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Freddie grins. "For a price. What do you need?"
"I'll call you in a few days with the details," Raptor tells him.
He's not giving up hope of finding Mallory. He's determined to find her and I can't blame him. If the tables were turned and it was Ailbhe, I'd use every resource available to me to track her down.
"Sounds good," Freddie says. "First things first, Ruairi."
I nod. "Appreciate it. I'll see you around. Gentlemen, it was good to see you."
We say our goodbyes and I climb onto my bike. It's time to go back to Ailbhe and let her know that she doesn't need to worry any longer.
CHAPTER26
AILBHE
I'm a nervous wreck as I wait for Kane to return home. I took his advice, and with Mikey's help, we set up a den in the room Hannah and Evie are sharing, and all five of us, Fiona included, have been relaxing as we watch movies. We're on the third installment of Toy Story, and I'm getting worried as time continues to pass without hearing a word from Kane.
"Are we staying here from now on?" Hannah asks me.
I shake my head. As comforting as it is to be here and be surrounded by people who will protect us, I need the kids to be back home and have that stability. So much has changed in such a short amount of time for them, and not to mention I'm pregnant. I can't add more stress by having us live here. I'm going to have to pull on my big girl panties and move back home.
"No, honey, we're going to be going home once the door's fixed properly." It was boarded up when I came home from the hospital. I have a feeling Ruairi did it, but I'm not entirely sure as my brother hasn't been seen since I came home. He left the house while I was in the kitchen and didn't say hello or even check up on me. He's sent me a few text messages letting me know he's okay. I get it. He's feeling guilty. But I don't blame him. Not at all. I just wish he was here so I could tell him that.
"Will Preacher be coming home with us?" she asks, and I feel everyone's gaze turn to me. I focus on the TV, watching Woody and Buzz, hoping my cheeks aren't as red as they feel.
"Why do you ask that?"
"You're having a baby. Don't mams and dads live together?"
"Some do, some don't. It'll be a decision that works for all of us, okay? Right now, I'm not sure what's happening between him and me. I wouldn't move him in the house without talking to all of you first."
"We like him," Fiona says, which shocks me. I turn to her and see that she's smiling softly at me. "He's really trying. We all see that. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but he likes you."
"I like him too, but it's not as easy as that, hon. It's so much harder than us liking one another."
"Do you love him?" Hannah questions.
"Love is something that happens over time," I explain. "I really like him." I'm not sure if I would even know if I had fallen in love. I don't know what it feels like. I've never been in love before. But I do know that even though he's hurt me—not intentionally—he's all that I want. I don't know if that makes me a fool or not, but it is what it is and I'm willing to give us a chance—whatever the hell we are.
"If you wanted him to move in," Mikey says, and I inwardly groan. These kids have definitely been talking. "We wouldn't mind. We just want you to be happy."
I reach for the TV remote and hit pause on the movie. "I am happy. So very much so. You all make me happy and I'm very lucky to have you. What happens between Preacher and I will be taken slowly and you'll know as soon as I do, okay?"
They all nod, and I sigh with relief. Thankfully, that's this conversation over with. I understand that they want me happy and they want me to be with Kane, but I have them to think about and they're my priority. I won’t do anything to jeopardize what we've built.
* * *
The kids are in bed and Kane returned home hours ago. It's just been hard to get time alone. The moment he walked into the girl's bedroom, I could tell by the look in his eyes that he'd killed Jed. I won't ever ask him about it. While he was gone, I did a lot of thinking, a whole lot of it. If I'm going to be with Kane, there's going to be a lot that I'm not going to know. I've spoken at length with Hayley and Chloe, and they've let me in on the ins and outs of the club. Old ladies don't get to know the ins and outs of club business, and I respect that. So if Kane leaves to do some business, I'll never know what he's done and I'll never ask. I'll continue to pray that he's safe and that he's being careful. That's all I can do.
The bedroom door opens and Kane walks in, his strides long and purposeful. All the while, he keeps his gaze solely on me. "You good?" he asks, his gaze running along my body.
I'm dressed in his tee since I don't have many clean clothes. I didn’t pack accordingly. It’s the tee he was wearing last night. I snagged it for myself, and the moment I put it on, it felt good against my skin. It's way too big for me but I don't care.
I nod, watching his steps. "He's gone, isn't he?"
His lips twist and he pauses, almost as though he's debating whether or not to tell me. "He's not goin' to bother you again."
I step into his embrace. "Thank you," I breathe, glad that it's over. "What's going to happen to the debt that I owe?"
