He pulled out a chair next to Ryder and sat down.
“She’s not even born yet and you’re thinking about—”
“We’ll have to teach Jax to follow her around and scare off boys,” Kane suggested.
Alec nodded his head. “Good idea, an inside man will help.”
“Will help what?”
Ryder raised a brow. “Protecting a Slater girl from boys... what else?”
I placed my hand on my chest. “That is bloody adorable.”
Bronagh smiled down at Nico before moving closer to him, placing her hand on his head. It took a second, but he turned and kissed her growing belly before looking up at her.
“A girl?”
“A girl.”
He inhaled and exhaled. “We can deal with a girl.”
He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.
“We could deal with twenty of them as long as we remain a team and don’t be outsmarted.”
“Twenty?” Nico spluttered. “Never. No fucking way.”
Bronagh laughed.
I moved closer and gave her a long hug.
“Congratulations, babe.”
She squeezed me back. “You could be carryin’ a girl this time, too. You never know.”
“Don’t you dare wish that upon us, Bronagh Murphy!” Kane almost snarled.
I leaned down and kissed Nico’s head. “You will be a great daddy no matter what.”
His lip twitched. “Thanks, Ado.”
“Where is Dame?” I asked Bronagh. “Does he know?”
She shook her head. “He is out lookin’ for a job. We’ll tell him later.”
I nodded and moved over to Kane and Jax, taking Jax when he leaned towards me with outstretched arms. I took him into my arms, kissed his chubby cheeks and leaned against Kane’s side. I frowned when Big Phil entered my mind.
I wanted to kick myself; I always thought about the disgusting son of a bitch when I felt thoroughly happy. It was a solid reminder that he remained out there and still wanted his vengeance. A part of me wanted him to attack and get it over with, while another part of me wanted to drag it out forever.
The latter was wishful thinking, because I knew Big Phil was like a snake. He was waiting to strike us when we least expected it. That knowledge caused me to live in constant fear.
I shook the thought away and looked to Ryder who was looking at Branna, but glanced away when she looked at him.
“What are we goin’ to do about Branna and Ryder?” I murmured to Kane.
He turned his head and looked at the pair in question before he looked back to me and sighed.
“We can’t do anything, babydoll.” He frowned, his voice low. “They’ll come out of this stronger as a couple or they’ll break up and go their own ways.”
That possibility made me feel sick.
“Ryder and Branna will constantly be around one another even if they break up; their siblings are going to marry eventually, and they’ll share a niece or nephew.”
Kane sighed. “Yeah, things will be tough if it comes to that.”
Kane took Jax from me and walked over to Alec who instantly gave his nephew all his attention.
I smiled and looked from my boys to Ryder and Branna once more. Branna coughed after drinking some water, so Ryder absentmindedly reached behind her and patted his hand between her shoulder blades to help her clear her throat, while he used his free hand to tap on the screen of his phone.
“Maybe there is hope for them after all,” I murmured
“Of course there is,” Bronagh’s voice said from behind me. “They belong together. Both of them just need a whack on the head in order to realise it.”
I turned around and found Keela and Bronagh huddled together as they approached me, their voices low.
“Enter Ash Wade.” Keela devilishly smirked.
I blinked.
“Who is Ash Wade?” I asked, keeping my voice low, too.
“He is a new midwife that works the delivery suite with Branna,” Bronagh informed me, her grin so wide it made her look scary happy.
I slowly nodded my head. “Okay, but how will Ash be the whack on the head Ryder and Branna both need to realise they’re meant for one another?” I questioned.
Keela winked. “Let’s just say after Branna told me a gorgeous new male midwife has an identical monthly shift to hers, I got to thinkin’. What does a Slater brother hate more than anythin’ in this world when it comes to their women? What can’t they stand sniffin’ around what is theirs?”
A light bulb went off in my head, and I smirked.
“Other men.”
“Exactly.” Bronagh beamed. “And what do women of Slater brothers love from other men?”
I felt guilty when I said, “Attention.”
“But why?” Keela pushed.
I grinned. “Because attention from other men provokes our men to act like cavemen. We’re theirs and they have no problem declarin’ that to any man. Or woman.”
“Not just a pretty face.” Bronagh winked. “We don’t need other men, but when they show us attention, we reap the benefits. I’m thinkin’ if Ash shows Branna some attention it might knock Ryder upside the head and ring alarm bells that he might actually lose her. Branna will see his reaction and boom, back to their old ways they will go.”
I tilted my head to the side and said, “You do realise how bad the outcome could turn out to be, don’t you?”
Bronagh shrugged. “I’ll have words with Ash, he’ll know the score and will want to help. Everyone loves Branna and would do anythin’ for her.”
I sighed. “What if this goes really bad and they both kill us for interferin’ in their relationship?”
Keela shrugged. “It can’t go any worse than the way things are between them right now.”
Are you sure about that?
I gnawed on my inner cheek. “I suppose.”
“Does that mean you’re in?” Bronagh asked, her eyebrows raised.
Was I?
I blinked. “What the hell, yeah, I’m in. I can’t let you both do this without me, something would definitely go arseways.”
Bronagh thrust her hips and squealed. “This is goin’ to go perfectly,” she announced, then turned around and strolled away with Keela in tow.
I lifted my hand and rubbed my neck, feeling very aware of the unsettling feeling that just took up residence in my stomach. I shook the feeling off and looked across the room to Ryder and Branna who were both on the opposite ends of the sofa, point blank ignoring each other.
I nervously swallowed, and to myself, I quietly murmured, “What’s the worst that could happen?”
A voice in the back of my head whispered one word.
Don’t cry.
I repeated the thought over and over as I sat in Aideen and Kane’s apartment and watched Bronagh interact with Dominic, his hand absentmindedly stroking her abdomen where their baby girl was growing.
I gnawed on my inner cheek as I looked away from the happy couple, and focused on the plasma screen TV on the wall facing me. My eyes watched the program that was showing, but my brain had no clue what was happening because it was elsewhere. I straightened up and hoped I didn’t appear to be so out of sorts, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I did because I felt dreadful.
I was jealous.
I was green with envy every time I looked at Kane and Aideen with sweet baby Jax, but my heart broke when I watched how Dominic interacted with Bronagh. She was my little sister. I was a whole decade older than her and she had surpassed me on the journey to motherhood.
I had no doubt she would marry before me, too.
I hated that I felt so bitter towards my own blood. I was beyond happy for them, but I hated them a little at the same time. Her and Dominic were solid. They suited each other so well, and their love, though sometimes extremely intense, was true and forever binding. The more I let myself think about them, the more depressed I felt when I looked at my own relationship.
I didn’t think it could even be classed as a relationship anymore. Ryder and I, we both changed. Somewhere along the line, we stopped being nice to one another. We stopped loving one another. It started out as normal bickering that grew into full blown screaming contests. We weren’t even at that angry stage anymore; we were at the silent one.
We ignored one another, and when we did interact, it wasn’t pleasant.
I didn’t know where we went wrong, but Ryder and I, we fell out of love. It pained me to admit that, but it was the truth. I loved him dearly, but I wasn’t in love with him anymore, and that broke my heart because I had no idea how we got to the point we were at. I had no idea what I did wrong.
It was sorrowful.
I glanced to my left to where he was sat on Aideen’s sofa. He was, as usual, tapping away on the screen of his phone and paying me no mind. I almost snickered when I remembered, many months ago, I used to feel hurt when he gave his phone more attention than me, but now I relished that the stupid device held his gaze, because I never wanted him to look at me and really see me like he used to, because he would see how weak I had become.
I didn’t want him to see that I was broken.
I looked forward and then to my right. I picked up the bottle of water I got from Aideen’s fridge when I came over. I uncapped the bottle, took a swig and swallowed down the cool liquid.
I widened my eyes when some of the water went down the wrong way and entered my lungs. I lowered my bottle and instantly began coughing as I lifted my hand and pressed it against my chest.