“Babe, huh? I was Roe in the shower. Is someone getting attached?”
Giving him a quick kiss then shooting him a grin, “Something like that.” He shakes his head and turns back to Rhett, he starts his movie on the tablet. Shutting Rhett’s door he opens the passenger side door and helps me in. Reaching over he buckles me.
“I can buckle myself.” I smart.
“I have no doubt that you can do anything, Pretty Girl, I just want to help.”
My heart melts to the floor board as he shuts my door and rounds the hood. Getting settled into his seat and bucklinghimself before he puts the car in drive, and reaches over to grasp my thigh. Using his fingertips he slowly runs circles on my inner thigh. I’m wearing a yellow sundress that comes almost to my knees. My hair is down in soft waves and my makeup light. White and brown wedges complete my outfit. Rowan of course had a bag with extra clothes in his car because Rowan is nothing if not infinitely prepared. He’s wearing camo cargo shorts that stop just above the middle of his knee, as well as a plain dark gray shirt that wraps around his arms and pulls over his chest in that perfect way.
He’s wearing dark gray and white vans, and I know he has his gun tucked into the back of his shorts because I watched him put it there. My mind spins at the many looks of Rowan. I’ve never seen him look bad, but today he looks relaxed. Like he gets to shut off the business side of his brain and just spend time with his family. He drives us to a place just out of the city with iron gates and what looks like a guard standing at the top of a long driveway. My eyes pop wide and I whisper, “Rowan, where are we?” He smiles as he pulls up and rolls the window down, “My house, Pretty Girl.”
My brain can’t comprehend what’s happening as the guards step back and we drive into a gated estate. I’m not sure if estate is a big enough word, but we’ll go with that. We follow a long paved driveway with tall trees on either side. The house, If that’s what you want to call it comes into view and my eyes widen.
“You live here?” I ask shocked.
Rowan nods, “I do. So do all five of my brothers.”
The white brick mansion for a lack of better term is three stories high, there’s more windows than I can count, and a huge covered front porch with giant pillars holding up thepart of the roof that covers the porch. My jaw is on the floor as we take the wrap-around driveway and stop in front of the front door.
Cars of all brands shapes and sizes litter the area of driveway that leads to the side of the house and a massive detached garage. What did Rhett and I just walk into? We definitely need to talk about the gun and the guards and whatever else he hasn’t told me, but that’ll have to wait until tonight when Rhett goes down. Rowan gets out of the car and comes over to my side, opening my door and helping me out. Next he opens Rhett’s door and unbuckles him. He tries to set him down but Rhett won’t put his feet on the ground. Rowan adjusts him so he’s on his hip and I sign,“What’s wrong?”He shakes his head and clings to Rowan’s neck.
Finally Rhett signs,“I’m scared. Can Rowan just carry me.”Rowan hands him Safe and nods.
Whispering just for himself since Rhett can’t hear him, “I’ll carry you as long as you’ll let me, Bear.” He reaches his free hand to mine and twines our fingers, “Everyone’s out back, let’s head that way.”
11
Chapter Eleven
Rowan
My brothers could be heard talking and acting insane from three streets over. I’d say this is abnormal, but it isn’t. This is Sunday at the Byrne house. Opening the back fence, my hand tugs gently on Clara’s leading her into the backyard. Bear’s hugging my neck as I hold him with one arm. Our backyard is huge. There’s a big back patio with a grill, smoker, table set big enough for us all to eat outside, a couple of couches and chairs, an Olympic size pool and a four bedroom two and a half bath pool house. As we round the corner all of my brothers stop talking to stare at us.
Clara instantly cowers behind me. They’re already pissing me off and no one’s even said anything. I’ve helped raised the five of them better than to just stare at guests when they comeover. Pushing up my Ray Bans long enough to shoot them a glare, they all go back to what they were doing. That is until I make it to the patio half pulling Clara in tow.
“Guys this is Clara and Rhett. Clara, this is Declan, Kieran, Mac, Flynn, and Sully” She finally lifts her head and when she looks at my brothers she gasps and pales.
What the fuck? Before I can ask her about it Mac sticks his hand out to take hers.
“Clara, I’m Mac. It’s nice to see you again.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean, again?”
Clara stutters out, “I, uh, we, we, it isn’t” She reaches for Rhett, fear in her eyes. Confused, I hand Rhett to her and notice her shaking, “I…I’m sorry I should have told you. We hadn’t even really talked then. I’m so so sorry.” My eyes shoot to Mac’s with rage, did they hook up?
“Start talking MacQuillian.” Mac looks at her like she’s a wild animal about to bolt.
“We ran into each other at the park last week.. Literally she ran straight into me while Kieran and I were running. Well I was running, Kieran was moving at a snail’s pace.” He laughs and Kieran smacks him upside the head.
I look at Clara and ask her in a lowered voice, “Why are you so scared? Did they scare you?”
She shakes her head, “No, aren’t you mad? We spoke and I didn’t tell you. I should have. I’m sorry.” Her eyes meet her shoes. Well that’s not how this shit is going to work for me. I place my finger under her chin and lift it so she’s looking into my eyes.
“I don’t care who you talk to as long as they’re respectful to you, and understand that if they aren’t they have to deal with me.”
After a few long moments she looks up at me and smiles like shes embarassed, “I’m sorry I reacted like that.”
I’m shaking my head at her before she can finish, “Don’t, baby, you’re fine. You’re safe here.”
