See How She Runs (The Chronicles of Izzy #1)(64)

“No," Kennan said, waiting for my next question.

“Like a niece?" I asked.

“No," he said, staring at me in a way that sent shivers down my spine.

I steeled myself for the next question afraid of what his answer might be. I felt brazen even to ask it. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for rejection, knowing that it would make no difference. I would not be able to leave Kennan even if I tried.

“Romantically?" I asked, looking down at my shoes and wishing I could melt into the floor.

He tilted my chin back up to where I was forced to look at him.

“Yes, gods help me. I have since the first night you walked into the pub," he said wincing at the end. I knew he was in pain so I once again brushed my fingers over his lips and then thought of a better way to keep him quiet.

I bent over the bed and gently brushed lips over his. Every fantasy I had conjured about this moment paled in comparison to the reality. His lips were hard and soft simultaneously. Nothing could have prepared me for my reaction to him. Heat pooled in the pit of my stomach.

I started to pull away for fear of hurting him, when suddenly he pulled me closer and kissed me fervently. His fingers entwined in my hair preventing any escape. Like I would go anywhere, honestly. This single moment was worth all of the hell of the past few weeks.

Suddenly doctors came rushing into to the room and we stopped. We looked up surprised and the doctors tried to look anywhere but at us.

Doctor Thomas was the first one to speak. “His heart beat became elevated. We grew concerned. Now we see there is nothing to worry about. However, might I suggest taking it easy? You need to heal and you can’t do that if you are straining yourself. So no more talking or violent kissing tonight, am I understood?" He looked at us pointedly as though we were two teenagers caught doing nefarious deeds in the dark of a basement.

I blushed crimson and tried to hide my face in Kennan as the doctors left the room. He chuckled at my embarrassment. I had so much I wanted to ask him, but I knew I should let him rest. He looked at me and then around the room. Kennan’s eyes came to rest on a tablet of paper on one of the tables. I walked over and grabbed it and found a pen as Kennan elevated his bed a little more.

“Are you sure you are up for this?" I asked, not wanting to strain him anymore than he already had been.

He grabbed the pen and paper from me and wrote, “Yep.”

Alright then, I guess I could get an answer to the question that had been nagging me since I was pulled out of the dreaming. I needed to know how he had gotten on the floor and why he did not fight more.

“You were on the floor when I woke up," I said, hoping that he would understand the question I was too afraid to ask.

He nodded and then set about writing. It took several minutes before he handed me the tablet to read.

“We tried to find you in the building. The teams had to split up to cover more ground. After what seemed an eternity in hell, I finally found the floor you were on. I got there before the rest of the guys. When I found you I started into the room only to hear a voice behind me. It was my brother. He said, ‘Well isn’t this quite the family reunion. Too bad she is mine now. You should have killed me when you had the chance.’ Before I could do anything he had taken his gun and pistol whipped me across the head and knocked me out. The last thing I remember thinking was that he was right. I should have killed him." Kennan’s words terrified me.

I looked up and saw that he was brushing his hand across a bruise that had taken up residence just over his temple. I reached up and replaced his hand with mine, gently brushing over the bruise. I let my hands roam over his face. I could not get enough of touching him. His blue eyes twinkled at me with bemusement, and I once again began to blush. I felt self-conscious around him now. I felt as though every part of my being was hyper-aware of him and there was no way to tone it down. If I was being honest with myself, I did not want to tone it down.

“What are you thinking right now, Red?" he croaked out. He looked at me in a way that sent fire straight down into my stomach and made all of my being stand to attention.

“I am wondering how long it will take you to get better. I would really like to kiss you thoroughly. If I am being honest, I have been thinking about it for quite a long time," I said smiling down at him with what I hoped was a coy expression. For all I knew I looked like I was having an epileptic fit.

Kennan reached for the notepad and started scribbling on it again. He wrote hurriedly and handed it back to me with a look of apprehension on his face. I was suddenly afraid of what he might say.

I looked down and started to read. “Izzy, I am sorry it took me so long to come around. I have been in love with you since the first moment you walked into the pub over two years ago. I just feel like I am somehow betraying your father if I am with you. I have had a really hard time wrapping my head around your being his daughter. I can’t fight it anymore. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. The minute I thought I lost you, I was lost. It still feels wrong, but there is nothing I can do about the way I feel." I finished reading his words with tears in my eyes.

“Here me when I say this, Kennan O’Malley. I know how much my father loved my mother. He was not stupid. He had to have known that the same thing might happen with us. My mom sort of told me that was part of the reason they thought it was best you left. I think he knew it was a possibility. So just please stop fighting it, because I really can’t anymore. I don’t have the strength to," I said on a sigh, hoping that his guilt could be put to rest.