“I work the front desk at Legends. I’m still full time at NYU,” Casey told her.
“Oh, I’ve always wanted to go there. Great school.”
“I think everyone we know has gone there.” Casey chuckled. “All my brothers have since my uncle went there. Any of them could give you tips on how to get in if you’re interested.”
“Seamus is your uncle, right?” Fiona asked, unsure she had all the names straight. This family was huge.
“Yep, he and Dee adopted me when I was four years old. My dad was Seamus’s brother, but both my parents and my two older brothers died in a house fire. Growing up with all my cousins, they pretty much became like brothers to me. Kieran and I have always been very close. He and Rory are classic older-brother types, always trying to shelter me from anything and everything.”
“I’ve met Rory—he comes into the flower shop a lot. I met Kane there once, too. Is Kane not the protective older-brother type as well?”
“Not like Rory and Kieran. Those two protect me from imaginary danger, and from anything fun.” Casey sipped her wine with a distant smile, as if she was remembering something from long ago. “Kane treats me more like an adult, thankfully. He and Kieran may be twins, but they couldn’t possibly be more different.”
“They do seem really different,” Fiona mused, basing her observations on the little time she’d spent around them. “Kieran seems more serious.”
“Oh, he is. At least now he is—a few years ago, not so much.” Casey settled down in a chair at the breakfast bar. Fiona leaned against the counter, facing her and sipping a bit more wine.
“Well, I’m glad he is now. I can’t date anyone who isn’t an on-the-straight-and-narrow adult, not when I’ve got a child to care for,” Fiona said, hoping Kieran fit that description.
“So you are dating?” Casey raised her brows.
“Oh, um…” Fiona felt stinging crimson creeping up her cheeks. “To be honest, I have no idea what we are.”
“Well, Kieran obviously wants to be dating, but what do you want?” Casey asked after a pause.
Fiona smiled and shook her head. “I want to be happy. That’s all.”
—
“K, come spar with me,” Rory called as Kieran walked past the cage he was standing in. Kane was stepping out of the cage at the same moment, his face covered in sweat. As always, Ace sat at the entrance, waiting.
“Thought you were busy training mini-me,” Kieran gave Kane a gentle jab in his upper arm as he walked past.
Kane shot him an irritated glare as he grabbed his water bottle off the ground where he’d left it. “Shut up and get your ass in the cage. I could use the break.”
“And I could use a little change of scenery,” Rory said ironically, since switching between the twins wouldn’t make much of a difference at all. “Let’s go.”
“It’s the weekend, bro,” Kieran said to Rory, a hint of a smile edging the corner of his lips as Rory rolled his eyes. “You’re not my boss right now, better say please.”
“Well, if you’re scared of getting your ass handed to you, then never mind.”
“Oh, yeah?” Kieran started wrapping his hands and wrists. “All right, I’ll go, but only so I can teach you who’s the best.”
“You can try.” Rory chuckled as Kieran entered the practice octagon.
Kieran put his hands up, fisting them slowly as he moved around Rory. Rory echoed his movements, looking eager despite his sweaty appearance.
“Regular bout, but no hits to the face. One round. Good?” Rory asked.
Kieran nodded, squaring his shoulders and making a quick move in, delivering a jab to Rory’s abdomen moments later.
“You’re as fast as always, K.” Rory grunted before rushing him. They locked in a clinch, and Kieran pummeled Rory’s stomach in an attempt to break free.
Rory pushed backward, landing an uppercut right below Kieran’s chin, and Kieran exhaled in one loud oomph. He rubbed his jaw as he sidestepped around the ring, circling Rory. A wicked smile on Rory’s face followed as the duo continued to grapple, delivering blows, hooks, and sweeps until Kieran found himself sprawled on his back with Rory’s knee almost crushing his throat.
“Tap out, K,” Rory advised. Smacking the mat underneath him, Kieran admitted defeat and Rory stood up, leaving his brother coughing on the ground. Rubbing his chest and throat with his hand, Kieran sat up.
“Fuck, Rory. Haven’t lost your touch, I see.” Kieran administered a rare compliment.
“I could say the same thing to you.” Rory sipped from a bottle of water. “Have you thought about getting back into the game?”
“That window’s closed, don’t you think?” Kieran rubbed his throat again, knowing he would probably have some bruising tomorrow.
“Because of prison? There are tons of fighters who’ve been picked up a few times, some who’ve even done long stretches. You were on your way to being one of the best before. Well, that’s not entirely true. I was always better than you.” Rory was being lighthearted for once.
“Only because I’m younger. If I’d had time—” Kieran started.
“I’d still be older than you, and better.” Rory smacked him on the back with a laugh as he walked past him out of the octagon. Ace wagged his tail excitedly. Kieran stretched his arms across his chest one at a time and shook his head at his brother.
“Seriously, K, think about getting back in the ring.” Rory gave him a nod before walking off with Ace. Kane staggered over to him, apparently still exhausted from earlier.
“Good bout. Saw you out there,” Kane told him.
“Until his knee was on my throat.” Kieran sighed. He’d hoped to have fared better on his first round with Rory after his time away, but his brother always seemed to have the upper hand.
“Goddamn Rory and his fat-ass knees. I swear to fuck, I’ve been sure on more than one occasion that he’d kill me with them. Which is ironic since he almost broke one in half back in the day.”
“He’s bounced back, that’s for sure,” Kieran agreed.
“You could, too. I heard Rory ask you about it—why not start training again?” Kane asked.
“Oh, yeah? How would I do that when someone else stole my name, Killer?” Kieran asked pointedly, one brow lifted.
Kane grinned mischievously. “You could be Killer 2.0?”
“The new-and-improved version,” Kieran teased.
“No,” Kane said with a punch to his arm. “The older and staler version.”
“You’re an asshole.” Kieran shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re my twin.”
“I can’t believe it, either. I’m so much hotter.”
Kieran smacked Kane hard on the back of his head, causing him to grimace.
“Ouch, fucker. Find a new name, then, because Killer is mine now,” Kane told him before they walked back toward the locker rooms to shower and change. Kieran wasn’t all that mad about the name anymore; everything between the twins had a sort of fluid ownership. Just because he didn’t entirely mind, though, didn’t mean he wasn’t going to bust Kane’s balls for it anyway.
Fifteen minutes later, both men were freshly showered and in clean clothes. Meeting back up front, they prepared to head to Kane’s house. Kieran still couldn’t wait to have his own place to live, and within the next week he planned to find something.
“How was the workout, guys?” Casey smiled from behind the front counter in the lobby.
“I kicked Rory’s ass, as usual,” Kane lied.
“Is that what that was? Those whiny pleas coming from underneath him? I thought that was called tapping out.”
Kieran belted out a deep belly laugh at his cousin’s sass.
“Bunch of jerks in this family,” Kane grumbled, clearly wanting to cuss but holding back in front of Casey.
“Kieran, I met your girlfriend yesterday,” Casey said, piling a mess of disheveled papers into a single stack. “She’s so pretty. I like her.”
“She’s not
my girlfriend.” A fact he was doing everything he could to change.
Casey rolled her eyes, tapping the bottom of the papers against the counter. “Yeah, she gave me the same song and dance, too.”
“How did Casey get an introduction before I did? You’re a shitty twin,” Kane complained, kneeling down to retie one of his shoes.
“You’ve already met her,” Kieran reminded him.
“Yeah, but that was before you were planting seeds in her garden.” Standing, Kane crossed his arms over his chest and grinned, obviously proud of his analogy.
Kieran rolled his eyes and delivered a firm punch to his brother’s upper arm in retaliation. Kane just laughed and ducked to the side.
“You’re a pig, Kane.” Casey audibly groaned at the immature pun. “I met her when she moved into Ma’s.”
“No shit?” Kane turned to Kieran for confirmation. “Your girl’s living with Ma?”
“Yeah. Fiona and her little sister. Their building was condemned, giant hole knocked into her wall. Ma said they could stay with her ’til they get back on their feet,” Kieran explained, trying not to make too big a deal out of it.
“I’m not surprised. Ma’s been practically running an inn for years.” Kane shrugged. “That’s cool, so I’ll meet her at Ma’s tomorrow for Sunday dinner?”
“I think so. I’m not sure. I haven’t asked her.”
“What about Clare’s grand opening at the clinic in two weeks? Are you going to bring Fiona to the gala?” Casey asked, piling the papers into her arms and stepping away from the desk.
Kieran’s brows furrowed together. “Haven’t asked her that, either.”
“I’ll make sure she knows about it when I get home tonight.” Casey gave his arm a squeeze with one hand, the papers in the other, before she walked into the office behind her.
“Thanks, Case,” Kieran said. She’d always been the sweetest person he’d ever known, a complete heart of gold. That didn’t mean she was a pushover, though, because she gave as good as she got. Growing up with five alpha males, she’d had to learn. Ready to head home, he turned to Kane. “Let’s get out of here, mini-me.”
Kane narrowed his eyes at him before clipping his shoulder as he walked out the front door. “Fuck you.”
Kieran grinned before following Kane out to his car and climbing into the passenger seat.
“Any plans for tonight?” Kane asked as he pulled out into the street, heading for their apartment.
“Probably stop by Ma’s and see if Fiona wants to go out,” Kieran said, watching the buildings pass in a blur at his brother’s usual high-speed driving.
“Who’s gonna watch her kid?” Kane asked, taking a corner a little too sharply and nearly giving him a heart attack.
“Slow down, for fuck’s sake.” Kieran growled before taking a deep breath and answering his question. “It’s her little sister, not her kid.”
Kane didn’t change his speed at all. “Whatever, she’ll still need a babysitter.”
“I don’t know, maybe we’ll bring her with us. Do a family-friendly kind of thing.” Kieran dropped his head back onto the headrest.
Kane raised his brows and took another sharp turn. “Yeah? You like being around kids now? Nora was telling me the other night that you’re a favorite down at the youth center.”
“Nora, huh?” Kieran smiled suggestively at his twin, and for the first time, Kane reduced his speed.
Kane talked over him, ignoring the implication but driving noticeably slower now. “Yes, Nora said you did some training with the kids at the center.”
“Some of the older kids, yeah. Just some basic sparring. They’re little shitheads if they don’t have a way to channel their aggression.”
“Sounds like someone I know who gambled and partied his way to prison,” Kane reminded him, taking a turn normally this time.
“It’s not the same,” Kieran assured him. “I’m aboveboard now.”
“I hope so; if Dad hears you’re running another underground tournament, your ass is dead.”
“I’d be worrying about a lot more than Dad if I got into that again.” He’d learned from that mistake, and had spent two years in prison paying for it. He wasn’t going down that road again. It led to mistakes, bad decisions, and people getting hurt.
“Good. Then maybe bring it to Legends.”
“What, like start a class? These kids have no money, Kane. Like less than nothing.”
“I get that, but Dad might go for offering the kids something pro bono. Give back to the community and all that shit. It’d be better with the right equipment, teaching them how to use the facilities and whatnot. Just think about it, because you need a job. Rory’s construction gig only has another week max before the place has to be ready to go for the gala. Part of your parole is being employed, right?”
Kieran nodded. It definitely sounded like something he’d be interested in doing, and he did need to think about his future very quickly. He had been checking in regularly with his parole officer, as promised, and he knew at their next meeting he’d have to provide a plan for staying employed somewhere. He stared out the car window as he thought about his future. He wanted a new apartment, a real job, and a purpose with his life now that he was free.
He just didn’t know what that purpose would be.
Chapter 12
Kieran pulled open the glass door to Fiona’s Flowers and stepped through, a small bell jingling to announce his entrance. He spotted Fiona standing in front of a cooler, putting flowers away. Finishing her task, she stepped back and looked over at the door. The moment her gaze met his, her cheeks flushed.
He stepped toward her, aching to wrap his arms around her and taste her lips again. Kissing her was quickly becoming all he could think of. Instead of melting into his embrace, though, she seemed to be avoiding his gaze.
“Don’t tell me you’re here to buy some flowers?” she asked with a smile, walking over to the front counter and stepping behind it.
“I’m not sure yet, do you have any recommendations?” He wasn’t going to let her hesitancy get in his way. He liked this girl, and he wasn’t backing down from a challenge.
She fidgeted with her fingers, her eyes cast down. “Depends, who are they for?”
“My date, but she’s quite stubborn, so I have no idea what kind she’d like.”
He stepped around the counter to corner her against the wall behind it. He leaned in and nipped gently at her jawline before leaving a small wet trail of kisses down her neck. She moaned, and he felt the vibration rumbling beneath her skin.
“Kieran, I’m at work.” Her cheeks were rosy and her lips swollen as he stared at them. “We can’t be doing this here.”
“All right, let’s do it somewhere else, then.” He brushed a few strands of her dark brown hair behind her shoulders from where they had been draped on her chest. He saw her chest rising and falling faster as her eyes followed the movement of his hand. “I asked you something last week, and now I want an answer.”
Fiona tilted her head. “What?”
His fingers trailed down her shoulder, to her arms, slowly caressing her skin. “Will you go out on a date with me, flower girl?”
“Kieran, things are much more complicated between us now than when you first asked me that.”
“What’s complicated about two people being attracted to each other? That’s the most natural thing in the world, and that’s all that matters.”
Fiona nibbled on her lower lip, pulling a corner between her teeth before releasing it. “Is it all that matters, though? You work at the center where Shea goes, and we’re living at your mother’s house. That’s all kinds of worlds colliding and tangling—what if something goes wrong? What if you end up changing your mind once we go out and then it’s awkward for Shea at the center, or she and I suddenly don’t have a place to stay?”
“You think that’s why I helped you? To make you go out with me?” He laughed at the absurdity of it.
“I didn�
�t mean that, I just meant…” Fiona trailed off, blushing.
He pulled her back against him and focused on her blue eyes. “Fi, whatever does or doesn’t happen between us, I’ll never stop trying to help you. I’ll never treat Shea any differently, and my mother would never toss you guys out. That’s a promise, and I don’t break my promises.”
Her eyes glistened as she stayed silent, and he could tell she was fighting back tears. The last few days had been very emotional for her, as if giving in to the idea of him was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. He couldn’t understand why, though, because she was amazing. She deserved to be cared for, and he wanted to be the one to do it. She seemed to be the only person who didn’t believe that.
“I can see you’re overthinking this, flower girl. Don’t fight this so hard: I know you want to say yes as much as I want you to. I’ve been telling you how much I want you since the day we met, and I can tell from the way you kiss me that you feel the same way. We’re around each other all the time; our lives are meshed together. The fact that we’re not officially dating already is absurd.”
She huffed. “It’s not absurd.”
“It’s complete nonsense, and I won’t let another day go by for you to think of more excuses why we should put this off. I’m not going to bail on you like your dad, Fi. No matter what you tell me. Nothing about your past, present, or future would change how I feel about you.”
“Don’t be so sure,” she said, her fingers clutching his shirt as a shiver went through her body.
“I am sure. And now I want an answer,” he reminded her.
Her eyes flickered up to his, and despite her nervousness, a tiny smile played on her pink lips. He was used to her initial hesitation, as if she needed him to prove to her again and again that he wasn’t going anywhere before she finally gave in to what she wanted. It didn’t bother him, though, because he knew she was worth the effort. He’d continue to prove to her how much he wanted her for as long as she’d let him.
“Yes,” she finally breathed.
“Fuck, yeah,” Kieran exclaimed louder than he’d meant to before crashing his lips against hers and dipping her backward as his arms held her steady. “About freaking time, flower girl. You certainly know how to keep a man waiting.”
Saving a Legend: A Kavanagh Legends Novel Page 13
