by L. A. Casey
I snorted.
He turned then and dove on Kane who yelped, “I'm sick! You can't hit me.”
I cackled as I watched Alec bring Kane to the ground and pin him.
“You fat bastard!” Kane snapped. “Get off me!”
Alec slapped Kane's face and the look of shock on his face sent me into a fit of laughter.
“You... you slapped me,” Kane said.
He blinked at Alec in disbelief.
“You cock blocked me,” Alec replied. “Be happy it's nothing harder.”
Kane continued to blink, then a fleeting moment later his shock evaporated and rage twisted his handsome face. I felt my jaw drop open when Kane lifted his hands to Alec’s arms and flipped him off his body. Kane quickly rolled to the side and slammed Alec onto his back and got in his face.
“Hit me now,” he growled.
I was stunned to silence.
“How did you do that?” I asked Kane, but he was too busy to answer me.
Alec grunted in Kane's hold. “You motherfucker... sick my ass.”
I didn't intervene—they attacked each other at random all the time so I knew it was nothing serious. The first time Nico did it to Alec though I just about had a heart attack. I took off my shoe and threw it at Nico's head to stop him. The brothers still teased me about it to this day.
“Try to slap me again,” Kane repeated.
Alec grunted, spewed curses then grunted some more.
“I can't!” he hissed.
“Exactly,” Kane growled. “Remember that.”
He got up off him, then got to his feet and pulled Alec up with him.
“You're a dick!” Alec said and brushed his clothes off.
Kane grinned at him. “I know, now come on.”
They left the room shoving and cursing at one another and it made me smile.
I loved the bond the brothers had—it was beautiful.
It was odd, and sometimes scary with how intense it was, but beautiful none-the-less.
I shook my head as they walked out of the room then snorted as I walked over to my dresser and heard Kane shout at Alec to get away from me. He laughed at Kane and ran back into our room.
“I forgot to say hello to her, give me a second.”
I melted.
He was too cute.
“Hello Alec,” I chuckled.
He walked up behind me. “Hello, Kitten.”
“How many boxes did you get with the van?” I asked.
He snorted and kissed the back of my head. “Nice to see you too, Kitten. I missed you as well.”
Missed me?
He was gone for about an hour.
I rolled my eyes. “Hi, I missed you too... How many boxes did you get?”
Alec laughed and playfully smacked my behind. “Twenty. My brothers are folding them and taping them now. They gave them to me flat and because they were free I didn't wanna complain.”
I smiled, but said nothing as I thought for the millionth time about moving.
“Hey,” Alec murmured in my ear. “Is everything okay?”
No, not at all.
“Yeah... I'm just stressed with the move,” I replied, playing it off like it was nothing.
Alec placed his hands on my arms and gently rubbed up and down. “Are you sure that's all?”
I nodded my head.
“Keela,” Alec began. “Talk to me, what's wrong?”
Everything.
“Nothin', I'm fine,” I assured him.
His silence spoke volumes, so I decided to give him a little piece of what I was thinking.
“I've just never moved into a house with another person before, especially not another person who is my fiancé. It's sinkin' in that we're for real. I was convinced for a long time that you wantin' me was some kind of fluke. I was expectin' you to realise that you could have anyone, so why settle for me? Then you'd up and walk out.”
Alec turned me to face him and leaned his head down so he could press his forehead against mine. “I don't know what else I can do to make you realise you're it for me. I don't see anyone but you. You're my life, Keela. I wish you knew just how much I love you and how lucky I am that you picked me. You don't know how beautiful you are, and I hope you never realise it because if you do, you'll realise you can do better than my sorry ass, then you'll up and leave me.”
Yeah, right.
“Stop it,” I mumbled and tried to pull back.
“No,” Alec stated firmly and held me still. “You are beautiful. You are perfect to me. You are my life. You are never going to convince me that I am worthy of you. Kitten, I love you so much it hurts. Please realise that.”
Oh, Christ.
I was about to cry. Again.
I quickly lifted my hands to my face and covered it completely.
“I hate you!” I said then burst into tears.
I hated everything.
I had this unbelievably beautiful person both inside and out, and he wanted me by his side for life, yet here I was doubting whether or not we were moving too fast. I wanted to be with Alec for the rest of my life, I swear I did... so why the hell did everything we were doing feel like it was too fast?
Alec took my emotional state as a good sign and put his arms around me and cuddled me to him. He thought I was overwhelmed by his profession of love, and I was, but what he didn't realise was that I was close to breaking down and revealing what was really wrong with me.
“Cry baby,” he murmured to me.
I lightly chuckled and pulled back. “I'm fine, it's just the stress of movin' that has me so teary.”
Alec nodded his head and kissed my forehead. “Let's go get a start on boxing and speed this day up. What do you say?”
I forced a smile. “I say lead the way.”
We went out into our sitting room and leaned against the wall and watched everyone. Kane and Aideen were arguing, big shock there—not. Nico and Bronagh were kissing, another big shock—not. And then there was Branna and Ryder who were on their phones, which wasn't a shock either because lately they favoured their phones rather than each other’s company, which I thought was sad.
“What are you both givin' out about now?” I asked Aideen.
She huffed. “He,” she glared at Kane, “said us girls will be useless at packin' and I'm fightin' against it.”
I looked to Kane. “That's a bold statement.”
“But a true one,” he replied.
Alec and his brothers snorted.
I looked over my shoulder to Alec. “What are you laugin' at?”
“Kane,” he replied.
I frowned. “You... agree with him?”
“Say no,” Nico whispered.
I rolled my eyes at his Man Bible advice.
Alec snorted and ignored his brother. “Yeah, I agree with Kane. You four will be no help and you know it.”
The audacity!
“We can bloody be of help and we will be!” I snapped.
“No,” Alec laughed. “You won't.”
I growled, “Do you wanna bet?”
“Yes,” Alec grinned mischievously. “I do.”
“I didn't mean a real bet,” I said, nervously.
Alec smirked. “I did.”
I scoffed. “Really? You do remember what happened the last time we made a bet, don't you?”
Alec chuckled and moved away from me. “Yeah, I won said bet. I got balls deep in your sweetness if I remember correctly.”
Alec's brothers fist bumped him, which caused me to shake my head. Why did men feel the need to congratulate each other about shagging another person?
I rolled my eyes. “And what happened after that?”
Alec frowned. “Hell.”
“Exactly. Bad things happen to us when bets are involved.”
Alec waved me off. “We aren't betting your pus—”
I put my fists up indicating we would thrown down if he said that word.
Alec stopped speaking mid-word to smile at my actions.
“Your private parts aren't the grand prize this time around.” He winked. “I was thinking more along the lines of your culinary skills. How does this sound? If me and my brothers load up our side of the truck first then I win and you cook dinner for a month at our new house.”
I was hesitant.
I enjoyed cooking but only because Alec and myself took turns when it came to the kitchen, so I wasn't sure if accepting the bet was the right thing to do.
Was it worth the risk?
I looked over my shoulder when I felt a sharp poke on my backside.
“We got this,” Branna murmured.
I turned around and folded my arms over my chest as I scanned my teammates if I accepted the bet. All three of them were short, I was the tallest at five foot eight inches and even that was nothing on the brothers' height.
I sighed. “They are bigger and stronger than us, even Kane, and he isn't at full health.”
Bronagh snorted then motioned for me to move closer with her index finger.
When I did she whispered, “Please, strength and body mass have nothin' to do with it when they are distracted. Dominic is slow as hell when it comes to cleanin' when I'm in the room—he can't keep his eyes, or hands, off me arse. I can pack perfectly fine while he will be slowed down. I'll render him useless to Alec.”
Aideen snapped her fingers. “Oh my God, I've an idea.”
Angels began to sing from the Heavens at Aideen's declaration.
“There's a first time for everythin'.” I shrugged.
Aideen shoved me and it made me, and the girls laugh.
“Go on then Watson, enlighten me with your plan.”
Aideen smirked. “Accept the bet, then we use our bodies to make sure the only hard time that will be had is in the lads’ boxer shorts.”
That... that actually had promise.
“I love it,” Branna beamed and bumped fists with Aideen.
I raised my eyebrow and smiled. “I never thought I'd say this, but good thinkin'.”
Aideen bumped fists with me. “I'm much more than a pretty face with big tits, Sherlock.”
I snorted then with a grin on my face as I turned back to Alec and his brothers, and found them eyeing our group suspiciously.
“I accept your bet, but I want a different prize if I win.”
Nico stepped forward and nudged his brother. “Don't agree to anything she says.”
“What? Why?” Alec asked, warily.
“Look at them,” Nico said and flicked his eyes over each girl. “They're up to something, I can feel it in my bones.”
Alec narrowed his eyes and looked at each of us. “He's right, you four are up to something.”
I feigned innocence and batted my eyelashes. “I have no idea what you're talkin' about.”
“Your pretty green eyes don't fool us, Keela,” Ryder glared. “We're Slaters, we see right through female bullshit.”
“Ha!” Bronagh and Branna said in unison then burst into giggles.
Ryder nervously swallowed, and looked unsure of himself. “Well... most of the time we do.”
Kane reassuringly patted his eldest brother on the shoulder and trained his eyes on his forbidden fruit. “Don't you associate yourself with whatever those three have planned, Aideen.”
“I wouldn't dream of it, Germinator.”
Ha!
Kane snapped his fingers at Aideen. “My bullshit meter is off the charts, Collins.”
Aideen didn't reply and Kane looked lost at her lack of retaliation.
“Why aren't you cussing at me or telling me off?” he asked warily.
Aideen yawned. “Because I'm puttin' me energy into helpin' Keela win this bet. I can argue with you later.”
“Is that a promise?” Kane asked, grinning.
Aideen smirked. “We'll see.”
The sudden sexual tension in the room could be cut with an erect penis.
I shivered. “Stop flirtin'. I feel dirty just standin' between you both!”
Alec snapped his teeth at me. “I'll clean you up real nice, Kitten.”
I pumped my eyebrows. “Or make me dirtier.”
Alec's smirk never wavered and I found myself moving towards him until a pinch on my behind made me yelp in pain. I grabbed my arse with both of my hands and swung around.
I instantly glared at Aideen.
“Ado!” I snapped.
Aideen shrugged. “Shag him with your eyes later, we have a bet to win.”
I held my tongue as I glared at her and turned back around.
“I accept the bet you propose Playboy, but will you accept a different prize for me if I win?”
All four brothers folded their arms over their chests in unison and it made me smile.
They were so different yet so alike at the same time.
“What's the prize if you win?” Alec asked.
I bit my lower lip then released it and said, “You have to give us a striptease in any get up of my choosin'.”
“Woot!”
I ignored Aideen's cheers, Kane's glares at her, the brothers' amused expressions and Alec's horrified one.
“You want me to do what?” Alec asked, sounding like he had something caught in his throat.
I smiled. “Give me and the girls a striptease.”
Alec set his jaw. “Keela Elizabeth Daley.”
My full name.
Uh-oh.
He was mad.
I continued to smile. “Nico told me you've done it before, back in your escortin' days. He said you wore a hat, a thong and a tie.”
“Ow!” Nico shouted when Alec turned and punched his arm.
“Hey, no violence. If I'm not allowed to smack people, neither are you lot,” Bronagh stated from behind me.
Nico huffed and rubbed his arm as Alec turned back in my direction and refolded his arms across his chest.
“Pick a different—”
“No,” I cut Alec off. “These are me conditions for the bet.”
Alec's eye twitched in annoyance.
I smiled at him, and after a minute of intense glaring Kane got irritated.
“Just accept the damn conditions, we'll have our section of the truck packed long before the princesses even have their side half full.”
Princesses?
Oh, dude, wrong thing to say.
“Did you just call me a princess? You listen to me, you sick bas—”
“Ado!” Bronagh's voice snapped. “Deep breaths. Nice, big, deep breaths. You don't need to hit him, you don't want to hit him.”
Aideen growled. “I really do.”
I looked down and tried not to laugh at the sight of Bronagh convincing someone not to hurt another person. That was the definition of irony if I ever saw one.
“Time's a wastin',” Branna sang. “Are you acceptin' the bet or not, Alec?”
Alec snorted. “Yeah, I accept and when I win, you're going to be cooking me three course dinners everyday for a whole month, Kitten.”
Yeah, we'll see about that.
“May the odds be in your favour!” Aideen said and bowed to the lads.
All four of them stared at her.
“What is this, The Packing Games? Four men versus four women, the first team to pack their side of the truck with boxes survives?” Alec asked, his tone teasing.
Bronagh laughed and devilishly smirked. “That's exactly what this will be, big brother.”
All four brothers stared at Bronagh then looked to me. I grinned and they looked to one another and swallowed. The lads were nervous because they didn't know what we were up to.
They should be nervous.
I inwardly cackled like the evil witch I was.
We were going to destroy them.
“Okay, divide into your teams and sort out jobs between everyone. We have the movin' van until five this evenin' so that means we have to be completely packed here and unpacked in the new house in six and a half hours. No room for error. Understood?”
Alec
and his brothers saluted me, and so did Aideen, which she found hilarious.
I rolled my eyes. “Get your arses to work.”
Storm barked at my tone and everyone laughed.
I reached down and scratched his ears. “You can be on our team if you want, buddy.”
Ryder cleared his throat. “He's a male.”
Was he just figuring that out?
“So?”
“So,” Nico chimed in, “he is automatically drafted onto the men's team.”
“That's a stupid technicality,” I stated.
Alec smirked at me. “No, he is a male so therefore he is on the male's team.”
I wanted to fight that, but Aideen tugged on my arm getting my attention.
“Let them have him, all the fat shite does is sleep, fart, and eat. He is hardly goin' to help the competition.”
While I didn't agree with the name-calling, Storm didn't do much else other than the things Aideen just listed so I pulled back and agreed.
“Fine, Storm is on your team.”
Alec whistled and Storm shot over to his side, which surprised Aideen.
“He can run?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
I rolled my eyes.
“No fraternising with the enemy. You steer clear of the humans with tits and vaginas. You got that, buddy?”
Storm barked in response to Alec as if he was answering the question with a whopping yes.
I grunted, “Traitor.”
The lads chuckled as they moved into the sitting room to decide who would pack what. The girls and I moved down the hallway and into my bedroom to do the same thing.
“Okay, we need them to carry out the likes of the sofa and the bed—”
“Forget both, they’re stayin’ here with the landlord,” I said. “Alec already bought new ones, they arrived at the new house yesterday. They're bigger and better, he said.”
Branna blinked. “He bought both without even consultin' you first?”
I shrugged my shoulders trying not to appear like it bothered me, even though it did.
Greatly.
“But what if the sofa doesn't go with the room? What if you want a different design or colour?” Branna asked, her voice firm.
I shrugged my shoulders again. “It's his money, he can buy what he wants.”
Aideen sighed. “You really have to get over that. You're both engaged to be married. While the weddin' is probably a while off, you have to get used to what is his is yours and vice versa.”
