“My sweet lassie wishes she weren’t born. No, that should’ve been you! You. Are. Nothing, Kieran. Nothing.”
“Do you know how long Kiera’s wanted to ask you that?” Ava’s complaint dashes Mam to smithereens. “Such a simple friggen request, Kieran. To live with her family. After all you’ve done, I’ve never been so disappointed in you, fuckingcabrón!”
“Cabrón?” I roll the word over my tongue as if I’m unaware of the language. I pick up my fork and slice a section of the fluffy omelet. “If the girl has something on her mind, she needs to be prepared to back her point-of-view. Kiera failed.”
“You failed,” Mam sniggers.
With a shake of her head, Ava mutters, “Kieran, you’re a condescending bastard. I . . .Wehad a heart-to-heart. I bared . . . bared a part of my soul. I thought you understood what I wouldn’t give to have a family.”
With a shove, my plate clatters on the counter. “Stop looking afeckinggift horse in its mouth, little bird. You’veKieraandme!”
“Who doesshehave?”Ava advocates for my sister. Tears stream the length of Ava’s fury-stained cheeks. Mam calls me every piece offeckingshitecurse word ever invented.
With fingers stapled together, I snarl, “You and I have had all of seven days, no quarrels. Kiera’s afeckingwean, awee wean.Crying, complaining. Running off emotions and fumes. Think logically!” I stab an index finger at my skull. “How do I keep her safe, huh?”
“You stand at her bedroom every night, Kieran, watching her sleep. You miss your sis, your parents.”
“Aye!” My narrowed eyes dart around, accustomed to Mam’s negativity, I’ve got armor, and I’m prepared for her verbal assault.
“You’re afraid if you blink, something will happen to Kiera?”
“You’ve the answer to that.” Puffing my chest like a peacock, I pause a few beats to breathe deeply.
“Kier, yes, the last week was amazing despite our shaky beginning. We’re two of the most stubborn people who ever crossed paths.” She reaches over, stitching our fingers together. “Listen,porfavor. Pushing your little sister away will be worse than death. It’ll get to the point where she won’t have anything to do with you.Comprende?”
I grab my fork and finish the rest of my meal. The loud sound of Ava shoving her chair against the marble flooring sends my teeth grinding. I snatch the tiny scrap of silk from my pocket, promising more to come.
Ava stalls, one voluptuous hip jutted. There’s only one way out of the kitchen. She’s gotta get byme.
“I’m not playing by your rules at the moment, Kier. Someone needs to check on your sister.”
“I’ll allow it.” I nod slowly. Though it appears I’m calculating which piece of omelet is loaded with every ingredient, I drink in Ava’s subtle hesitance. She grows confident and struts past me. At the last second, my hand strikes out, gripping her thigh. Ava trips over her own feet, letting off a gasp as I pull her into my lap.
“Eun beag, you’ve a kind heart, aye. But you understandme.”
A soft palm crawls over my chest. “Yes, I also understand you miss her as much when she’s away. Still, Kieran—”
“No!” I grit out. Ava anchors her hands over my forearms, starting to stand. “Where thefeckdo you think you’re going, little bird?”
Unwilling to relent fully, Ava slaps my bicep and settles into my lap. “May I initiate a girl chat, your lord? Testosterone has overtaken our, ahem, your home.”
“Our home.First things first.” I clutch the hair at the nape of Ava’s neck.
Colorful, brilliant laughter slips from her lips. “Girl chat now. Head later. Also, you can stop with the little move.”
“What?”
“With the binding, I’m no longer afraid.”
I chuckle as she removes herself from my lap. “Oh, you’re begging me to up the ante? After breakfast, I’ll seek out my paddle.”
“I have an affinity for pain, remember? Maybe try to screw me with a gun again,no blindfold.See how that goes this time.” Ava laughs her way out of the kitchen.
Alone, I finish every savory morsel on my plate. Mam’s returned. She has a way of tormenting me while I’ve a guilty conscience over my latest tactic to keepherdaughter safe.
“This is all your fault,”she says.
“I know.”