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I smile up at him. “Yes,” I breathe. I’m so ready for this. I can’t wait to see my family again.
Walking toward the front of the plane, I thank the guy and start to descend the stairs. My heart gallops when I see the black SUV waiting and my father and mother standing beside it, my father holding my mother, both smiling at me.
James helps me down the stairs, and I place my hand in his. He’s so damn sweet with me. I take a deep breath and breathe deeply, loving the way the cool, fresh, Irish air fills my lungs. I’m home.
Once I’m on the tarmac, I turn to him, my heart about ready to explode.
“I just want you to know,” I say so that only he can hear me. “I lov—” I pause, just like he did to me. I watch as his eyes grow wide and his lips part in surprise. “Too,” I finish off, and turn on my heel and run toward my parents, knowing he’s going to kill me given the chance. But I had to let him know. I wanted him to realize that I feel exactly the same as he does.
My da folds me into his arms, a place I have always felt safest—until James. My da still is amazing. The way he loves all his children—me included, even though I’m biologically not his—shows how great of a father, a man, he truly is. His arms hold me tight, and I feel as though I can breathe, really breathe.
“Missed you, Peanut,” Da says softly.
Gah! He’s going to make me cry. “Missed you too, Da. But I’m home now.”
He pulls back and his gaze roams over my face. “You okay?”
I nod. “I’m good, Da,” I say with a smile.
He lifts his head and looks behind me. I don’t have to ask who he’s looking at. “He been treating you right?”
My smile widens. “Yes. I love him, Da.”
He groans. “Of course you do, and he loves you.”
“Can I hold my daughter now?” Ma’s soft voice asks from behind my da. He releases me with a kiss to my forehead and turns me towards Ma. She throws her arms around me and shoves her head into my neck. “God, you’re okay. I hated to leave you, sweet girl.”
Nothing feels as good as being in my Ma’s arms. The love she has for me is unlike anything I ever felt before. She’s without a doubt my biggest supporter.
“It’s okay, Ma. I’m recovering, and it gave me and James time to be alone.”
The time we spent in the clubhouse definitely made our relationship stronger. I love him, and that’s something I was afraid of doing. I was scared that I’d be more like Zoe than any of my other siblings. I resemble her a lot, and I know growing up it hurt Ma to look at me and see the woman who almost killed her and my siblings. But Callie has never shown me how much it hurt. She continuously showed me love and support.
“Love looks good on you, darling. Pyro hasn’t once taken his eyes off you. That man is completely besotted with you.”
My da grunts at Ma’s words, and I smile. My da found it hard when my sister Holly got married. He seems to think that just because we have found a man we love, that it means we don’t need him anymore. He couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Denis,” Ace greets my da. “Thanks for lettin’ me and my boys come.”
Da nods. “I think Pyro would have tried to take me out if he found out that I left him out of this.”
I step back into James’ arms, who’s smirking at my da, not denying that he would.
“Where did you find the fucker?” Raptor questions.
“He was hiding down in Cork. The fucker thought if he travelled over a hundred miles, it would stop me from looking for him.” Da shakes his head. “His biggest problem is that he underestimates the reach that not only I have, but also Butch and Jerry.”
Ah, my uncles. The men who would do anything for Ma and, in turn, any of her children. Butch is the president of the local motorcycle club and Jerry runs one of the biggest criminal organizations in Europe. He and my da have a love-hate relationship. They love to hate each other. Not that anyone can blame them. They were enemies, both in the same business, trying to gain the most turf as possible. When Da took the majority of Ireland, Jerry had to expand his business into Europe, staying out of the UK because my brother Danny runs that. Things came to a head when Da found out that Jerry was Malcolm’s biological father, and he’s also Callie’s uncle. Now they live in harmony only for Malcolm and Ma.
“He secure this time?” Ace questions, and I wince. Damn, that’s the wrong thing to say.
“Okay,” Ma says before Da can lose his mind. “Why don’t we get out of here? You all must be hungry. My ma has been cooking up a storm and is dying to see Chloe’s okay. When we get home, the men can go to the office and speak. My daughter’s had to endure enough from the Kelly’s, gentlemen. She doesn’t need you all going at each other over him.” Ma’s voice is soft, but there’s a warning in there. She’s not putting up with the arguments.
Her entire life she’s had to deal with her brother and best friends’ silly arguments. She’s used to putting men in their places and has no qualms about doing it. Ma may look sweet and innocent, but she’s got a bite to her, as my aunt would say.
Da throws me the keys to one of the SUV’s. “I don’t trust them to drive on the right side of the road.”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of me. “It’s the left, right?”
