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Mom takes my hands, her eyes soft. “You don’t have to go anywhere.”
“But Dad said—“
“I know what he said,” she cuts me off, gently pushing strands of hair from my face. “I will never put my children on the streets, and your father can answer to me if he has a problem with that.”
“This is his house, though,” I mumble.
“Oh, I dare him to kick me out. He wouldn’t have the balls.”
Her eyes flash, and despite everything, I choke out a laugh—only to immediately wince when my head throbs in protest.
“I think… maybe I should go. Give him some space.”
“He’ll come around.” She presses a kiss to my cheek just as Paige reappears, my duffel bag slung over her shoulder. I follow her out, but turn back to Mom in the doorway before stepping off the porch.
“Tell Dad I love him,” I say, swallowing hard. “And… thanks for coming home on my birthday.”
Her smile is sad but warm as she pulls me in for one last hug. “I’m so proud of you, Shilo. Just want you to know. We’ve raised a fine young man.”
“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”
Sliding back into Declan’s car, I take one last look at the house before it fades into the distance. The pain in my head mixes with a heavy numbness, tears threatening to spill as panic claws at my thoughts.
Paige says everything will be okay tomorrow, but what if it’s not? What if my dad never wants to see me again, all because of something I can’t change?
Closing my eyes, I let the hum of the engine lull me to sleep, even though my heart aches for something else. Someone else.
I wish it were Ryann’s arms instead.
Ryann
We make it to Declan’s within the hour, his high-rise silhouetted against the Aurora Bridge. Unlike my penthouse, Declan opted for a sprawling two-story unit on the ground floor, and the second we’re buzzed in, I’m pounding on his front door.
“Jesus, Ryann, what the hell—“ My twin starts, but I push past him, heading straight for the granite staircase.
“Where is he? The guest room?”
“Yeah, but I think he’s asleep.”
Ignoring him, I take the steps two at a time, bypassing a wide-eyed Paige before throwing open the guest room door.
Shilo squeaks in surprise, scrambling to sit up in the king-sized bed that swallows his small body. Rushing to his side, my heart breaks at the dark purple swelling across the bridge of his nose.
“Who the fuck hurt you?” I demand, my blood boiling as I gently cup his face, wiping away the tear tracks on his cheeks. “Who did this, baby?”
Christ, he looks terrible, and it’s all I can do to keep from vibrating with rage.
“S-some drunk assholes at a party,” he mumbles, taking hold of my wrists. “Carpenter, Kansas, Tina, and their girlfriend defended me.”
Goddammit. Remind me to give all of them raises. Hell, I’ll hire Tina and their girlfriend just to give them raises.
“Who was it?” Leaning in, I try to kiss him softly, but my hands shake with unspent violence “Give me names. I’ll fucking murder them.”
He lets out a wet laugh, crawling into my lap, his skin warm and clean from a fresh shower. “The cops have an ID. I filed a report.”
“You think I’m joking, but I’m not.” Wrapping my arms around him, I bury my face in his hair, hating myself for not being there when he needed me. For putting work first, again. I’m so fucking tired of always putting work first. He needs to know how I feel.
“What are you doing here?” he whispers, his breath warm against my neck as he clings to me. “Didn’t you have a meeting?”
