"Bronagh?" Dominic's voice called from downstairs.
I peeked my head from under the covers of my bed. "What?" I shouted back.
"Come here!" he shouted even louder.
I groaned as I pushed my blankets from my body and got out of my bed. I slipped my feet into my fuzzy slippers and walked zombie-like out of my room, down the hall, and down the stairs. No one was in the sitting room so I went into the kitchen and froze when I caught sight of all the Slater brothers seated at my kitchen table. They made the room look tiny.
"Is someone dead?" I asked, wariness in my voice.
Ryder gave me a weird look. "No, why?"
I shrugged. "The last time this many people were sat around my kitchen table was when a bunch of people were tellin' me that me ma and da were gone to Heaven and wouldn't be comin' home. I was young, but I still knew that meant they were dead."
Ryder blinked at me while the others just looked at me with different expressions on their faces.
"Then of course the Garda tried to take me away and put me into care, and that resulted in Branna almost gettin' arrested for assaultin' a Garda," I smirked making the five brothers snort and laugh as well.
"How come she wasn't charged?" Damien asked me as I turned and began looking through the fridge for something to eat.
"They said she was shocked over our parents death and that someone tryin' to take me from her was askin' to be punched in the face, which is exactly what Branna did." I stood up when I had the makings for a sandwich and turned to Ryder with a grin on my face. "She used to kickbox before our parents died, so remember that when you make her mad."
Ryder laughed and rubbed his jaw. "I could have done with knowing that information a few months ago."
I smiled. "She has a mean right hook, huh?"
Ryder pouted and nodded, making his brothers laugh. I chuckled as well then turned and began making my sandwich.
"What has you all here tonight? Do you all have a night off from criminal activities or somethin'?" I asked and was met with complete and utter silence.
I looked over my shoulder and smiled to the wide-eyed stares looking back at me. "I know a creepy man, Mr. Doyle, down the road in an apartment complex who stares for too long if you all need to scratch a need-for-crime itch. I'll turn a blind eye while you deliver it as well, won't rat or anythin'."
Alec was the first to smile at me. "You're a regular fucking comedian aren't you?"
I snorted. "Yep, because I insinuated you, Mr. Escort, would be kickin' someone's arse instead of fuckin' it."
I couldn't hear Alec's reply because the rest of the brothers burst out laughing and banged on the table with their hands.
When my sandwich was made I picked it up and bit into it before turning around and leaning against the counter while I looked at the still chuckling group of brothers. Dominic was smiling wide at me, which made me straighten up.
"What?" I asked him nervously.
"Oh, look at her face, she is nervous that little brother will redden that ass," Kane teased.
I looked at Kane and gave him an are-you-serious look. "The day he spanks me arse is the day pigs fly."
All the lads oh'd and teased Dominic saying I was challenging him, which only caused Dominic to stand up and shake his arms and legs out which instantly made me place my sandwich on the counter so I could have free hands.
"You want some of this, stretch? Let's go," I said, and put my hands up into fists, which only made the lot of them crack up laughing again.
Dominic all but fell back into his chair while Damien was falling against him from laughing so hard. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my sandwich, but just as I was about to pick it up, I heard the noise of a chair scrap against the floor and then felt pain as it filled my behind.
"Ow, that sounded like a sore spanking," Ryder laughed.
"Oh, is that a pig I see flying across the night sky?" Alec snickered.
I ignored them both as I turned and dove on Dominic who was behind me and ready to grab me. The fucker was so fast; he blocked every single one of my attempts at hitting him. Even trying to kick him failed miserably. The laughing from the lads and Dominic's smug face reduced me to tears. Fake tears, of course.
I covered my face with my hands and cried into them and turned myself outwards from Dominic's body. It took only three or four seconds for silence to fill the room and for Dominic to tense around me.
"Shit, babe, I'm sorry I didn't mean to- oft!" Dominic grunted as I delivered him a gut full of elbow.
He was gasping for air as he bent forward trying to ease the pain, but I only heightened his pain by hitting him down below. I didn't hit him hard in any sense, but he still dropped to his knees and groaned like he was dying. All his brothers groaned and grabbed between their legs as if they could feel his pain. I rolled my eyes and stepped away from Dominic. I picked up my sandwich and continued to eat it until I was finished.
"You're an evil woman," Alec said and winced as he looked at his little brother on the floor.
I smiled at Alec who shivered as if I was creeping him out.
"I think I am in love with you," Damien said to me, his tone one of awe.
I snorted. "Love you too, Dame."
I widened my eyes a little because even though I said it playfully, I did actually love him. I loved him and his brothers like they were my brothers.
This knowledge made my heart beat faster and caused a feeling of happiness settle over me, and I really liked it. I loved that by caring for other people it was making me feel so complete. I didn't know why I had hidden from these feelings for so many years.
Damien winked at me while Dominic carefully got himself to his feet and stepped towards me, wincing as he wrapped himself around me. "I'm in pain," he groaned into my hair.
I rolled my eyes and put my arms around his waist and rubbed his back. "It'll teach you not to spank me ever again, won't it?"
"Yeah," Dominic answered in unison with his brothers.
I looked around Dominic and raised my eyebrows at them. "Why are you all sayin' yeah?"
Ryder shrugged at me and said, "We all just learned never to smack your ass even if we're playing, because the repercussions will be deadly."
I snorted and turned back behind Dominic who still had his head bent down pressed against my hair. I nudged him until he turned his head a little and gave me access to his cheek, which I kissed before I leaned up to his ear and whispered, "I'll kiss it better for you later."
Dominic increased the tightness of his hold on me as he growled, which made me laugh. He was trying to kiss me then but I ducked and weaved so he couldn't.
"Why are you all here? Where is me sister?" I asked aloud when Dominic gave up trying to get a kiss and put his face back down in my hair.
"She is gone to pick up Alannah," Ryder answered me.
Alannah?
"My Alannah?" I asked.
Dominic chuckled into my hair as he slid his hands down to my behind and began to rub the sting from his slap away only to receive a nip on the shoulder from me, which he found funny.
"Yeah, your Alannah," Damien answered me.
"Why?" I asked. "It's half eleven at night!"
"We're going to Darkness," Dominic murmured into my hair.