He shakes his head, tugs at his hair, but that doesn’t stop me from wrapping my arms around him, from brushing my cheek against his. He’s fucking shaking, vibrating in my arms, and Christ, all I want is to take that fear away from him.
Still pressed together, mouth close to his ear, I speak softly, only for us. “Baby, I can do this. I’ll be okay. I’m not fucking leaving you.” When he doesn’t answer right away, I try to think of every way I can to ground him, keep him here with me and not getting lost in his head. “Breathe, Cherry. Be a good boy for me and breathe.”
His breathing slows, the tremble in his limbs subsiding.
“We get to fuck shit up together,” I tell him. “You just gotta give me a couple minutes on my own, okay? And then it’s me and you. I’m not fucking dying today, not when I finally know what it’s like to be happy, all because of you.”
The low, possessive growl he gives in response fills me up, leads me to that place where only Rory has ever been able to bring me, where I know what it’s like to be loved…and being loved by him is the greatest fucking gift.
“You can’t kill them all without me,” he says softly, and for the first time since he walked away, I breathe easier.
“I wouldn’t think of it.” He’s back. I brought him back, and there’s nothing like the feeling of knowing I can be who he needs. “We gonna do this?”
“We’re going to fucking do it,” he says. “Thank you for bringing me back.”
“Always. You brought me to life.”
Rian clears his throat, pulling us into reality with the rest of them.
“He gets hurt, I’m killing you guys,” Rory says.
Rian rolls his eyes, Conan crosses his arms and watches, but Finan says playfully, “You gonna take on the adults in the room, kid? Let’s spar.” He bounces around, similarly to how Rory does.
“Can we get fucking serious now?” Tiernan asks.
“Sorry, Daddy T,” Rory says, and we get back to planning.
They’re going to put a mic on me so they know what’s going down. I’ll drive on my own, the others behind me. While I go in, they’ll sneak onto the property. My job is to get as close to my mom as possible, try to keep her safe. When I’m ready for them to come in, I say Rory’s name, and then all fucking hell will break loose.
*
It’s been almosttwenty-four hours and Jagger hasn’t called, and every time I try to call my mom’s phone, it goes directly to voice mail. We all know that can’t be a good sign. He must have figured out who Rory is. It’s not as if it’s that hard to do in Ashford. I’m praying he doesn’t understand how Rory’s family works, doesn’t get the way they stick by one another. It’s not the way Jagger runs his operation. He doesn’t give a fuck about anyone but himself, so I can only hope he doesn’t expect what’s coming for him.
“You look tired, pet.” Rory fingers my hair. He’s sitting on the couch, me on the floor between his legs, my head onhis thigh. None of us slept all night. Aislin is still here, Ollie staying awake with us, the mood somber.
For me. They’re all doing this for me, and I will never be able to express what that means to me, but we all also know that any of us can die, any of us might get hurt, and that’s a heavy weight to bear. “I just want this to be over. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“We won’t. We’re badasses.” He looks down at me, smiling, and I can’t help but grin too.
“I love you,” I tell him. I never thought I would be the type of person who wants to say those three words as much as I do, but I don’t ever want Rory to doubt who he is to me. What he’s given me.
His smile turns softer. “I love you too, you crazy motherfucker.”
I chuckle as he leans down and presses his lips to mine.
“So…they put something in the water over here that makes you all queer?” Finan asks, and much-needed laughter courses through the room.
“I’ve always been gay,” I say.
“Me too,” Ollie adds.
“Same,” Dean chimes in. “You should try it sometime.”
“Who said I haven’t?” Finan pumps his brows, then finishes rolling a joint.
The second my cell rings, everyone stills. “Speakerphone,” Rian says, and I nod, everyone in the room deathly quiet.
“Took you long enough,” I say instead of hello.
