17. Sixteen
Sixteen
Kayleigh
L ast night I cried myself to sleep. I woke up this morning with dry tear marks on my face and my eyes were sore and red. I asked breakfast to be brought to me in my room. Cillian texted letting me know he would be here with Oscar in about fifteen minutes.
Thanks for the warning. I roll my eyes.
I grabbed my bag and packed everything that Daid had sent over that he either bought or got back from Andrew’s place. How he was able to do that I have no idea, but I appreciate it.
“Miss O’Sullivan?”
“Yes?” I call out to the man who knocked on my door before opening it.
“You have two visitors.”
“Two?”
“Yes, a Mr. Cillian and Oscar O’Sullivan.”
“You can let them in. They are my brothers.”
“Okay, Miss O’Sullivan.” He nods before walking away. I stand with my back to the door and look around. I can do this. I need to do this.
The door opens behind me, and I turn around only to be swept in a hug by Oscar.
“Kayleigh!” he says into my hair, and I hold on tight to him.
“You’re okay,” he coos. I’m pulled from Oscar’s arms into Cillian’s.
“Stór beag,” Cillian hoarsely whispers against my hair. I squeeze Cillian as tight as I can, and he holds me as the tears start flowing. He pulls back and wipes the tears from my eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“I will be.”
“I know you will be now that you are going home where you belong,” he says with a smile. I smile back but know my body will be in Ireland, but my heart will remain here in Scotland.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Oscar says as he picks up my bags. He grunts when he picks up my school bag.
“What are you bringing back? A bag of bricks?”
“Nope, just my medical schoolbooks.”
“Yeah, you better not ever carry all these books at once.”
“I won’t when I have you.”
He chuckles at me. “Cheeky brat.”
Cillian wraps his arm around my shoulders as he leads me from my room. I watch as my brothers glare at any male we pass. Dear lord, whenever I’m ready to date again, these two are going to be cockblocking me at every turn.
We get to the entrance, and I was hoping to leave without running into Eva. Unfortunately, that is not happening.
“Oh, hi, Kayleigh. How are you?”
I sigh at her fake enthusiasm.
“What do you want, Eva?” I ask.
“I see your brothers are here; are they visiting? Are you going to take them sightseeing? I can have extra men go with you for security.”
Does she not see the bags Oscar is carrying?
“We have plenty of men to get us to the plane,” Oscar says.
“Plane?”
“Yes. You know, a large transport that takes you flying through the sky. Do you not know what a plane is?” I bite my tongue at Oscar being a smartass to Eva. She looks at him but gives him a big, fake-ass smile.
“I know what a plane is, but why are you going on a plane, Kayleigh? Are you visiting family?”
“No, I’m going home,” I say pointing to my bags.
“You’re leaving? Does Erik know?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say, taking a breath. “Smile, Eva. You got what you want. I won’t be in your way.”
“Is this bitch the reason you want to leave?” Oscar snarls. I feel the grip Cillian has on me tighten; knowing my brother, it is taking everything in him not to wrap his hands around her neck. Before anyone else can react, Oscar has closed the distance between him Eva, pulling out his gun and forcing her backward until her back hits the wall.
“You can’t do this to me,” she says confidently. I watch as Oscar smirks.
“I think you will find I can. And look, I’m doing it right now,” he says as he releases the safety of the gun and pushes it into her forehead.
“I’m important to Erik.”
“You might be, but here’s the thing, bitch. I doubt you actually mean that much to Erik. If half the rumors about you are true, then your loose cunt has fucked all his men plus many of Daddy-dearest’s old friends. Is that what gets you off? Viagra-popping men?”
“You will regret this.”
“Oscar.” Cillian’s sharp tone gets Oscar to look away. “We don’t need unnecessary bloodshed right now. Doesn’t mean we won’t be back if we find out anyone has wronged Kayleigh,” Cillian growls glaring at Eva.
“Watch your back,” Oscar says. Then they guide me the rest of the way out.
“Fucking bitchy ass cunt. She doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you,” Oscar mumbles as he helps me into the SUV.
I give him a smile. “Scoot over,” Cillian tells me as he pushes Oscar out of the way. I do and he wraps me in his arms. “You’re okay now.”
I nod as I push my head into his chest. Cillian runs his hand through my hair as he kisses the top of my head.
Cillian
I hold Kayleigh in my arms as the plane takes off; her whole body shakes as she cries her heart out. As much as I want answers, I know when Kayleigh is this upset, she needs to cry it out before she can talk.
“Shh, stór, everything will be okay,” I coo to her; she just shakes her head crying harder.
I watch Oscar, who sits in front of us, and by the looks of it, he is feeling the same way I am. Useless. I want to take all this pain away from her. Kayleigh has been through so much between that little fuck face years ago and the sorry son of a bitch in England who will be dead soon.
Another sob rocks through Kayleigh. Oscar stands up, walking over to the hostess, and they talk for a brief moment before she walks off. Oscar sits back down. I raise my eyebrow at him questioning what he is up to, and he just nods at me. I don’t push because whatever he is doing isn’t what is most important right now.
But I swear, if he does anything that will upset Erin, I will personally call Emilia. He was let off the hook and still has to prove himself, but I will always watch out for Erin after all the hell he put her through.
“Here you go, Mr. Osullivan,” the hostess says as she hands him a blanket and a glass of water.
“Thank you,” he says, taking it from her before he comes to kneel in front of Kayleigh.
“Kayleigh, take a sip,” he gently orders her. She nods and takes the glass. We both watch silently as she takes a few sips of water. It helps her calm down a tiny bit, but the tears still roll down her freckled cheeks. Oscar takes the glass from her and sets it on the table to the side before he covers her with a blanket.
“Lay down,” I tell her, and she lays her head down on a pillow next to me and curls up in a ball. Oscar sits on the ground in front of her, holding her hand as I run my fingers through her hair. With both sit watching her, providing her with as much comfort as we can.
Once she falls asleep, I finally break the silence. “Were you really going to shoot Erik’s ex-wife?” I whisper.
“Fuck yes. You saw the pain in Kayleigh’s eyes. That alone is enough to deserve a bullet.”
“Even with hell it would have caused?”
“If it would ease a small bit of Kayleigh’s pain, I would fly back to Scotland right now and do it.”
“Me too. Once we know who hurt her, they will be dealt with along with fucking Andrew.” I growl his fucking name.
“I never like that motherfucker.”
“Me either, but she seemed happy, and after what Connor did to her, I didn’t want to be the one to stand in the way of her happiness.”
“Yeah, next time I’m fucking opening my mouth. I’d rather she be pissed at me then get hurt ever again.”
“I just want her to find someone who loves her and treats her like the princess she is. She deserves that and so much more.”
“I agree. Whoever he is will have to prove he is worth her.”
“Like there is anyone who would be worth her.”
“No one would be.”
“I promise you, Kayleigh, whoever hurt you will be punished,” he whispers to her, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. We stay like this until the plane lands and we talk quietly until Oscar carries her into her room and gets her settled while I go inform the family she is home but to let her rest.
Do any of them listen? No. They all peek in on her while she is asleep. When Mama sees the dry tear marks on Kayleigh’s face, she has to bury her face in Daid’s chest. I tell them we don’t know why she was so upset but we will give her time before we hound her with questions.
“I hope she is okay,” Bia says, wrapping her arms around my waist. I hug her closer to me, kissing the top of her head.
“She will be in time, little lamb.”