AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We were worried about you.”
Hauling my ass to the head of the bed, I snagged Jake into a bear hug then found myself surprised when he settled down too, face nuzzling against my throat, mumbling, “Uncle Kid nap time.”
Only a kid wouldn’t mind that I hadn’t showered in four days.
“He’s been up since five,” Finn reasoned, but his smile was as genuine as it got as he watched his kid.
It was smiles like that I’d kill to protect.
No one had had it easy in my family.
We were rich as fuck but it came at a price.
Until Aoife had come along, I didn’t think any of my brothers had really known what happiness even looked like. Then, Aoife had started making that smile appear on Finn’s face on a regular basis and we’d realized that we didn’t just have to live in misery.
One by one, my brothers had found their women. One by one, those smiles had started becoming a recurring thing.
I was happy to seetheirhappiness. Just… was it wrong to want some of that for myself?
“You don’t have to worry about me, Finn. I’m a grown-ass man,” I told him as I carefully settled my chin atop Jake’s head.
I loved my brothers. I’d go to the ends of the earth for them. But for Jake? None of them knew the hell I’d reap for him.
Shit, Shay too.
But Shay was different.
Shay was already formed into the man he’d be one day.
Aela had done a bang-up job with him.
“You’re my brother,” he stated calmly, the word seeming to slip with more ease off his tongue than usual.
“We’re blood,” I corrected, wanting to make the distinction.
He cleared his throat. “Yes. Naturally, we worry. Especially after these last couple of months.”
I’d lost my shit after Da died. I didn’t need him to tell me that. I knew they’d been concerned about me—no sleep, little food, and a lot of work. Grief for me was hectic. Violent.
They just didn’t realize I’d been mourning the loss of two people.
My da and Star.
“Things have been rough,” I agreed. “But this wasn’t about that.”
“No. It’s about the United Brotherhood and Prince Edward of Midlothian,” he mocked. “You have two goose eggs on your head. At least they’re symmetrical. You should appreciate that.”
My nose crinkled as I reached up to carefully prod them. “I think I might have had a concussion.”
He straightened. “And we let you rest? Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?”
“Because there was no way in hell I was going to be able to stay awake anyway. Damaged brain or not.” Yawning, I closed my eyes. “I’m still exhausted.”
“What happened?”
My throat bobbed. “You don’t want to know, Finn.”
“That bad?”
