Page 88 of Fractured Memories

I don’t bring it up yet. Tonight has already been raw enough.

But when I do ask, I hope it goes as well as it did the first time.

CHAPTER 29

KIERAN

Four months before Eden went missing…

“Ithink it was a little unnecessary.” Lochlan rolls his eyes as he steps out of the car behind me. “We all would have fit.”

“You are lucky he even came with us.” I lean in closer to him. “You know how deep that stick is lodged in his arse. Probably made for an uncomfortable ride anyway.”

Lochlan laughs as Jude steps out of the driver’s seat, raising a brow at us. “When Rohan comes at you two for talking about him, I’m not intervening.”

Lochlan holds up his gloved hands. Neither of us have taken them off due to the cold. “It was all Kieran.”

I elbow him in the ribs, and he grunts as I stalk past. “Traitor.”

Pushing open the door to my home, I find Rohan and Till standing in the entryway. Silently. I’m not even surprised given the intensity that radiates off both of them. They’re similar in far too many ways—which is why I think Rohan respects Till more than any other guard besides Jude.

I nod to Till. “Thanks for driving him.”

He inclines his head. “I preferred him over Lochlan.”

My lips twitch, but I hold in the laugh. “I thought I’d give you an easier task knowing you’ll be on rotation with Ash tonight.” A frown curves down his lips, and I try to smother my amusement. “Good luck with her.”

“Even luck can’t help me,” he mutters.

“Probably not. Try not to kill each other.”

His jaw ticks. Normally, I’d expect him to shrug off the response, but he just shakes his head. “I can’t promise that when it comes to her.”

This time I do chuckle. But his expression remains serious as I dismiss him, and he stalks down the hall. I shift to look at Rohan, who hasn’t said a word the entire time.

His gaze flashes behind me. “Where are they?”

“Coming.” I slide a hand into my pocket, checking that the box is still tucked away there. “You could try to be pleasant without whiskey in your system.”

He shoots me a glare. “I’d rather not.”

I chuckle as the door opens behind me, Lochlan and Jude joining us. I don’t catch the end of what Lochlan is saying before Jude huffs a laugh.

Rohan doesn’t even greet them before starting down the hallway. He wasn’t this tense in the city, so I’m not sure what his problem is. Besides the fact that his plan to attack the rebels failed a few days ago—he’s been even more of an arsehole after we lost some of our guards during that.

At least he pushed that aside while we were gone. It took some convincing to get him to agree to join Lochlan and me today, and he insisted on taking a separate car, but I didn’t want to go without all three of them. I guess Eden has been making me feel slightly sentimental—enough that I dragged the whole group to buy her ring.

It was worth it. Rohan’s quiet support, Jude’s insight, and Lochlan’s ridiculous comments were what I needed. I’m still no good at being vulnerable—neither is Eden—but we are trying in our own ways.

Asking her to marry me is one of them.

I just hope that Rohan is right. That she’ll want this.

I’ve never been uncertain in my life, and Lochlan has been enjoying every second of this. Bastard.

Lochlan keeps Jude in conversation, getting him to fall in step with us easily. Since he left Mika here with Eden, he has no reason to leave anyway.

I increase my pace until I’m beside Rohan. Pitching my voice low, I ask him, “Everything alright?”