Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 632(@200wpm)___ 506(@250wpm)___ 422(@300wpm)
My mouth fell open, and a hint of anger rushed through me at having been played like that, but then I decided I was glad.
“Fair enough,” I said with a sigh. “But in the future, we need to be honest with each other. Lies only lead to mistrust. I don’t want this. There’s so much going on right now, I want to be certain that you’re on my side.”
“I’m on your side. I think my actions prove it.”
“They do. And I’m on your side Lorcan, even if admitting it scares me.”
I picked up Finn from the airport. After Imogen’s heart flatlined this morning and it took two attempts to revive her, Aislinn didn’t want to leave her sister’s side. Part of me thought it was better if Imogen died. I was a cruel bastard and death was part of life, but mainly I was concerned for Aislinn. Her whole life circled around her sister and the hospital now. It wasn’t healthy and there was no end in sight. Maybe Finn’s arrival would slowly lead to a change.
Another one of my men had accompanied Finn this time because Aislinn’s mother needed a new passport so she had to take a flight a few days later. Considering our steep prices, I wondered how she planned to pay for the passport in addition to the flight plus interest but that was her problem. My offer still stood.
The soldier who accompanied Finn had been back in Ireland for a family visit because his grandmother had died. He and Finn came through the sliding doors of the airport.
Finn looked a little shy. Brody wasn’t the most communicative of people. I gave him a grateful nod. The moment Finn spotted me, his face lit up and he rushed toward me, almost stumbling because of his spasms. I met him halfway and picked him up. “Hey, buddy.”
He glanced around. “Where’s Aislinn?”
“A friend of hers had a little accident, and Aislinn agreed to take her to the hospital. We’ll pick her up there in a few hours, okay? Will you be fine spending the day with me?”
Aislinn didn’t want Finn to know about Imogen. She thought it would be too much for him. I wondered if that really were the case. Finn had probably begun to distance himself from his ever-absent mother a long time ago. On the other hand, the boy had lived through enough heartbreak because of his mother, so maybe it was better to spare him the news until it was final. “What are we going to do?” he asked with a sly grin.
I chuckled. “Is this a bargain?”
He giggled. The kid was clever and funny. Fuck, I really liked him. I’d always liked kids, even their obnoxious antics, but Finn was special. Maybe because he was part Aislinn. I didn’t even care that he didn’t have my blood coursing through his veins. I would adopt him if Aislinn wanted it.
I pushed the thought aside. These Killeens really got under my skin, and I needed to rein myself the fuck in.
“How about we visit the bridge of a container ship and talk to the captain. I’m sure you can ring the ship’s horn.”
Finn’s blue eyes grew wide. “Yes!”
“All right, then let’s go.”
I took Finn’s suitcase from Brody before Finn and I headed out.
During our ride to the harbor, Finn chatted animatedly about his adventures back in Dublin, mostly games he’d played with his old neighbor or movies he’d watched. Aislinn’s mother didn’t have money and time to go on real adventures with the kid, but he was still a happy camper. Despite his stutter, Finn didn’t hold back around me anymore, and I understood him perfectly by now. Aran had had a light stutter as kid but he had been big and strong, and beat anyone who made fun of him. Finn often chose to stay silent without any way to defend himself against the mockery. Maybe that would change if he became a Devaney.
When we picked up Aislinn in the afternoon, she was pale, her face worry stricken, but she forced a smile for Finn. The moment she joined him in the backseat, he recounted our adventures to her. She sent me a grateful smile through the rearview mirror.
When she joined me in bed late that night, she sagged against me with an exhausted sigh. “I really thought Imogen would die today, but she pulled through. The doctors are confident they have it under control now.”
“Now that Finn’s here, you can’t spend all day in hospital,” I said firmly.
“I know.” She kissed my bare chest, surprising me. I stroked her head. “I can free up a few hours in the mornings and spend time with Finn, and if I can’t, I’m sure Maeve won’t mind jumping in as long as she’s still capable of it. Then you can take over around lunch time. We can look for a permanent daycare for Finn soon.”