AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I give him a squeeze before releasing him. "I'm doing what anyone else would do. Now, have you finished your homework?"
It's seven in the evening, and Hannah and Evie are in bed, asleep. Fiona's lying in bed watching TV. She'll turn out her light at nine, and then Mikey will usually be fast asleep by the time I arrive home at around two-thirty in the morning.
"It's all done, as is Fiona's. While you were in the shower, I checked over it for her. She's doing really well."
I grin. "Just as you are. You're both the brains of the family. I hope Hannah and Evie take after you and not me."
He shakes his head. "You're crazy, you know that?"
The front door opens, and I turn and see Ruairi strolling in.
"Ailbhe," he greets me, but there's a slight bite to his tone. "Mikey."
"Ruairi, lovely to see you," I say with a sweet smile on my face. "But I'm in no mood to have an argument. I've already had enough shit off Da. I really don't need to hear from you too."
He sighs. "I wasn't going to argue with you, Al. I really wasn't. I've had a long fucking drive, and I had time to do a lot of thinking. I'm pissed. Christ, I'm fucking raging that you never told me how bad things had gotten. Had you done, I would have been able to help you. I would have been here so it wasn't you taking on the heavy burden of it all."
"But you were thriving, Ruairi. You were doing so well. I didn't want you to leave that behind. I'm doing okay. The kids are finally happy and they're doing better in school."
He nods. "Mikey's told me everything, Al. But it should have been you who did."
"You're right, I probably should have. But I did what I thought was best. Honestly, I truly believed I could handle it all. You're here now, which I'm really happy about. It's been a while since we've all seen you."
He grins and moves toward me, and just as I did to Mikey, he pulls me into his arms. God, it feels good to have him here, but I want him to finish his studies and live out his dream. Why should we both lose what we worked hard for? I may need help with the kids every so often, but I'm hoping that once I'm able to save up enough money, I can hire a babysitter to stay with them while I'm working.
"Go to work, Al. I'll be here to watch the kids."
I nod, relieved that I won't have to call work and tell them I can’t make it tonight or even have Mikey take on the responsibility of looking after the other kids.
"Tomorrow, we'll talk," Ruairi says, and I smile. I should have known he wouldn't let me get away that easily.
"Tomorrow," I promise him. "Make sure Fiona's asleep by nine."
He raises his hand and waves me away. "We've got this."
"There's food in the fridge if you're hungry," I tell him as I reach for my duffle bag. "I'll be home later. Love you, bye," I shout as I leave the house.
The relief I feel knowing Ruairi is here is insurmountable. I hadn't realized just how much I needed someone here with me. As much as I'd like to pretend I'm okay, I'm far from it, but we're surviving and we're getting to a point where we're going to be okay. I'm not letting Da take the piss out of us and deprive the kids of what they need. I'm not letting him do as he pleases. If he wants to stay in the house, then he needs to behave.
* * *
"He's back," Tamara tells me with a wide grin on her face. Those gorgeous dimples of hers are deep as she smiles. "He's broody, but damn, that man is sexy as hell."
We’re at the strip club, getting ready for the last set of the night. Tamara’s a gorgeous, tall brunette. She’s got big boobs and a big arse. She’s one of the best people I know, and the greatest thing about her is, she doesn’t give a crap about what people say or think about her.
I roll my eyes as I continue to brush my hair. There's no doubt in my mind that Preacher is sexy as sin, but Christ, the man is a complete fucking prick. He's such an arsehole, and it's the biggest turn off.
"It's busy tonight," I say, trying to change the subject. Every woman in this place loves the bikers. They bring a whole new dynamic to the city. The Americans are rugged, sexy, and dangerous. Hell, even the men who work here love them. They're different than the bikers we have here in Ireland. I can't put my finger on how they are; it's just the vibe that they give.
"Yep," Tamara says, popping the 'p'. “Everyone wants to gawk at the American hotties. It’s a shame three of them are off-limits.”
"Does anyone know who Raptor's woman is?" Kelsie asks as she joins us. She’s short, but her height doesn’t take away how beautiful she is. Her jet black hair flows down her back and is silky smooth.
We're almost finished. There's less than an hour until the club closes. It seems as though everyone decided to come out tonight. For a Thursday evening, the club is packed.
"Not yet," Tamara replies. "Whoever she is, she's a lucky lady. Then again, it seems as though Preacher has a lady too. The guy doesn't look at anyone."
Oh, how wrong she is. Preacher and I spent one night together weeks ago. It wasn't planned—hell, it was stupid. There was a party at the Fury Vipers Clubhouse and everyone from the strip club was invited. I went and got stupid drunk and ended up in bed with Preacher. It was without a doubt the best night of my life, but fuck, he was a complete arsehole once he'd finished. Since then, whenever I see him I pretend he doesn't exist, and it seems to piss him off.
