“Sex,” Bronagh and Keela said in unison.
“On the money,” I chuckled. “Well, I told the lads Kane is scared to have sex with me while I’m so heavily pregnant and Alec stepped up to take one for the team.”
Keela burst into laughter.
“He didn’t!”
“He did.”
Bronagh fanned her face. “So what exactly did he do?”
“Alec offered to have sex with me to help me go into labour.”
Keela snorted. “I’ll have sex with you if it’ll help you go into labour.”
“Me too, I’ll happily do it,” Bronagh chirped.
“You will happily do what?”
We looked to the doorway when Nico and Kane walked into the kitchen. Bronagh grinned knowingly at her boyfriend.
“Me self and Keela are offerin’ to have sex with Aideen to help her go into labour.”
I heard a high-pitched scream come from the hallway.
“Accept!”
I stared wide-eyed as Alec skidded into the kitchen, barrelling into his brothers like they were pins and he was a bowling ball.
“Accept the proposition, Aideen,” he pleaded as he tried to remain on his feet. “I’ve dreamt of shit like this for years!”
“I’m going to fucking kick your ass when I get up!” Nico growled from the floor.
Alec turned and kicked him in the stomach. “Shut up and let them think about this! This is important.”
I laughed at Alec and looked to the girls who were shaking their heads. I decided to play with him and his brothers simply because I could use the entertainment.
“Fine, go get the dildos.”
“Oh, my God.” Alec placed his hands on either side of his face. “This is the best day of my life.”
Keela bit down on her lower lip. “What do you want me to do to them?”
His eyes welled up. “It’s finally happening.”
Bronagh covered her mouth with her hand when she couldn’t control the giggle that erupted from her. Alec’s attention zoned in on her and her mouth.
“You … you’re playing … aren’t you?” he whispered, legit tears falling from his eyes.
Keela laughed then, too.
“That was cruel, Aideen,” Alec whispered and wiped his tear stained cheeks. “So fucking cruel. Don’t ever talk to me again. I don’t like any of you anymore.”
He stormed out of the kitchen with Keela laughing as she ran after him. I looked to Kane and Nico when they grunted and found them staring at me.
“What?” I asked.
Nico blinked he eyes. “You shouldn’t lie like that, not about threesomes. It’s hurtful.”
“It’s only hurtful because this is one threesome that isn’t comin’ true and it’s killin’ all of you.”
Kane chimed in. “That doesn’t make it any less evil to lie about it. You got poor Alec’s hopes up.”
“Just Alec’s?” I grinned.
Kane glared at me. “Mine and Dominic’s too.”
“Damn right,” Nico snarled.
I laughed. “You’re all too easy to play with.”
“You made Alec cry.”
And I actually felt guilty about it.
“Alec cried yesterday when he found out KFC were updatin’ their menu,” Bronagh cut in. “Him cryin’ isn’t that big of a deal, trust me.”
That knowledge instantly made me feel better.
“He is too perfect, I love him.” I smiled gleefully.
Bronagh nodded in agreement. “Me too.”
“Hey,” Kane growled.
I rolled my eyes. “I love you, too, obviously.”
Kane was appeased with that.
“Bronagh,” Nico grunted.
She looked at him and said, “What?”
His lips thinned to a line. “Say you love me, too.”
She smiled wide. “I love you too, Dominic.”
Nico smiled then and it caused me to shake my head. For big men, with looks and personalities to die for, they needed constant reassurance from us girls that we loved them.
Either that or they just liked hearing us say it so often.
I yawned as I walked out of my bathroom. I was about to turn and head into my bedroom so I could go back to bed, when I heard a familiar voice in the kitchen. I frowned as I turned and walked down the hallway and into the room.
“Hey, Ryder,” I said when I saw him sitting across from Kane at our kitchen table.
Kane raised his brows. “I thought you were already in bed.”
“I was, but woke up to go to the toilet and I heard his voice and thought somethin’ might be wrong. It’s past midnight.”
Ryder scratched his neck. “Sorry about dropping by so late.”
“Is everythin’ okay?” I asked, concerned.
He nodded. “Yeah, just need to talk to Kane.”
I knew that was my cue to bid them a goodnight, but I looked to Kane and saw he was fully dressed when only a few hours ago he was topless and in a pair of shorts.
“Why are you dressed?” I asked, frowning.
Kane looked down at himself then to me and said, “I was just going to head out with Ryder for a bit.”
“And leave me on my own?” I asked, my eyes wide with panic.
He wouldn’t do that, not with Big Phil still out there.
“No,” Kane instantly replied. “I was going to wake you up and drop you off at Alec’s so you could sleep there with him and Keela.”
I blinked. “What is so important that you would trouble them with me so late?”
Silence.
I frowned. “Kane, where are you goin’?”
Kane hesitated and glanced at Ryder who averted his gaze.
They were up to something.
“You’re stayin’ here with me,” I stated to Kane.
Ryder sighed and glanced to Kane. “Stay with her, I’ve got this.”
“Are you sure?” Kane questioned.
Ryder nodded and stood up, winking at me before he left the apartment. I looked to Kane and folded my arms across my chest.
“What the hell was that?”
Kane scratched his neck. “What the hell was what?”
“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid. Where were you goin’ with Ryder?”
He looked away. “I don’t need to tell you everything, Aideen.”
“Hold on a bloody second,” I snapped and grabbed hold of his jacket to stop him from walking away from me. “You do have to tell me because I know he is involved in drugs and God knows what else.”
“What Ryder does is his business—”
“I’m with you!” I cut him off. “What you do is me business if it’s associated with that bullshit.”
Kane set his jaw. “Can’t you just trust me?”
“On this?” I questioned. “No, I can’t. I don’t want you goin’ off with Ryder.”
Kane humourlessly laughed. “He’s my brother.”
“I don’t care if he is Jesus Christ himself,” I bellowed. “He is up to no good and I don’t want you involved in whatever he has his hands in.”
“What would you have me do?” Kane demanded. “Turn my back on my brother? The answer is hell fucking no. Being loyal is a part of who I am; I will never turn my back on my own. You know that.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “I’m not askin’ you to turn your back on Ryder, just the shit he is involved in.”
“Why’re you so sure he is up to something?”
That was a loaded question.
“Because you’re all actin’ differently. A few months ago, before I moved here, I was in your old kitchen at six in the mornin’, and he and Nico were goin’ somewhere so he could do some ‘business’. He doesn’t have a job so I know he is gettin’ his money from somewhere,” I angrily stated. “He wouldn’t let up on what that was, but deep down I knew it was somethin’ messed up. I had too much on me mind to take proper notice at the time. Oh, and not to mention the time that I almost sniffed cocaine that got onto my hand from his jacket in the same kitchen. Explain that.”
Kane pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m not telling you Ryder’s business, so drop it.”
I blinked at the dismissal.
“I warned you that I would not be with you if you weren’t honest with me about stuff like this. I wasn’t jokin’ when I said I’d be gone if you went back to that life.”
Kane’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t threaten me, Aideen. You’re mine.”
“And I’ll be yours forever, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stand by you while you do God knows what with your shady brother. I love Ryder, but he is an arsehole!”
Kane’s eye twitched so I turned and walked away from him knowing good and well he was past the point of reason. I walked into our bedroom and over my shoulder I said, “Enjoy the sofa.”
I reached for the door and turned to close it, but jumped back when Kane stepped into the room, blocking the way.
“You’re not kicking me out of our bed.”
“I don’t want to be near you right now so yes, I am.”
He didn’t move.
“Don’t make me choose. I can’t choose between you and Ryder, I love you both.”
I placed my hand over my face in despair for a moment before dropping it back to my side. “I’m not fuckin’ askin’ you to choose. I just don’t want you helpin’ Ryder with whatever it is that he has goin’ on. That’s it.”