AIDEEN

“No, I don’t,” I replied to Kane, but made sure to keep my head and gaze downcast so he couldn’t see that my eyes had welled up.

I hated how easily I cried at things.

Pregnancy turned me into such a pussy.

“Baby?” Kane prompted.

I sniffled.

Shit.

“I’m fine,” I said, and rubbed under my nose with the back of my hand.

“Use a tissue, you knacker,” Keela said, revolt pulsing through her tone.

I laughed and cried at the same time.

“Leave her alone, Keela.” Kane clicked his tongue.

She paid him no attention.

“If you wipe snot onto this blanket so help me God, I’ll kill you, Ado.”

I continued to laugh, only stopping when I got a stitch in my side.

“Why do you make her laugh like that?” Kane grumbled. “She’ll end up hurting herself.”

I practically felt Keela roll her eyes.

“Give over, big man. She is pregnant, not made of glass. Give her a bump, I promise she won’t break.”

Kane gri

Keela’s eyes shone with wonder. “I can’t wait to see what you’re like when she gets here; you’ll have the poor kid wrapped up in bubble wrap from day one.”

“He will be a super baby, the chosen one if you will. He won’t be fragile.”

Keela gleefully laughed. “Keep tellin’ yourself that, mate.”

I looked up in time to catch Kane stick his middle finger up at Keela and for her to stick up both of hers back at him.

I shook my head good-naturedly.

“Enough, children. Mother is too tired and hungry for your bullshit today,” I declared, yawning.

Kane crossed the room and hunkered down next to me. He placed his elbow on the arm of the sofa behind me and gently scratched my back which his fingers. “Why don’t you come to bed?”

His voice was low and inviting.

“Maybe because she has company, i.e. me, you dirty bastard.” Keela flared. “Stop seducin’ her when I’m sittin’ right next to your nasty arse.”

I beamed at Keela, and Kane smiled at me. He used his free hand to swipe away the already forgotten tears on my cheeks. “There’s my babydoll.”

Keela giggled. “That’s adorable, but you’re still nasty.”

I flicked my eyes in her direction and playfully narrowed them. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” she acknowledged. “You do your thing.”

Kane nudged me and gave me a wink. “You shouldn’t have ever fed her, she’ll never leave now.”

Keela gasped in mock horror. “I’m not a dog. How dare you!”

“I never said you were.” Kane deviously gri

Keela pushed my legs, and the blanket that was covering her, off her body and shot to her feet.

“Don’t walk away when I’m talkin’ to you, Kane Slater!” she hollered, and stomped out of the room after him.

Kane’s low laughter did nothing but infuriate her further.

“Or what? You’ll kill me?” he teased.

“You’re damn right I’ll kill you... don’t smile at me like that, I will!”

I chuckled to myself.

They behaved like brother and sister, and I loved it because they loved each other. It would suck balls if my boyfriend and best friend didn’t get along.

“Do not throw that at me!” Kane’s voice suddenly shouted.

Keela cackled. “It’s just a tub of butter, you big baby.”

“It’s a frozen tub of butter, so you might as well throw a brick at my head!”

“That can be arranged, big man.”

“You’re an evil little person, I hope you know that.”

“I do.”

I laughed at their conversation and sunk back into my sofa, tugging my blanket farther up my body.

“Leave him alone, Keela.”

I heard something being set down on either the kitchen counter or table. It dropped with a thud. “You’re lucky she wants you alive and unharmed.”

“And you’re lucky she wants you here often, otherwise I’d ban you from ever entering this building.”

Keela seethed. “You’ve gone mad with power.”

I smiled.

Kane recently told Keela that he owned the building I lived in, as well as many others in Dublin. She wasn’t mad, just a little hurt that Alec didn’t tell her about Kane’s secret properties, but once she got over the ‘bro code’, she was cool with it like I knew she would be.

She also kept it under wraps, because Kane didn’t want it broadcasted to the rest of the group. He liked his privacy and she respected that.

“You better thank God that I have to go home and feed Storm. I’d wipe the floor with you otherwise.”

“Till next time, short-ass.”

Keela casually strolled into the sitting room and stated, “I hate your boyfriend.”

I grabbed my chest. “That’s a shame, because I love yours.”

Keela’s lip twitched. “I’ll be back over tonight, I just have to go and feed—”

“The fat beast, I heard you.”

Keela growled. “You’d think being pregnant would make you sentimental and give Storm a chance, but no, you still rag on him.”

In Keela’s mind, Storm was her baby.

“He’d make a saint curse, Kay.”

Her left eye twitched just before she turned and walked out of my house, giving me the finger along the way. “I’ll remember all of this when you’re in the height of pain in labour.”

I grunted when the apartment door shut. I cringed then and silently prayed karma wouldn’t make my labour extra painful, because I teased Storm a lot... he brought it upon himself most of the time, so when you think about it, I shouldn’t suffer because of it.

I leaned back and closed my eyes on a sigh, but just as quickly I snapped them back open. I shot upright when I realised no one was in the room with me.

I was on my own.

Panic struck.

“Kane!” I called out as I looked around the sitting room, expecting someone to jump out and grab me.

I heard his footsteps as he walked down the hallway and into the sitting room, a white mug in his hand with steam rising from it. He quickly sat the mug down on our coffee table when he saw my face and rushed over to me.

“What is it?” he asked and placed a hand on my stomach in silent question.

I swallowed and shook my head. “Nothin’, it’s just... I thought I was on my own for a second and... you know, I got scared.”

Kane blinked. “You told me you weren’t afraid to be on your own anymore.”

I looked down. “I lied.”

Kane sighed and kneeled on the floor. “I’ll kill him for putting such fear into you.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as Big Phil’s face cut through my mind.

“I know.”

Kane kissed the side of my head. “Do you want to help me with my injection?”

He could do them himself now, but I appreciated him putting my focus on him instead of the monster that haunted me.

I didn’t dream of that night I was trapped in my old classroom, nor did Big Phil’s face cut into my dreams. He only plagued me during waking hours when I could sit and think of the ‘what ifs’.

What if I didn’t get out in time?

What if I inhaled more smoke?

What if he was still close by and watching us, waiting for the right moment to strike?

I didn’t voice my thoughts, but they troubled me, and I knew the same questions haunted Kane. He was just keeping it to himself like I was because he didn’t want to upset me.

We both suffered in silence.

I knew Kane, his brothers, my brothers, and Keela’s uncle Brandon were looking for Big Phil, but none of that eased my mind. He got me once before, and he could do it again if he wanted to. He was that kind of person... if he wanted something, he got it.

Period.

I think Kane knew that as well. It was one of the reasons I was never without male companionship. When Kane wasn’t with me, one of his or my brothers were. It was a round-the-clock security gridlock the lads had going. Kane went as far as to completely seal off the apartment complex I lived in, and he tripled the security detail.