Chapter 13
I n what feels like a blink of an eye, it’s time to head back to London for Cora’s bachelorette party. After a week of barely seeing Logan and filling my days by chatting with Kelly in the kitchen—trying to coax out all the hints and tips about the Clan and its strange dynamics as I whip up batches of brownies to bribe her—this is very much needed.
Making sure I was able to come back for it was one of my non-negotiables so even though Logan can’t afford to leave the compound right now, here I am. My black and rose gold cabin-sized suitcase lies at my heels as I say goodbye to a sleep-rumpled Logan. His brows are drawn low as he runs a hand through his hair before taking my suitcase from me and leading the way out to the car. Peter is already in the driver's seat with Smithy calling shotgun, leaving me and Cole to sit in the back.
As Logan assesses the seating arrangements, any regiments of sleep are quickly erased from his face.
“I don’t like this.”
“It’s only for a night. I’ll be back before you even notice I’m gone.”
“Doubtful. You know if I could move things around to be there, I would, right?” He boxes me in against the car door.
If I combust here and now, I wonder will someone scrap up my remains and ship me off to the airport?
“I know, Viking. Relax, I'll be fine. Owen and Jonathan will have gone overboard with Cora’s security,” I say, leaning up to give him a soft kiss. As he holds open the car door for me, grunting at Smithy and Cole to swap seats, the need to address what is going on between us couldn’t be clearer.
But now is not the time for that.
I have a plane to catch, mimosas to drink, and two besties to hug to death.
One very quick flight and two glasses of wine later, we’re on our way out of the airport when I hear my name being shouted a split second before I’m knocked back a step with the force of Cora running into me.
“Hey there, stranger, did you miss me?” I tease her, returning her hug with equal enthusiasm.
"Of course I did. It's not the same without you here," she says as she pulls back to look at me. Unconcerned with the looks we're receiving, I pull her in for another hug before stepping back and linking arms.
"You ladies ready to go?" Peter asks with a fond smile as he takes us in. Peter is the kind of uncle everyone wishes they had—fun, friendly, and never overbearing, always up for a laugh, which makes him perfect for babysitting me on what I'm sure will be a girls' night for the books.
"Let's do this," I say to him, before turning to Cora. "Where's your security detail?"
"Oh, they’re here somewhere. I ran off quicker than they could follow me unless they wanted to draw unwanted attention to us," she replies. As she speaks, a furious Liam rounds the corner, his demeanour relaxing only when his eyes settle on her and the wall of muscle surrounding us. Noticing she's perfectly safe, he approaches us with a slight ease.
"What did we tell you about running off, brat?" Despite his attempt at sternness, his fondness for Cora softens his tone, which she clearly recognises, batting her eyelashes at him before laughing.
"Liam, brother, do you not see me standing right here?" In seconds, the brothers are exchanging man hugs and back claps, engaging in small talk as Aidan joins them. Seeing those three separated doesn't feel right, and I occasionally wonder if I made the right choice in picking him to be my guard. But ultimately, if there was anyone I trusted to look out for me, it was going to be one of them. And out of all of them, Cole is the one I feel most comfortable around.
Perhaps it's because we spent last year's lockdown together in a basement with two hostages, just shooting the shit for hours on end. Maybe it's because he feels like the little brother I never knew I wanted. Whatever the reason, I'm grateful he agreed to come with me, and I'm thankful his brothers allowed me to break them up. It’s a kindness I'll probably never be able to repay, but that won’t stop me from trying.
Once the hugs and greetings are done, we make our way to the exit amid a flurry of conversations and laughter. All I can think about is how good it is to be surrounded by my people again, to be home again. To have Cora’s comforting weight nestled into my side as the brothers grumble over who gets shotgun is something I never expected to miss quite as much as I do.
“Okay, so fill me in, what’s the plan of action for tonight.” After meeting Lily for bottomless brunch at O’Neil’s, to say I’m a bit tipsy as I watch Cora hold up numerous dresses from my spot on her bed is like saying chocolate is just okay.
“The plan is to get drunk, dance until our feet are sore, and then drink some more,” she says, holding up a sparkly white mini dress with cutouts on each side.
“Hmm, but what about the bodycon we picked out last week?” Lily asks from beside me as she scrolls on her phone. That girl has more drama coming her way than a soap opera, based on her frown, and I can only hope she’s strong enough to withstand it.
“Everything okay?” I ask her as Cora disappears into her walk-in closet.
“I’m fine…just. I don’t know if staying local was the right thing. Putting some miles between me and everything sounds real appealing right now, you know?” Following her graduating from St Theresa’s, Lily had her heart set on going away for college but her stepdad, Ciaran, put his foot down and she ended up staying local for college.
“Take it from me, in a few months you’ll be so busy with classes and new friendships that you’ll feel a thousand miles away from here. But at the same time, whenever you face your first heartbreak, you’ll be glad home is only a train ride away, not a flight.” Sometimes it’s easy to forget how new to all of this Lily is.
It feels like her mum has been married to Ciaran for ages, but realistically, it's only been six years, most of which Lily spent at St Theresa’s. I can only imagine how disorienting it must be to be thrust into this mess, especially considering her stepbrother has done nothing to conceal his disdain for her mum or make her life any easier.
“Okay, what do we think?” Cora draws our attention to her as she spins. The dress is midi length, bodycon, and hugs her curves in a way that’s bound to drive Owen mad.
In other words, its fucking perfect.
"You look hot, Mrs Jameson, let's do this," I say. With a squeal of excitement and a flurry of off-key singing, we all get ready. Clouds of setting spray and hairspray fill the air as we paint our faces and curl our hair. After wiggling into our dresses and hyping each other up, we’re ready to hit the club.
As we descend the stairs, Owen lets out a groan as he lays eyes on Cora while Cole lets out a wolf whistle as he takes us all in.
“You girls looking for trouble tonight or what?” he asks before Matt punches him in the arm. Matt’s eyes are firmly glued to Lily. That boy needs to watch himself unless he wants everyone to know about his little obsession.
“Why yes, do you think we’re going to get it?” I ask, twirling.
“Logan is going to lose his mind when he sees what he’s missing out on.” Peter laughs, shaking his head.
A photo session later, we all pile into a limo Owen rented for the night. Sure, having the boys along for the bachelorette isn’t the norm but convincing Cora and Owen to separate is like mission impossible these days. The guys may outnumber us two to one, and we might have to forcibly separate the lovebirds but it’s time to let our hair down, guzzle some tequila shots and have a good time dancing our asses off.
As soon as we enter the club, the beat of the music settles into my bones in the best way. Closing my eyes and tipping my head back, I let the beat carry me. Safe in the knowledge that I have my girls at my side and the guys close by. Soon, my hair is damp with sweat, my feet throb, and Lily is shoving a new shot in my hand every time I look at her.
The room spins as I loop my arms around Cora and Lily’s necks to bring them closer. Squeezing my eyes shut, I blurt out what’s been swimming in my head all night.
“I think I want to fuck my husband.”
“Are you telling me you haven’t already hit that?” Lily exclaims, squinting at me through the flashing lights as if that will alter what I said.
“Babe, that man would jump your bones in a second if you let him,” Cora slurs as she rests her head on my shoulder for a moment, still vaguely moving to the beat of the music.
“But it just feels so fast. Like I don’t even know him and yet I want to know him on the most physical level? Who the fuck does that? And plus, how do I know if he wants me? And only me? Because I damn sure will not be letting him have a mistress if I take him into my bed.” The thought alone makes me want to simultaneously vomit and claw my own eyes out.
“Then tell him that, Abbie. I swear, men are stupid; he's probably just focused on work. I'd bet money on the fact that it hasn't even crossed his mind to sit down and discuss all that with you."
Placing her hands on my shoulders, Lily looks me in the eye as she drunkenly imparts her nineteen-year-old wisdom on me. “If you want that dick, then you’re going to have to hop on it and make him your bitch.”
Bursting out into laughter, the weird tension is broken, and before I know it, we're back to doing shots, dancing our asses off, and the rest of the night passes in a tequila-glazed blur.