Page 202 of Beautiful Scars

But I don’t say that.

Meisie doesn’t let me.

“Right, that’s plenty,” Meisie says, holding her hands up. “Maddie, go and bring all the washing down from your room.”

Madison slinks off her stool and goes to fetch it.

“Good old Justin, eh…” I tease Meisie.

She tries to push me from the other side of the counter and fails when I sidestep out of the way. “Stop that!”

“I can’t,” I tell her, shaking my head. “I have a deep-seated emotional wound.”

She giggles. “All these years, all these kids, and you still can’t get over the fact I patched you in favor of Justin.”

I grin at her. “That’s one, darlin’.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “Hmm. Do you think Justin is the type of man who’d put me over his knee?”

I click my tongue, daring her to push me. “Do you think I’m the type of man who wouldn’t?”

She smirks as I walk around the counter slowly. “You wouldn’t—not with the kids up.”

Aye. I concede she’s got me there.

I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her middle and pulling her in close to my chest. If anyone walked in they might think it was an adorable embrace between their two loving parents.

Meisie knows different.

“An hour and forty-five minutes until bedtime, princess. Your card is marked.”

With that, I kiss her on the forehead and head outside to find my two reprobates before one of them ends up at the hospital with potato-induced blindness.

“You’ll need to find me first,” she shouts after me.

I smirk as I turn around and open the back door with my elbow. “Always.”

* * *

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Ava

I learned Callum Connelly was the Devil the day I took my First Communion.

My sisters and I would play a game as kids. To win, you had to get the closest to him. When every cell in your body was screaming for you to run.

I always lost the game.

Until Callum won my father’s war.

Now, as payment, I play the game every night before bed.

He keeps me so close I could win the game my sisters played with my eyes closed.

But the last thing you do in the presence of Callum Connelly is close your eyes.