The Marriage Contract(69)

“Come out with me tomorrow. Let’s get out of town for a few hours. Maybe go down to New York.”

She smiled. “That sounds like heaven.”

“Then it’s a date. I’ll see you tomorrow, angel.”

“See you tomorrow. Be safe.”

He laughed. “Always.”





Teague hung up the phone and turned to find Cillian mocking him. His brother froze, and then a slow grin spread over his face. “Man, you are so pussy whipped, it’s almost cute.”

“Fuck off.” He dropped back into his seat and eyed the shots that had been delivered while he wasn’t paying attention. “More shots?”

“Shots are what real men take when they’re not calling their girlfriend every five minutes to check in.”

Aiden leaned over and casually slapped the back of Cillian’s head. “Now’s a good time to stop talking.”

They raised their shots, all grinning like fools. He wasn’t sure when they all grew so busy that they had no time for each other, but it had been longer than he could remember since they did anything like this, anything together. Teague took the shot, the whiskey barely burning his throat. “We should do this more often.”

Cillian started to make some smart-ass comment, but Devlin cut in. “We should.”

“If you can leave that college you love so much long enough to come hang out with us.” Cillian laughed, a little too loudly. “College is meant to be enjoyed, little brother. You go for the women, the parties, and the sheer self-indulgence. You don’t go seriously.”

“No, that’s what you do in college.” Teague snorted. “How’s that degree in accounting treating you?”

“Hey, I like numbers. It was the easiest major I could pick that got our father off my back.” Cillian leaned over and gave him a stern look. “All I need are some sexy-ass glasses and I’d make a wicked accountant.”

Given his trendily tousled hair, ridiculously expensive suit with the brightly patterned tie, and tattoos, Cillian couldn’t look further from the old man who did the family’s books. But he was right that their father wanted to pad the future with family in every way he could—including setting up one of his sons as bookkeeper to keep every responsibility in-house that he possibly could.

“Unlike you, Devlin’s in college actually making something of his life.” Aiden swiped at Cillian halfheartedly. “Some of us take things more seriously than you—and by some, I mean all of us.”

“Asshole.”

“You know it.”

Devlin took a drink of his beer. “The only difference between us is that I like school.”

“Nope.” Cillian shook his head, and then did it again like he had water in his ear. “No, they’re right. I enjoyed fucking around, and I had a whole hell of a lot of fun, but you’re actually going to go on and accomplish something.”

Well, shit. They were in danger of getting morose. Teague elbowed Cillian. “You’re never not fucking around.”

“Damn straight.”

“Then we toast.” Aiden lifted his beer, his eyes a little glassy. “To those of us who fuck around. And to Devlin, the best of us all.”

Teague and Cillian raised their glasses, blatantly ignoring the embarrassment on their youngest brother’s face. “To Devlin.”

Of them all, Devlin had the best chance to be as free as anyone could be in their family. There were five siblings between him and the position of heir, and he wasn’t female to be traded to an allegiance. It would take some arguing, but he could probably convince their father to let him get a job doing something he’d truly love.

Aiden slouched in his seat, his back popping. “Someone has to get out, Devlin. It might as well be you.”

“You say that like all your future is set in stone. It isn’t.” Devlin set his beer back on the table, untouched. “You can change things. All of you can.”

The only changing going on these days was for the worse. Aiden was turning into their father, Teague was almost drowning in a war he couldn’t seem to get ahead of, and Cillian…Well, with Teague married and safely positioned for the glory of the O’Malley clan, their father would turn his gaze onto the next eldest child. Cillian’s days of freedom were nearly at an end, even with his plans to step up and take over the family books.

He hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud until Cillian laughed, sliding sideways in his chair. “That just means I have to enjoy life to the fullest before it all starts crashing down around me.”

Devlin shook his head. “You’re hopeless. All of you. What happened to our sticking together, to us versus the world? You sound like you’ve given up.”