“I’m coming,” Aidan said at once.
“No, you ain’t. O’Hara’s going to take you back to—”
“Teo.” He glared at me fiercely. “They’remyparents. I’m coming with you.”
I sighed. “Wish it could be the way you want it, A, but that’s not happening.”
O’Hara was already calling his boys, and he had to put a hand over the phone as Aidan started shouting. I’d never heard him so mad before. It wasn’t my finest moment either; I said some harsh things that I’d have to apologize for later, such as reminding him that he wouldn’t be much use in a firefight, and he’d only make the situation worse by running around getting himself shot at.
By the time O’Hara told me to pull over, Aidan had worked himself up enough that he tried to get out of the car along with me. O’Hara put himself in the driver’s seat and waited, looking the other way.
I jogged after Aidan and took him by the shoulders. “Don’t you do this,” I warned him. “You agreed you’d do what I told you.”
“I never agreed to sit by and let my parents get killed!” His voice cracked, partly from emotion, but partly because he’d just shouted himself hoarse.
“I am not going to let them die,” I said, giving him a little shake so he’d calm down and look at me. “Aidan. Listen to me. They’re going to be fine, but only if you let me go to themnow, and go back with O’Hara so I don’t have to worry about you. I can’t do my job if you’re not protected.”
He glared at me, his face bright red from all the yelling, breathing hard.
“Okay?” I asked, when he said nothing.
“If they die—”
“They’re not gonna die.”
“Ifyoudie,” he started, and tears started to well up in those big blue eyes of his.
I couldn’t do this, not with O’Hara staring at us. Another car pulled up; it was my ride. “Get back in the car with O’Hara.” Aidan threw his arms around me. I caved, and hugged him back. “Baby, please. Go get in the car.”
He pulled away and stumbled back towards O’Hara obediently, and I watched him while I backed up towards the newly-arrived car.
“You coming or you waiting ’til all the fun’s over?” the driver shouted at me.
I turned away from Aidan, hoping I was making the right decision. But I owed it to him to keep his folks as safe as he was himself. I should have insisted they’d come to Hillview long before now. I’d never forgive myself if they got hurt.
Aidan would never forgive me, either.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aidan
The drive back to Hillview passed in an instant but also took forever. Every second that I wasn’t worrying about my parents, I worried about Teo. And then I worried that this whole thing was my own fault. If not for me, my parents wouldn’t be in danger.
Teowouldn’t be in danger.
I put my face in my hands and prayed as I had never prayed before.
At Hillview, Conor O’Hara wanted to lock me away with Róisín in the safe room in the Donovan basement.
“Fireproof, bombproof, floodproof, with its own ventilation, water and sewage systems,” he told me as I looked into it, but wouldn’t step over the threshold. Róisín had gone in without complaint. Conor had wanted Tara in there with us too, but she flatly refused.
“I’m not going to hide away,” she snapped. “If someone makes an assault on this house, I will be happy to defend it. So don’t tell me you’re going to try to put me in the safe room.” She may as well have asked if he wanted her to shoot his balls off right then and there.
“No,ma’am,” he said, and gave a respectful nod as she left the room.
“Is that wise?” I asked him after she’d gone. For the first time I was distracted from my own terrors.
“Ah, she’s a crack shot. She might look like some pretty girl, but she took it seriously when she had to step up and lead the Family. I gave her shooting lessons myself. If anyone gets past the rest of us, which they won’t, they’re not gonna find some damsel in distress waiting to be killed, that’s for sure.” He genuinely admired Tara Donovan, I saw.
