I heard his footsteps on the stairs as he descended them. He entered the kitchen a few moments later wearing just a pair of boxer shorts.
I rolled my eyes. “Really? You couldn’t have put trousers on?”
“They called for me, here I am. You’re lucky I put boxers on.” He shrugged and sat on a chair next to our father. “What’s up?”
I looked at James. “Sit down.”
He didn’t move from the counter. “I’d rather stand.”
I glared at him. “James.”
He didn’t bat an eyelid. “Aideen.”
I growled, “Why are you being difficult?”
James shrugged. “I know I’m not goin’ to like whatever it is you have to say, so I’d rather be standin’ up when I hear it. Deal with it.”
Arsehole.
“Fine. Okay,” I grunted.
I heard a rap on the front door and I groaned. “One more minute, Kane!” I shouted.
“Kane?” Gavin questioned. “As in Slater? What is he doin’ here?”
James snorted, “See? Even little brother knows he shouldn’t be here.”
I rubbed my temples. “He is here with me so I think that gives him a pass.”
Harley snarled, “I knew it, I’m goin’ to—”
“You aren’t goin’ to do anythin’ because we aren’t together. I’m not in a relationship with anyone, okay? He is just here with me.”
Harley relaxed. “Why is he here then?”
Oh, God.
My palms began to sweat. “Promise me you won’t do somethin’ stupid when I tell you?”
“Is this about me?” Gavin asked, his face paled with worry.
He wants to be in a gang, but he can’t man up and tell our brothers about it?
The little bitch.
I glared at him. “No. That is a conversation for a different day.”
All my brothers, my father included, looked at Gavin.
“What’s that about?” Harley asked our brother.
Gavin waved him off. “Nothin’ important, I want to know what Aideen has us all around the table for. It must be really important.”
The little fucker, he switched the heat from him to me.
“Aideen.”
I jumped at my father’s voice.
“Promise first,” I pressed.
“I promise,” Gavin, Dante, and my father said in unison.
James and Harley remained mute though.
“You two?”
“I’m not promisin’ anythin’ because I might break it, so get on with what you have to say before I get pissed off. I’m serious, Aideen.”
I glared at James but nodded my head.
“Okay, so... I’m pregnant.”
Silence.
“With a baby.”
More silence.
“And Kane... he is the father.”
An even longer stretch of silence.
“But we aren’t together. It was one night of stupidity, and we’re both prepared to raise a baby—James!”
My heart jumped when James suddenly shot out of the kitchen and down the hallway towards the front door. I took off after him screaming for him to stop while chairs scraped against the tiled floor in the kitchen as my other brothers quickly followed.
James flung open the front door and headed for Kane, who was down the end of the garden talking to Nico. When he heard all the commotion he turned, and instantly took a defensive stance when he saw James heading for him.
He had his hands raised in front of his chest. “Bro, we can talk about this—”
James cut Kane off with a well-placed punch to the jaw.
“Stop!” I screamed and placed my hands on the side of my head.
I watched in slow motion as Kane bent low and speared my brother to the ground. Nico jumped over the fence and delivered an incredible jumping punch to Dante, who instantly ran for him when he came into the garden.
I could see Ryder and Alec running from across the road where their car was parked, and I saw Gavin and Harley move around me to fight against them. I screamed for everyone to stop, and I didn’t realise I was crying until I began to gulp for air when the sobbing started.
I didn’t think of myself when I moved forward and placed my hands on Kane’s shoulders and pulled at him. He was hitting my brother’s face so hard I thought it would bust open.
“KANE!” I screamed. “You’ll kill him. Stop!”
“Aideen!” James bellowed. “Get... back!”
James held his own against Kane and gave as good as he got, but Kane... He was like an animal and watching him in action made me sick to my stomach. I smacked at his back and kicked him as hard as I could in the side in hopes to knock him off my brother and put a stop to this madness.
It didn’t work.
It was like Kane felt no pain. I thought Nico was a ruthless fighter, but Kane was on another level. He dished out punches and took hard hits like they were nothing. I was screaming at him, but he didn’t acknowledge me in any way. It was like he blacked everything and everyone out except James.
His target.
I didn’t give up though. I shoved at Kane and tried my hardest to pull him off James, but all that came with me when I pulled was his t-shirt. I ripped it right off his body and revealed his back, which was covered in scars, the ones I felt three months ago in the dark of night. Some big, some small. Some purple, some light pink.