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“I love you,” I added, knees bopping restlessly as I chewed on my nails. “More than life.”
“Yeah,” she replied, voice thick with emotion. “I love you, too.”
How she could say that and mean it was something I’d never understand. How could she continue to love me?
I wasn’t worthy.
“I’m going to get myself sorted out,” I strangled out, reaching across the console to place my trembling hand on her jean-clad thigh. “I’ll fix this, Molloy. Soon. I promise.”
“Okay, Joe,” she replied, tone laced with sorrow as she covered my hand with hers. “Whatever you say.”
Anxiety and panic gnawed at my gut. “You believe me, don’t ya?”
Molloy was quiet for a long time before she glanced sideways at me and said, “I believe in you.”
______________________
When we parked outside Kavanagh’s house and climbed out of the car, we were ambushed by an army of dogs and children and one guilty-as-fuck-looking rugby player.
“Joe!” Ollie and Tadhg both called out before running off in the opposite direction with two demented-looking golden retrievers.
“Hi,” Kavanagh said, rounding the car with my brothers hot on his heels. “I’m, ah…” Words trailing off, he reached up and scratched the back of his head, expression sheepish. “Sorry about this.”
“Sorry for snatching his siblings?” Molloy teased, leaning a hip against the bonnet of her car as she reached down and patted the head of an ancient-looking Labrador. “Strange behavior, Rugby Boy. Very strange indeed.”
“O-ee,” Sean squealed in delight when he rounded the corner of the house and noticed me. “O-ee,” he cried out, arms outstretched, as he ran straight for me. “O-ee.”
“How’s my baby?” I coaxed, lifting him into my arms. “Hmm? Did ya go for a spin with Johnny?”
Nodding solemnly, Sean pressed his slobbery hand to my cheek and then buried his face in my neck. “Me loves O-ee.”
“Good job, kid,” I whispered in his ear as he wrapped his tiny arms around my neck and squeezed. “I love you, too.”
“O-ee.”
Turning my attention to where my girlfriend was having an animated conversation with my sister’s boyfriend, I asked, “What happened?”
“They were alone,” Kavanagh replied, gaze flicking from Sean to me. “He was alone.”
“She wasn’t there?” Molloy asked him before I could.
“In bed, apparently,” Kavanagh told her, and I watched as something passed between them. An understanding of sorts.
“Fuck,” I muttered, feeling my anxiety rise, right along with the aching in my stomach. “Jesus fucking Christ!”
“It’s all good, Joe,” my girlfriend was quick to soothe, coming to stand beside me. “Looks like the boys had a ball at the manor.”
“Joey Lynch,” a woman called out, and it took me a minute to register the voice as Kavanagh’s mother. Moments later, she appeared at the front door with a towering man flanking her. “We meet again.”
“So we do,” I replied, eyeing her warily as she approached.
“You have three little reincarnations of you,” she mused, not stopping until she was once again all up in my personal space. “What a beautiful family.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I remained silent, eyes trained on the man by her side. I could smell the law a mile away and this fucker, while too well-dressed to be a garda, reeked of authority.
And money.
And power.
