · Chapter 15 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend