Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 103141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103141 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 516(@200wpm)___ 413(@250wpm)___ 344(@300wpm)
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Abbott
It’s been a wild few days. Rian hasn’t been sleeping well, but then, that’s something he often struggles with. I’d seen it when we were at the cabin together, and it’s something we’ve talked about since we’ve been back in Boston.
Rian left early for work this morning—the first time since everything went down—and by work, I know he’s going to question and torture the man who had been with my father. Apparently, Conan had been able to get some information out of him, but Rian wanted a chance as well.
I’ve been a mess all day, but we have company at the house, so that’s helped. Cillian and his friends came back down from Ashford to stay for a while. While Tiernan and Dean stay with his mom at night, they’ve been here off and on. Cillian, Ollie, Rory, and Shai have stayed here with us the whole time, and I have to say, they’re…interesting.
Cillian is a lot like his father. He’s a caretaker with Ollie, and hell, with Rory and Shai too. He’s steady and serious, but seems to know how to have fun too. The two of us have spoken a bit. I’d like to be close with him, but I’m also trying not to push too hard too fast.
Ollie is sweet. He’s not what I expected, despite Rian having told me that. Rory is wild and rarely settles down, and is completely fixated on Shai. I’ve never seen anything like the four of them—the way they move through the world together, how Cillian and Rory navigate life like a unit, but each being in love with someone else. It’s fascinating and beautiful.
Their whole family is.
I’m standing in the kitchen now, really just looking for something to do, when I hear a noise behind me and turn around to see Ollie. “Oh, hey. How are you doing?” he asks.
I sigh and close the fridge. There’s nothing I want in there, so I’m not sure why I’m looking. “I don’t know,” I answer honestly.
It’s been a lot—between finding out my father had my mom killed, tried to have me killed, and is a rapist, it’s hard to be okay.
He sits down at the table, and I join him. “I’m sorry. I can’t relate to what happened with your father, but the rest of it…I get it. I know it can be difficult…knowing they do the things they do.”
I let out a breath that I think I’ve been holding for days, maybe weeks. “It is but…I love him.” Is that a good excuse? Probably not, but I don’t care.
“And he loves you. They’re hard, our guys. Violent and brutal, but no one will love you the way Rian will. I know that because it’s how Cillian loves me. They have the world’s biggest hearts, even if it’s only our family they share them with. These men, they’ll do anything for each other and anything for us, in a way no one else would. We’re lucky.”
He smiles, and I can’t help but do the same thing. Getting romance and life advice from a twenty-year-old isn’t something I expected to happen in my life, but Ollie is beyond his years. There’s not a part of me that doesn’t believe him.
“Yes, we are.” I take a breath, unsure if I should ask my next question. “Cillian is okay? With me? He acts like it, but…I just don’t ever want to come between him and Rian.”
“He’s happy. I think this will be good for their relationship. It helped when Cillian met me, then when Shai came into our lives, and now with you here too. These guys…as brutal as they can be, they have a lot of love they need to give.”
I nod, tension I didn’t realize I still had releasing from my body. “Thanks, Ollie. I appreciate you talking to me.”
“Of course.” He reaches over and squeezes my hand. “We’re family.”
A noise comes from the other side of the room as Cillian, Shai, and Rory walk in.
“Hey, Step Daddy,” Rory says. He hasn’t stopped calling me that. Cillian and Rian roll their eyes every time he does it, but Rory feels similar to Finan to me in that no one really knows how to handle him.
“Hi, Rory,” I say.
“What are you and Bunny talking about?”
“How annoying you guys are to deal with,” Ollie lies.
“Well, I don’t believe that at all. At least not me. I’m the fucking best.” Rory grins.
Shai wraps his arms around him. “You’re something all right.”
“Dad is on his way home,” Cillian tells me. “He said to tell you we’re going to Fia’s tonight. She’s making an Irish roast dinner.”
“Fia is the best cook,” Rory says. “It’ll be worth it. I promise.”
I love the idea of a home-cooked meal, but I’m reeling some right now. The man has been torturing someone all day, and now we’re going to his ex-sister-in-law’s house for a family dinner? “Okay,” I say, a little overwhelmed.