This was all I needed.
I had enough on my mind without worrying about the girls.
I was so consumed with my thoughts as I stepped off the bottom step of my staircase that I forgot about my surroundings and walked head first into a chest. I stumbled backward, but arms gripped onto my shoulders and held me steady.
“Whoa, careful, sweetheart.”
I stood motionless as I opened my eyes and stared at my unexpected houseguest.
“What are you doin' here?” I asked, my voice a growl.
“Now, now. That's no way to talk to your uncle.”
“Cut the bullshit, Uncle Brandon,” I said and stepped back away from him. “What are you doin' here? How the hell did you get in here?”
My uncle dropped his arms to his sides and frowned at me. “I'm here for your housewarmin' party.”
The stupid, fucking housewarming party.
How the hell did he even know about it?
I was going to kill Alec for arranging it.
“Now is a bad time, I've stuff to do and—”
“Keela,” my uncle cut me off. “Calm down and take a breath.”
I did as he said and took a nice deep breath.
“Good.” My uncle nodded.
My pounding head worsened by the second, and the sight of my uncle didn't help matters.
“Why are you here? I thought we agreed to havin' lunch once a month. Once.”
He was lucky I agreed to seeing him once a month, I found it hard to be around him now. Especially with my nightmares, I was worried about what I would see.
My uncle snorted. “I wanted to see you, so sue me.”
I grunted, “I can't be dealin' with this right now.”
“Is everythin' okay?” my uncle asked.
I sighed. “Yes, everythin' is fine, but the party is not happenin' anymore so you will have to—”
“What do you mean the party isn't happenin' anymore? We drove over here for nothin'?”
I recognised that voice, and I glared at my uncle. “You didn't.”
Uncle Brandon groaned, “You and your cousin haven't spoken in over a year.”
“She bailed on me weddin'!” Micah's shrill tone shouted, filling my ears.
Jesus... why are you doing this to me?
I wanted to cry. “I had to leave, Micah... and we haven't spoken because you won't give me the time of day.”
Micah scoffed and stepped out from behind her father. “Why did you leave?”
I looked to my uncle and he gave me a gentle shake of his head indicating he didn't tell her why.
I looked backed to Micah and said, “Because Storm was hit by a van and almost died. I needed to be here to sign his vet form or they couldn't perform the operation he needed to survive.”
My uncle raised his eyebrows with surprise.
I couldn't blame him—I was shocked I told the semi-lie so easily.
Storm did almost die, but that happened because of different circumstances days after I arrived back in Ireland from Micah's wedding in the Bahamas. The reason I came home was because of Alec... and my uncle... and two other vile creatures that I refused to think about.
“It was me weddin' though, Keela.” Micah frowned.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. “And Storm is me dog, I wasn't lettin' him die. I was there for the most part of the trip though, isn't that somethin'? I still went.”
Micah thought on that before sighing, “Yeah, I guess.”
Fuck.
She agreed with me.
I opened my mouth to speak just as the hall door open and in walked Alec and his brothers.
He groaned when he spotted my uncle. “I'm going to kill Gavin,” he said.
Gavin Collins?
“Why?” I asked.
“He told them about the party when Aideen rang and told him. We tried to get them to leave before you and the girls came down the stairs. That’s why Dominic called Alec down from your room, we wanted his help.” Kane replied, glaring at my uncle.
He really didn't like him.
Wait, how the hell did Gavin tell my uncle about the party—“Keela, come here?” Alec said to me, breaking my train of thought.
I walked over to Alec just as music started up again from the sitting room. Everyone went inside and left us out in the hallway. Seconds passed and then I heard laughter.
So much for the damn party being over!
“I'll go and get rid of them.”
“Leave them,” I sighed and turned to Alec. “They're fine. Will you just go up to our bathroom and tell the girls to come down?”
Alec nodded his head and jogged up the stairs.
I went down to my kitchen to get some water and was surprised when I found Gavin leaning against my back door having a cigarette.
“Hey,” I said to him.
He flicked his smoke away. “Hey, nice house.”
I snorted. “Thanks.”
Gavin closed the back door and turned to me.
He looked so... different.
Black jeans, boots, buttoned up blue shirt, and a snapback hat on his head.
He looked... hot.
“When did you get here?” I asked. “And how did you get in?”
Gavin grinned. “Front door was open, I came with...”
“You came with who?” I asked.
Gavin avoided looking me in the eye. “Your uncle.”
My uncle?
“Why would you come with—Wait, why are you around me uncle in the first place?”
Gavin scratched the back of his elbow. “Well... he is me boss.”
Excuse me?
“That's not funny,” I said.
Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “I'm not laughin'.”
My stomach churned. “You can't be serious... You can't get involved with me uncle's... business.”
Gavin snorted.
“Gavin, I'm serious!” I snapped. “Do not get involved with me uncle.”
Gavin gnawed on his lower lip. “Too late, Kay.”
What the hell?
“What do you mean 'Too late'?” I asked.
Gavin groaned, “I can't really talk about this—”
“Brandon!” I bellowed, cutting Gavin off and stormed out of my kitchen.
My uncle walked out of the sitting room with raised hands. “Whatever it is, I can fix it.”
I jammed my thumb over my shoulder. “You... enlisted me best friend's little brother? Really?”
Brandon sighed. “The kid won't be doing anythin' dangerous, just a couple of runs here and there till he finds his feet among me circle.”
His 'circle' was his group of baby gangsters, how lads and girls started out in his world.
No!
“I don't want him to find his feet. How dare you do this!” I yelled.
My uncle pinched the bridge of his nose. “He came to me, not the other way around. If you want to be annoyed, be annoyed at the kid.”
I swung around and narrowed my eyes at Gavin who was leaning against the kitchen doorway. “I'm twenty-two, Keela. That's the same age as Dominic, Damien, and Bronagh. I'm not a kid.”
I felt sick—he had no idea what getting involved with my uncle meant.
“I'm tellin' your brothers,” I warned.
Gavin snorted, “So?”
He wasn't afraid?
His older brothers were big, and scary as hell when mad.
“Fine... I'll tell Aideen,” I snarled.
Gavin stood upright. “Don't you dare.”
Ha! I had him now.
“I am! I'm tellin' her!” I turned around and walked by my chuckling uncle.
I was about to call for Aideen when she walked down the stairs with Bronagh, Branna, and Alannah behind her.
Perfect timing.
“I need to talk to you!” I said to Aideen.
Bronagh leaned forward. “When are you goin' to the shops?” she whispered.