The rest of us nodded, and I said, “Aye.”
“All right. Rowen, give me a hand with him.” Cillian slowly leaned Vail back against me, and I took his weight as Cillian stood. When he was on his feet, he lifted Vail into his arms like he weighed less than a few pounds. Aspen, Fallon, and I followed him up the stairs, and to my surprise, Cillian took him to my bedroom.
When I raised my eyebrows at him, Cillian snorted. “Don’t look so shocked. He’s been in here more. It’s a safe space for him, and yer bed is big enough for all five of us.”
I thought I should’ve been even more surprised when he mentioned all of us sharing the bed, but I wasn’t. There was that part of me that knew the other two were just as interested in Vail, too. Family shared, and if Vail wanted all four of us, I’d accept a quarter of his attention. His focus seemed to shift faster than my brain could keep up with, and that wasn’t a bad thing. It just meant he had more needs than even Cillian and I together could fully provide for. Between the four of us, we could keep him happy.
Cillian and I cuddled on either side of Vail once we had him on the bed, and Aspen took Cillian’s back while Fallon settled in on mine. Having the heat of another body behind me was a strange sensation, especially with the familiar but soft scent of Fallon’s cologne, but it wasn’t bad. I had no interest in him sexually, but there was an extra wall of protection. Vail was safe with all four of us.
Snuggling up closer to Vail, I curled my arm around him and closed my eyes, settling in for a nap.
* * *
The restof Saturday went oddly with Vail so miserable, and none of us did anything much, except eat dinner, zombie through an action movie no one could’ve recited the plot to later, and go back to bed.
By the time I woke up Sunday morning, Cillian, Aspen, and Vail were gone from our warm snuggle pile, leaving me and Fallon entwined together in a very awkward position. Fallon’s morning wood was pressed against my thigh, and he grunted as he rubbed himself on me. His eyes were still closed, light snores drifting from him, which told me the bastard was still asleep and had no idea what he was doing.
I shoved him—hard.
Fallon fell off the side of the bed with a yelp, and when he popped his head over the mattress, he glared. “What the fuck, Rowen?”
“Don’t ye ever press yer dick against me again without an invitation,” I grumbled and rolled out the opposite side. My bladder was full and I walked into the connected bathroom to take a piss.
Fallon was gone by the time I came out, and I assumed he’d returned to his own room, so I grabbed clothes and went back into the bathroom for a quick shower. Once I was finished and dressed, I took the hallway and stairs at a fast pace with the sound of Vail’s and Cillian’s voices leading me back to the living room.
Vail was hunched over on the couch, nodding at something Cillian said as he kneeled in front of him. Cillian’s hands were on his knees, squeezing tight enough I could see his knuckles turning white from where I stood in the doorframe.
“Is everything all right?” I asked, and both of them looked my direction.
Vail wasn’t crying, but his eyes were red like he had been. He stood, knocking Cillian back slightly as he rushed to me. I caught him in a hug and kissed his forehead before he buried his face against my neck.
“Tell me it was a dream, Rowen. Tell me my dad’s not dead.”
“I can’t, angel.” I hugged him tighter. “I wish I could.”
“You tried to tell me and I ignored you. This was my fault. Lor told me.” He shuddered, his whole body shaking in my hold. “Mom will never forgive me.”
“It’s not yer fault.” I pulled him lightly toward the kitchen, and he came without a hassle. I could probably lead him anywhere and he’d follow. When we got there, I guided him to a stool at the island, making him sit down before I cupped his face in my hands. He stared, brown eyes wide and pleading. “Listen to me. These men are ruthless. They will not stop until they find ye. We’re going to put an end to it.”
“How?” His voice wobbled.
I shook my head. “It’s best if ye don’t know anything more, angel. I told ye that we won’t disclose our work to ye, and I meant it. This is to keep ye safe.”
“But I never expected this to happen. I didn’t think....” He dropped his head, and I ran my hand through his hair. “Should I tell the police?”
“No.” I dragged his face up so he was looking at me again. “No. Let us handle it.”
“But—”
“Listen to him, bug.” Cillian stalked into the kitchen, and I took a moment to study him. He wore a pair of knee-length beige shorts and a blue T-shirt, which was odd because that was his relaxed clothing. The last time I’d seen him in anything close to that had been back in Ireland. He preferred jeans. He leaned against the island beside Vail and carded his fingers through Vail’s hair, nails scraping over his scalp and making him shiver. “What ye don’t know can’t come back to bite ye on the arse.”
Vail slouched forward, and I sighed, tilting his chin up for a gentle kiss on the lips.
“Let me make ye breakfast.”
He nodded, and I smiled. I didn’t get to the fridge before the sound of the doorbell chimed. Stiffening, I glanced at Cillian, and we moved at the same time. I laid a hand on Vail’s shoulder and said, “Stay here, no matter what.” Cillian yanked out a Ruger from a holster in the middle of his back, which I hadn’t noticed.
I grabbed my Glock from a hidden spot on a bookshelf in the sitting room. We had guns stashed everywhere in case we needed them, and this could be one of those times.
