AIDEEN

Nico pressed his face onto the crown of her head as his shoulders shook and he laughed. I switched the phone to Damien and saw he, too, was laughing as Ala

I say tried because she failed, she miserably failed. I criss-crossed my legs and howled with laughter. It got the interest of the occupants inside my apartment.

“What are they doin’?” Keela’s voice called out from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder, and with my free hand I waved because I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe from laughing.

“Ala

Damien lifted her shirt from the floor and held it in front of her when his brothers came up behind us. He narrowed his eyes at them and Ryder laughed.

“You being protective, little brother?”

Damien kept his eyes narrowed. “They aren’t decent. You, Alec and Kane go back inside the apartment.”

“No!” Ala

I shoved my phone at Keela to continue recording for me so I could bend forward and ease the sudden pain in my side. Hands gripped onto my hips.

“Aideen?” Kane murmured, his voice filled with concern.

I shook my head. “I just have... a stitch,” I said, laughing. “They’re so fu

“I don’t think I’ve seen so much of Ala

Kane laughed at his brother, but nodded in agreement.

I looked to Nico when he got Bronagh to her feet and managed to get her t-shirt back over her head. He was in the middle of putting her arms through the holes and tugging it down to her hips.

“Nearly done, pretty girl.”

Bronagh turned her nose up. “Don’t call me Bronagh or pretty girl anymore.”

Nico smiled down at her. “What will I call you if not Bronagh or my pretty girl?”

She looked him dead in the eyes and said, “From th-this moment onwards I shall be known as MC Hammered.”

I burst into a fit of laughter and stumbled back into Kane’s vibrating chest. He folded his arms around me and rested his hands on top of my bump, and his chin on top of my head.

“Okay, MC Hammered, you wa

Bronagh stared at Nico for a long moment then said, “I want to get ma-married.”

Oh, shit.

All traces of laughter evaporated and heavy silence lingered.

“You want to get married?” Nico repeated as if he misheard her.

Bronagh nodded her head. “We’re to-together forever, we live together ag-ages and we’re havin’ a baby. I love you with all of my heart. The wh-whole lot of it. I want to get married, so will you marry me?”

Nico was still then said, “Yeah, babe, I’ll marry you.”

I beamed and clapped my hands together with excitement.

“Yes!” Bronagh said and high-fived herself. “I lo-love you.”

I giggled. “She won’t remember this tomorrow.”

Kane kissed the crown of my head. “No, but we will.”

“I love you too, MC Hammered,” Nico said making us laugh, and Bronagh beam.

We watched them embrace for a moment until Ala

“Does no one wa-want to have sex with me?” she asked, sounding tired. “I promise I’m good at it.”

All eyes fell on Damien.

He glared at us. “Thanks very much, guys!”

I gri

He hissed at me then looked to Ala

Ala

Damien stilled then pressed his forehead against her bare thighs before gripping the hem of her leggings and shimmying them up until they fit snug around her hips. He picked up her bra and t-shirt and blocked her from our view with his body.

I saw Ala

When he was done, he was going to step away from her—I saw him prepare to take the step backward, but Ala

“How the hell can she go from asking people for sex, to falling asleep on me standing up?”

Keela pocketed my phone and said, “They drank some weird shit. Fruity cocktails. There wasn’t much alcohol in them when I asked the staff because I was wonderin’ what had them so giddy. There was hardly any alcohol at all, I was assured... they’re just lightweights.”

Bronagh suddenly laughed. “I’m not a lightweight, as-ask Dominic. I can dr-drink loads.”

Nico was walking out of the elevator and when Bronagh spoke he looked at us and shook his head before smiling at Bronagh. “Of course you can, babe.”

I snorted.

He was so whipped.

We followed the lads back into my apartment then Kane pulled out the sofa bed. We laughed when both girls instantly starting snoring after the twins set them down on it.

“Leave them here tonight,” I said to the twins. “I’ll look after them.”

Nico hesitated, but nodded his head.

Damien scratched his neck. “Should we call someone about Ala

I shook my head. “She lives on her own, you don’t need to call anyone.”

“No boyfriend?”

Ryder gri

Damien didn’t reply, but the look of relief on his face was evident.

It caused me to smile as he grabbed the large blanket from the back of the sofa and laid it out over the girls. We all stared at them for a minute until Alec and Keela turned, said their goodbyes and filed out of the apartment. Ryder checked his phone and followed suit.

Nico and Damien hovered for a few more minutes, but when I assured them I’d take good care of the girls, they gave in, hugged me and left.

“You can go on to bed, babe,” Kane said. “I’m go

I nodded my head and looked to the girls, smiling at their snores. Their skin glowed as the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree and various decorations around the room shone upon their sleeping forms.

“I’ll sleep out here, too,” he said and nodded to the one sitter he always sat on. “Just to keep my eyes on them while you get some sleep.”

I smiled. “You’re the best.”

He devilishly gri

At that thought the smile left my face and worry took over because realisation hit that I would have to deal with hung-over Bronagh and Ala

Fuck me.

“Holy Mary Mother of God, I’m dyin’!”

I smiled as I stirred two sugars into the two Christmas printed cups of tea before me. I put the spoon into the sink when I was finished and glanced at a packet of painkillers Kane left out on the counter before he went to bed this morning when Bronagh and Ala

I gripped the handles of the cups and left my kitchen and entered the sitting room, shaking my head at Bronagh and Ala

“I have tea,” I a

Both of the girls grunted.

I placed the cups on the coffee table without uttering another word. I went back into the kitchen and checked on the fry-up I had cooking. The eggs were scrambled, the sausages, rashers, pudding and hash browns were cooked and ready to serve.