Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(81)

“Go on. Get goin’.” I waved Morgan on. “Your missus will rip you a new one if you make ’er wait any longer.”

Morgan laughed as he grabbed his bag from the floor and put his stuff inside of it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“You will indeed.”

After Morgan left, I let Barbara out of her crate, then went back into my office and looked around with a smile on my face. I had made some shitty decisions in my life, but hiring Morgan to work for me was not one of them.





After I changed back into regular clothes, I fed Barbara and cleaned her litter tray. I had lost count of how many times I had cleaned it out, but Barbara had yet to go to the toilet anywhere but in her tray, so I kept my mouth shut and got on with it. I was a mother now, so I wasn’t allowed to complain. Instead, I had to drink wine when shite got too much for me.

After I took care of her needs and put the meat for my and Damien’s dinner on low heat in the oven, it took all of five seconds for me to become bored. Before I locked myself away in my house for a week straight, I’d spent nearly every day around at one of my friend’s houses, and now that I was no longer in a state of depression over Damien or disarray about the future of my business, I wanted to get back to my normal routine.

I grabbed my phone and thumbed Bronagh a text.

Are you home?

Barely three seconds passed before my phone pinged.

Where else would I be?

I snorted.

Be over in 15.

With my phone still in hand, I phoned my mother next.

“Hello, bear,” she answered on the second ring.

“Hey, Ma,” I chirped, smiling warmly. “How’re you today?”

“I feel a bit under the weather.”

Nausea settled over me.

“I’m comin’ over.”

“No,” Ma said sharply. “I’ve been gettin’ sick and feelin’ lousy. Your da took the day off work and is ’ere with me. I may have a stomach bug, and I don’t want you to catch it.”

“What if it’s not a bug?”

“Your da called a dub doctor to come out and see me,” she said, then coughed, and it sounded like she heaved, but I couldn’t hear very well so I assumed she moved the phone away from her face. “This has nothin’ to do with the cancer, hon. I just feel sick. Your da felt ill a few days ago, so I must have caught it from ’im.”

I lifted my hand to my face and pinched the bridge of my nose. It went against everything I was as a person not to be there for someone I cared about, and the fact that this someone was my mother made it all the harder, but I had to respect her and heed her wishes.

“You’ll call me when the doctor leaves,” I pressed, “and let me know how you are, right?”

“The second he leaves.”

“Okay.” I sighed, reluctantly giving in to her. “Get some rest, and I’ll talk to you in a while. I love you.”

After we hung up, I had to force myself to leave my house and head to Bronagh’s. I didn’t feel like leaving my apartment anymore, but I knew that if I didn’t, I would have been pacing back and forth while I waited for my ma to phone me. Bronagh and Georgie would be the distraction I desperately needed.

After I pulled up and entered her house, I found my friend and her daughter dancing around the kitchen. I leaned my shoulder against the kitchen door panel and smiled as I watched them. I got a familiar sensation of butterflies when I thought of having a baby just like Georgie one day, and for the first time in my life, the daydream accompanied Damien as my future baby’s father.

“Alannah!” Bronagh squealed when she caught me out of the corner of her eyes. “I nearly died!”

“Sorry.”

She handed me Georgie, who was already reaching for me. I kissed all over her face, making her scream with delight, which made her mother laugh.

“I swear she loves you more than me.”

I grinned. “How are Branna and the twins?”

“Brilliant,” Bronagh beamed. “I was goin’ to go up this mornin’ to see them, but Ryder said Bran was wiped and has slept as much as the twins. She had a very slight tear from givin’ birth, and ’er blood pressure was high last night, but she’s okay now and will be allowed home tomorrow.”

I felt lighter knowing that.

“I can’t wait to see them again,” I gushed. “They’re so cute I could gobble them up.”

Bronagh chuckled but agreed with a bob of her head.

“Ryder said both twins are nursin’ like pros, and they’re perfectly perfect. Dominic brought ’im fresh clothes before work this mornin’ so Ry could shower and then he brought home their washin’. I just did a load. I’m gonna go to their house tonight and clean everywhere so they just have to come home and enjoy the babies.”

I paused. “Branna’s house is so clean you could eat off the floor, Bee.”

“I know.” Bronagh’s lips twitched. “But she hates dust, so I’ll tidy over everythin’ so she doesn’t feel like she should clean, ye’know?”

I nodded. “Sister of the year.”

“Please, I’m bein’ selfish.” she chuckled. “Dominic already knows that I’ll be helpin with the twins for the first few weeks until they get into a routine. Bein’ a first-time parent is like bein’ thrown in a dark pit; you never know what’s gonna happen. They’ll have double trouble with twins.”