Storming back through the living room, I narrow my eyes at the smirk I catch on Alex’s mouth as I hunt down my target.
My boots thunder on the stairs heading to the upstairs bedrooms, not bothering to be quiet now.
Liam wakes with a start when I kick open his door, his hand relaxing off the gun he grabbed on a reflex off his nightstand, when he recognizes me glowering at him from the hall.
“Jesus fuck, Koen. Can’t a guy get a wink of sleep around here?” He groans, burying his head under his pillow and rolling away from me.
I cover the room in just a few steps, glaring down at him just before leaning over to grip the underside of his mattress. The corner of my mouth ticks up when I lift it, dumping my brother’s ass onto the floor.
“Argh.”
Liam faceplants onto the hardwood with a groan, and I’m not the least bit sorry, crossing my arms and watching him flail about, tangled in the sheets.
“You’re an asshole,” he grumbles irritably.
“Why the fuck isBriarin my bed?”
My brother sighs deeply, pressing his forehead back into the floor. “That’s what this is about?” Grumbling out a few more obscenities, he pushes himself up, crawling back onto the mattress, the look on his face meant to warn me off of dumping his ass again.
My fingers twitch at my sides.
“The little one didn’t want to sleep alone, and Briar wasn’t about to leave her side.Yourbed is the biggest.”
“Why didn’t you put them in the guest room?”
“The guest room is across the hall from Aidan and Rory…”
“So?”
He levels me a look. “You’ve clearly never had to share a wall with them.”
I roll my eyes. “You still could’ve put them there.”
“Aye, I could have. But I didn’t,” he replies flatly.
I glare at him, my gaze dropping to the gun he’s left sitting out on his nightstand.
“Put the fucking gun away; there’s a kid in the house.”
Liam grumbles something about being a moody asshole as I stalk back toward the door.
“And why don’t you relieve Alex on watch while you’re at it?”
The corner of my lip twitches at the colorful string of curses he shoots at my back, dodging the incoming pillow he hurls at me before slamming his door shut.
Liam had no right putting them there,in my room—in my bed.But yet, I can’t bring myself to wake them in order to drag them out of it.
Irritation courses through me as I shove open the guest room door—the bedroom, across the hall and over one from Liam.
I drop onto the mattress, staring up at the dark ceiling. I’m so fucking exhausted, but my chest feels tight, and my blood hot, my jaw aching from clenching it so damn hard.
I’m angry.I’m mad at Liam, furious at Briar, but most of all… I’m angry with myself.
I let her get too close…I know better.I told myself to keep her at arm’s length, and then I let her break all of my rules, strike a match, and light them on fucking fire.
I pride myself on being prepared for every scenario before it happens, butnothing—and I mean nothing—could have prepared me for finding out I have adaughter. And what the fuck am I supposed to do about it?
I’m not handling this well, and I know it. My head is a mess of emotions I haven’t even begun to untangle. And instead of dealing with it—dealing withher. I did what I always do…
