I can’t help but laugh. “I don’t even know the address, how could I be expecting someone?”
“Okay, point taken. You stay right here.”
Gone is the silly Mac who I’m now used to. In his place is this man who looks like my boyfriend, but his features are hard like stone. His eyes are void of anything but a merciless mafia man. As he gets up, I turn my body to look behind me and watch what’s about to happen. He pulls a pistol from seemingly nowhere and stalks up to the door like he expects an army to be on the other side. He moves in silence and as soon as he looks out the peephole, he mutters a curse and throws open the door to reveal Declan standing on the other side smiling like the Cheshire cat.
“Fuck, Dec you almost got shot.”
Declan scoffs, “Please, like you’d ever shoot me. Rowan? Maybe. The twins? Definitely. But me or Kieran? Never.”
Mac lowers the hammer on his gun and tucks it into the back of his pants, walking away from the door back to me. Dec shuts the door behind him and takes his boots off at the door.
“Hey, is Jakob here too?” My head still turned towards Declan. I saw an orange motorcycle through the opened door and I know Jakob has one.
“Why would you thinkhe’dbe here?” Declan sneers.
“Maybe because he’s my brother and according to Mac this gorgeous house is mine too?” I smart back at him.
The smile that covers both the guys faces pulls at my heartstrings.
“Do you like it? I worked really hard on it.” Declan practically preens under the acknowledgment that this is my house as well as Mac’s.
“I love it. Also, that wasn’t the real reason I was asking. I asked because I thought his motorcycle was outside.”
“The orange CBR1000 out there?” He throws his thumb over his shoulder towards the now closed door while walking deeper into the house towards the opposite side of the sectional.
“Uh… sure?” Mac pulls me into his arms as we settle back how we originally were.
“Jakob doesn’t have that bike.” He laughs, but it dies off quickly. “Jakob does not have the exact same bike as I do, does he?”
Mac can’t help the laugh that bubbles up, “I forgot to tell you, but yeah man. Like identical.”
Declan pulls his phone out so quickly I’m surprised it doesn’t fly out of his hand.
I look at Mac in confusion as he leans into my space and whispers, “He’s either texting Jake or his bike guy to get a new one immediately.”
28
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mac
We’ve been in our house for two weeks, and Lee still hasn’t spoken to her Da. Her Ma and siblings come by almost daily, but he hasn’t even tried to come over. Right now she’s upstairs working on some cases she has going on while I’m in the detached garage with Davis and Kieran. Davis comes over multiple times a week, and my brothers rotate daily. I love them all, don’t get me wrong. I’m just over them breathing down my neck. I’ve been sober for one hundred and seven days, and I know I have so much more growing to do, but I can’t do that with them holding my hand daily.
Davis and I talk multiple times a day at this point, and even Reid calls me about once every few weeks to see if there’s anything I need. That’s not going to change, but maybe I can get my brothers to stop coming over and spending hours hereevery day. We’re tinkering with an old 1969 Chevrolet El Camino that I found last week. Work has been abnormally quiet, which means my hands have been more idle than usual, and idle hands are the devil’s workshop. So to fill the gap and keep my hands from finding a bottle like they so often have the urge to do, I’ve taken to this old deep purple car.
“So I wanted to talk to you guys about something.” I don’t stop turning the socket wrench that’s loosening up the spark plugs.
“Oh yeah? About what?” Kieran’s curious eyes try to catch mine, but I’m purposely focusing on what I’m doing.
“I think you should stop coming over so much.” The words aren’t even completely out of my mouth when Davis cuts in.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to, but I’d like it on record. I think this is a terrible idea.”
“Not you, Davis. My brothers.” This time I pull my gaze from the engine and look Kieran in the eye. “I appreciate you guys so much. I wouldn’t be here without you helping me stay on track. At the same time, there’s a constant rotation of people in and out of my house. I haven’t even fully processed that she’s getting worse because we barely have a minute alone. I love you guys, but I’ve got to settle into my new life too. You won’t always be here to hold my hand, Kie.”
Kie looks like I just knocked the wind out of him, “But— I’m your best friend.”
“And you’ll remain my best friend. I want you and Pigeon to come over for dinner sometimes. Come hang out for an hour or so, maybe even one evening a week, but we have to find our new normal. She’s having this same talk with her Ma and siblings.”
