Redeeming 6 (Boys of Tommen, #4)

by Chloe Walsh

“Get fucking in there!” Beaming at me, Tony held both thumbs up. “I always knew you were worth the trouble.”

The two glaring pink lines in the display box hadn’t faded one bit since their original appearance in the bathroom at work tonight. And there it was. Staring me right in the face. My life was over.

Smoothing out the page, I stared down at a picture of my sister with none other than Mister Rugby himself. “Well, shit,” I mused, reluctantly smiling at the sight of my baby sister tucked under the arm of the rising star of Irish rugby. “Maybe he has notions.”

“I will kill you,” I roared, straining against the beefy hand he had wrapped around my throat as he pummeled his fist into my face. “If you so much as think about putting a hand on her—” Breaking free of his hold, I threw my entire weight at him, propelling us both forward until his legs gave way beneath him and we crashed to the floor. “If you look at my girlfriend again,” I roared, fists flying with a flourish. “If you fucking breathe too close to her, they’ll have to take you out of this house in a body bag!”

“You’re not pregnant, are ya?” I joked, wrapping her up in my arms.

Um

My pitiful attempt at telling Joey about our little situation had resulted in him indirectly admitting that he would rather play with traffic on the M8 motorway than father a child with me. Joking or not, it wasn’t a risk that I was willing to take, especially when Friday night traffic was so heavy.

“It’s not my area of expertise, but surely they can give you a prescription for that.” “You think I need a prescription for mood swings?” “No, not a prescription, per se,” he hedged, climbing out of the car. “More like a light tranquilizer.” “Well, you’d know all about those,” I huffed, stepping out and slamming my door shut. “Wouldn’t you?” “Forget about it being light, a horse tranquilizer should do it,” he muttered, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Come on, cranky.”

“Meh. I’m an addict, you’re a bitch,” he mused, pulling me close. “No relationship is perfect.”

“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.”

No wonder he would rather throw himself into traffic than have a child, I thought. He already has four.

They were both quiet for a long moment before Joey snatched my hand up. “Christ,” he muttered, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “I love you.”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “Kind of like you’re glowing.” That would be your baby.

“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.”

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.

“Flattery will get you everywhere.”

“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!”

“I think you’re right about them,” I said when I climbed back into the driver’s seat. “I usually am,” Molloy mused as she looked through the stack of CD cases in her hands. “But indulge me anyway.”

“Because I never slept with Paul. I’ve only ever been with you.” “Yeah, and I never loved any of the girls I slept with, because I’ve only ever loved you.” “So, I get your heart, while you get my heart and my virginity?” “Sounds about right.” “That’s not a fair trade.” “Tough shit.”

“Okay.” She laughed. “So, we’re adopting your siblings now, are we?” “What can I say?” I grinned. “It’s a matter of buy one and get four free.”

“I’m not disappointed in you, sweetheart. I’m disappointed for you,”

“Shit, Kav, I was wrong.” Gibsie chuckled, hovering over my shoulder like a child waiting for a slice of birthday cake to be cut. “This fucker right here is the daddy.”

“Well, I think you’re wrong,” Gibsie replied, handing me a fork and taking up position on the stool next to mine. “I think we could love each other.” I gaped at him. “You’re a freak.” “Oh, relax.” He chuckled. “I meant like brothers.”

Yeah, I could smell the sexual tension from here. It was almost as bad as the god-awful wet-dog smell coming from her.

“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.”

“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.”

This fucker cared. He cared an awful lot.

He gave me a cheeky wink and said, “This one’s for you, blondie.” Well, shit. I choked out a laugh. Little Alpha had moves.

“Oh my god,” I screamed. “Get the fuck off me, Teddy!”

“Open your legs.” “Drop dead!”

“It’s just that I can hear you banging around up here from the sitting room, and I can’t hear my film with all of the stomping.” “What do you want me to do?” I demanded, throwing my hands up. “Cut my legs off and crawl instead?” “Jesus,” Dad muttered, rubbing his jaw. “Right. I’m off out for a pint with your mother. Stomp away to your heart’s content.”

A pained sob escaped her. “Just you.” A tear slid down her cheek. “Only you.”

“There’s no one else for me, Mam. I know it. I can feel it in my bones.” “I believe you,” she replied, nursing her mug between her hands. “You’ve always been a drama queen—” “Hey!” “Let me finish.” “Fine.” I huffed out a breath.

“I’m about to make you a grandmother before your forty-fifth birthday. I think it’s safe to say that I haven’t done such a great job of finding the balance in anything—unless you’re referring to my ability to balance on Joey’s dick. In that case, the evidence is all in, and it turns out that I’m a pro.” “Why would you say that to me?” Mam groaned, covering her face with her hand. “I’m your mother, Aoife. Jesus.” I shrugged. “I guess that’s my reckless streak rearing its ugly head again, huh, Mam?”

“God, I was such a sanctimonious fool.”

“I want you to love yourself enough to stop destroying yourself.” “How do you ever expect that to happen when the very person who gave birth to me can’t love me?”

“No, Joe, you didn’t break me.” I shook my head and blinked back the tears stinging my eyes. “You broke you.”

“Joey needs you,” she continued to say, blue eyes full of lonesome sincerity as the urgency in her tone grew. “More than he needs me—or anyone else, for that matter. For most of his life, my son has been so hell-bent on escaping his mind, that he’s never given a second thought to destroying himself in the process. But with you, since my son has been with you, he’s different. It’s not only that he’s present, but that he wants to be. You soothe something inside of him, something that his father and I are responsible for breaking, and I don’t want to see him have that snatched away from him again.”

“Don’t give up on him, Aoife. Please don’t give up on my boy.”

“No, Joe.” Cupping his stubbly cheek, I leaned in close and brushed my lips against his. “I won’t ever send you away again.”

“God loves a trier,” Casey agreed, eyes dancing with mischief. “But Aoife loves Joey.”

“Sounds to me like I need to break Charlie Monaghan’s fucking nose.”

“Yes, and who you are is a hell of of a lot better than the person standing in front of me, reeling off excuses for doing something that he knows almost destroyed him before,” I snapped, hands planted on my hips, as I glared up at him. “You are a better man than this, Joey Lynch.”

“It’s lunchtime, Shan. What are ya doing home from school?” “Like you can talk.” Digging me in the side with her skinny elbow, she mimicked, “It’s lunchtime, Joey. What are you doing home?” “I’m in the doghouse.” “With Aoife?” “Yep.” “Is that weed?” “Nope.” “Are you lying?” Inhaling another deep drag of my smoke, I held it there for a long moment before exhaling slowly. “Yep.” “Stoner.” “Slacker.”

“Please tell me you didn’t cheat on her? Because that girl is amazing and you need to marry her.”

“But then he came over after school yesterday.” “He came over.” My eyes widened. “Here. To this house.” She nodded. “He helped me with my homework.” “Did anything happen?” “We hugged.” I fought back the laugh that was threatening to escape me. “You hugged.” “Uh-huh.” Desperately trying to keep a straight face, I asked, “Was it a good hug?” She sighed wistfully and clutched her chest. “It was the best hug I’ve ever had.” Now, I did laugh.

“Or Aoife? What would she do in this position?” And I definitely wasn’t going to tell her what Molloy would do.

And please, for the love of Christ, don’t ask Aoife for advice,” I added, shuddering at the thought of the pointers Molloy would be only too happy to give her.

“Yeah, like touching and tasting and…ugh, you know what?” Slapping my hands on my knees, I stood up and paced the floor. “You should stick to the hugging. Hugging is perfect. Hugging is plenty close enough until you’re twenty.”

“Because I hate to break it to ya, Lynchy, but that sister of yours is a ride.” “Jesus Christ,” I groaned, unable to stop the shudder rolling through me. “Why do you have to ruin my life by saying shit like that?” “What?” He laughed. “It’s true. We all think it. None of us ever went there out of respect for you.” “She’s my baby sister, you fucking pervert.” “She’s no baby, lad,” he said with a chuckle. “Shannon Lynch is sweet sixteen and looks like a wet dream.” “I will kill you.” “I’m only saying.” “Well, don’t say it.” I shuddered again. “Don’t even think it. Jesus.” “She has epic blue eyes.” “I have an epic right hook.”

“Your penis, plus her vagina, equals a baby.” Everyone in class went deathly silent. Aside from a few sharp intakes of breath, you could have heard a pin drop. Meanwhile, my heart thundered in my chest as my entire fucking world came crashing down around me.