1. Chapter One

1

Chapter One

Kieran

24 years old

L ittle Bear!”

I throw my hand over my nephew’s mouth as he tries his hardest to suppress his giggle. We’re hiding behind the couch in the living room. Waiting for our chance to make a run for home base. Something that should be simple enough, but when you’re six and a half feet tall you can only scrunch but so much. Bear doesn’t care though, as long as he gets to hide with me he’s content. He snuggles into my side looking up at me with the biggest hazel eyes. They’re a perfect mix of his parents’ eyes, which is wild because his Da, my brother, isn’t his biological Da. Rhett ‘Little Bear’ Byrne was adopted by my brother, Rowan Byrne, just a few short months ago. Which means along with a new Da he got five new Uncles. Uncles who take their roll so seriously that when we learned Rhett was deaf we all learned sign language, and that was before we’d even met him. How my big brother and his mom ended up together is an insane story, it’s not mine to tell. At the same time it ended with us having Rhett and Clara as Byrne’s which makes all of us more happy than we can express.

Recently Rhett had cochlear implant surgery and his processors are now on and programmed correctly. So when my younger brother, Mac, calls out again, “Litttttttle Beeeeearrrrr.” Rhett hears him clear as day and can’t contain his laughter a second longer. He jumps up and takes off to home base, leaving me in the dust. Well that was rude. I jump up to chase after the little traitor when Rowan’s voice booms from the front door, “Bear?” Rhett stops on a dime, turns, and sprints straight towards his Daddy.

I’ve been left in the dust. Bested by my big brother once again. That’s fine though, I’m still the favorite Uncle. Rhett launches himself into Rowan’s arms and Roe catches him midair, he’d never let him drop. Rowan looks at Mac and I, “My office in thirty? We have things to discuss.” We both nod in understanding and head out to give him time to reconnect with his wife and son after a long day of being gone.

Mac heads up to his nerd room or security room if we’re being politically correct. He’s our tech guy and he’s a genius. He’s also my best friend. Now don’t get me wrong, Ryan has been my ride or die since grade school. Mac though, he’s been my best friend since the day he was born. My parents handed me this tiny baby at just three years old and there was no turning back.

We’re all extremely close and do most everything together. But we unintentionally paired up at some point. The twins are obviously the closest, but then we have the bigs and the middles. We’re all between six foot one, the twins, and six and a half feet, me. We also all have varying shades of green eyes and brown hair.

The twins, Flynn and Sullivan, who are newly eighteen, have the lightest hair at just barely darker than a dirty blonde, as well as the lightest eyes at more of a blue-green mixture. My two oldest brothers, Rowan and Declan, ‘the bigs’. They are twenty eight and twenty six. Both of their hair is a light brown, but Rowan’s eyes are more of a true green, as where Declan’s are almost emerald. Then you have Mac and I, ‘the middles’. Mac is twenty one, his hair is shaggy where the rest of ours is cut short on the sides and varying lengths on the top, his is a true medium brown. His eyes are the exact same color as Rowan’s, but unlike Rowan who’s the leader of our organization, Mac prefers to move in silence. We’re a lot alike in that sense. The other four are loud, and in your face while working. Mac and I prefer to get in, get the job done, and leave.

I guess that brings us to me. My hair is the darkest of all of ours at a deep chocolate, with flecks of reddish brown peppered in. My eyes are lighter than Rowan, Mac, and Declan’s, but also darker than Sully and Flynn’s. I make sure I’m portrayed as the mean, emotionless, and sometimes soulless enforcer while working. At home I’m the wild and rambunctious brother and uncle. Neither is who I actually am. However there’s no room for having more than surface level feelings, or not feeling at all when you’re the middle child of six boys. Especially when you solely have the job of keeping your family alive no matter the cost or who falls in the crossfire.

Our Da was the captain or head of the BOCG or the Irish mafia, but we can’t say mafia in front of polite company so BOCG it is. Anyway, when he and Ma were brutally tortured and murdered by the Russians all of us stepped up. Well except the twins, they were still kids. Rowan became the new leader, Dec his second in command, Mac our tech guy, and me the enforcer. I get the answers we need and keep everyone, especially my brothers safe at any cost.

I’m basically their catch all, need dirty work done? Call Kieran. Need to neutralize a threat to the organization? Call Kieran. Have a security question? Call Kieran. Need top security for a meeting or event? You guessed it, call Kieran. He’ll do it all without it even grazing his conscience. Little do they know, the things I do and secrets I keep to protect them at all costs, both physically as well as emotionally tear at my soul daily. They’ll never carry the burdens I’ve had to, because it’s my job to shield them.

Making my way up to the third floor where my bedroom is I grab my phone out of my pocket. Pulling up my texts I notice I’ve missed one from Ryan.

Ryan: Hey, we’re on tonight. Eleven at The Pit.

Kieran: Got it. I’ll be there at ten-thirty to scoop you.

Putting my phone away I fall backwards onto my California king sized bed and close my eyes. I swear I stopped fighting after what happened almost three years ago. Ryan and my brothers made sure of that. Then eight or so months ago my contact that runs The Pit hit me up saying chatter was going around that I’d never come back because I bitched out. My pride couldn’t let that fly, so I called up Ryan and told him we’re back in. He could either back me or I’d go solo. After he stopped fuming, he agreed we’re in this together. We don’t showboat and we’re constantly vigilant when we’re there.

The Hill brothers all but vanished after that night, honestly I have no idea if they fled and went into hiding, or if they’re dead. Either is possible, if they’re dead it was one hundred percent at the hands of my brothers. After the stabbing it was touch and go for me for days. When I finally woke up it was weeks later, I’d had multiple surgeries, as well as blood transfusions. It was bad and my brothers closed ranks the second Ryan called them. I’ve heard that it was a bad time to be a nurse or doctor on the unit. I’ve also been told that Mac refused to leave my side the whole time I was out. To the point that he sat outside of the OR doors during my surgeries. My brothers can’t find out I’m fighting again, especially Mac.

It’ll destroy them. I just use it to mentally work through my shit. At this point fighting is muscle memory, for the most part my body does it’s thing while my mind works through my fucked up thoughts. I used to be able to quiet the noise and the images with training. The moment my feet stepped back into that run down octagon that wasn’t enough anymore, so here we are.

Checking my phone and seeing I’ve still got twenty more minutes until I’m needed in Rowan’s office I decide to shut my eyes for just a minute. I’m sleeping no more than two hours a night, and have been for a while. My plate is overloaded, but I have nowhere to delegate, so I’ll continue to white knuckle through it. It can’t be like this forever. The constant state of exhaustion has finally caught up with me.

* * *

My phone rings, startlingly me awake, scooping it up I answer it still half asleep with my eyes shut.

“Yeah?” A yawn escapes from deep in my chest.

“Well, sleeping beauty. Nice to hear you’re still alive…. Get your ass in my office now!”

Rowan’s no nonsense borderline pissed voice booms through the phone before he kills the call. Springing up while rubbing my eyes, my feet carry my still half awake body all the way down to Roe’s office. Mentally shaking myself to my normal awake and alert state, I stride into the room and take a seat beside Mac while Rowan sits behind his desk. I’m unsure if this is a work thing or a brother thing. Honestly, I’m not in a huge hurry to find out. Either way I’m going to have to pull another all nighter to make sure what he needs gets done, and that I’m on time for my fight.

“Thanks for joining us, Kie.” Rowan looks half amused, half annoyed. Looking around to make sure it’s just us in here first, I give him my fakest smile while holding my middle finger up at him.

“Excuse me for catching a twenty minute power nap, Boss. Won’t let it happen again.” His eyes flash with annoyance, he loathes when we call him boss outside of a formal setting.

“Don’t be a dick, Kieran Michael.” Now it’s my turn to be annoyed, he knows how much we all hate being middle named.

“Is this just an opportunity to get on my nerves, or do you actually need something?” I know I’m being a dick, but I’m tired, stressed, and need to pick up Ryan in two hours. My tolerance for anyone’s bullshit is at an all time low.

“Okay, well since Kieran’s clearly in a delightful mood this evening I’ll cut to the chase. Clara’s best friend Brittany is moving here, she left yesterday and will be here late tonight. They’ve decided they need a girls night out tomorrow night. As in no husbands allowed. Brittany isn’t married so really I’m just not allowed. My issue is there’s no way in hell I’m allowing them to go into the city without proper protection.” His eyes lock on mine and I’m well aware that I’ll be their detail tomorrow.

Clara’s ex before Rowan was an abusive asshole, her and Rhett barely made it out alive. How she lives here with all six of us up in her space making sure they’re safe, protected, and loved is beyond me. She’s the only woman living in a sea of Byrne men. Rowan loves her enough that he’d die if it meant she’d never be sad again. The rest of us love her like we love each other. She started dating Rowan and quickly realized she got him and five brothers who would protect her and Rhett to the ends of the earth. So if that means tomorrow night I’m club hopping with my sister and her best friend while they scream sing Miley and get white girl wasted, then so be it.

“I’m on it. I won’t let them leave my sight.”

Rowan nods to me then turns his attention to Mac. “So while I need Kie physically there, I need you virtually there.”

Mac nods as he answers, “I’m already on it. You know between the two of us they’ll be safe.”

“Perfect, be vigilant and get them home safe. Also answer my fucking calls and texts immediately. I’m not trying to piss my wife off, but I will come find her if either of you goes quiet.”

I understand exactly what he’s talking about. Clara was kidnapped months ago, she’s safe and sound now, but it definitely left Rowan on edge and hesitant to let her and their son out of his sight .

“I’ve got them Roe. I’ll protect them with my life.”

“I know, I’m just stressed. She’s ready to go out again without me, and that’s a good thing. I’m just anxious I guess.”

Yeah, I get that. I’m anxious about it too. Not to mention that I’ve heard about this Brittany chick, but I’ve never met her. I’m not sure what kind of person she is or if she brings trouble. But it looks like I’ll be finding out in twenty-four hours. Checking my phone and seeing it’s about time to leave and go grab Ryan, I wrap up the conversation that we’re having and head out to go settle my fucked up brain.