Period.
I think Kane knew that as well. It was one of the reasons I was never without male companionship. When Kane wasn’t with me, one of his or my brothers were. It was a round-the-clock security gridlock the lads had going. Kane went as far as to completely seal off the apartment complex I lived in, and he tripled the security detail.
I found none of it comforting though.
My mind was my own worst enemy when it came to running plausible outcomes of Big Phil finding me first before the lads found him. It worried me sick.
“Stop thinking of him.”
I looked into Kane’s eyes when he spoke and I nodded my head. “I’m tryin’, I really am. I just can’t help it.”
“I will protect you.” Kane swore, his eyes locked on mine. “No one will ever hurt you.”
I lightly smiled. “Me knight in shinin’... tattoos.”
Kane pumped his eyebrows. “I’m adding to my collection soon.”
I blinked. “Where about and what are you gettin’?”
He showed me both of his wrists so I reached out and rubbed my thumbs over the small patches of un-inked skin.
“I’m getting your name on my left wrist and our child’s on my right wrist. Wrists are a lethal part of the body to be cut; any laceration could potentially be fatal. Without you and our baby I might as well be dead, so I’m putting you both in plain view so I never lose sight of that.”
I touched my chest as a lump formed in my throat.
“That was oddly disturbin’ and insanely beautiful at the same time.”
Kane smirked and my eyes followed the thick scar that curved around his mouth. I stared a little longer than deemed polite, but I couldn’t help it. My gaze locked on the marred flesh until my eyes raked over his stunning face and to his arms where more of the thick lumps of damaged tissue lingered.
I loved my man, but I hated that his perfect body was tainted with such marks that brought bulk loads of nasty memories. Lately, I found myself thinking of Big Phil when I focused on Kane’s scars for too long. I remembered everything I was told about him, and I didn’t think I would ever forget even if I tried. The sick son of a bitch used Kane’s vow to protect Damien from harm to his advantage.
Marco Miles was the main man who called the shots over the brothers, but Big Phil held the leash that controlled Kane. He decided how much free-reign he got, and he was the one to viciously jerk on the leash when Kane didn’t do as he was told.
That usually happened when Kane refused to hurt innocents. He was strung up with rope by the wrists and received lash upon lash to his body, or he was stabbed with needles as punishment for his defiance. Big Phil found pleasure in torturing and training Kane.
He found pleasure in hurting him.
Kane took his perverted son’s life, and in return he wanted my life and our unborn child’s. I was terrified of the lengths he would go to seek his vengeance, and I knew that eventually we were all going to clash.
I just didn’t know who would be left breathing in the end.
“Babe.” Kane’s voice jarred me from my thoughts. “Are you okay?”
I blinked my eyes, and looked down to his wrists and lightly smiled.
“I can’t wait to see them both when you get them done.”
Kane playfully nudged me. “I could get them done tomorrow if junior here would hurry up and vacate your premises.”
I giggled. “She will come out when she is good and ready.”
“Like a typical woman then?” Kane mused. “Her way or the highway option.”
I bobbed my head up and down. “You got it.”
“Good thing it’s a boy then.” He grinned as he leaned in and kissed my head. “I love you, babydoll.”
“And I love you.”
Kane smiled and said, “You want to know something funny?”
“Always.”
“There are over seven billion people on this planet, and I can only tolerate eleven.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Who are the eleven people?”
He held up both of his hands and dropped a finger for each person he named. “You, Branna, Bronagh, Keela, Alannah, Alec, Dominic, Ryder, Damien, Tony the pizza delivery guy, and Susan who works in Subway in the village.”
I resisted the urge to laugh.
“Why the last two? You don’t know them.”
Kane pointed his index finger at me. “Tony brings me food, and Susan makes me food. Leave them alone, they’re good people.”
I snorted. “You really need to expand your circle of people.”
“I need to do a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to.” He shrugged.
I grinned. “Why was there no mention of my father or brothers on that list?”
Kane gnawed on his lower lip then smiled wide. “Your family are my ultimate favourites, they’re above any list... obviously.”
I hummed. “Obviously.”
“Have I pleased my lady with my answer?” he asked in an awful British accent.
I was about to say yes, when his eyes dropped to my breasts, and he licked his lips.
I playfully rolled my eyes. “You’re such a man.”
He stood up, took a giant step backwards as his eyes dropped down to his crotch before he looked back to me and said, “I’m aware of that.”
“No, like, you’re so—”
“Handsome? Sexy? The best sex of your life?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Irritatin’.”
“But still handsome, sexy and the best sex of your life?”
My lip twitched. “I suppose.”
“I can live with being irritating if I’ve got the rest going for me.”
“You’re really annoyin’ me.”
He grinned. “Not irritating you?”
“It’s the same thing.”
“Not really. They’re different words.”
I was losing my patience.
“They have similar meanin’s though,” I stated.
Kane folded his arms across his chest. “But they’re still different words.”
That was it.
“Come closer to me so I can smack you.”
“Yeah,” he snickered. “Like that is going to happen.”
I leaned back and closed my eyes. “You drive me crazy, you know that?”
A hand gripped my thigh causing me to jump. I opened my eyes and was surprised to see Kane looming over me. The man could move fast for such a big lad.
“It’s only fair since you drive my body crazy all the time.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “I wonder if you’ll still be lookin’ for some when we’re in our eighties.”
“No doubt about it. I’ll speed after you in my wheelchair for some sugar.”
I burst into laughter and leaned my head against his when he crawled over me and tucked himself behind me on the sofa.
“How many babies will you give me?” he murmured as his hand absentmindedly stroked my swollen abdomen.
I glanced over my shoulder to him. “How many do you want?”
“At least five.”
I gnawed on my lower lip. “Five total or like, five boys? ‘Cause we could have all girls, and me body won’t be able to go until you get your mini football team of lads.”
Kane rumbled with low laughter. “Five total will be fine. I come from five siblings and you do too. I like the number five.”
I leaned back and kissed his forehead. “Five it is, bud.”
“They’ll have to be close in age, too,” he stated. “So right after this one comes out, we’ll have to get working on the next one.”
My lip curved upward. “So lots and lots of sex then?”
“Yep,” he chirped. “We have to make sure your eggo gets preggo.”
I laughed and held my stomach.
Kane slid his hand over my hand and gave it a squeeze. “We’re having a baby,” he whispered.
“We are indeed,” I beamed.
“I couldn’t be happier, Aideen,” Kane said and sat upright. He looked down at me for a long moment before climbing off me and walking out of the room.