“Fallon is not in a relationship with you,” Dad said, jabbing Vail hard on the chest. Aspen dragged him out of harm’s way, and my gut dropped because Dad’s fingers flexed, and I knew if no one else was around he might have decided to come after me. “Fallon’s having some fun, sure. Who doesn’t do that at his age? But he’s going to straighten out and fly right or else.” Dad glared across the room at me, and Padraig flushed and glanced away, not meeting anyone’s eye.
“Is that a threat?” Cillian asked, but he didn’t move. “Because I had to tell Padraig this and it bears repeating. Ye’re not going to be an arsehole in my house and talk about the men in my life without repercussions. Deadly ones.”
“Wow, no yelling, good job,” Vail said and beamed at him.
Rowen snorted and I thought he was trying to keep from laughing.
“This is the boss’s house,” Dad said, a smug smile curling his lips as if he thought that made all the difference.
“And he knows exactly what we’re up to in it,” Cillian snapped back.
I felt like I should be saying something, but I had no idea what. I’d avoided this conversation as much as I could when I was home over the holidays.
“Even worse to be an arsehole in someone else’s house, isn’t it?” Rowen asked. His suit was rumpled and he looked exactly like he’d been on his way to fucking before he came out here. I let out a long breath. Hell, I was almost naked, so it wasn’t like there was any mystery about what we might’ve been up to in the bedroom. And besides, I wasn’t sure why I still cared at all about what Dad might think. “Sloan is well aware we’re all together.” Rowen glanced around the room.
My dad’s mouth wrinkled and his expression turned sour.
“Sloan’s so fine with it he’s seen it with his own two eyes. All of it, as ye were so happy to point out,” Cillian said, malice glittering in his eyes. My face heated and I thought I would die as my dad’s glare intensified and settled on me.
I hated to admit it, but my old man scared the fuck out of me to this day. I froze under his attention.
“Dad,” Grady said, and some of the hate on Dad’s face bled away. Grady had a magical touch when it came to calming Dad down—someof the time. Out of the three of us, he probably looked the most like Dad, with the cleft in his chin. His blond hair was a little darker than Padraig’s and he had Dad’s rounded jaw. “Fallon was hurt today. That’s why we came over here. Not for this. You wanted to check on him.” Grady stepped closer to this mess, and Vail backtracked and came to stand at my side to slip his arms around me. “Are you okay?” Grady’s brows crinkled, and I could’ve kissed him. He was the only member of my family who wasn’t a complete waste. He’d always tolerated me the most.
Padraig glanced away as if he was embarrassed, and I wasn’t sure why, but that had me infuriated. “If you wanted to yell at me about my relationships, why did you have to wait until I felt like shit to do it?” I asked Dad.
He ducked his head and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Come home and let your mother look after you.”
Hanging my head, I sighed. “Here we go.”
“I told you he wouldn’t want this, Dad,” Grady said, and it didn’t happen often, but he sounded pissed off, too, as if maybe they’d had a long argument about this before they came here to ruin my night.
“Fallon,” Dad started, and I stiffened. Vail shushed me, but I knew what was coming next. The game-ender of guilt trips. “Think of your diabetes.”
“Don’t!” I shouted.
Vail gasped, leaning harder against me. He kissed my shoulder.
Aspen came to stand at my back and slipped his arms around me, and Rowen paced nearby, glaring at my dad and Padraig.
Cillian let me go, and I bit the inside of my cheek. His face had gone red and he was glaring as he stalked over to Padraig and shoved him. Dad went for the gun he always had on him, but Rowen pointed at him and opened his own suit jacket, which he’d never taken off. He still had his Beretta there in the holster. I wanted to laugh; he’d been in bed with it on.
“This is yer doing because ye’re a feckin’ coward,” Cillian said, shoving Padraig again. “Ye’re the oldest, it’s yer job to protect everyone else.” I half expected a fight, but Cillian only got a defeated slump of Padraig’s shoulders for his effort. Padraig stared at the floor and shook his head.
“Dad wanted to come see Fallon,” Grady said, almost pleading. “He was near a bomb that went off. Mom wanted to know he was all right. That’s why we’re here.” He seemed to be trying to convince Dad as well.
“Shut it, Grady,” Dad snapped. “I can speak for myself.” He stood up and crossed his arms, the way he’d looked every time he’d yelled at me as a kid. “You’re coming home, Fallon.”
“No,” I murmured.
“You will stop all this. You’ve gotten it out of your system, now’s the time to fly right. You can’t be a Company man like this.” Dad ran both of his hands through his hair. “If Old Man Killough was still in charge, all of you would be dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Cillian snorted. “Oh, aye, yes. Go tell all that shite to Sloan. Tell him what his da would’ve done. Or did ye try and he ignored ye? Or didn’t ye have the balls?”
Vail surprised me when he cleared his throat. “Fallon is very charming. I assume he got that from your wife.”
I laughed as Grady shook his head and mouthed the word “no.” He stopped immediately when Dad whipped around to glare at him.
“Nah.” I popped a kiss onto Vail’s lips and lingered there, taking joy in the sputtering I got from my dad. “That’s all me. I’m special, sweetheart.”
