Aideen (Slater Brothers)(2)

 

“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 grinned wickedly. “Giving her a bump is what has me worried about her in the first place.”

 

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 grinned then stood up to his full height. He turned and walked out of our sitting room and headed down the hallway to the kitchen.

 

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.