Redeeming 6 (Boys of Tommen, #4)

by Chloe Walsh

Regardless of our current relationship status, or how badly Joey had hurt me by walking away, I was prepared to die on my hill of unwavering fealty to him.

“Jesus, you really love her, don’t you?” More than life.

“I’ve definitely seen that big fella in the local paper playing rugby.”

Jhonnnnnnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

This one had a familiar look about him, with blond hair and a goofy-as-fuck smile. “Howdy, friend.”

Gibsieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Don’t mind Gibsie,” another one of them said, and this one was definitely familiar. “He’s a fair bit dysfunctional.”

“And I honestly would oblige you by clearing off, but I really need those drugs for my captain.” “Your captain.”

“Gus, is it?” I asked calmly. “Is that your name?” “Gibsie,” he corrected with a sheepish grin. “It’s Gibsie, although my mother calls me Gerard—” “I don’t give a shit what your mother calls you,” I interrupted, leveling him a warning look. “And as for your captain and his procedure? Tell him to go to a doctor and get a prescription like everyone else.”

“Free sausage rolls?” I feigned excitement. “Well, why didn’t you say that earlier? I’m in.” His eyes widened in delight. “Really?” I rolled my eyes. “No, not really, you langer.”

The fact that my sister was supposed to start school with these people on Monday morning didn’t exactly sit well with me. Especially the big blond fucker with a penchant for dope, debauchery, and his friend’s baby sister.

Yeah, he was a few crayons short of a full box.

“Contrary to the many rumors going around about my magical dick, it doesn’t yet possess the ability to unattach itself from the rest of me, lad,” he shot back, brows waggling, as he bopped and rocked around in a pair of pink board shorts and a Hawaii-themed floral shirt. “So, if I’m here, my dick’s here.” “Then go home.” “No way.” He laughed. “This nineties party is my love child.” “It’s not a nineties anything, Gibs. It’s just a party, so tell that asshole on the decks to play something decent.” “No. It’s my party and he’ll play what I want him to play.” “It’s my house.” “It’s my playlist.” “Then at least go home and change your clothes. You look like a tool.” “Are you mental? Look at me. I make a beautiful Ken.” “Beautifully deranged, more like. Nobody else is dressed up, lad.” “My lover is.”

She arched a brow, reluctantly intrigued. “When you say worse…” I smirked. “You’d need a bishop to take my confession.”

“Wait a minute. I think I know that guy she’s talking to.” “Everybody knows Gerard Gibson.” Katie chuckled. “He offered Joey a condom in Biddies once.” “Sounds very Gibsie-like.” Katie bit back a laugh. “He’s, uh, well, let’s just say that he’s one of a kind. He sort of lives in his own world.” B*Witched’s “C’est la Vie” started to play, and I swear to God, this Gibsie boy all but levitated from the couch with excitement, dragging Claire along with him. “She clearly lives in that world with him,” I mused, feeling myself smile for the first time in weeks as I watched them.

“Want to hear a fun inside scoop going around the rugby circle?” “Not really.” “Well, I was forced to hear it, so you can, too.” “Please don’t.” “Apparently, Bella’s been sleeping with Cormac since before Christmas, even though she’s meant to be with Johnny Kavanagh, but he’s out on injury.” “Oh, the scandal,” I replied flatly. “What life-changing information I have been given about three people I couldn’t give one single fuck about. How will I ever contain my excitement?” “You’re sarcastic and blunt to the point of being cruel.” She threw her head back and laughed. “I love it.”

“You don’t love me, Joey.” Eyelids fluttering, she leaned into my touch and sniffled. “You don’t know how to love anyone.” “Maybe I do it badly,” I choked out, as my heart splintered apart. “But I do love you.” “You’re a shithead.” “I know.” “I can’t live like this.” “I know.” “No, I mean it, Joey,” she breathed, jerking away from me with a shiver. “I can’t take another second of it.” With that, she turned on her skyscraper heels and marched back inside the house, tossing the words “It hurts too much” over her shoulder as she went. I knew that I should turn in the opposite direction and walk my ass away from her, but that wasn’t what I did. No, because like the sick, masochistic fuckup I was, I followed her back into the Biggses’ house, knowing that Molloy wasn’t one to take being scorned lying down. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she had every intention of making me pay for not giving her what she wanted, which just so happened to be exactly the same thing as I wanted. Fuck my life.

While the rest of his friends had long since abandoned their girlfriends and dates, Gibsie hadn’t taken more than three steps away from Claire all night.

Our eyes met, green on green, and he winked at me from across the room. And just like that, I was ruined.

“You’re Aoife Molloy. Since when did you start letting a boy call the shots in your life?” “I don’t,” I mumbled before snapping my attention back to my friend. “I don’t.” “Exactly.” She smiled. “So, go on over there and claim that incredibly sexy and incredibly scary boyfriend of yours before any more girls try to snatch him up.” “Damn straight I will.”

“Your friend was wrong earlier, just so you know. I wasn’t trying to get with your boyfriend.” “It’s not my business who Joey gets with,” I replied, achingly aware of how close he was standing behind me. “He’s a free agent, and so am I.” “Like fuck we are.” His hand came around my waist, fingers flexing against my flesh as he pulled me backwards into his embrace. “Pack it in.”

“You can’t tell me what to do, Joe,” I growled, feeling a combination of drunk and dizzy. “You don’t own me.” “Well, that’s bad fucking luck on my account, because you sure as shit own me!” Drunk or not, his words hit me like a wrecking ball to the chest. Feeling the air whoosh from my lungs, I glared up at him, feeling a torrent of emotions crashing through me. “Why would you say that to me?” “Because it’s the truth.” “Since when?” “Since I was twelve.”

Because every part of me loved every part of her. The good, the bad, and the ugly. I fucking reveled in all of it. She had my heart in knots and my head spinning.

“Stop trying to protect me and start making me happy,” she countered, eyes locked on mine. “Because it’s time to pick your poison, Joey Lynch.”

“I don’t know, Joey.” “Then let me be very clear about it,” he replied, reaching up to cup the side of my face. “It’s you, Molloy.” He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. “It’s you.” “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.” “It’s you,” he repeated gruffly, fingers tightening on my waist. “I pick you. Every single time.” “I mean it,” I warned, shaking my head. “I’m a big girl and I knew what I was getting myself into when I kissed you that day outside your house. You have this warped notion that you need to shield me from your life when nothing about your life has come as a surprise to me. I walked into this relationship with my eyes wide open, and guess what, my eyes are still open, and I still want in.” “I still want in, too,” he replied gruffly. “I just…” He blew out a ragged breath. “You mean the world to me,” he confessed, voice pained. “I know I have a fucked-up way of expressing myself, and I don’t show it like I should. But it’s true. I don’t want to do anything to hurt you, yet most of the time, that’s exactly what I end up doing.”

“I’ll love you the right way this time,” he whispered, and his breath fanned my cheek. “If you’ll show me how.” My hand shot out of its own accord, knotting in the front of his shirt and pulling him closer when I needed to push him away. “Joe.” “What I did at Christmas? How far I went? It scared the shit out of me, and all I could think about was if I didn’t get you away from me, I would end up destroying my world, because that’s what you are to me, Aoife. You’re my whole goddamn world wrapped up in one girl. So, yeah, maybe I’ve gone about it entirely the wrong way, but all I’ve ever tried to do is protect you.”

“I’m not your mother or your sister. I’m not another girl who needs something from you. I’m the girl who wholeheartedly wants you. I’m the girl who wholeheartedly loves you. The hurler. The mechanic. The boy. The protector. The asshole. The lover. The addict.” Sniffling, I added, “All of your versions. All of your shapes and colors. I accept them all. So, I don’t care how fucked up in the head you get, or how bad of an idea you decide you are for me. If you can’t be with me, warts and all, then walk away now, because I won’t go through this again with you.” “I hear you, Molloy,” he replied, tone strained, as he rested both hands on my waist. “Do you?” I implored him with my eyes to be honest. “Do you really hear me, Joe?” He nodded slowly. “I hear you, baby.” “Good.” Trembling, I clenched my eyes shut, losing the battle with both my emotions and my pride as I dropped my forehead to rest against his chest. “Because you can’t take it back this time, Joe. Do you hear me? You don’t get to walk away again for any other reason than you don’t want to be with me and trust that I will do the same.”

“Do you have a coat?” he asked, pulling me in close and splaying his big hand across my bare back. “No, but I don’t need one,” I replied, just about done with all of the heavy. “Because I have an unlimited supply of free alcohol to warm my belly and this asshole guy I’m sort of in love with to warm everywhere else.” He smirked. “Is that so?” “Uh-huh. Come on, Tony Soprano.” Wrapping my arm around his waist, I slid my hand into his back pocket and leaned in to his warm side. “This time, you can look after me.”

it was in this very moment that I knew I would never be able to untangle myself from this girl. Not in this lifetime.

It doesn’t matter, I tried to soothe myself by mentally chanting. None of this matters because you don’t care, remember? You don’t care. You don’t care. You don’t fucking care!

“When we get engaged—” “We’re not getting engaged.” “I want a ring the size of my fist.” He snorted. “Good luck with that.” “And when we get married—” “We’re not getting married.” “I want a big house in the country, with a huge four-poster bed and one of those giant flat-screen televisions hanging on the wall.” “And where am I going to find the money for that?” I beamed at him. “I thought you said we weren’t getting married.” “We’re not.” He turned to face me. “We can’t because I’ll be in prison for robbing a bank to pay for that fist-size ring you have your eye on.” “And when we have babies—” “We’re not having babies.” “They’ll be blond and green-eyed and just like their dad.” “You’re insane.” “I’m in love.” “I’m not having babies, Molloy,” he whispered, giving me a lonesome look. “I can’t be a father.” “Joe.” “It’s a hard limit for me.” “Okay.” Giving him a reassuring smile, I said, “No babies. We’ll have a fur-baby instead.” “Hmm.” Turning back to stare at the ceiling, he inhaled a deep breath. “You might want to lower the bar with the mansion in the country, too.” “Why?” I laughed. “What have you in mind?” “Don’t know,” he admitted. “I never think about that kind of stuff.” “The future?” He nodded. “Yeah.” “Well, you better start thinking about it,” I teased. “Because you’re in mine, and I always get what I want.” “Yeah.” He squeezed my hand. “I know.”

“So, do you want to keep talking?” Springing up, I reached for the hem of my T-shirt and whipped it off. “Or should we get naked and screw?” “Jesus Christ.” Chuckling softly, Joey mirrored my actions and pulled his hoodie and T-shirt over his head. “Where did I find you?” “Your dreams.” Reaching for the waistband of my knickers, I quickly shoved them down my thighs and clambered on top of his lap. “Hey, stud.” “Hey, queen.” “Queen?” My eyes danced with delight as I reached for the waistband of his sweats. “Now you’re talking my language.”

Whether it was to compliment her or not, I knew my role in this relationship and had my lines rehearsed off by heart… Hey, Joe, have I put on weight? Where? Your imagination? Hey, Joe, does my belly jiggle? You’d have to have a belly for it to jiggle, and you clearly don’t. Hey, Joe, you think she has a better figure than me? Nobody has a better body than you. Girls were dangerous creatures with hidden meanings behind every word they spurted, and Molloy was no exception to the rule.

If this hotshot fucker had taken time out of his rigid schedule to drive her home, then my baby sister had made more than just waves at Tommen. She’d summoned a goddamn tsunami.

“Nothing. Just hungry. I was getting a snack.” Getting a smack more like.

“Apparently, Ciara and Hannah were giving Shan shit as usual, and yer man Kavanagh absolutely lost it. Knocked over a table of drinks and everything. Gave that Murphy lad a right kicking,” I added, stuffing a handful of popcorn into my mouth. “I reckon there’s something going on there between Shannon and Kavanagh. She’d never admit it, of course, but I’m not thick. I mean, first he’s driving her home from school, then he’s taking her to the pub, and now he’s publicly defending her honor and settling scores with a bunch of bitches that have been hounding her for years? Sounds a little more than just friends, if you ask me.”

“You’re not pregnant, are ya?” I joked, wrapping her up in my arms. “Could you imagine?” she joked back, still crying. “Fuck no.” I chuckled. “I think I’d rather open the door and lie down in the traffic.” “Then it’s a good thing I’m not,” she replied, laughing almost manically before another batch of sobs racked through her. “It’s probably just period hormones or something.”

Noooooo my shaylaaaaaaa

“You call and I come running,” he told them in a gruff tone, but his eyes were locked on mine as he spoke. “Every time.”

“I don’t know who you bleeding are!” a nearby voice boomed, and we both turned our heads in unison to see an absolute giant of a boy slumped against the glass front of the chipper, talking at his phone while he inhaled an abnormal number of burgers. “I don’t know any bleeding King Clit!” “Well, shit,” Joey said, stepping back. “That’s him.” “Who?” “That’s the lad Shannon has her eye on.” “The one you said beat up Ciara Maloney’s boyfriend?” “That’s the one.” “Well, go Shannon,” I said, taking in the sight of the ridiculously attractive boy, who was making a ridiculously unattractive attempt at swallowing a quarter pounder in two bites. “He’s a little ridey, isn’t he?” Joey snorted in disgust. “Don’t worry,” I teased, patting his chest. “The steroid-head look doesn’t appeal to me.” “No?” “Nope.” Grinning up at him, I added, “I’m more into the lean, mean, cocaine-snorting machine type.” He smirked. “Funny.” “Let’s go say hi.” “What?” Joey gaped at me like I’d grown three heads. “Why would we say hi?” “Because he could be your future brother-in-law.” His brow furrowed. “Like fuck.” “Come on.” I laughed, catching ahold of his hand. “Live a little—but be nice about it. Don’t even think about scaring him off your sister.” “She could do better.” “She could do a lot worse,” I said, laughing. “Go on, Joe. Go and say hi to him.” He gaped at me. “Why me?” I shrugged. “Because she’s your sister, not mine.” “So?” “So, shut up and do it already!” “Why am I constantly being ruled by the ...

“What the fuck?” we both said in unison, gaping at the lunatic hugging my car like he was Superman. “Get off the car, asshole!” Joey roared, rolling down his window. “You’re stealing my center! Give him back,” the boy called out, coming around to the side of the car to poke his head through the driver’s window. “Hey, Cap, how’s it going?” he said, smiling into the back seat at Johnny. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Joey and I looked at each other, instantly recognizing the mad bastard as none other than Gibsie Gibberson, or whatever his name was, from the Tommen party. “And this clown is?” my boyfriend asked, knowing full well who he was. The look he gave me told me to go with it. “He’s my flanker,” Johnny replied with a groan as he leaned between the seats and hissed, “Gibs, what the fuck are you doing, lad? You’re supposed to be gone home with Hughie.” Joey and I looked at each other again, and I knew he was thinking the same thing I was when we mouthed the word champagne in unison. Aw crap. “The Gards pulled him over for tax and insurance,” Gibsie declared, clearly intoxicated as he staggered and swayed on his feet. “So?” Johnny hissed. “Hughie’s aboveboard.” “He looked at me, Johnny! He shone his big fucking torch right in my eyes,” Gibsie slurred, wide-eyed. “I panicked and jumped out of the car. I’ve been running around town ever since. I tried to call you but you kept cutting me off.” “You’re King Clit?” “Oh yeah. I forgot about that.” “What’s Hughie down a...

“You two are so weird.” I laughed, shaking my head as I turned back to my boyfriend. “Aren’t they funny, Joe?” “They’re something alright,” he muttered, shaking his head and letting me know that he was entirely unimpressed with his future bro-in-law’s antics.

Gibsie’s eyes widened to saucers. “Shannon?” He gaped at the back of Joey’s head and whispered, “Oh, Jesus, that’s his sister? Cap’s obsessed with his sister!” Snickering, I nodded. “Yes, Shannon,” Johnny bit out. “Oh shit,” Gibsie murmured before turning back to his buddy. They fell into a blatantly obvious double-meaning conversation, where the only people in the car that they were fooling were themselves. “Oh, yeah.” I leaned close and whispered in Joey’s ear. “That big gorilla of a boy definitely wants in your baby sister.” “Jesus Christ, do you want me to crash the car?” Joey choked out with a shudder. “That is a hideous thing to say to me, baby!” “It’s true, though,” I mused. “Maybe they’ve already done the deed.” “Molloy.” “She’s so tiny, and he’s so big—” “Aoife!”

“Listen.” Rubbing the back of my neck, I turned to face him. “About Shannon.” Kav seemed to straighten as he stood in the entryway of his impressive-as-fuck house and inclined his chin indicating for me to get this conversation over with. “What about Shannon?” He didn’t back down or shy away. Instead, he just braced himself for what I had to say. “She’s fragile,” I heard myself tell him. “Vulnerable.” “Yeah. I already guessed that.” “What I’m trying to say here is that I appreciate you looking out for my sister. She’s had a hard few years, and Tommen seems like a good fit for her.” He gave me a clipped nod. “It is.” Reluctantly impressed, I gave him a hard look, taking his measure to see if he would slip or falter. Blue eyes stared back at me, unyielding and unwilling to bend an inch. Well, shit. This fucker was going to stand his ground. Not wanting to meddle in whatever my sister had going on with this lad, but needing to let him know that I wasn’t going to sit back and let him fuck her over, either, I said, “So, I guess I’m hoping that you continue keeping an eye out for her at school. You know, make sure that no one is giving her any hassle.” He nodded once. “That’s no problem.” “She seems to be settling in at Tommen, and she keeps telling me that the kids are nice to her, but I’m at BCS so I’ve no way to tell if she’s okay or not.” I shook my head and sighed. “And she never tells anyone what’s going on in that head of hers until it’s too late.” “Too late?” “Bitchy gir...

“That big overgrown fucker?” Fastening my seatbelt, I started the car and turned to look at her. “Yeah, I’m fairly sure he’s banging my sister.” “No way!” Throwing her head back, she laughed. “Go Shannon.” “She’s fifteen.” “Oh please.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Like you’re in the position to throw stones.” “Exactly,” I bit out, driving down the tree-lined lane toward the road. “We all know what a shit show fifteen was for me. Shannon should be learning by my mistakes, not following in my footsteps.” “She’s sixteen tomorrow,” she reminded me. “Worse still,” I groaned. “Sixteen was another train wreck of a year for me.” “Hey!” Molloy folded her arms across her chest and huffed out a breath. “I take offense to that statement.” “Why?” “Because I was in your life for both of those years.” “Ah, but I didn’t get naked with you until seventeen,” I reminded her, winking. “Seventeen was a far more productive year for me.” “No, you didn’t get naked with me until you were seventeen,” she agreed with a sudden bite to her tone. “Because, if I recall correctly, you were too busy sticking your dick in most of the girls in Ballylaggin and at least fifty percent of our friendship circle at school.” “Funny. Because if I recall correctly, you were the one in that four-year relationship with one of my teammates.” “Three and a half years,” she corrected with a growl. “And that was totally different.” “How?” “Because I never slept with Paul. I’ve only ever been with you.” “Yeah, and I never lo...

“What can I say?” I grinned. “It’s a matter of buy one and get four free.” “Maybe we should just permanently evict your parents and keep the house,” she joked. “We’d save a fortune in subsidized rent from the council.” “Don’t tempt me,” I groaned, reluctantly smiling. “So, now that we’ve established a future with me consists of slumming it up in a flat in Ballylaggin and becoming parents at eighteen….” Her eyes widened. “Parents?” “Yeah.” I nodded. “Buy me and get four kids free, remember?” “Your siblings.” “Who else?” “Right.” She laughed. “Good one.” “So, any cold feet?” I mused, tucking a tendril of hair behind her ear. “Any changes you want to make to our future plans, or are we all set?” “No cold feet,” she replied, burying her face in my neck as she hugged me tightly. “I want that future with you.”

Her smug grin wasn’t long evaporating when a phone call from Gibsie had us driving back to Lover Boy’s house to return the phone he’d left in the back seat last night. Yeah, Shannon’s tune had taken a drastic change by the time I parked up outside the manor, and it was my turn to revel in her discomfort. She refused point-blank to get out of the car, so I gave up on trying to convince her otherwise and left her to it.

“Lad,” Gibsie snickered, nudging my shoulder with his. “I think my best friend is a small bit obsessed with your sister.”

“Yeah, well, word of warning, Joey the hurler.” He chuckled. “If shit gets serious between them, which I have a feeling it already is, then your shy baby sister’s world is about to turn on its axis.” I didn’t like the sound of that. Not one fucking bit. “Explain.” “Kav doesn’t ride waves unless he’s sure of the tide.” “Okay. Explain in plain English.” “Alright.” Gibsie grinned. “Kav clearly wants your sister. Your sister clearly wants Kav. Maybe there’s a little more than just wanting each other going on here. Who knows? Either way, he’s someone whose intentions you take seriously.” “Seriously?” “Yes, seriously,” Gibsie confirmed. “Everything about Kav’s world is serious, stable, and selected since birth. His future is set in stone, and his plans are cemented in front of him without an inch of moving space. So, if he’s moving shit around to make space for her, if he’s even considering putting her slap-bang in the middle of those plans, then it’s not an accident. He’s about as spontaneous as a dustpan and brush, lad. So, if he decides to go there with your sister, you can be sure that he’ll have put together an entire thesis of the pros and cons of making such a move beforehand. Johnny’s careful, lad, and he’s stable, and when he makes a decision, it’s done intentionally and with permanence in mind.”

As I bantered back and forth with the strange one, I watched as Kavanagh fussed over my sister, and I had to admit that he was the first person I had ever seen put a genuine smile on her face. They looked fucking ridiculous together, with her barely reaching his chest bone in height. They were worlds apart and polar opposites, but the way they were looking at each other assured me that neither of them gave one iota of a shit for the small details.

Deciding to fuck with them a little further, I asked Lover Boy if he had a change of clothes she could borrow, and to watch a lad who pummeled grown men into the ground on a weekly basis turn bright red like that was fucking hilarious. “Johnny, she can take a shower here, can’t she?” Gibsie, who was equally amused by what was unfolding before us, decided to ask. “What?” Shannon squeaked, wide-eyed and red-faced. “Uh, yeah, I guess,” Kav replied, clearing his throat several times before adding, “If she wants.” “Good idea,” I joined in by adding. “Wash that wet dog smell off ya before we have to drive home in small confines.” “I don’t smell.” “You stink,” we replied in unison. “Fuck off the pair of ye, and leave her alone,” Lover Boy came to the rescue and warned. “She doesn’t smell bad at all.” “You don’t smell it because you’re immune,” Gibsie explained. “He lets the mutt sleep on his bed every night.” Johnny narrowed his eyes, outraged. “Call my dog a mutt again and you’ll be wearing that frying pan.” Gibsie held his hands up and laughed. “My sincerest apologies, lad. I never meant to insult your precious pooch.” “I am so sorry about this,” Shannon choked out, looking up at Kav like he hung the moon. “I don’t have to shower in your house—” “Ah, yeah you fucking do,” I interrupted, earning a snicker of encouragement from Gibsie. “I meant it when I said you’re not getting into Aoife’s car like that. I could run a drag off ya with the state you’re in.” “For fuck’s sake,” Kav...

“Ah, that was brilliant.” Gibsie sighed in contentment. “He’s probably up there shitting pebbles because this wasn’t part of his concrete plan.” A reluctant smile breached my lips and I shook my head, concentrating on clearing my plate. “So, what’s the story with you and your buddy’s sister?” “Who?” he asked. “Claire?” I nodded. “She’s my intended,” he came right out and said, without a hint of embarrassment. “The fuck?” “It’s true,” he urged, eyes wide and full of sincerity. “We’re betrothed.” “Since when?” “Since she was four and I was six, and I promised her that I would marry her.” “So, in other words, you signed your life away on a child’s promise?” “What can I say?” He shrugged before adding, “I’m a man of my word.” I gave him a curious look. “Explain.” “Hugh and I were in first class over at St. Paul’s, an all-boys school, so Claire was sent to the mixed school across town.” “Sacred Heart Primary School,” I filled in with a nod. “The same one myself and Shannon went to.” “I remember it like it was yesterday,” he said, smiling fondly at the memory. “It was Claire’s first day in junior infants, and she had come home in floods of tears. I was out front kicking a ball around with Hughie when she stumbled off the school bus at the end of our road, and all I could see was a mountain of blond curls as she raced up the driveway toward us.” “Why was she crying?” “Apparently, some little shit in senior infants told her that she had to be his girlfriend.” Gibsie threw his head...

“I’ve a question, Joey the hurler.” The sheer fucking condescension dripping from his tone had my back up in an instant. “Go for it, Mister Rugby.” “I need a minute, Gibs,” Kav snapped, and without a word, his dopey pal strolled out of the kitchen, closing the door behind himself. “Now.” Kav folded his arms across his chest and glowered at me. “Who the fuck is putting their hands on your sister?” Well, shit. No one ever had the balls to ask such a forthright question. Nobody ever asked because they didn’t want to get involved, and even if they did ask, they didn’t want the truth. That’s how it had been for as far back as I could remember. With teachers, trainers, neighbors… Hell, even the Gards didn’t want to know. The only person in our lives that had ever taken the time to dig deeper, to push further, was Molloy. Until now. “Yeah, you heard me,” Kav pushed, unwilling to back the fuck down like I was used to. “I found her on her hands and knees at school on Friday, throwing her guts up,” he continued to say. “Something’s happening to her, and I want to know what it is.” “Why?” “Because I want to fix it.” “Why?” “Because no one should be putting their goddamn anything on her!” he snarled, losing that perfectly polished exterior. “Fuck!” “What did she tell you?” “That she fell over Legos.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “Fucking Legos.” “If Shannon says that’s what happened, then that’s what happened.” “No—no!” he as good as roared, losing his cool completely as he h...