Broken Dreams (Unhingedverse)
Broken Dreams: Chapter 22

QUINN

This dinner is never going to end.

I haven’t touched a single thing on my plate, and I noticed that Adira hasn’t either. My mother would usually cook meals like this, which means he hired catering. There is a single male beta who is bringing dishes in and out while everyone ignores him and talks together.

The topic seems to be me, unfortunately.

“So where have you been all of this time?” Patrick Ryan asks. There is a group of six of these men around the giant dining room table, including my father and Mr. Kelly.

I always thought it was overkill to have such a large table, but these alphas seem to dwarf it. I gaze at this man from across the room with Cian and Adira bookending me between them and remain silent. I didn’t bring the mini tablet to join the conversation.

I brought it to protect myself and say something on my terms.

These old men can get fucked with a rusty pole.

“She doesn’t speak,” Adira says, taking a small sip of water. We want to see how nasty they’ll get, and how much it’ll take to pull them to my side once my father begins to feed into it.

Tonight, I’m in the business of shaming alphas.

“She spoke as a child,” Corbin Murphy grunts, appearing concerned. He was always one of my favorite people at events.

I remember how sweet his wife was as well. Corbin is a fairly straight shooter.

“I have no idea,” my father says, shrugging. “She came back like this. The Kelly boys have been keeping my daughter from me.”

Rory Kelly winces at those words, while I watch his body language. It’s clear this has been an ongoing issue between the two of them.

“I don’t know what’s going on with them,” he says. “Damn fool boys.”

Adira sniffs because those are her best friends, and apparently she’s been the talk of the families with their friendship. For the love of God, they aren’t fucking, people.

“Those ‘damn fool boys’ are better men than most,” she says. Surprisingly, the alphas at the table sit up straighter at her words.

There’s a quiet to her words, as she also only speaks when it’s warranted.

“Is it true that you’re working for Cerenity Quinn, girl?” Theo Finnegan asks. “I swear, it’s just a step up from being a stripper. You’re going to bring dishonor to your poor father.”

Since I’ve been a stripper and much worse, I merely smirk at him. It’s not the reaction he’s anticipating, so he begins to flush red.

“Hudson, your daughter is being rude,” he growls.

Your perception of my face has nothing to do with me, sir. Fixing my features into a more neutral tone, I ensure my father doesn’t see what Mr. Finnegan does.

I do note how judgemental he is, and it makes me decide that I’m going to need to speak to his sons, despite how badly Alisa has treated me in the past. It is possible she’s not their sister, but I can take the steps to replace out for sure.

“You’re being oversensitive, Theo,” my father says. “She’s not doing anything, which is part of the problem. She could be deaf as well for all I know!”

His roar is something that makes my heart pound faster, but I force myself not to react. He wants to believe I’m both deaf and mute? Game fucking on.

I’m not responsible for his prejudices.

“If she doesn’t speak, then how are we meant to protect others from disappearing?” Patrick asks. “Adira has been discussing setting up task forces to protect our people from traffickers, yet she’s the only proof that it happens.”

“Yes, my bruises were a miserable example,” Adira says sarcastically. “I know what happened to Quinn, and I can tell you that she was sold by someone who is close to her. There are snakes everywhere. The variations of how people end up at auction or sold are many, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening any less.”

“Between the foul women at ROWS who spout off their bullshit to omegas on how to make the correct choices, to the ways they’re actually responsible for selling off our people in Minnesota, the evidence is in front of your faces,” Cian says.

Remembering Emilia’s podcasts, I decide to look it up so I can show it to Cian and Adira on the way home. The more people who know about this, the better. There’s safety in knowledge.

“Fucking ROWS,” Corbin mutters. “The organization should just be wiped out. They have several anonymous backers in our ranks who are protecting them, though who I haven’t been able to suss out.”

“Madam Ophelia no longer has her protection at the Jefferson Auctions. I’m sure we can create some trouble for her,” Cian says wickedly.

“That woman is vile,” Adira agrees. “I would thoroughly enjoy fucking with her.”

“Aren’t you, ah, on hiatus from murder sprees?” Mr. Finnegan asks delicately.

“Because I’m pregnant?” she asks.

God, that traveled quickly. Adira isn’t even showing yet. She’s like three months into her pregnancy from what I’ve heard Duncan talk about. He’s really excited to be an “uncle”. Both brothers are.

It makes me wonder about if they want kids, or if I want to have them. The neverending list of things I need to think about or face only seems to grow. I really need to talk to Duncan and Callum about seeing a doctor they trust to run some tests.

I want to know exactly what Bret’s done to my body over the last sixteen years.

“…Isn’t that right, Quinn?” my father asks. Since he thinks I’m deaf, it doesn’t really matter if I’ve been lost in thought, so I make no effort to show that I heard him.

I’ve also missed whatever put down Adira must have given Mr. Finnegan as well, because her pregnancy is no business of his.

Rolling his eyes, he shakes his head.

“Excuse me, gentlemen. I’ll return shortly. I’m going to go check on dessert. Maybe my daughter will want to tell me where my wife is then,” he mutters.

Oh, so he was prattling on about how Mom left him. Wonderful.

Watching as he leaves, I notice how Theo also stands to follow him. As soon as my father walks around the corner, I glance up to see if I can replace any cameras.

“There’s no video recording devices here,” Cian tells me. “It would be considered an act of war against the council.”

Nodding, I pull out my tablet from my clutch. While I don’t trust Mr. Finnegan, I doubt he’s working with my father in any way. He wasn’t very present in my life outside of during parties I had to attend.

“I’m perfectly capable of speaking, just not in a traditional way,” I say. “My father sold me to a pedophile when I was fourteen, and then I was sold to an alpha who runs a sex club. Callum and Duncan saved me.”

The less they know about Linus, the better. While pack records are public, I want to protect him as much as possible by not involving him in any of the families’ bullshit.

“Fuck, Quinn,” Corbin says, appearing gobsmacked as he glances from the tablet to me. “Is everyone at this club someone who’s been bought in some way?”

I nod because it’s faster, my gaze moving over the men at the table. Theo crosses his arms over his chest, almost glaring at me.

“Your father saw an opportunity to sell you. It doesn’t make him any less shitty of a person, but that doesn’t mean we need to know your family’s dirty laundry,” he states.

God, this fucker is a really wonderful human. Corbin and Patrick stare at him aghast, while a new player enters the conversation. He’s someone that I’ve also seen at parties or he’d come by the house when I was growing up to speak to my father.

“I don’t believe that this is about dirty laundry, Theo,” Bryce O’Neill says. “My son, Adrain, has been telling me that he’s had an influx of patients at the hospital from Omega’s Haven recently. Many of them are victims of sex trafficking, which makes this an actual issue, gentlemen. Sticking our heads in the sand isn’t acceptable. Now that you’re deigning to speak to us, Quinn, I assume there’s a reason for it?”

I think I like him. I don’t need someone to kiss my ass. I just need a chance to plead my case.

“I have every reason to believe that he’ll resell me the second he can. When he turns up dead one day, I need you all to look the other way,” I say.

Gazing at me, Mr. O’Neill nods. “Not only will I do that, I’ll also stand with you amongst the rest of these louts to take his place on this council,” he says. “Adira shouldn’t be so outnumbered, anyway.”

Smirking, Adira inclines her head at him while I nod dumbfounded. I didn’t expect that he would be the one to offer support. It just goes to show that sometimes strangers are the ones who will be the first to stand with you.

“Aye, I will as well,” Corbin says, raising a glass.

“Fucking prick will deserve it,” Patrick Ryan mutters.

“I think you’re all moving too quickly,” Mr. Finnegan says. “What if she’s lying?”

“Your daughter’s name is Alisa, right?” I ask him, needing to put him in his place.

The Alisa I knew from the club didn’t start out there, because there are too many shadows in her eyes for that to be true, which means I’m safe to fuck with him.

“How do you know that name?” he asks, eyes wide.

“I know more than you think I do,” I say, hitting the record button and putting the tablet into my clutch with the stylus to show the conversation is over.

“You’re an insufferable brat,” he growls.

As he opens his mouth again, Cian reminds him, “It’s impolite to use your alpha bark in polite company, Theo.”

My father walks back in at that moment, and the tension in the room disappears immediately. No one wants to explain what we were talking about.

The beta waiter joins us as well to clear tables, and I have to say that I’m ready for this dinner to be over. I’ve said what I needed to say.

“Did I miss anything?” my father asks.

“Not at all,” Corbin says smoothly. “Did you hear about the arms dealer who came into town? Ambrose said he was at Celtic Knots and just hung out for a while.”

“Yeah?” my father says. “Wonder if he’s looking for work.”

“Eh, the lad looked sad,” Corbin says with a small shrug.

I feel this odd tingling as I follow the conversation, struggling to figure out why I feel this is important to me.

“Sad men can be just as dangerous,” Mr. Finnegan says.

Could this be Christian? All I ever knew about his job is that he had to travel a lot for it. I need to talk to the Kelly brothers about this. It’s really too close for comfort, and I don’t have time to process it right now.

My face needs to remain impassive and aloof. I can’t do that if I’m thinking about Christian Sanchez.

“It’s true,” Corbin murmurs. “I’ll watch out for it. I figured I’d bring it up. Ambrose said he was a good looking Latin man, and that he had a very devil may care attitude.”

“Sounds like he thinks he’s already lost everything,” Cian adds, not knowing how true that is.

It’s torture to remain in the room as they finish up, and the dessert plates are also removed.

Please God don’t decide to smoke cigars and shoot the shit together. I want to go home!

They chat a little longer before Corbin moves to stand.

“I’m too old to stay out late,” he says. “When is this party with all of the families going to be, Hudson? I think it’ll be a good idea to get Quinn reintroduced to everyone. This should be celebrated. Too often, people who disappear are never found.”

I smile weakly at his sentiment, because I’m not excited about being around so many people. I don’t feel safe. Club Serenity is a neutral place, and there are people who are ensuring I am able to remain unmolested.

A party with the families? Fuck, no. It’s too easy for someone to slip in who doesn’t belong there. Crowd control is nonexistent with large groups.

“It’s true,” my father says. “I should count my blessings. May I have a word, daughter?”

Ugh, of course he has to get the final word. Nodding, I stand, making sure I bring my clutch with me. Dad knows I’m not deaf, he’s just being an asshole.

Adira and Cian continue to say their goodbyes to people, though I can feel their attention is split, attempting to ensure my father doesn’t do anything to me. I doubt that by this point in the night he has anything nefarious planned.

He could never explain my disappearance if he did.

His hand wraps around my bicep as he maneuvers me into the hallway, away from eavesdropping ears. Little does he know that people will hear whatever it is that he has to say to me regardless of how far he drags me away.

“Where is your mother?” he snarls in my ear. The words are almost spit at me, and I can feel my hackles rise.

Don’t stab your father. Maybe if I tell myself that enough, I’ll be able to keep myself from doing it.

Dad continues to drag me around the corner, where his hand wraps around my throat and he shoves me hard against the wall.

“She is mine,” he grunts. “We are bonded, and the only way she’ll be able to escape me is in death. We’ve been together a long time though, which means I could feel when she slipped into the darkness with the pills and the booze the night before she left me. How does it feel to know that your mother is a fucking coward?”

There are many sides to a story, so I curl my hand in a fist to keep myself from reaching for my weapon. I could simply gut him like a fish. It would be so damn easy.

I believe the years of trauma and abuse have permanently twisted my sense of right and wrong. There’s no going back to the naive girl I used to be, and it would be a disservice to who I am now to try.

My mother is a victim of abuse, and my father is capitalizing on his attempts to break her. It’s as simple as that, so I gaze at him without expression, knowing it’ll piss him off.

His words give me pause though. When I kill him, I won’t be able to draw it out in respect to my mother. She doesn’t need to feel everything I do to him as if it’s being done to her. She’s suffered enough.

I will be the last thing he sees when he dies, that’s for damn sure.

“The hair, this ridiculous dress, those men will never respect you,” he says, changing direction. “You’re still a child to them. Adira is a fucking psycho, which is why they cater to her. She’d gut you as easily as she would wish you well.”

The fact that my father thinks so is high praise, and shows that she’s grown a reputation for herself outside of her pack.

I’m done with his insults, and lean into his hand as I drive my heel into his foot. My father grits his teeth as he pushes me away, angry and in pain.

“Stupid cunt, you deserve everything that’s happened to you,” he says. “Bret can’t fucking wait till he gets his hands on you. It won’t be long!”

I show no emotion even though he’s breaking my heart. It’s one thing to have blinding evidence, and quite another to hear it from my father’s mouth. My vision is swimming, but I force myself to walk away from him.

I know the house well even after all of this time away, the movements ingrained in my body. Adira and Cian are the only ones left in the dining room, and follow me as I mindlessly escape.

I throw open the door, moving my dress to walk down the stairs, and Evan is already waiting there. The tears leak out as he opens the car door, and I slide in. When Cian and Adira join me, I pull out the tablet and stop the recording.

“Quinn?” Cian asks, but I shake my head, swallowing back a sob as I play the recording from when my father walked me away from the group.

Evan sits in the front seat motionless as they all listen to my father insult and threaten me, not bothering to put the car into drive. I don’t blame him. Even though he doesn’t know me, he’d probably still crash. The beta seems like someone who feels deeply.

“Holy shit, he’s a moron,” Adira whispers. I send the clip to Callum’s encrypted phone number, and then message him to let him know we’re on the way back.

“I didn’t think he’d be so easy to unsettle,” Cian says, meeting Evan’s gaze in the rearview mirror and nodding for him to begin driving.

Jerking into movement with a guilty expression on his face, the beta shifts the car into drive to take me home.

“Everything about me triggers my father,” I explain, getting a hold of my emotions as I swipe away my tears. “I was never supposed to come back.”

“Too fucking bad,” Adira snarls. “He’ll just have to die for his actions so you can live your life. I doubt anyone will miss him.”

My mom sure won’t, and I won’t either.

Remembering that I wanted to bring up Emilia, I sigh.

“I heard something on the ROWS official podcast channel tonight while I was getting ready,” I begin. “Emilia mentioned that she wanted to begin doing matchmaking mixers for omegas to replace their packs, and that sounds like the worst idea in existence.”

“Yeah, it really is,” Adira grunts. “I usually pay attention to her channel, but missed that podcast. Did she say when? There are a few people I need to warn.”

“All I heard was that it would be soon. She didn’t give an actual date,” I explain.

“The organizers at Omega’s Haven are people I definitely need to tell. Cian’s daughter is one of the omegas who run it. I don’t want someone falling into that trap who is staying there,” she says. “It’s a shelter and outreach center for omegas who are rebuilding their lives.”

“Callum mentioned telling someone else who does matchmaking services as well as a way to counter Emilia’s events,” I tell her.

“Her name is Hollis,” Cian says. “The shelter works with her as well. She would definitely want to get ahead of this.”

“Good. I didn’t want tonight to end without telling you guys,” I say. “Emilia is evil.”

“That she is,” Cian says. “For everything that’s happened to you, it hasn’t made you bitter. It’s entirely too easy to let the rest of the world burn and leave them to it.”

“I don’t know why, but that feels like a terrible way to be,” I say. “While I’m not looking for trouble, I’ll be the first to say something if I replace it. Too many people turned a blind eye when I disappeared.”

“What were the names of those girls you went to the mall with?” Cian asks. “They may be at the party and I want to do some digging to prepare you.”

Fuck, I didn’t think about that.

I’ve desperately tried to forget they exist, but that’s not possible now.

“Sadie and Riley,” I reply. “Their fathers were Conri Fadden and Orson Lynott.”

“They’re both fucking pricks,” Cian groans. “Their daughters are two of the most spoiled women on the planet as well.”

“Neither of their fathers are in the inner circle, but they’ll be invited to this party because Hudson is still friends with them. Morris has been deep diving into everything that has to do with your father, Quinn,” Adira says. “There’s an entire wall in his computer room that looks like a murder board.”

Releasing an unladylike snort as I imagine it, I cover my face in embarrassment. Morris was really good to my mom, and only left last night after making sure she was alright. It appears that ever since, he’s been doing his research on my father.

“I suppose it would be rude for me to kill Sadie and Riley, right?” I ask, dropping my hand from my face to write it out. “They were always so awful to me as kids. God, I’m trying really hard not to be petty.”

Cian leans back in the darkness of the sedan, shrugging. “They’re both single betas, chasing any alpha in sight. It’s disgusting, and I believe the world would thank you for it,” he says.

“You know it’s bad when you can’t replace the good in people,” Adira teases him.

The drive is passing surprisingly fast, and we touch on a few other things as we debrief from the dinner.

“I believe I know who the arms dealer is that Corbin was talking about,” I finally say just as Evan pulls onto the road that’ll lead toward the Kellys’ house.

“You were stiffer than a board next to me while they spoke about him,” Adira murmurs. “I was waiting to see if you’d mention it.”

“I don’t really like to talk about Christian Sanchez. Linus and I used to see him as a client at the club, but he’s unwilling to let us go,” I say.

“Is it an obsession or something deeper?” Cian asks kindly.

Always asking the difficult questions, I see.

“He says we’re scent matches, but I don’t know if we are or not,” I explain.

They both know about Bret’s drug cocktails so they hum under their breath as they process that.

“So how badly has he fucked up?” Adira asks. “Scent matches are hard to run from. I know this first hand. If he’s in the city, it’s only a matter of time until he’ll replace you and the scent match will be locked in on your side. Linus is a bit different since he’s still under the influence of Bret’s drug concoction. That is, if he’s Linus’ scent match as well?”

“He is,” I state. “Christian visited me for sixteen years at Slick Dreams and never once tried to get Linus or I out. I know he tried to buy us from Bret, but it never came to anything. I’m hurt by his inaction. Callum and Duncan moved heaven and earth to replace me. I heard someone say in a song that if ‘he wanted to, he would.’ Needless to say, it resonated.”

Saying so much at once has me slumping against the back of my seat, my hand cramping around the stylus. Ugh, I think I’m beginning to hit my peopling wall.

“I think that’s part of your answer,” Cian grunts. “If he has a chance in hell, he needs to show you that he gives a shit. Biology doesn’t trump everything, though it has to be considered.”

The gates open to the house as Evan approaches it, which tells me someone is watching for us. I’m sure they’re all anxious to have me home.

The thought makes me smile, because as the Kellys make space for Linus and I in their home, it’s becoming mine as well. I don’t want to be anywhere else.