Branna

by L. A. Casey

  “No. Fuckin’. Way,” she said before darting out of the room and sprinting up the stairs.

  I looked at Dominic who looked from the doorway to me.

  I blinked. “Did you see that?”

  He nodded. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “I think I am, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

  “What are you two talkin’ about?” Keela asked from the kitchen table.

  “You’ll see,” I said, earning a snicker from Dominic.

  “No. Fuckin’. Way!” my sister repeated from the upstairs bathroom five minutes later then ran back down the stairs

  I looked at Dominic, and we both smiled as she slid into the kitchen.

  She was so pregnant.

  Bronagh was pale white. Dominic smiled, I smiled, Ryder clicked his tongue, and the rest of the group stared at us with raised brows.

  “Why’re you both smiling?” Damien asked Dominic and me.

  “Because,” he beamed and flung his arm around Bronagh when she moved to his side holding a white stick, “I’m going to be a daddy again.”

  Everyone gasped, and that was when Bronagh spoke.

  “You have a magical dick,” she said to Dominic and hugged him tightly.

  “I told you that,” he stressed as he hugged her back.

  “I bet it’s a boy,” Alec said off hand.

  “Georgie’s gonna have her hands full with males, if that’s the case,” Ryder mumbled aloud. “That’d make five boys including the twins, right? Aideen’s not pregnant again... or is she?”

  We all laughed at the jest.

  “Let’s make a list,” Alec suggested, and held up his hand to count the children. “Aideen and Kane have two boys, Dominic and Bronagh have one girl and one on the way, Ry and Branna are having twin boys, Keela and I are having one—that we know of—and that’s it so fa—”

  “What?” I cut Alec off and spun around to Keela who was smiling wide.

  “You’re pregnant?” I asked on a gasp.

  She nodded. “I found out yesterday, and we went to the doctor’s this mornin’. I’m seven weeks along based on when I got me last period. It could be a little less, but I’m definitely one hundred percent up the duff.”

  I screamed, Alannah screamed, Bronagh screamed, Keela screamed, and Georgie screamed.

  “Is there anyone else who isn’t pregnant?” Damien asked throwing his hands up in the air. “Because this is getting out of hand. Brothers, keep your dicks in your damn pants. Overpopulation is a serious global problem and you four are adding to it big time!”

  The brothers laughed at Damien then they each clapped Dominic and Alec on the back, congratulating them while us girls jumped around with high-pitched voices and a lot of oh my Gods being spoken. It was during the commotion that we didn’t hear Kane, Aideen, and the boys enter the house.

  “Why’re you all so happy?” Aideen shouted over us, getting our attention.

  She pointed at me. “Don’t be jumpin’ around when you’re so close to birthin’ twins.”

  I rooted myself to the spot. “She’s right; jumpin’ around isn’t exactly encouraged by pregnant women. With more than one of us being pregnant too, we’d better quit it.”

  “Who else is pregnant besides Branna?” Aideen asked, an eyebrow raised.

  She almost instantly began screaming when Bronagh and Keela raised their hands. She pretty much tackled them both with a hug before doing the same to Dominic and Alec, who laughed at her and returned her hug happily.

  “I’m so glad it’s not me,” Aideen said, making us all laugh.

  Kane snorted. “You’ll probably be pregnant again before they give birth, and you know it.”

  Aideen whirled on him and dangerously pointed a finger at his face.

  “We already decided on a two-year break before we start tryin’ again,” she reminded him. “We have to enjoy Jax and Locke before we have more kids. That was the agreement.”

  Kane, who was holding his sons, took a step backwards.

  “I remember, Babydoll. I’m just saying, you got pregnant both times when—”

  “You aren’t goin’ raw for two years, Germinator, so accept it already.”

  Kane scowled at Aideen’s dismissal of their conversation while his brothers offered him apologetic pats on the back as if having to wear a condom during sex was a prison sentence.

  “How are me stunnin’ nephews?” I asked, switching the topic of discussion to the boys.

  Kane handed a sleeping Locke to me while Damien took Jax and Georgie to the far side of the room where their toy chest was. I nestled Locke against my chest as best as I could, but with my belly being so huge and him being big himself, it made the task a difficult one. Ryder took pity on my struggle and took the baby from me, settling his sleeping form against his broad shoulder.

  I sighed. “I can’t wait to not be pregnant.”

  “How long till you’re induced?” Aideen quizzed.

  “Four more days if I don’t go into labour myself before then,” I said, my shoulders slumping. “They’re both expected to be six pounders, which is big for twins. Dr Harris wants them out before they get any bigger since I’m plannin’ a vaginal birth—trustin’ nothin’ goes unexpectedly wrong.”

  “We can go walkin’ again later and get us some spicy foods,” Aideen offered. “Hopefully, it will kick-start things into action.”

  “I’ll try anythin’ but sex at this point because it hurts so feckin’ bad.”

  Aideen winced. “Sex never hurt me.”

  “Thank God,” Kane said from across the room where he and Alec were looking at something on their phones.

  Ryder snorted in response but didn’t speak—probably in fear he’d wake Locke.

  “I wish I could stay longer,” Alannah announced, “but I’ve to go and interview someone who applied for me assistant job.”

  Alannah’s graphic and design business was taking on a life of its own. She was growing an impressive clientele list, and with the joy of a booming business came chaos. She needed someone to help manage some of it, so she could focus on her job of creating something that fit with the vision of each client.

  “How are you goin’ to get there?” Aideen quizzed. “I know your car is at me da’s garage gettin’ a dismal pump repaired.”

  “I was goin’ to walk.” Alannah shrugged.

  “I can drop you,” Damien offered, straightening up from playing with the kids. “Ry and I don’t need to be back in work for an hour and thirty minutes.”

  Alannah was hesitant. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “You’re never a bother.” Damien said, his cheeks flaring with a little bit of heat. “We can get lunch or something after your interview if you aren’t busy. “

  “I can’t.” She swallowed.

  “Why not?” Damien asked, crossing the room, frowning.

  Alannah avoided looking in Aideen’s direction, which I found weird.

  “I’m kind of seein’ someone,” she said in a whisper.

  Everyone went deathly silent, even the kids; it was like they knew something was up.

  “Who?” Bronagh asked first.

  “Yeah,” Damien said, his voice shockingly low. “Who?”

  “It doesn’t matter who—”

  “It bloody well does!” Bronagh cut Alannah off.

  Alannah looked at her friend. “I was goin’ to tell you, I promise, but I knew you’d tell Aideen, and I didn’t want a big deal to be made out of it.”

  “Why would she tell me?” Aideen quizzed with furrowed brows. “And why would a big deal be made out of it?”

  Alannah groaned and put her face in her hands.

  “Oh, my God,” Bronagh suddenly gasped. “It’s one of ‘er brothers, isn’t it?”

  “What?” Aideen asked, her eyes wide. “You’re goin’ out with one of me brothers?”

  Alannah looked up, and instead of looking at Aideen, she looked at Damien as she said, “Yes.”

&nbs
p; Damien balled his hands into fists. “Which Collins?”

  I leaned against Ryder’s shoulder as she said, “Dante.”

  Oh, shite.

  “I’ve got to go,” Damien said and made a move to walk out of the room.

  Alannah grabbed his arm. “Wait. Look, we need to talk.”

  “No,” Damien said and removed her hand from his arm. “We don’t.”

  “Please, I don’t know why I’ve brought this up, but we have to try—”

  “I have tried with you.” He angrily cut her off. “I’ve tried to be patient. I’ve tried to show you how sorry I am for what I did to you. I’ve tried to befriend you. I’ve tried to give you space... I’ve tried to show you how much I care about you, but you don’t want me. I see that now.”

  “Damien—”

  “No, Alannah,” he cut her off. “You’re with Dante Collins, and I’m done.”

  “It’s not a relationship,” she blurted. “We aren’t datin’. He is just... there.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Aideen angrily snapped.

  Alannah didn’t look away from Damien’s back.

  “He helped me get over you—”

  “By getting under him?” he snapped.

  Alannah winced. “That’s not fair, Damien. You were gone for so long, and we weren’t on good terms.”

  “I left for you!” Damien shouted as he spun around to face Alannah. “When I realised how much I hurt you, when Bronagh told me the things no one else would, I made the decision to leave to better myself but also to give you time. I didn’t know how to attempt to make things right back then, but I was always going to come back for you, Alannah. I was going to fix everything, but you’ve made it so hard.”

  Alannah’s voice cracked. “I... I didn’t know.”

  Damien shook his head. “I have to go.”

  He turned around and walked out of the kitchen, but Alannah quickly followed him while we all stayed rooted to the spot.

  “Damien, please,” she pleaded from the hallway.

  Georgie began to cry, which prompted Jax to become distressed also.

  “Let go, Lana,” he replied, his tone low.

  She has hold of him.

  “No,” she shouted. “We need to talk.”

  “What we need to do is be away from each other,” Damien replied. “Go to Dante; I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to comfort you.”

  “Damien, stop. You don’t mean that.”

  “Alannah. Let. Go.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  My eyes slid to Bronagh after she got Georgie from the play area. She tried to hand her daughter to Dominic, but he only hooked an arm around Bronagh’s waist, keeping both of his girls in place.

  “Let them figure this out themselves,” he said into her ear.

  “Does it sound like they’re figurin’ anythin’ out?” she quipped while bouncing Georgie to calm her.

  Aideen took out her phone and began tapping on the screen. Kane, who was looking over her shoulder as he consoled Jax, groaned and looked up at the ceiling when she sent whatever message she texted.

  “This is going to be bad,” he murmured to Ryder and Alec.

  They nodded in unison.

  “Why do you want to talk all of a sudden?” Damien demanded from the hallway. “Why not the first million times I asked?”

  “Because I’m ready to deal with all of this.”

  “It took you long enough!”

  “Don’t be nasty,” Alannah hit back. “None of this is me fault. I’m the one who was hurt and embarrassed and have been carryin’ it around for years, not you.”

  “Not me?” Damien bellowed. “I’ve carried it around since the second I did you wrong, and I fucking know it. I know what I did, and I’ve tried to make it right, but I can’t. You’ve made it impossible.”

  “How?” Alannah asked.

  “By being with him!” Damien roared. “I haven’t touched anyone since I touched you. I haven’t kissed anyone since I kissed you. I haven’t looked at another woman since I was fucking eighteen, but that ends tonight. If you have moved on, then so will I.”

  I felt my mouth drop open with shock at Damien’s admission, and so did everyone else’s.

  “Fine,” Alannah screamed, but I heard it in her voice that she was going to cry. “Go be with some bitch ‘cause I won’t be here when you get back. You say you’re done? Well, so am I!”

  Damien humourlessly laughed. “You’ve been done with me for years, and you know it!”

  I jumped when the hall door opened and slammed shut. Bronagh handed over Georgie then pushed away from Dominic and ran out to the hallway when Alannah’s crying could be heard. I turned and gripped Ryder’s arm after he handed Locke back to his mother.

  “Go after ‘im,” I pleaded with my husband. “He will never forgive ‘imself if he gets with someone tonight. He loves ‘er, Ryder, and she loves ‘im. They just need to figure a lot of shite out before they get to the point where they both realise it.”

  Ryder nodded and looked at his brothers.

  “It’ll take all of us to talk some sense into him,” he said.

  My heart hurt. Everything in my personal life with Ryder was perfect, but Alannah and Damien were a part of my life overall, and I couldn’t stand by while they both self-destructed.

  “We have to help them,” I said to the girls.

  I could hear Bronagh trying to comfort Alannah, but I heard that she was semi-crying too. It hurt her when Alannah hurt, just like it was hurting the other girls and me to see her in this state.

  “What will we do?” Aideen asked while the brothers muttered to one another.

  “If she isn’t serious about ‘im, then she needs to end whatever she has goin’ on with Dante,” Keela said. “I know it sounds awful, but that’s what needs to be done if she wants a chance with Damien.”

  We nodded in agreement.

  Keela looked at Aideen. “Your brothers are only comin’ around to Kane’s brothers now, but that progress will halt if Damien jumps Dante out of hurt and anger. None of your brothers will stand by and let that happen. If Dante gets the better of Damien, Dominic will step in, and then Harley will be on ‘im like a bad rash, and Kane will get involved and so on. It will cause nothin’ but trouble.”

  Aideen sighed. “I know. I’ve messaged Dante, the stupid fuck—”

  She cut herself off when her phone began to ring.

  “Speak of the devil,” she muttered before she answered her phone and put it to her ear. “You’re a stupid bastard ruled by his dick, do you know that?” she snapped.

  The lads stopped talking and focused on Aideen and her conversation with her brother.

  “Do you realise the shit storm you’re involved in?” She continued talking over her brother, who was trying to get a word in but couldn’t. “Damien and Alannah just had a big argument, and she revealed she is sleepin’ with you, you nasty fuck. They both have a thing for one another and have for years but are horrible at being honest and talkin’ about their feelins’. Alannah is in tears ‘ere, and Damien will probably have a go at you if he comes across you.”

  Aideen paused, then shouted, “I don’t bloody know where he is. He’s on his lunch break so he’s probably gone to some pub to drink it out. Why?”

  She gasped after Dante replied to her question.

  “Don’t you dare go and look for ‘im, do you hear me? You can’t fix this. What’s done is done—Hello? Hello?”

  Aideen pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it.

  “That bastard just hung up on me.”

  “I’m sure he lost service,” Kane said while rubbing his right temple.

  “He didn’t lose service; he hung up on me.”

  If there was one person in the world who you didn’t hang up on, it was Aideen Collins.

  “Forget that,” I stated. “Did he say he was goin’ to look for Dame?”

  “Yeah,” Aideen said with a shake of her head. “He think
s he can explain everythin’ to ‘im. He’ll probably wait until Damien’s lunch break is over, and I don’t want this confrontation to happen at the shop. Dante, the fuckin’ eejit will talk about his and Lana’s sex life, and Damien will try to kill ‘im. Oh God, Kane!”

  Aideen spun to her one and only, and he instantly invaded her space, kissed her forehead and said, “We’re on it.”

  Kane, Alec, and Ryder left the kitchen, while Dominic lingered by my sister when she re-entered the room without Alannah.

  “She’s gone home and wouldn’t let me go with ‘er. She’s already a mess about ‘er da’s affair, and how to handle that, but this will rip ‘er apart unless we help fix this.”

  “This is so bad,” Keela said.

  “Go with your brothers to talk Damien down,” Bronagh said to Dominic as she wiped her puffy red eyes and took Georgie from him. “You know how he feels about Alannah. We have to stop this before he goes too far.”

  He hesitated. “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t worry about me. It’s been weeks since Georgie weaned. I miss the closeness I had with ‘er when she nursed, but I’m good now. You’ve helped me through this, and Branna and the girls have me back when you aren’t ‘ere. We’re goin’ to be parents again too. I’m better than I’ve ever been.”

  Dominic exhaled a deep breath. “Thank God. I knew you were going through a tough time, and I tried my best to be patient with you, but hell, you were such an asshole these past few weeks.”

  “Did you just call me an arsehole?” Bronagh said, her attention focused completely on her fiancé.

  “Hell no,” he quickly replied when he realised his slipup. “I said your ass is goals.”

  Bronagh’s lips twitched. “Nice save, dickhead.”

  He teasingly grinned. “You’ll give my dick head? Fantastic!”

  He reached for Bronagh, but she jumped away from him, giggling. Georgie squealed with delight and clapped her hands together.