Branna

by L. A. Casey

  Bronagh and Alannah messed up on the song lyrics of Milkshake by Kelis, which grabbed our attention. My sister then sighed through the microphone. Looking down at her chest, she said to Alannah, “Me boobs are useless and ha-have no purpose an-anymore.”

  Their voices carried, earning them hoots and cheers.

  Alannah laughed. “Your baby daddy wo-would disagree.”

  Bronagh looked at her then they both laughed and cried, which only made me shake my head.

  “They’re a sorry mess.”

  “I think they’re both hilarious.” Keela chuckled. “We never get to see them like this.”

  Both of the girls ended up on the floor of the stage seconds after they began to laugh, and it gave me a slight headache just wondering how I’d get them into my car.

  “We need more backup,” I admitted. “I don’t think we can handle them ourselves, and Dame and Dominic are takin’ their sweet time.”

  Keela winced. “You wanna call Kane and Alec?”

  I nodded. “Aideen has Jax, and she is too far along in ‘er pregnancy to be of any real help. Ryder has Georgie, so he can’t help.”

  Keela gnawed on her lower lip then quickly said, “Bagsy not callin’ them.”

  “Mother of fuck!” I groaned.

  I took out my phone and dialled Kane’s number.

  “Hi, Branna,” he said on the third ring.

  “Hey, Kane, are you busy?”

  “I’m tidying up while Aideen and Jax nap.”

  Aw.

  “You’re adorable.”

  He grunted in response.

  “Super adorable.”

  “Woman,” he growled.

  “Someone’s grumpy.”

  “Sorry.” Kane sighed. “It’s just Aideen. I asked her to do something earlier, and she did the complete opposite of what I wanted and killed my boner.”

  “How dare she.”

  “Right?”

  I shook my head, smiling.

  “What’d she do?” I quizzed.

  “I asked her to send me a picture of something that she thought would excite me, and do you know what she sent me?”

  “No,” I replied. “But I desperately want to know.”

  “She sent me a picture of a jar of Nutella.”

  I laughed. Hard.

  “Hanging up now.”

  “No,” I pleaded. “I’m so sorry. I’ll stop. It’s really not that funny.”

  It’s fucking hilarious.

  “What do you want, Bran?” He sighed.

  “Nothing since you’re clearly busy.”

  “Dante is here to watch Aideen if you need help with something?”

  “Well,” I said and stretched the L. “Me and Keela could really use your and Alec’s help right about now. Bronagh and Alannah are mindlessly drunk, and I’ve no idea where Dominic and Damien are to help us with getting them home and—”

  “We’re here.”

  I screamed, and so did Keela. We both spun around to face Dominic and Damien who had silently walked up behind us. They both had hard stares on their identical faces, and looked meaner than Hell. I pressed my free hand to my chest while Dominic reached forward and plucked my phone from my hold.

  “Bro?” he said, probably because he didn’t know which brother I was talking to. “No need to do anything; Dame and I have this.”

  Kane spoke, and Dominic was silent as he listened.

  “Yeah, they’ve been drinking in a pub, and the girls called us to get them home. No need to worry. Like I said, we’ve got this. Yeah... no problem. Okay. Bye.”

  He handed me back my phone then looked over my shoulder and shook his head.

  “How much have they drank?” he asked, his eyes focused behind me.

  Keela shrugged. “Not a lot, they’re just lightweights.”

  The lads humourlessly snorted.

  “Bee’s kept her clothes on her this time,” Damien mused, earning a vicious scowl from Dominic.

  “She was strippin’ earlier,” Keela chimed in, not caring that the lads were pissed, “but the barman told ‘er it wasn’t the kind of establishment where she could do that without gettin' thrown out. Lana’s gotten better at twerkin’ too.”

  Damien grunted at Keela’s comment while Dominic pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “I shouldn’t have left her.” He sighed. “I should have stayed with her.”

  I nudged him. “Don’t beat yourself up about it, kid. Bee didn’t want you around, which is why she sent you off with Georgie to Gravity. She is beatin’ ‘erself up about Georgie weanin’ so early, but she will realise it had nothin’ to do with ‘er, it’s just that Georgie doesn’t want to do it anymore.”

  “Yeah,” he said, but looked at Bronagh with a longing of sorts.

  I knew he wanted to take her pain away because it was exactly what I wanted, but I knew my job was to comfort her and simply be there for her. Dominic would realise his role until Bronagh came to grips with the new change in her everyday routine by herself.

  “So,” I said, looking to change the subject. “How are we goin’ to do this?”

  Instead of furthering our conversation, we all looked at one another when a familiar tune began to play.

  “‘Hot Stuff,’” Keela said with a laugh.

  She was correct—Alannah and Bronagh were about to sing “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer.

  “If I have to deal with this, I might as well grab a front row seat,” Dominic said, licking his lips.

  He shared a look with his brother then, without warning, they shot forward, shoving other punters aside until they both got a seat directly in front of the stage Bronagh and Alannah were making their own.

  “Do you think we should record this?” I asked Keela as the brothers made themselves at home.

  I looked at her when she didn’t reply and laughed when I saw she already had her phone out and pointed at the stage. Keela looked at me and grinned. “If they tell me to delete it tomorrow, I will, but they have to see the shite they do when they’re drunk. They’re nightmares.”

  I blessed myself. “Amen to that.”

  The girls began singing, not noticing Dominic and Damien in the audience, and they gave it their all, which meant they crowed like birds and shuffled around the stage. The only time they were in sync was when Donna Summer sang the words “Hot stuff”. They both hip thrusted forward as if they were humping someone. It caused me to laugh so hard that I cried. Keela, who was in a heap laughing, turned the camera on me, but I waved her away when I had to cross my legs to avoid wetting myself.

  “Why do they have to hip thrust?” I asked as tears of laughter fell from my eyes.

  Keela couldn’t reply; her laughter wouldn’t allow it. I fanned myself with my hands to cool and calm myself down. I wiped under my eyes and shook my head at the two idiots on the stage, but silently thanked them for the entertainment. Towards the end of the song, things got a little raunchy. Bronagh swayed her hips from side to side as she sang, and Alannah... well, she just surprised the heck out of me.

  “Omigod.” I blinked. “Did Lana just slut drop?”

  Keela bobbed her head up and down. “She did, and fuck me if she didn’t nail it.”

  “This isn’t fair,” I complained. “They were shite dancers last year, and now all of a sudden, they’ve got moves. Sexy moves. I don’t understand.”

  “They’re fast learners, it appears.” Keela snorted.

  When the song ended, I said, “Thank God for that. They’re so funny, but they can’t sing for shite.”

  Keela chuckled as she bumped fists with me in agreement.

  “How long do you think it’ll take before they realise we’re here?” Keela asked.

  “About—”

  “Dominic!” Bronagh’s squeal cut me off. “Girls! You came!”

  “A whole second,” I finished, chuckling.

  My sister stumbled off the stage, and if it wasn’t for Dominic’s quick reaction catching her, she’d have fallen on he
r face.

  “Another drink.” She laughed when he lugged her over to the bar.

  “You’ve had more than enough, Bronagh,” Dominic protested, keeping his hands on her. “You’re coming home.”

  My sister glared up at him. “You can’t te-tell me wh-what to do.”

  “Watch me,” Dominic countered, and levelled her with a glare of his own.

  Bronagh, as usual, didn’t back down and neither did Dominic—surprise, surprise.

  I chimed in and said, “Bronagh, you both need to go home so you can get Georgie fed and put down for the night.”

  My sister’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t feed ‘er, Branna.”

  “Sis.” I frowned and stepped forward, gathering her in my arms. “It’s goin’ to be okay, I promise. There is nothin’ wrong with you or Georgie; she is just ready to move on from breastfeedin’. I know you aren’t ready for this change, but she is, so we’ve all got to roll with the punches.”

  Bronagh nodded against my shoulder but said nothing; she only cried. I looked up at Dominic, whose eyes were on my sister. He hurt for her, and it was then that I knew she would be okay. Bronagh and Georgie were his life, and he’d give everything up if it meant their happiness. I knew he would take care of her when I couldn’t.

  “It’s time to go home with Dominic,” I said, smiling as I pulled back from our hug. “You will get through this together as a family, okay?”

  She nodded, but I could see she still wasn’t convinced. And that was okay because the acceptance wouldn’t happen overnight.

  “I wanna sing again!” Alannah suddenly announced as Keela helped keep her upright.

  “Singing?” Damien grinned, making sure to stay out of her view. “Is that what you call it?”

  Alannah slid her eyes to his, and they widened almost instantly.

  “Snowflake!” she squealed. “You made it!”

  She stumbled away from Keela and over to Damien who was more than willing to hold her up.

  “I came,” he said, chuckling. “How are you?”

  “You’re here, so I’m gr-great,” she replied and leaned her head against his chest.

  Damien looked at me and Keela, his brother, and then back down at Alannah.

  “What do you say I bring you home?” he suggested.

  “I say,” she paused to hiccup then continued, “that’s a br-brilliant idea.”

  Bronagh looked at Alannah and laughed. “You can’t ha-have sex with ‘im.”

  Alannah pulled a face at her. “I ca-can if I want to!”

  Damien widened his eyes then glanced around and said, “I’d never touch her. Not when she’s like this. I swear.”

  Dominic snorted. “You don’t have to assure us. We know it’d be Lana trying it on with you. She’s drunk; it’s the only time she has any courage.”

  “Shut up, Dominic,” Damien grumbled.

  Alannah, who was standing right next to Dominic when he spoke, yawned like she didn’t hear a word that was just spoken. She leaned her head back and looked up at Damien.

  “Who is your favourite fictional ch-character?” she slurred.

  Damien furrowed his brows. “Uh, I guess it’s Bugs Bunny?”

  “Want to know mine?” she asked, her voice turning sultry.

  Damien nodded, licking his lower lip.

  “Mine is Jack Frost.”

  I wonder why.

  Damien held Alannah tightly. “Nice choice.”

  She gave him a thumbs-up before quickly saluting him.

  I raised my brows. “Lana, what the heck are you doin’?”

  “Damien and Dominic,” she said like whatever she was thinking was obvious.

  I blinked. “What about them?”

  “They’re the pilots in the cockpit!” she announced as she extended her arms and began to ‘fly’ around us whilst making aeroplane noises.

  Bronagh was completely unfazed as her twenty-three-year-old friend zoomed around us pretending to be an aeroplane. My sister locked eyes on her man and said, “I’ll jump in your cockpit, Captain Slater.”

  “My God, woman!” Dominic hissed, sucking a deep breath through his teeth.

  “Do you have a boardin’ pass?” Alannah asked Damien, pausing during her ‘flight’ long enough to speak. “You can’t enter the cockpit without a boardin’ pass. Airline rules.”

  “Yeah,” Damien answered, and I saw how hard he was trying to hold his laughter in. “What airline is that, good looking?”

  “Bad Bitches Airways,” Alannah said without missing a beat.

  I shared a look with Dominic, Damien, and Keela, and at the exact same time, we all burst into laughter.

  “What so fu-funny, fuckers?” she then asked, before stumbling into Damien who grabbed her.

  “Okay, Freckles, time to go.” He smiled, and it made me smile, too. I only saw him smile like this around Alannah, and the kid was oblivious to it.

  “You’re my Jack Frost. You know that, right?” Alannah said as she leaned into Damien and lifted her hand to his white-blond hair. “Mine.”

  Damien closed his eyes. “You’re breaking my heart here, Freckles.”

  “You broke mine a long time ago.”

  I saw Damien’s shoulders slump, and my heart hurt for him.

  “I know,” he said, reopening his eyes, “but I’m trying real hard to make up for it.”

  Alannah bobbed her head up and down. “I know.”

  “You do?” he asked, surprised.

  “I do,” she said.

  “Well, okay then.”

  I looked at Keela when both he and Alannah began to ‘walk’ out of the pub. Both of them laughed at Alannah’s stumbling with each step she took.

  “What just happened?” I asked her.

  “I think,” she began, “Alannah just acknowledged that Damien has been tryin’ to make up for what he did to ‘er... but she’s hammered, so maybe it doesn’t count.”

  I folded my arms across my chest.

  “You could be right, or it could be that a drunken mind is speakin’ a sober heart.”

  “We’ve all have our problems with the lads.” Keela sighed. “I’ve had me fair share with Alec. God knows I’ve dealt with things I thought I’d never have to... but Lana’s situation is different. Damien has been in her head and heart since she was a kid. What went down between them… that’s a lot of pain to be carryin’ around with you for five years. Watchin’ your friends bein’ loved up with his brothers has to be hard, and to see ‘er best friend in a steady relationship with his twin? Man, that’s got to be hell. We don’t even know their real feelins’; we only know what’s been shared. It runs deeper than just a one-night stand that happened years ago. It has to.”

  I linked arms with my friend.

  “Whatever the outcome with the pair of them, we’ll help them through it,” I said firmly. “It’s what family is for.”

  Always.

  “Stop being a ca-caveman,” my sister’s voice warned from behind us, causing both Keela and me to turn around. “Just because you’re the one with the di-dick here doesn’t make you th-the boss.” She pointed her chest. “I’m the boss. Me.”

  Dominic looked at us then back at his lady. “We all know you’re the boss, but that doesn’t mean I won’t redden your ass if you don’t get it in gear and move.”

  Bronagh narrowed her eyes, so Dominic stepped forward.

  “Test me on this,” he said, his voice gruff. “I dare you.”

  She lost her nerve and backed down.

  “Okay, bossy arse,” she mumbled.

  Dominic’s lips twitched. “I’m still going to redden your ass.”

  Bronagh widened her eyes. “I th-thought you were playin’!”

  “I never play when it comes to your ass,” Dominic said, smirking.

  “Unfair!” My sister groaned.

  I hid my grin as the pair of batshit crazies walked out of the pub hand in hand. Granted, the handholding this time around was mainly because Bronagh
could barely walk unassisted. Either way, it was still cute. Keela and I followed them, and once we saw the lads had the girls’ safely into Dominic and Bronagh’s car, we both got into my car and drove home.

  “How’d you get ‘ere if you don’t have your car?” I asked Keela as I pulled onto the main road.

  “I did this crazy thing... I walked.”

  I bit down on my lip. “Smartarse.”

  Keela snorted. “Alec has our car, so I didn’t have a choice. Me Uncle Brandon rang and said one of his lads saw ‘Rampage’s misses’ and ‘er ‘hot friend’ drinkin’ heavily in Crough’s. I told ‘im thanks for the heads up then headed down there to try and get them home without causin’ problems, but we know how well that turned out.”

  I nodded. “They’re funny as hell, but my God, they’re a handful, especially when together.”

  “They’ll be dyin’ sick tomorrow.”

  I evilly grinned. “I’m countin’ on it.”

  Keela laughed then we chatted back and forth until I arrived home. We passed Dominic’s car as I neared my house, and a glance and a wave told me he’d collected Georgie from Ryder. When I pulled into my driveway, I leaned over and hugged Keela in farewell. She left and walked across the street to her and Alec’s home.

  The front door to my house was open, and Ryder filled the space. My heart skipped a beat as I took him in. Both of his arms raised above his head where he held onto the top of the door’s panel. He was shirtless—obviously—and every muscle the man possessed was flexed, practically begging me to lick them in greeting.

  “Branna?”

  I looked up when I heard my name.

  “Hmmm?”

  Ryder’s lips twitched. “I was talking to you, but you weren’t listening.”

  “I was listenin’.” I grinned. “Just not to you.”

  To my body.

  His eyes flicked down, and he leisurely rolled his eyes over said body as I strode towards him.

  “You’re edible.”

  I hummed. “I bet I am.”

  His eyes flashed with amusement.

  “You seem very upbeat, so I guess it went okay?”

  “Epically brilliant doesn’t cover it,” I gleamed. “But Keela’s video will. She’s goin’ to send it to me so I can show you.”

  Ryder laughed as he lowered his arms and encircled them around me as I came to a stop and leaned my body against his. I looked over my shoulder when I heard a whistle. I waved when I saw it was Alec from across the road. He had just pulled into his driveway and was getting out of his car. He locked his car and jogged over to us.