CHAPTER 4

Adam

Tilly and her girls had been living in my house for the last couple of days, not that we’d seen much of them other than Jeanie, as Tilly and Ally mostly seemed to be sleeping. Which was understandable considering the abuse they’d suffered.

All of us had stopped over a couple of times a day to make sure they didn’t need anything. Something in me had settled as soon as I’d seen them comfortable in my new home. I would be working hard to ensure that they never wanted to leave. It seemed that I wasn’t much different from Johnny and Tommy when it came to knowing when a woman was meant to be mine. Although, I’d have to tread carefully given her history.

This morning, Liam, Johnny, and I’d got up early and left the main house to do a perimeter check on the fences. We could electrify them if we had to.

“I think we need to get Tommy to add cameras along the fence line,” I mentioned as I looked up and down the length of fence we were checking.

“Agreed,” Johnny nodded. “And when this stupid fuck is dead and buried, we need to look at fencing the property in with anti-climb fencing.”

Liam whistled, “Fuck, brother, that’s going to cost a pretty penny.”

Angrily, Johnny turned towards Liam, “Our families are worth every penny, Liam. There are four of us, including Tommy. I understand that you and Adam have just built houses and may not have money easily accessible. I haven’t had that expense, and I’m willing to put up the lion’s share if that’s what’s needed.”

It was so unlike Johnny to get angry; out of all of us, he was the most even-tempered, but with the threat looming against his family, he’d been walking around like a ticking time bomb. Not much different from how I’d been feeling, I was just better at hiding my emotions than Johnny was. I had to agree with him — there was no price that could be put on the safety of our family.

Liam held up his hands in a calming gesture, “I understand, Johnny, their safety comes first. I’m just saying that’s a big expense, and we need to crunch some numbers first. You need to take a breath, brother, and calm down a little, or you’re going to give yourself an ulcer.

“Now, this guy doesn’t know where they are, so we have some time to prepare. We’ll put the word out to all our guys, and the Crows are willing to do their bit. What we need to do is control this once he’s here. We need to somehow get him onto our land, because once he’s here, there’s no way he’s getting off it alive. Logically, you know that.

“We may not have military training, but we’re no slouches when it comes to planning and fighting. But until we know more, there’s not much we can do except prepare.”

Johnny rubbed his hands down his face, exhaustion and fear clear on his face. I knew how he felt. The thought of this wank stain getting close to Tilly and the girls again had me grinding my teeth and wanting to punch something.

“Okay,” Johnny agreed. “I’m sorry for snapping.”

Liam shrugged, “No apology necessary, brother. Maya and the kids are important to all of us and now Tilly and her girls. I assure you that as soon as Tommy gets a proper look at them, he’s going to be on board with whatever plan we come up with. He only really saw Tilly last night before Adam took them home. We’ve got this between all the crew, us, and an ex-assassin. The dickhead doesn’t stand a chance. Come on, let’s get this fence checked and get back home for breakfast.”

An hour later, we were back home. Johnny was first through the door, I had to smile when Emy called out to him. That girl was a daddy’s girl through and through, and Johnny lapped that shit up.

Following behind him, I was next through the door, and something in me settled as soon as I saw Tilly and her girls sitting at the table. Even covered with bruises, hair up in a loose ponytail, and in comfy clothes, I’d yet to find anyone more beautiful than her. The small smile she gave me as soon as she saw me went miles towards easing the worry about the feelings I was developing, even if we’d hardly spent any time together.

Their shock and surprise about women and children getting food first had me grinding my teeth. It had been a rule of my mother’s, and one of the only times I’d seen her lose her temper was the one time that Tommy’s parents came over for Christmas and his dad had dished up before she’d finished sorting us kids out. I still remember the way she’d lit into him. On the downside, I also remember the bruises Tommy sported the next day. It wasn’t more than a few weeks later that he moved in with us and never went back home, other than to see his mum and only if my Da made sure his dad wasn’t at home.

That Tilly had leant on me to take comfort had me wanting to puff up my chest. This woman and her wounded girls were invoking all sorts of feelings within me that I wasn’t used to. And I wasn’t altogether sure what to do about them.

Breakfast was good; between Lana and Maya, conversation flowed, and next to me, Tilly slowly relaxed.

It was while we were cleaning up the kitchen that we heard the anguished cry, and I knew straight away it was Ally. We’d rushed towards the lounge, and when I’d seen her tear-stained face, I’d wanted to hurt something. So, unlike my usual calmness, it seemed that I did have hot points when it came to my temper, and they were Tilly and her girls.

I’d wrapped them up in my arms, a possessiveness I’d never felt taking hold of me. They were mine, even if they didn’t realise it yet. As I held them tight to me and vowed that nobody would ever hurt them again, and if they did, they’d answer to me, and I’d take care of them O’Shea style.

Once we’d got Ally settled, I’d taken Tilly back to the kitchen so that we could discuss what we were going to do going forward.

“I’m sorry,” Tilly whispered, wiping at the tears that welled in her eyes. “I feel like all I’ve done for days is cry.”

“Here, a ghrá ,” I said, handing her a small glass of whisky that Da had poured and had waiting on the table. He’d picked it up as soon as we walked through the door and held it out to me to give to her. She took the glass, laughing, “It’s not even ten o’clock in the morning.”

Da shrugged; taking her free hand, he squeezed it. “It’s five o'clock somewhere, lass, and you look like you need it. Drink up and let’s get you sorted so that those little girls of yours don’t worry for a minute more,” Da ordered, pulling out a chair for her to sit, squeezing her shoulder gently once she was seated.

“Okay,” she agreed, studying the glass of whisky before throwing it back like she did it every day. When she licked her lips before passing it back to Da to be filled again, I had to adjust myself under the table. Why I found it hot that she could drink whisky like that I have no idea. Da grinned as he topped up the glass and handed it back to her, “Sip that one, lass,” he ordered.

“I will,” she promised, taking a small sip. “Okay, what did you want to discuss?”

“What do you do for work?” Liam asked curiously.

“Administration mostly. I run the front desk at a company that makes electronic parts, do all their administration and some of the accounts, including quotes, invoicing and such. Why?”

“Just curious,” Liam replied with a raised eyebrow at me.

“Would you like a job?” I questioned. “I’ve been needing to hire someone to do all that, but I just haven’t found the time.”

Johnny snorted, “Don’t lie to her, Adam. Tell her straight you didn’t want just anyone in the office with you, you unsociable fuck.”

“Language,” Colm barked at Johnny, flicking his ear.

“Ow, Da,” Johnny grumbled.

Tilly laughed at them, “I don’t mind swearing. I work with a bunch of men, and trust me, they don’t watch their language.”

Turning back to me, she asked, “You’d be willing to have me in the office with you?”

“I would.”

“Okay, thank you, I’ll take it because I don’t like being beholden and I’ve always worked. I’ll need to find somewhere to stay though, and I’ll need to sort my house out. The girls are right; we can’t go back there. I’ll also have to enrol the girls in a new school.”

Once she started listing all the things she had to do, I could see she was getting overwhelmed. I squeezed her hand where it lay on the table to get her attention.

Once I knew I had it, only then did I say, “Don’t panic, a stór, we’ll get everything sorted and done in good time. Tomorrow, we’ll arrange for a company to go in and pack everything up. We can put it in storage, and you can go through it when you want. I’ll have Kate call up one of the estate agents from their group and have her get them to change the locks and put your house up for rent. As for school, don’t worry, I’ll speak to Julia and see what she suggests. You haven’t met her yet; she’s married to Rogue in the Crow MC. It’s all going to be fine, I promise. But the most important thing is that he doesn’t know where you are.”

I hesitated a little as I waited to see how she was taking everything I’d laid out, but so far, she seemed to be taking it all in and nodding in agreement, “Is there anything else on that list of yours?”

Shaking her head, she replied, “No, not on my list. I have a request, though. If we’re staying here, then you have to move back into your house. We can have my bedroom set delivered here for the spare bedroom, the girls can continue to share, and you can have your bedroom back. You can’t stay in the caravan for however long we’re here, and Liam’s house isn’t ready yet.”

Fucking hell, I both wanted to take her up on the offer and I didn’t. I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep my hands to myself if she was living in my house and working with me. Liam caught my eye and smirked at me, the fucker. He knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Adam?” Tilly pushed.

“Okay,” I agreed, “I’ll move back in, but only when your furniture gets here.”

“Well,” Tilly responded, tipping the rest of her whisky back and standing up, tilting her head down to look at me, “now that’s sorted, I’m going to get the girls and head back to yours. I’m exhausted.”

Bending, she pressed a kiss to Da’s cheek, “Colm, thank you for the whisky and for making some pretty amazing sons.”

With those words, she disappeared back to the lounge to collect the girls. It wasn’t long before they came back into the kitchen, bid everyone goodbye, and left to walk back to my house.

Something shifted in me knowing that they were settling in. They’d not be leaving if I had anything to say about it.

“Well, lad, I like your choice in woman,” Da grinned at me. “She’s a strong one.”

“She’s amazing,” I agreed, “not sure if she realises that, though.”

“You’ll have to show her then,” Da stated. Turning to Liam, he said, “You’re the last, boyo. Best you get onto finding me my last daughter-in-law. Tommy, Johnny, and now Adam have done their bit.”

The three of us laughed at the look on Liam’s face as he rolled his eyes at Da, “I’m good, thanks. I don’t have time for a woman.”

“There’s always time for a good woman, son,” Da assured him but let him off the hook. Turning back to me, he ordered, “Make sure you get all her shite sorted tomorrow, lad. The quicker she’s moved in here with her own stuff, the better the chances for you that she doesn’t leave.”

I laughed at the wily old fox, but he wasn’t wrong. I’d make sure that she didn’t have to worry about anything from now on.