She challenged me, and she was old enough to know never to do that.
“Fine,” I said and took out my phone.
“Fine,” Georgie quipped.
I dialled Jax’s number and placed my phone to my ear.
“What’s up, unc?” he answered on the third ring.
“I need a favour, kid.”
I heard a female giggle, then a pained groaned from my nephew. “I’m kind of busy, unc. Can this wait?”
I shook my head as a grin crept its way onto my face.
“It’s about Georgie.”
I heard Jax instantly hush who was giggling.
“Is she okay?” he asked, his focus fully on our conversation and not the girl he was with.
“She is,” I said then growled, “but she is threatening to wear just her bra to school come Monday.”
“She is threatenin’ to what?” Jax all but roared. “Is she there with ye’?”
“She is.”
“Put ‘er on the phone,” he demanded. “Now.”
He was Kane’s kid; there was no doubt about it. I tapped my phone on Georgie’s shoulder and held it out to her when she turned to me. She looked at the phone for a moment, and I saw her tough girl act begin to crack. She covered up her near slip, took the phone, and pressed it to her ear.
“What d’ye want, Jax?” she asked, though her tone wasn’t as stern as before.
I looked at Bronagh when Jax’s voice bellowed through the receiver of my phone. She grinned, and I shook my head. She was enjoying this just as much as I was.
“No!” Georgie suddenly bellowed. “If ye’ do that, I’ll make sure Daisy Mars never looks at ye’ again.” She gasped at Jax’s response. “Ye’ wouldn’t dare, Jax Slater.”
“I would,” I heard Jax threaten.
“Go ahead then,” Georgie angrily spat and hung up on Jax before turning and tossing my phone back to me.
“Can ye’ both leave, please?” she asked. “I want to be on me own.”
I opened my mouth to ignore her and continue our discussion, but when a soft hand touched my elbow, I turned my attention from my daughter to my wife.
“Come on,” Bronagh said. “Leave ‘er be.”
I had to be tugged out of the room and down the stairs.
“Georgie will be down in a few minutes,” Bronagh said to Alex and Joey who were keeping Axel and Beau company in the living room. Beau, whose focus was on Joey, didn’t even notice that his mother spoke. He was too focused on his sister’s friend, and it made me snort.
Twenty minutes after our argument, Georgie, who was correctly dressed, left with her friends and went to the community centre when Alannah pulled up outside to collect them. Bronagh took Axel with her when she went shopping, and Beau accompanied me to the boys’ soccer game. We didn’t get home until after four p.m. After soccer, I took the boys to lunch, then to see the new Marvel movie. When I stepped foot into my house, it sounded like World War III had erupted.
Jax was over, and he and Georgie were knee-deep in an argument in the kitchen. I pushed passed my kids and jogged into the room. My wife was leaned against the sink, pinching the bridge of her nose. I looked at my firstborn nephew and my firstborn child, who were glaring daggers at each other. When my nephew caught sight of me, a deadly grin spread across his face.
“Uncle Nico,” Jax said, turning his attention back to his cousin. “Georgie has a boyfriend ... and he’s a Collins!”
CHAPTER TWO
“Can you repeat that, Jax?”
“Don’t repeat it, cousin,” Georgie pleaded. “He looks like he’s about to have a bleedin’ stroke!”
I was definitely close to say the least.
“Ye’ heard me, unc. Georgie has a boyfriend; he’s me cousin. A Collins lad through and through.”
I hadn’t even realised I was pacing back and forth until my wife approached me cautiously and placed her hands on my biceps. All I could think of was this little Collins bastard touching my daughter in her no-go areas.
“Breathe,” Bronagh instructed. “Nice and slow, in and out.”
I copied her actions, taking slow, deep breaths, but it was futile. My blood pressure was too high for me to calm down.
“Boys,” I barked to my sons who lingered in the kitchen doorway. “Get up to your rooms. Now.”
My sons wished Georgie good luck as they hightailed it up the stairs without a backwards glance. Georgie didn’t look at them; her narrowed eyes were locked on Jax, and if looks could kill, my nephew would have been dead and buried.
I focused on my firstborn. “As of right now, you no longer have a boyfriend.”
Her gazed darted to mine, and screeched, “But Daddy!”
“No!” I cut her off. “No but Daddy! I’m not letting up on this, no way. You’re fifteen; what the hell do you need a boyfriend for?”
Georgie glared at me. “I’m not breakin’ up with ‘im. I don’t care what ye’ say.”
Excuse me?
“Is that so?”
Georgie shrunk under my stare but nodded ever so slightly.
“Everything is going in the trash,” I declared. “Phone, laptop, makeup, hair products, your television, your sound system, your iPod. Everything. Trash.”
Georgie widened her eyes.
“If you’re going to disrespect me in my house, then you’re sure as hell not having any of the privileges your mother and I paid for.”
“This is all your fault!” Georgie snapped at Jax. “Ye’ couldn’t keep your big mouth shut. Ye’ ruin everythin’. I hate you.”
Jax flinched as if his cousin’s words had struck him.
“Georgie,” he said in disbelief. “Take it back.”
“No.”
“Take it back, cousin,” he repeated. “Now.”
“No!”
“Georgie Slater,” Bronagh said, her voice deathly low. “Take back those hateful words right now.”
Georgie looked at her mom, held her gaze for a long moment, then turned and ran up the stairs without saying a single word.
“Georgie!” I hollered after her, but she didn’t stop.
Jax stood still, staring up after her. When he turned to face me a moment later, he said, “I had to tell you, unc. I was in The Square yesterday with Indie, and he bought condoms in Boots. I jokingly asked who he was datin’ to need them, and he said Georgie’s name before he could stop ‘imself. I had it out with Georgie last night and only kept quiet because she said she’d tell ye’, but when I was on the phone to ‘er earlier, it was obvious she hadn’t.”
Bronagh groaned. “Did ye’ hit Indie, Jax?”
“Not as hard as I should have,” my nephew grunted.
“Indie Collins,” I said with a snarl. “Gavin’s boy.”
My mind was focused on what my nephew said. Indie was buying condoms for him and Georgie to use. Condoms. Every muscle in my body tensed to the point of pain. The urge to punch something was strong, and my heart was beating so fast I thought it might burst.
“Yeah, he’s me uncle Gav’s eldest kid.”
Bronagh suddenly gripped my arm when I turned and headed down the hallway towards the front door.
“Don’t ye’ bleedin’ dare, Dominic!” She scowled. “Ye’ aren’t havin’ it out with Gavin because our kids are datin’.”
“Dating?” I repeated. “They’re doing more than that. They’re having sex.”
“Dominic, just listen to me.”
I knew that tone, and it meant she disagreed with me.
“No,” I said, refusing to look at her.
I wasn’t letting her talk me around on this, not a chance.
“Baby,” she pressed. “We need to discuss this.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” I answered. “She is fifteen. Fif-fucking-teen. She is not entering a relationship when she has no idea about how they work. No.”
“Dominic—”
“Bronagh, I love you to death, but do not ask me to budge on this. I can’t. She is my daughter, and fifteen is too young for a relationship. Sex shouldn’t even be on her mind.”