AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I broke my hand!” Nolan said.
“You didn’t break your hand,” I told him.
“What happened?” Mom demanded as I pushed Nolan past her and into the kitchen.
“I broke my hand!” he repeated. “Oh, God! It’s my writing hand.”
“Calm down, you dramatic shit.” I chuckled. Forcing him into a chair, I went about getting a bag of ice made up for him. “You didn’t hit him hard enough to break your hand, kid.”
“You hit him?” Mom’s eyes widened. “Nolan Callahan Byrne!”
“What?” he replied. “I’m not a pack leader for another twenty-three hours and some odd minutes!”
I laughed. I couldn’t fucking help myself.
“You can’t just hit people!” she yelled.
“You threatened to scatter his body in the woods!” Nolan exclaimed, his voice rising a notch. He yelped as I placed the bag of ice over his hand. Bruised not broken. “How is that any better?”
“For the record, it was a crappy punch,” I cut in. “Phillip was surprised at best.”
“Can you teach me how to punch someone?” he asked. “For research?”
“I can teach you a lot of things about hurting a person,” I said. “For research.”
“I give up.” Mom threw her hands up in exasperation. “You two do whatever you want. I sent Ginny upstairs. You two are staying here tonight. No arguing.”
“Mom—hold that there, Nolan—Mom!” I chased after her as she left. When she stopped, I hugged her. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me, baby boy,” Mom whispered. “This is what mothers do. I love both of you, and I’m not playing games with that. Do you understand?”
“I do,” I replied. “Has anyone ever told you you’re scary?”
“Your father told me all the time.” She let go and brushed the hair away from my forehead. “Where do you think you get it from? Go take care of your wife, Killian.”
“I will.”
But I didn’t. Instead, I disappeared outside to make a phone call because Phillip Goodwin didn’t have a fucking week left in Cedar Harbor. Not if I had anything to say about it.
Chapter 86
Genevieve
My parents called and texted more times than I wanted to count. It started sometime after dinner and became endless. It didn’t end until Killian turned off my phone and threw it in one of his bags with silent frustration. The only thing he asked me was if I wanted to go back. I threw a pillow at him and told him off. I understood why he was asking repeatedly, but I hated it.
We were off to a great start.
Which was the thought on repeat in my head as we drove back to our house the next morning. Our house where the last time we were there, it turned into a volatile screaming match. I would’ve been lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. His stuff was jammed in the back along with my measly packed bags, and Declan would be bringing by his motorcycle later in the week.
This was a big step—one I worried we weren’t ready for. Maybe this was too fast. Maybe slowing down would’ve been for the better. If we left things how they were and eased into it, maybe that’d be better.
Reaching across the console, Killian took my hand, his thumb caressing my knuckles gently.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, baby girl,” he said. It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a statement. And that made me frown. Clearly, I was in a mood because I frowned instead of obeying. “Are you being a brat, Genevieve? Or do you not know what you’re thinking?”
I sighed. I didn’t want to be a brat—not now. I just… what if he didn’t like what I had to say?
“Please, talk to me, Genevieve,” Killian tried once more.
