Kynedi Chapter 19

It had been a week and a half since Tiernan and a few others left for the night. He hadn’t said anything other than he’d be home by morning. I knew where he was going. They were off to take care of Bram. Maybe I was a monster for not stopping him or for not feeling sorry or guilty that Bram’s life was coming to an end, but I wasn’t.

The beatings and constant yelling had been unbearable. I’d tried to find a way to escape him, but I had nowhere to go and no money. I feared how I would keep my son without a way to provide for us. However, when I discovered Bram’s plan to sell Cassius, I knew I had to do something, so I confronted him with the fact I knew what he was doing, and I made him angry enough to blurt out his whole plan. He didn’t know I was recording our conversation.

In the years since he was sent away, I’d worked hard to take care of Cassius and give him a happy life. Since we’d met Tiernan, he’d blossomed. He had times when he would retreat and not talk to anyone, not even me. A few days ago, he had his first outburst for Tiernan to see. Tiernan seemed to understand it was to be expected, and he didn’t push. I was more than surprised that Cass seemed to find it easier to make eye contact with the whole family than he’d ever been able to with others.

Cassius and Khloe had become the best of friends. They had fun not only when they played but also when they were in school. I found myself enjoying being able to teach them a variety of things. I’d always been really good at English, so I was their teacher for that. Riza would be science, but until she came back, we were all doing it. Maeve was the math teacher, thank goodness. Cyndi was history. Brenda helped in whichever subject we needed. Art lessons were done a couple of times a week, and Siv did those. She not only oversaw the family art galleries, but she was quite the artist herself. The one I thought was crazy but was assured it was best to start early was teaching them Irish. When it came to that, the three oldest O’Sheeran men took the lead. The kids loved it, and Cass picked it up super fast.

When I wasn’t working with the kids, I was busy with my transcription work, although I had reduced my hours even more than I had initially. The company wasn’t happy and kept begging me to do more. It seems they had trouble finding people who could attain the accuracy or speed I had. Maybe if they’d stop hiring people barely out of high school who didn’t care about the quality of their work, they might have better luck. They wanted to be cheap in what they paid, and it showed.

It was such a relief not to worry about having enough money to cover rent, utilities, and food every month. Or to have the weight of fighting for what Cass needed at school. We’d settled into the house and lived at the commune like we’d always been here. I knew it was largely due to the way Tiernan and his family treated us. It was like we’d always been part of them.

The one blip for me was I wanted to know who had paid Noel to corner us that day we went shopping. I hadn’t been out of the compound without Tiernan since. I hated to feel as if I was hiding, but in a way, I was. I knew Cody was tracking the money. I’d gotten to meet him at the end of last week when Tiernan took Cass and me to see the corporate offices.

It had been impressive, to say the least. Tiernan not only showed us around, but he introduced us to a ton of people. One of them was Cody. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but he wasn’t it. A guy who spends all his time on a computer shouldn’t be tall, ripped with muscles, and that good-looking. When we got home, and I mentioned it to Tiernan, he had to demonstrate why he was the only man I should find attractive. His way of doing it had been deliciously satisfying.

Cody had been extremely friendly and even sat with Cass when he showed interest in what he was doing. He showed him a few things on the computer. The next day, Cassius wanted to play more on the computer. Just like that, one appeared in his room. I told Tiernan not to spoil him. He insisted it was for schoolwork. I knew I wasn’t winning this debate, so I caved.

Today, I was busy working while Cass was playing with Khloe. Their lessons were done for the day. I worked from my section of the office at the house. Another thing Tiernan did was make a space for me to work there. He said it was more than big enough for the two of us.

What alerted me that something was wrong was Tiernan’s swearing and his voice coming into the house. I got up and went to see what was wrong. He was in the kitchen getting a bottle of water out of the fridge. When he saw me, he held up the water and raised his eyebrows. I shook my head no. Closing the door, he walked over to me.

“Thanks for the information, Cody. I’ll let the others know. I’ve got to go. There’s a woman here I have to kiss.” He grinned. He listened for several moments, then laughed and hung up.

“Cody said to tell you hello and that you should make me work for a kiss.”

“Well, if Cody thinks I should, then I will,” I teased.

He growled and grabbed me. I mock struggled as he brought me close. “I see you’re still lusting after him. That’s it. He’s gone,” he joked.

“Honey, you’re the only man I want, but don’t get mad if I look.”

I was punished with a passionate kiss. When he let my mouth go, I was ready to drag him off to the bedroom, but I recalled him being upset.

“What did Cody tell you that had you swearing when you came in?”

He sighed. “He found out where the money came from that paid Noel to cause trouble.”

“Where?”

“Do you mind waiting until I get the family here? Or at least those at home. They’ll want to hear and put in their two cents’ worth.”

“Oh, I guess, but you owe me.”

“And what do I owe you?”

“I’ll tell you tonight in bed,” I said with a wink.

He made it easy to let my sassy, sexy side out. I swear, he purred as he typed out a text. In less time than I imagined, our house began to fill up with bodies. Fifteen minutes later, we had a majority of the family there. They were impatiently waiting for him to tell them.

“This is it, for now. Spill. Who was it?” Cathal asked.

“Cody apologizes that it took so long, but the money transfer was done by a pro. The money was traced through several countries and dummy shell companies, but we have a name now.” He paused, I think, to push his brother Cathal’s buttons. When he growled, Tiernan finished.

“It goes back to a Scott Langford, otherwise known to us as Scotty the Ass.”

This caused them all to exclaim and mutter. When it died down, which was mainly due to Darragh giving them a look, he spoke.

“Well, well, it seems Chris wants to play dirty. No surprise, but I’m not sure what he hoped to accomplish, other than to be a pain. I know you want to confront him about it, but you can’t. Not until we handle the other business. If he happens not to be involved in that, then you can go to town on him afterward,” Darragh told Tiernan.

I knew he was referring to the women who’d disappeared. I spoke up without thinking. “Do you know anything new on the date of that meeting?”

They glanced from me to Tiernan. Whoops, was I not supposed to know?

“She knows there are missing women, and we’re trying to catch all of those involved,” he explained.

“Good, then we can talk freely. Alright, we haven’t the date yet, but according to Cody, there’s a new rumor circling the dark web that the day will be announced any time now. They’re waiting until the last minute, so it can’t get out to anyone and give them enough time to do anything about it. Fewer hours between announcing and having it makes it harder to mobilize. We’re praying it’s on this side of the country and not outside the US. If it’s on the West Coast, then we can be there in five hours or so. However, several of the ones we know are involved seem to be finding reasons to be in this half of the country, which makes us think it’s over here,” Darragh explained.

“When it happens, how are you going after them? Surely, it’s too dangerous for you to do it. You need help,” I said.

“We’ll have plenty of help. We can’t say more than that, but rest assured everyone going is highly trained. We may look like useless rich guys, but we’re not,” Tiernan assured me. I knew he and his cousins and brothers had been taught martial arts, but I had no idea of their skill levels.

“She’s skeptical, but believe me, they know what they’re doing. All of them, including Aisling, Siv, and Cara, have extensive training. I was in the Marines, and they are at that level and above,” Alistair reassured me.

“Why don’t you guys let her see that you can more than take care of yourselves? Do a demo this evening after dinner. And by the way, Ashlyn, Alexis, Riza, and Randi have been learning. Obviously, that’s when they’re not pregnant. You’re more than welcome to join them. We were waiting for you to get settled in before asking,” Aisling informed me.

“You do? I’ve always wondered if I could learn, but I didn’t have the time or money to take lessons.”

“Well, you have all of us to teach you, and we had some of the best teachers in the world. It’s fun,” Cara added.

Just like that, a night of fighting demonstrations was hatched. I couldn’t wait to see what they could do. I hoped it would ease my fears of them getting hurt, caught, or killed. I shied away from thinking about the last one.

???

It was a couple of hours after dinner. It was later than I liked to keep Cassius up, but he found out about the fighting and begged to watch. Tiernan said it would be good for him to see, and if he wanted to learn, which he wanted him to do, then the interest might manifest. In the crazy world we lived in, I could see why knowing how to protect yourself and others was a must rather than a maybe. If I wanted to learn, so should he. I just hoped to wait several years. Tier explained the earlier you start, the easier it is, just like learning other languages. Rather than doing it in the gym, they decided to do it in the backyard behind the main house.

We sat outside on the grass off to the sides, allowing them a large area to work in. The guys were dressed in shorts and nothing else. Tiernan might be the only man for me, but I had to admit his brothers and cousins were worth an extra look. They all kept in shape and had gorgeous ink. I loved the tattoos he sported. They were done so well that I was even considering getting one.

The ladies were sitting around me. Agatha and Seerie were watching the babies inside. There was a large nursery in the house with several cribs. If they got too fussy, they promised to call for our help. Khloe and Cass were playing tag along the perimeter of the fight area until the fun started.

“Don’t be concerned. They know what they’re doing. Heck, even us old ladies know a thing or two,” Cyndi said with a laugh. I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“Yep, we were taught when they were still in the thick of things. The kids were taught to ensure they could protect themselves if they ever needed to,” Maeve added.

They were telling me some funny stories of sessions that they all took when our attention was called for. The two kids ran over and sat with us. In no time, more than one pair of men got up and began to demonstrate. I was in awe as I witnessed their skills. They made me jealous of them. Next, more than one went up against a single person. This made me tense until I saw they were able to hold their own.

I was more than excited when Cara and Siv got up to show off what they knew. Aisling lamented that she couldn’t and then suggested that she get up and do a little just to show me. Alistair gave her a hard stare and told her to keep her ass there. She blew him a kiss, then confessed she only did it to see what he’d say.

Cara and Siv were amazing as well. They made me want to know how to do it all. And based on how Cass was watching them without blinking, I knew what he’d be wanting to do next. I hoped Tiernan knew what he was in store for. I hated to see it end, but it was past the kids’ bedtime, and they were yawning and half asleep.

Everyone said good night and went their separate ways to their homes. Those with babies in the house went to fetch them. Tier carried a sleepy Cass to ours. He’d be okay going to bed without a bath tonight. He was put to bed. I wiped his face, hands, and feet with a washcloth before he was laid down to get some of the dirt off. He barely stayed awake long enough to say good night and that he loved us.

“ Mil , why don’t you take a bath while I get us something to drink? I’ll be in and take mine soon,” Tiernan suggested once Cassius was in bed.

I was itchy from sitting on the grass, so his idea was one I’d take. “I will. Are you sure you don’t want me to help with drinks first?”

“Nope, I’m good. Go. You’re hot and sticky.” He gave me a quick kiss and then sent me in. I decided to shower, so I stripped off my sweaty clothes and climbed into the shower once the water was just above lukewarm. I like hot showers, but not in the summer. It might have been the beginning of September, but that was still summer in Florida.

I was relaxing and enjoying the water so much that time slipped away. Suddenly, I was joined by Tiernan. He gave me a devilish smile as he got in. I knew I was in trouble. He admired me before saying anything.

“I think you missed a spot. That’s what happens when you shower alone. Why don’t I clean you, and you can wash me? That way, we’ll make sure nothing gets missed,” he said with a wink. I was more than willing to go along with the plan, so I nodded.

It was a special showering experience, as it always was when we took one together. He took his time rubbing all over my body and paying extra attention to my erogenous spots. Not to be outdone, I did the same to him. By the time we were ready to get out, both of us were raring to go. I thought he was turning the water off, but instead, when I turned my back to him, he grabbed my hips. He pulled me to him, so I felt his erection pressing into me.

“Bend over and put those hands on the bench,” he said huskily into my ear.

A shiver of more intense need went through me. I did as he asked, or more like ordered. His fingers ran up and down my folds and teased my entrance, then moved up to ring my asshole. I was so wet and needy. I pressed back, seeking his touch. He didn’t make me wait more than a couple of moments.

The head of his cock pressed against my opening then, in one hard stroke, he was sliding into me. I moaned. I knew by the second stroke he wasn’t going to go slow and build the intensity. He must be really turned on because he hammered his cock in and out of my pussy. I held on to the bench as he held my hips. The wet slap of our skin was loud in the shower, even over the water still coming down on us.

“ Foc , I love being inside of you, Kyn. You’re always so hot, wet, and tight as hell. I need you to promise me something,” he grunted with each slap.

“What?” I barely got out.

“That the birth control will stop soon. I want a baby.”

I’d been thinking the same thing since I mentioned it not long ago. Waiting until we got married didn’t make sense. I knew he didn’t care, and I was all in with this man. Why wait?

“Is next month soon enough to stop? My shot is due for renewal then.”

I guess his answer was yes because he let out a growling groan, and then he pounded me harder. I moaned and then cried out in ecstasy when he rubbed my clit with one hand and plucked at my distended nipples with the other. I went off like a firework, but he kept going. He wrung another orgasm out of me before he let himself come. His warmth filled me.

Afterward, he rinsed our privates clean, then dried each of us before tucking me into bed. When he got in with me, he brought me close. “You don’t know how much I love that you agree with me. I can’t wait to see you pregnant with my baby.”

“I can’t wait to have one. I know it’s fast, but it feels right.”

“It is. Now, why don’t we practice again? I want to have my technique down when the time comes,” he said. There was heat building in his gaze again.

I wasn’t one to deny him, so I whispered, “Let’s do it.”

In the end, we were up for another hour before we shut off the lights and went to sleep. His technique needed no perfecting, but I didn’t tell him that. I’d take all the practice sessions he wanted.

???

Our lives were going smoothly and happily. I was relaxing into it until I was jarred by the reality that it wasn’t all good and happy for everyone. It happened when the call came in that they had the date, time, and place of the big meeting. It was that evening and in six hours. They were lucky. It was happening in Florida.

It seemed that the ones involved were doing it in the O’Sheeran’s territory. They must think that this family had no idea their disgusting trade wasn’t a secret. Tiernan claimed it was a fuck you from them to do it this way. Everyone was called back to the compound to get ready. Many of them were still at the corporate office. The women and kids, of course, would stay behind. On top of the guards staying to watch over us, the three older men remained behind. All the others were going, and they were taking some guards and other men with them. They referred to them as Hounds and Horsemen. I had no idea what that meant.

It was scary and exhilarating to see them prepare. There were calls made and arrangements coordinated with whom I have no idea. Then, they got dressed and armed. Yes, they were taking guns and, lord knows what else. They were dressed like those commandos you see in movies, who wear all black and look tough and dangerous. It was frightening on one hand and sexy on another. I needed my head checked.

Before they left, the men with women took time to hold us and whisper things to us. Tiernan was telling me to stay calm and not to worry and how much he loved me. Our kiss was tender, then passionate then back to tender. When he left, I had tears in my eyes. I knew I couldn’t stay at our house and wait. It would make me insane. The others must’ve felt the same, and the older couples knew it. They told us to all come to their house, and we’d do movies and keep each other company. The big kids could play in the playroom if they wanted, and the babies would be held or put down in the nursery. As we took our positions around the theater room, I was never so thankful as I was then that I’d found a family at long last.

As the hours crawled by, I grew more and more anxious. I tried to pay attention to the movies and to take part in conversations, but it was getting harder to do. I was terrified something had gone wrong. I wanted to take out my phone and call Tiernan, but he’d explained they would be radio silent with us until they were sure everyone had been taken care of. That meant it would be in the middle of the night or later before we knew anything.

At midnight, I gave up and took Cassius home. He was dead to the world. I was going to wake him, but Cormac got him and me into a golf cart and drove us to the house. He carried him to his bedroom. I felt bad having a close to seventy-year-old do it, but he assured me he was capable. He wasn’t winded, so I guess he was telling the truth.

Before he left, Cormac gave me a hug and told me to call if I needed them. He and Cyndi would come over and stay with me if I wanted. I thanked him for the offer and told him I’d do it if it got to be too much. However, I was determined to be strong and make my man proud of me.

I drifted off sometime around three in the morning. I was shaken from my sleep by the jarring ring of my phone. I scrambled in the dark to find it. My heart was about to beat out of my chest. I saw it was Cody calling.

“Are they alright?” was my greeting. I saw it was five in the morning.

“They’re fine. I was asked to call you. They’re on their way back and should be home in the next two hours. The others are getting called as well. Tiernan said to tell you to rest until he gets there. The worst is over.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t even say hello. How has tonight been for you?”

“Enough to make me drink, and I don’t touch alcohol. These last several months have been hell, but a part of it is over.”

“What’s left?”

“Finding those taken and seeing that they’re returned. Although, we might just have help to do that,” he said mysteriously. “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got more calls to make. Breathe easy, Kynedi.”

“I will. You get some rest, too.”

He chuckled before hanging up. I was wide awake, but I did lean back and wait. Tension was easing from my body. I wondered if I’d get all the details or just some. I tried to envision what it had been like and what those poor women and girls had gone through. Even if they were rescued and returned to their former lives, how could they ever be the same again? I knew if it happened to me, I wouldn’t be able to just resume life as it was.

This made me think of Alexis. How different was she from what she was before those horrible people forced her into making those films? I bet she was less trusting. I hadn’t seen her with men outside of those in the family or guarding them, so I had no idea if strangers made her wary. It was something to think about. If I could help in any way when they got them back, I would. They’d need all the assistance they could get. I watched the numbers on the clock change as I counted the minutes until he walked through the door.