Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(69)

“We’ll never get them mixed up,” she joked. “And I’m not talkin’ about their hair colour.”

“Right?” I said, chuckling. “I could never mistake Damien for Nico, not ever. They’re way too different.”

“Like night and day,” Bronagh concluded.

We spent twenty minutes talking about everything from my new relationship, to being a cat mother, to my parents, and finally to Gavin.

“Gav’s bailin’ on me this past month,” Bronagh commented. “He is always ‘busy’ whenever I phone or text ’im. I called ’im yesterday, and had to leave a fuckin’ voicemail. The dickhead still hasn’t phoned me back.”

I felt my hands become sweaty as the information I had about Gavin weighed down on me like a tonne of bricks. At that moment, I could have smacked him silly for making me promise to keep his secret.

“I know.” I cleared my throat. “I wish he wasn’t workin’ for Mr Daley. Whatever he does is shady.”

Bronagh began to look as uncomfortable as I felt.

“What do you mean exactly when you say ‘shady’?”

I shrugged. “You’ve heard the rumours that Mr Daley is a businessman, but the … scary kind.”

“Scary kind?”

“C’mon,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “I know you’ve heard that he’s involved with the … with the mob.”

I said the last part in a whisper, and it made Bronagh’s lips twitch.

“Have you ever spoken to Gavin about your concerns for who his boss does business with?”

My hand went to my chest. “I’d die with fright before I could get a word out.”

Bronagh laughed. “You’re such a chicken.”

“And proud,” I said, my head held high. “I can barely watch mob films, so bein’ involved with anythin’ like that or havin’ any connection to it … I’d just die. I wouldn’t be able to stomach it. It’s why I’m always so worried over Gavin.”

Bronagh looked away from me suddenly.

“Yeah,” she said. “I know what you mean.”

The vibe between us changed then, and for some reason, I felt that there was something left unspoken between us. I felt like that a lot with my friends whenever we got into random conversation. I would say something, and they would shut down, and I’d felt like there was more to be said … but nothing further would happen, and I’d be left feeling like I was missing something. This was one of those times, and just like all the other times, I was too apprehensive to question it, so I pushed it to the back of my mind and pretended it was all in my head.

“I’m goin’ to the jacks.”

“I’ll put the kettle back on,” Bronagh said, jumping to her feet. “I’m hungry. Do you want some chicken stir-fry? I’ve loads left over from last night.”

“Sounds good.”

When I left the room and reached the stairs, the front door opened, and Nico walked into the house with Ryder in tow. They both stopped when they saw me, and identical grins stretched across their lips.

“Don’t,” I warned them. “Don’t either of you think to embarrass me. I’ve had enough to me face burnin’ like the sun to last me a lifetime.”

They tittered like kids, then Nico stepped toward me, and when he leaned down and kissed my cheek, he said, “You’re officially my sister now.”

That did it; my face burned like lava.

“That was so cute,” I whispered before I turned and fled up the stairs, the lads’ laughter echoing behind me.

I didn’t even get to question why either of them were home from work, and of course, since Ryder worked with Damien, I wondered where he was, too. I pondered on this as I went to the toilet. After I was finished and had washed my hands, I turned to leave the room, but on the counter, inches away from me, was the biggest spider I had ever seen in my entire twenty-four years of living.

I stared at it, and I knew it was staring back at me, challenging me ... waiting for me to make the first move. I reluctantly did when I exhaled my sucked in breath. The spider seemed to fucking glide straight for me, so I did what any normal person would do. I jumped onto the toilet and screamed bloody murder. I think roughly ten to fifteen seconds passed before the bathroom door flew open and Nico and Ryder burst in.

“It’s goin’ to eat me!” I screeched as I lunged at Nico with absolutely no warning.

He widened his eyes and opened his arms a split second before my body collided with his. My chest bumped his, my crotch slammed against his stomach, my legs wrapped around his waist, while my arms encircled his neck so tight, I knew I was choking him, but I couldn’t let up.

“Getoutgetoutgetout!” I all but screamed.

Nico stumbled back into his brother as he tried to make a quick and clean exit from the bathroom. Ryder rounded on us, and the bastard was laughing. I could hear him now that I wasn’t screaming.

He was really laughing.

“Shut up!” I bellowed at him. “Just kill it! My God! It’s the size of me hand, Ryder, me fuckin’ hand!”

He laughed louder.

“What is it?” Nico rasped, trying to breathe around my chokehold.

“Spider.” I sobbed. “Big spider.”