Aideen (Slater Brothers) (16 page)

He nodded his head and looked at his brothers, snorting.

“You both look ridiculous.”

Nico grunted. “This wouldn’t have happened if—”

“If
you
hadn’t rushed me.” Alec cut Nico off.

Nico stepped towards Alec, but Kane moved between them, holding Jax to his chest.

“Stop it.”

Alec rolled his eyes, but focused on the powder on his clothes. Nico did the same and headed out of the room and went straight to the bathroom. Alec went to the kitchen and when I heard the water running I chuckled.

“When you’re both cleaned up, you can get back in here and clean this room.”

Nico said nothing, but Alec complained which only caused Kane to grin.

We walked into the kitchen when the door to our apartment opened again and in walked Ryder, Branna and Bronagh with Keela in tow. We all greeted them, but as soon as Nico entered the kitchen—less powdery—Bronagh focused solely on him.

“You know the way Branna’s co-workers give me a scan every week for free when I pick her up on a Friday?”

Nico nodded his head and continued to wipe the baby powder from his clothes and skin.

“So I got the usual one today,” she explained, her smile still in place. “And I’m measurin’ at twenty-six weeks exactly.”

“That’s great, babe, so we’re more than half way there?”

Bronagh nodded her head, her smile practically splitting her face.

“Why are you smiling at me like that?” Nico questioned.

“The technician made a little discovery too… about the gender.”

Nico gasped. “I thought we agreed not to find out.”

“We did,” Bronagh nodded, “but she let it slip by mistake.”

“You know the sex?” I asked.

Bronagh nodded her head. “So does Branna, she was next to me when the woman said it by accident.”

Nico nervously licked his lips. “Tell me then.”

“Are you sure? If you don’t want to know then—”

“Bronagh.” He cut her off. “Tell me.”

Silence.

I glared at her for the unnecessary suspense and it caused her to laugh before she announced, “It’s a girl.”

I screamed with delight and jumped up and down which got Jax excited. He began to jump and scream in Kane’s arms. Kane was frozen though, so were Alec and Ryder. They were all staring at Nico who was shockingly still.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I misheard you. I thought you said we were having a girl.”

Bronagh blinked, taken aback by Nico’s lack of... expression. “We
are
havin’ a girl.”

“You’re false,” Nico calmly said. “We’re having all boys.”

Bronagh bit back a grin. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, it is so,” Nico countered.

“Well, honey, I don’t know what to tell you because it’s a baby girl in my belly... not a boy.”

Nico paled and instantly turned to Kane. “I’ll swap you my kid when it’s born for Jax?”

“Dominic!” Branna chastised.

Kane stepped back and turned Jax away from his uncle’s wild eyes. “Not a chance.”

Nico suddenly looked to the ceiling and shouted, “I asked for a boy, not a girl! This wasn’t part of the deal!”

Branna looked at me, bemused. “Who is he talkin’ to?”

I looked to the ceiling then back to Branna and smiled. “Jesus.”

Branna snickered and playfully shook her head at Nico. “Good luck seeking counsel, but don’t get your hopes up... he never responds when I ask for help.”

I don’t know why, but I looked at Ryder when Branna spoke and I saw the weight her words held over him. He looked troubled that she was talking to God about something... he looked like he wanted to be the one she spoke to instead.

I let a small smile curve my lips.

He wasn’t as disconnected as he wanted everyone to believe. He loved Branna, but for some strange reason he was fighting it, and I had no idea why.

“Are you jokin’ right now?” Bronagh asked, her eyes welled with tears. “You better be because this isn’t funny.”

Nico sighed. “Don’t get upset, it’s just a shock... I really thought we would just have boys.”

“Why?” Bronagh asked.

“Because Kane had a boy... it’s not fair if I don’t have one either.”

Bronagh frowned. “Next time it might be a boy.”

Nico placed his face in his hands. “What if she has sex really young? What if boys try it on with her in school like I did with you? Oh Christ, I need to sit down.”

He pulled out a chair next to Ryder and sat down.

“She’s not even born yet and you’re thinking about—”

“We’ll have to teach Jax to follow her around and scare off boys,” Kane suggested.

Alec nodded his head. “Good idea, an inside man will help.”

“Will help what?”

Ryder raised a brow. “Protecting a Slater girl from boys... what else?”

I placed my hand on my chest. “That is bloody adorable.”

Bronagh smiled down at Nico before moving closer to him, placing her hand on his head. It took a second, but he turned and kissed her growing belly before looking up at her.

“A girl?”

“A girl.”

He inhaled and exhaled. “We can deal with a girl.”

He sounded like he was trying to convince himself.

“We could deal with twenty of them as long as we remain a team and don’t be outsmarted.”

“Twenty?” Nico spluttered. “Never. No fucking way.”

Bronagh laughed.

I moved closer and gave her a long hug.

“Congratulations, babe.”

She squeezed me back. “You could be carryin’ a girl this time, too. You never know.”

“Don’t you
dare
wish that upon us, Bronagh Murphy!” Kane almost snarled.

I leaned down and kissed Nico’s head. “You will be a great daddy no matter what.”

His lip twitched. “Thanks, Ado.”

“Where is Dame?” I asked Bronagh. “Does he know?”

She shook her head. “He is out lookin’ for a job. We’ll tell him later.”

I nodded and moved over to Kane and Jax, taking Jax when he leaned towards me with outstretched arms. I took him into my arms, kissed his chubby cheeks and leaned against Kane’s side. I frowned when
Big Phil
entered my mind.

I wanted to kick myself; I always thought about the disgusting son of a bitch when I felt thoroughly happy. It was a solid reminder that he remained out there and still wanted his vengeance. A part of me wanted him to attack and get it over with, while another part of me wanted to drag it out forever.

The latter was wishful thinking, because I knew Big Phil was like a snake. He was waiting to strike us when we least expected it. That knowledge caused me to live in constant fear.

I shook the thought away and looked to Ryder who was looking at Branna, but glanced away when she looked at him.

“What are we goin’ to do about Branna and Ryder?” I murmured to Kane.

He turned his head and looked at the pair in question before he looked back to me and sighed.

“We can’t do anything, babydoll.” He frowned, his voice low. “They’ll come out of this stronger as a couple or they’ll break up and go their own ways.”

That possibility made me feel sick.

“Ryder and Branna will constantly be around one another even if they break up; their siblings are going to marry eventually, and they’ll share a niece or nephew.”

Kane sighed. “Yeah, things will be tough if it comes to that.”

Kane took Jax from me and walked over to Alec who instantly gave his nephew all his attention.

I smiled and looked from my boys to Ryder and Branna once more. Branna coughed after drinking some water, so Ryder absentmindedly reached behind her and patted his hand between her shoulder blades to help her clear her throat, while he used his free hand to tap on the screen of his phone.

“Maybe there is hope for them after all,” I murmured

“Of course there is,” Bronagh’s voice said from behind me. “They belong together. Both of them just need a whack on the head in order to realise it.”

I turned around and found Keela and Bronagh huddled together as they approached me, their voices low.

“Enter
Ash Wade
.” Keela devilishly smirked.

I blinked.

“Who is Ash Wade?” I asked, keeping my voice low, too.

“He is a new midwife that works the delivery suite with Branna,” Bronagh informed me, her grin so wide it made her look scary happy.

I slowly nodded my head. “Okay, but how will Ash be the whack on the head Ryder and Branna both need to realise they’re meant for one another?” I questioned.

Keela winked. “Let’s just say after Branna told me a gorgeous new
male
midwife has an identical monthly shift to hers, I got to thinkin’. What does a Slater brother hate more than anythin’ in this world when it comes to their women? What can’t they stand sniffin’ around what is theirs?”

A light bulb went off in my head, and I smirked.

“Other men.”

“Exactly.” Bronagh beamed. “And what do women of Slater brothers love from other men?”

I felt guilty when I said, “Attention.”

“But why?” Keela pushed.

I grinned. “Because attention from other men provokes
our
men to act like cavemen. We’re theirs and they have no problem declarin’ that to any man. Or woman.”

“Not just a pretty face.” Bronagh winked. “We don’t need other men, but when they show us attention, we reap the benefits. I’m thinkin’ if Ash shows Branna some attention it might knock Ryder upside the head and ring alarm bells that he might actually lose her. Branna will see his reaction and boom, back to their old ways they will go.”

I tilted my head to the side and said, “You do realise how bad the outcome could turn out to be, don’t you?”

Bronagh shrugged. “I’ll have words with Ash, he’ll know the score and will want to help. Everyone loves Branna and would do anythin’ for her.”

I sighed. “What if this goes really bad and they both kill us for interferin’ in their relationship?”

Keela shrugged. “It can’t go any worse than the way things are between them right now.”

Are you sure about that?

I gnawed on my inner cheek. “I suppose.”

“Does that mean you’re in?” Bronagh asked, her eyebrows raised.

Was I?

I blinked. “What the hell, yeah, I’m in. I can’t let you both do this without me, something would definitely go arseways.”

Bronagh thrust her hips and squealed. “This is goin’ to go perfectly,” she announced, then turned around and strolled away with Keela in tow.

I lifted my hand and rubbed my neck, feeling very aware of the unsettling feeling that just took up residence in my stomach. I shook the feeling off and looked across the room to Ryder and Branna who were both on the opposite ends of the sofa, point blank ignoring each other.

I nervously swallowed, and to myself, I quietly murmured, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

A voice in the back of my head whispered one word
.

Don’t cry.

I repeated the thought over and over as I sat in Aideen and Kane’s apartment and watched Bronagh interact with Dominic, his hand absentmindedly stroking her abdomen where their baby girl was growing.

I gnawed on my inner cheek as I looked away from the happy couple, and focused on the plasma screen TV on the wall facing me. My eyes watched the program that was showing, but my brain had no clue what was happening because it was elsewhere. I straightened up and hoped I didn’t appear to be so out of sorts, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if I did because I felt dreadful.

I was jealous.

I was green with envy every time I looked at Kane and Aideen with sweet baby Jax, but my heart broke when I watched how Dominic interacted with Bronagh. She was my little sister. I was a whole decade older than her and she had surpassed me on the journey to motherhood.

I had no doubt she would marry before me, too.

I hated that I felt so bitter towards my own blood. I was beyond happy for them, but I hated them a little at the same time. Her and Dominic were solid. They suited each other so well, and their love, though sometimes extremely intense, was true and forever binding. The more I let myself think about them, the more depressed I felt when I looked at my own relationship.

I didn’t think it could even be classed as a relationship anymore. Ryder and I, we both changed. Somewhere along the line, we stopped being nice to one another. We stopped loving one another. It started out as normal bickering that grew into full blown screaming contests. We weren’t even at that angry stage anymore; we were at the silent one.