Aideen (Slater Brothers) (14 page)

“He looks just like you,” my father murmured. “So beautiful.”

I smiled again and lifted my arms. “Do you want to hold him?”

My father nodded his head and stood up. He reached down, and gently picked up his grandson, holding him protectively against his chest. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched him interact with my baby.

He cooed down at him when he whimpered a little and swayed from side to side.

“Hey, buddy,” he whispered, he eyes welling up. “I’m your Granda.”

That was it.

My tears came fast and furious, making a few of the lads laugh.

“Well done, baby sister.”

I smiled at James when he came over to hug me, followed by my other brothers. Gavin held onto me the longest and told me loved me more than anything in the world... except his nephew. That made me chuckle.

“What is his name?” This came from Bronagh.

I looked to Kane who looked as lost as I felt.

“No idea yet.”

Everyone chuckled at us.

I hugged Kane’s brothers then, and I thanked and apologised to Nico, Alec and Damien for any harm or discomfort I brought to them during my labour. They smiled at me and waved it off like it was no big deal.

I cried some more when I got to the girls. They all cried, even Alannah who was usually the best of us for controlling her emotions. We all laughed and chatted as my son was passed around to everyone. I watched as each and every one of them fell in love with my child, and it only caused my love for
them
to grow.

I don’t know how long everyone stayed, but by the time everyone left, even Branna after she checked on us both once more, I was close to falling asleep sitting up. I had just finished feeding the baby again and settled back into my bed when a switch flipped inside of me.

It was an odd sequence of events. One moment I was so captivated by my newborn son, that I forgot about everything, and the next the mist of joy that clouded my mind lifted and confusion set in.

I looked at Kane and frowned.

I didn’t think much of it earlier because I was in labour, and afterwards it never occurred to me because I was so wrapped up in the baby and everyone else... but now that I had a minute to think, I was curious to know where Kane had been all day.

I was curious to know why he almost missed our son’s birth.

“Kane?”

He was folding up the birthing pool.

“Hmmm?”

I tiredly blinked. “Where were you all day today?”

He froze.

His hesitation in answering caused my stomach to churn.

“Kane?” I whispered.

The muscles on his back contracted.

“What?” he asked after a moment of silence.

He knew what I asked, but he was stalling.

“Alec was callin’ you for ages, Ryder too, but neither of you answered. Where were you?”

“I was in the gym for about two hours,” he replied.

I swallowed. “And for the other hours?”

He placed the birthing pool back into its container then turned to face me.

“Helping Ryder move... some stuff.”

Tears welled in my eyes.

“Kane.”

He took a step forward. “I swear if I knew you would be having the baby today I wouldn’t have left your side.”

I held my hand up in the air. “Stay where you are.”

Kane tensed, but nodded.

I lowered my hand to my stomach and exhaled. “You were movin’ drugs or weapons... weren’t you?”

Kane opened his mouth, but closed it when no words came out. I watched his hands ball into fists just as I felt the tears that welled up in my eyes spill onto my cheeks.

“Please let me come to you.”

I shook my head. “I was in labour all day... and you were out helpin’ Ryder with that horrible stuff.”

Kane swallowed. “I’m—”

“Your
brothers
held my hands, listened to me scream and curse at them, and did everythin’ in their power to help me. They never left me side the entire time. They were scared shitless, but they were there for me.”

“Aideen,” Kane whispered, his own eyes glazing with unshed tears.

“You almost missed him comin’ into this world.”

Kane couldn’t hold my gaze anymore. He dropped his head and sagged his shoulders in shame.

“I’m disgusted with myself for not being here for it all.”

I was disgusted with him too.

“What did I tell you?” I asked him.

He looked up at me and shrugged.

“I told you I wouldn’t be with you when you’re attached to that life.”

Pure panic marred Kane’s features.

“Please,” he begged in a low voice. “Please forgive me. I won’t do it again. I won’t help Ryder ever again. I swear on my life.”

It hurt me seeing him so desperate, but I decided I had to be cruel to be kind. I loved him, and I was
not
letting our relationship fail because of his stupid mistakes. He was my forever, and I was going to make him realise the baby and myself were
his
.

I kept my expression as blank as I possibly could; I tried my hardest to be heartless.

I was about to scare him straight.

“I think you should leave,” I said, locking my gaze with his.

“Aideen,” he choked and stumbled forward until his knees knocked into our bed. “Please, I’m begging you,
don’t
do this.”

Don’t break until he does.

“I didn’t do anythin’,
you
did,” I replied leisurely. “I’ve asked you, no I’ve
begged
you, repeatedly, to tell me what you and Ryder were up to, and I’ve pleaded with you not to be involved with it... but you completely ignored me. You said it wouldn’t take you from me, but it has. You almost missed the birth of your son for it… was it worth it?”

“I’m so sorry,” he croaked, as tears fell from his eyes and dropped onto his cheeks.

Put the fear of God into him.

“No,
I’m
sorry, Kane,” I said with a shake of my head. “I’m sorry I let this go so far. I truly thought your love and respect for me would be enough for you to do the right thing, but I’m obviously not worth it. You chose somethin’ dangerous, illegal and plain
disgustin’
over me.”

I looked down to my left hand, wiggled the engagement ring off my finger and threw it to the end of the bed where it landed before him. He looked at me with widened eyes and the look of utter heartbreak that encased him was almost too much for me to bear. But I needed him to realise that he could lose me over something he thought wasn’t much of a problem.

I wanted him scared shitless.

“Please don’t leave me,” he cried. “I’d die without you.”

I looked to our son so he wouldn’t see my act was falling apart.

“If you don’t put me first, what’s to say you won’t put him first?”

I looked back to Kane as he grabbed my engagement ring and crawled up the bed until he was face to face with me.

“I’m begging you not to do this. You and that precious boy are my everything, I swear to you.”

I frowned. “I don’t know if that’s enough for us to work.”

“Babydoll,” he breathed and placed his hands on my cheeks. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work. I don’t want to lose what I live for. You and our son. I never thought it was possible to love two people as much as I do you two. I love you both so much it hurts. Please, don’t take away my reason for living.”

Damn him!

I leaned into him. “You swear on
his
life that you’re done with anything related to your old life?”

“I swear.” He frantically nodded. “I swear to God.”

I regarded him for a long moment before I nodded and said, “Okay.”

Kane crumbled before me, and pressed his forehead against mine. I forced myself not to fall apart, but my God it was hard. I had never seen him so broken, and it gutted me that I caused it, but I
had
to.

I had to scare him into believing I was really done with him; if I hadn’t, who knows how long he would have ‘helped’ Ryder for. For all I knew, it probably would have forced us apart in the long run and broken our family.

“I love you so fucking much,” he whispered.

I put my arms around his neck. “I love you too, sweetheart... now give me my ring back.”

Kane wiped his face before he placed the ring back on my finger and kissed it. I lifted my hand and nudged his head up until he was looking at me.

“You have me heart,” I told him. “Don’t
ever
forget that.”

He nodded his head. “I won’t, not ever.”

I kissed him then, and he kissed me back with a fierce hunger. It lasted a few moments before he pulled back and rustled around until he was under the bed cover next to me.

“Lie down,” he urged. “I need to hold you.”

He helped me get settled on the bed before he stretched out next to me.

“Babydoll?”

I snuggled back against him and murmured, “Yes.”

“I say it all the time, but I really do love you with all of my heart. You know that, right?”

I closed my eyes and smiled. “I know, babe. I’m sorry about being so horrible, I never want to hurt you or make you cry.”

“You had every right to be furious with me. I almost missed our son being born over Ryder and his stupid deals.”

I snuggled into my pillow. “Let’s not talk about it anymore. It’s done now and your decision has been made. You made it for his birth and that’s all that matters.”

I felt Kane nod as he hugged me, lowering his hands down to my stomach.

“It’s all flabby,” I grumbled.

Kane snorted. “It’s weird that your stomach isn’t huge and hard. I can still feel a smaller bump, but Branna said that will go down in a few days as your womb starts the process of shrinking back to normal.”

I looked over my shoulder. “You talked to her about stuff like that?”

“All the time,” he nodded. “I want to know what you’re going through.”

I smiled and looked forward, staring into our son’s Moses basket.

“What will we name him?” I questioned.

Kane sighed. “I don’t know, what do you like?”

I grinned. “Promise you won’t laugh?” Kane nodded his head so I said, “Jax.”

He broke his promise and laughed, lowly.

“Hey.”

“Sorry,” he chuckled.

I frowned. “You don’t like it.”

“I actually do. I was just thinking of how Jax Teller brought us together that fateful day in Ryder and Branna’s house.”

I grinned. “Through Jax Teller all things are possible.”

Kane chuckled. “Jax Slater... that sounds cool.”

“Jax Slater,” I repeated. “I love it.”

“So we’re settled on his name being Jax?”

I nodded with excitement and said, “Yeah, but what will his middle name be?”

“I was thinking of his middle name being after your dad.”

I felt my lower lip wobble. “Really?”

“Of course,” Kane nodded. “Your dad is awesome, and the look of admiration and love he holds for you and Jax fills my heart. He is a good man, and will be an awesome papaw.”

I beamed. “Papaw. That’s so cute, I love that.”

Kane chuckled. “So his name is Jax Daniel Slater?”

“Yes! Wait, Jax Daniel... is it just me, or does that sound like Jack Daniels?”

Kane suddenly burst into laughter. “We can’t change it now, we already agreed.”

Oh, man.

I lightly laughed. “Me da will get a right kick out of this.”

“I love you, Jax,” Kane murmured after out laughter subsided.

I placed my hands on top of his and said, “Me and you?”

“Me and you.”

I smiled then and closed my eyes as sleep grabbed me. The last thing I remembered before I fell into darkness was that my heart was even fuller as another Slater man entered my life and dominated it.

Twelve weeks later...

It was the ever familiar sound that made a tired mother sigh, and a new uncle reel in horror.

“
Please
don’t tell me you just did that, Jax.”

Jax farted for a second time, and the follow through was louder than before.

“Oh, my God!” Nico gasped then heaved when the foul smell reached his nostrils. “Quick, take him.”

I laughed at Jax’s grinning face, and Nico’s revolted one.

“No.”

Nico looked at me with wide, horrified eyes. “What do you mean,
no
? He needs his diaper changed! He stinks.”

I stayed seated. “
You’re
goin’ to change him.”

“Me?!” Nico screeched.

He looked terrified.

I calmly nodded my head. “You need to practice. Bronagh will have your baby before you know it. Nappy changin’ is a skill you need to master sooner rather than later.”

Nico looked visibly ill.

“What if I hurt him? He is
tiny
.”

I deadpanned. “You got away with that excuse when he was a newborn, but he is twelve weeks old now; he is much bigger and sturdier. You won’t break him.”

“But—”

“You’re changin’ him.”

Nico groaned in defeat and looked at Jax. “I love you, little man, but I don’t love the presents you leave in your diapers.”

I snorted. “Get used to it; you have all this ahead of you.”

Nico grumbled to himself as he stood up with Jax in his arms and walked towards the sitting room door. He paused at the doorway and looked over to me and said, “I need you to instruct me on what to do. Come with me.”