Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
I growled, “I was talkin’ to meself.”
“Why?”
“If I don’t talk to meself, who will?”
“Uh, me?”
I rolled my eyes. “Please, you don’t listen to me half the time so I might as well be talkin’ to meself.”
Nico snorted but didn’t look up from the laptop.
Kane stood up and walked over to me and pulled me into his body when he was close enough to do so. He looked down at my stomach, then up to me and grinned, “I feel like there is something between us.”
I laughed, “Yeah, a belly that is gonna keep on growin’.”
“The bigger, the better.”
“Bigger is not better when it comes to my belly.”
Kane chuckled and kissed me before returning to Nico’s side. I had a drink of water and glanced out of the kitchen and down the hallway that lead to the front door when I heard a car door close.
“Ryder or Branna is home,” I murmured.
“It’ll be Ry. Bran doesn’t finish work till later tonight.”
Hmmm.
Ryder.
“Have either of you noticed how weird Ryder has been lately?”
Kane and Nico shared a look then looked my way.
What was that about?
“What do you mean?”
I shrugged. “He’s been out of the house a lot lately, like... a lot. He doesn’t have a job so I’m just wonderin’ what he’s been up to.”
Kane frowned at me. “It’s his own business.”
I rolled my eyes. “That means nothin’ to me. It’s like you don’t even know me.”
Nico laughed but covered his mouth when Kane elbowed him.
“Don’t hurt him, he has a fight tonight.”
“Yeah,” Nico argued, “you bastard.”
I snorted then.
Kane shook his head and focused on me. “Don’t rag on Ryder, please? I don’t want you involved in whatever problems he is having with Branna, okay?”
Oh, for God’s sake.
“Aideen?”
Bloody hell.
“Okay,” I grunted and looked down the hallway when the front door opened.
Ryder looked up and saw me. He closed the door after him and smiled as he walked down the hallway and into the kitchen.
“Hey gorgeous.” He winked and gave me a kiss on the cheek in greeting.
Kane grunted, “Calling her by her name isn’t an option for you?”
Ryder smirked as he put his arms around me. “Nope.”
“Ryder,” Kane snarled.
Ryder moved away from me and to the fridge, laughing to himself. I snorted too because it was too easy to wind Kane up when it came to me. He easily got jealous, but I had to admit that I liked it.
A lot.
I looked at Ryder as he dug out a bunch of food from the fridge and put it on the counter. I laughed and asked, “Hungry?”
“Starving,” he replied as he worked on making a huge sandwich.
I was just about to look away from him when I spotted some white powder on his jacket. I reached out and swiped some powder onto my fingers.
“You have white stuff all over you,” I mused.
Ryder looked over his shoulder to me, then to my fingers. I saw his eyes widen as I brought my fingers to my nose so I could sniff my fingers to see if I could identify the powder that covered them. But just as I brought my hand to my nose, Ryder stuck his arm out and smacked my hand away from my face.
I screamed with fright, and the sudden pain that radiated from my hand.
“Don’t sniff it!” Ryder bellowed and quickly grabbed my hand.
He pulled me to the sink and thrust my hand under the tap he’d turned on. He pumped some handwash on his hand and spread it all over my hand and scrubbed. He finished washing my hand until there was no trace of powder stuck to my skin.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I shouted at Ryder and pulled my hand from his, cradling it against my chest.
I felt hands on my shoulders then a growl, “Explain that. Now, Ryder.”
Kane was angry.
Ryder looked at Kane, then to Nico. “I couldn’t let her sniff it, she’s pregnant. God only knows what would have happened to her.”
Kane’s grip on me loosened. “It’s okay,” he breathed.
It was okay?
“Excuse me?” I questioned and turned to face Kane. “Did he smack you and pull you around by the hand?”
Kane licked his lower lip. “It was for your own safety.”
What?
“How is hittin’ me for me own safety?” I asked.
“I’m so sorry if I hurt you, Ado. I panicked.”
Why would he panic?
I turned to Ryder. “Why? I just wanted to see if I knew the scent of the powder, that’s all.”
“You wouldn’t have known,” Ryder replied.
“How do you know?”
“Have you done coke before?”
I reared back. “No, I haven’t. What type of fuckin’ question is that?”
“A valid one.”
What was going on here?
I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Are you tryin’ to say that powder on your jacket is cocaine?”
Ryder was silent.
“Ryder.”
Still, he said nothing, and that, in turn, gave me my answer.
“Oh, my God!” I breathed. “Why do you have cocaine on your jacket?”
Ryder rubbed his face. “Kane.”
“I’ll talk to her-”
“I’m standin’ right here! Don’t talk about me like I’m not!”
“Aideen,” Ryder sighed. “For once, I’m going to need you to mind your own damn business.”
Oh, hell no.
“Fuck you, Ryder!” I snapped.
Nico tried to change the subject, but I was too hyped to allow it.
“I fuckin’ told you he was up to somethin’!” I snapped to Kane and Nico. I looked at Ryder then and bellowed, “I have no idea what the fuck you’re up too, but I know it’s connected to your old life. That powder is a drug! I swear to God, Ryder, if you hurt me friend with your bullshit I’ll never speak to you again, and you will never be around me child.”
“Aideen!” Kane snapped. “Don’t threaten him with the baby. It’s my kid too and my brothers will be around him.”
I glared at Kane. “You wanna bet?”
Kane drilled his eyes into mine. “Yeah, I do.”
Wanker.
“Take me to court then.”
Kane’s face hardened. “I would if it came to that.”
“Go for it. I’m sure a judge will favour a mother with a good, steady job over a father who batters people to a pulp for a livin’.”