what was wrong with her. Yeah, she missed
her brother, had for years. That wasn't it, though. She was terrified that he
would never come back to her, that she would never make up for failing him. For
being so selfish and doing whatever it took to keep him out of the system that
it ended up destroying the little boy she had loved so deeply.
"He's all I've got, Ash. Our parents died when I was 18
and he was 13. It was a miracle that they even let me take him. He should have
been put in foster care, but I couldn't stand the thought of letting him grow
up with strangers."
Ash listened intently and looked like she wanted to pull her
in for a hug. Emily would kill for that kind of connection. Someone to actually
take care of her like family should.
She knew she should stop talking, but couldn't. It was all
too much for her and the gates had been opened. "I'd do anything for
that boy. He's a jerk and makes all the wrong decisions, but I love him. I'd do
anything," she ended on a whisper.
It was then that Ash wrapped her arms around her and Emily
sobbed into her shoulder, letting out all the hurt and desperation she had been
feeling over the last several months since her brother persuaded her to act as
a witness to murder in his place. Since he convinced her to put a big red
target on her forehead for Lucien Ripley to take his aim at. He promised her
that his people would keep her from getting killed, but after what happened
with Deputy Ross, she wasn't so sure that was possible.
"Shhh, it will be okay. I would do the same, Emily.
It's family. I would kill for Fergus and Conall, no doubt about it."
Truth. The Brannocks would do whatever it took to keep each
other safe and happy. It was just their way. Emily had only spent minutes with
them, but it was obvious. Conall Brannock was the one protecting her now and
she had the feeling he was the only one that could at this point.
As if the thought of Conall could conjure him up, he
appeared at the door looking dark and dangerous.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Ash immediately released her and whirled on him. "Don't
take that tone of voice with me Conall William Brannock! This is a girl thing
and you don't get to march in here and make us feel bad for being gentle
creatures."
"Pfft, gentle. Yeah, Ash, you're gentle alright."
"Don't make me cut you!" she snapped.
He took a step back from her and Emily wondered who was the
real dangerous one in the room. Surely Conall could take his sister and she had
the feeling Ash was very much aware of that, but was determined to stand up to
him even if he'd never lay a finger on her.
Instead of arguing with his sister, he ignored her and his
gaze landed on Emily. The hardness in his eyes immediately went soft when he
saw the tears she was eagerly trying to wipe away and he started to push passed
Ash to get to her. When he did, his hands landed on her shoulders, the same way
her brother's had so long ago, but this time the touch was more than gentle. It
was caring.
"You okay?"
She nodded and tried to smile at him, but the warmth of his
touch was making her head spin. "Yeah, we were just talking."
His eyes narrowed and looked between her and Ash a few times
before he shook his head and sighed, clearly exasperated. "Women," he
muttered.
Ash smiled widely, but covered it and turned away from them.
"I'm going to shower before Luke gets home. See you two later." Then
she was gone.
Conall was still staring down at her and the air thickened
when she took a step back to get a little distance. "I'm invited to
dinner," she blurted out, hoping to fill the silence with something other
than the sizzle between them.
He grinned at her and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't
think he smiled often enough and wanted to make the effort to cause it more
often. "Of course you are. Ash is making lasagna. I wouldn't let you miss
that. Come on, let's go."
He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her to
the front door. The second they were
her brother, had for years. That wasn't it, though. She was terrified that he
would never come back to her, that she would never make up for failing him. For
being so selfish and doing whatever it took to keep him out of the system that
it ended up destroying the little boy she had loved so deeply.
"He's all I've got, Ash. Our parents died when I was 18
and he was 13. It was a miracle that they even let me take him. He should have
been put in foster care, but I couldn't stand the thought of letting him grow
up with strangers."
Ash listened intently and looked like she wanted to pull her
in for a hug. Emily would kill for that kind of connection. Someone to actually
take care of her like family should.
She knew she should stop talking, but couldn't. It was all
too much for her and the gates had been opened. "I'd do anything for
that boy. He's a jerk and makes all the wrong decisions, but I love him. I'd do
anything," she ended on a whisper.
It was then that Ash wrapped her arms around her and Emily
sobbed into her shoulder, letting out all the hurt and desperation she had been
feeling over the last several months since her brother persuaded her to act as
a witness to murder in his place. Since he convinced her to put a big red
target on her forehead for Lucien Ripley to take his aim at. He promised her
that his people would keep her from getting killed, but after what happened
with Deputy Ross, she wasn't so sure that was possible.
"Shhh, it will be okay. I would do the same, Emily.
It's family. I would kill for Fergus and Conall, no doubt about it."
Truth. The Brannocks would do whatever it took to keep each
other safe and happy. It was just their way. Emily had only spent minutes with
them, but it was obvious. Conall Brannock was the one protecting her now and
she had the feeling he was the only one that could at this point.
As if the thought of Conall could conjure him up, he
appeared at the door looking dark and dangerous.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Ash immediately released her and whirled on him. "Don't
take that tone of voice with me Conall William Brannock! This is a girl thing
and you don't get to march in here and make us feel bad for being gentle
creatures."
"Pfft, gentle. Yeah, Ash, you're gentle alright."
"Don't make me cut you!" she snapped.
He took a step back from her and Emily wondered who was the
real dangerous one in the room. Surely Conall could take his sister and she had
the feeling Ash was very much aware of that, but was determined to stand up to
him even if he'd never lay a finger on her.
Instead of arguing with his sister, he ignored her and his
gaze landed on Emily. The hardness in his eyes immediately went soft when he
saw the tears she was eagerly trying to wipe away and he started to push passed
Ash to get to her. When he did, his hands landed on her shoulders, the same way
her brother's had so long ago, but this time the touch was more than gentle. It
was caring.
"You okay?"
She nodded and tried to smile at him, but the warmth of his
touch was making her head spin. "Yeah, we were just talking."
His eyes narrowed and looked between her and Ash a few times
before he shook his head and sighed, clearly exasperated. "Women," he
muttered.
Ash smiled widely, but covered it and turned away from them.
"I'm going to shower before Luke gets home. See you two later." Then
she was gone.
Conall was still staring down at her and the air thickened
when she took a step back to get a little distance. "I'm invited to
dinner," she blurted out, hoping to fill the silence with something other
than the sizzle between them.
He grinned at her and her heart skipped a beat. She didn't
think he smiled often enough and wanted to make the effort to cause it more
often. "Of course you are. Ash is making lasagna. I wouldn't let you miss
that. Come on, let's go."
He placed his hand at the small of her back and led her to
the front door. The second they were
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