Chapter 7
Ronan
My vision goes red. Liam is going to pay for even implying he has some kind of claim on Colton.
I barely get a hand on him before Declan is there, dragging me back with one of his fucking MMA moves.
But I don’t care. I’ll rip free. I’ll put Liam through the floor if I have to.
Then Colton is there. I don’t expect him to be.
His hands grab at Declan’s arm, his voice sharp with panic.
“Fucking let him go! Get off of him!” Colton is pulling on Declan’s arms, which only makes him squeeze my neck harder, the fucker.
I know what Declan wants me to do before he lets go of me, and damn it, I don’t want to.
But the look of pure horror on Colton’s face makes me do it.
I tap out. Declan joins in with Liam, laughing their asses off.
Colton grips my hand and pulls me to my feet.
“Are you okay?” Colton’s hands slide over my neck, checking for bruises or damage. Normally, I hate being touched. I pull away from it automatically. But not from him. Never from him.
“What about me?” Liam asks, still grinning like this is funny. “I was the one he choked.” I lunge for him again without thinking. Before I can get to him, Colton hooks an arm around my waist and holds me in place. The contact should make me feel trapped. But it only grounds me.
“Boys!” Mom booms from the doorway. That quickly shuts both Declan and Liam up. “What is going on in here? I swear you all will pay if you wake the baby.” She eyes Kieran. “That includes you. Now what is going on?”
“Liam said something inappropriate about sharing Colton,” Dad says flatly. “Ronan took exception to that and jumped on him.”
Mom’s eyes widen.
“Declan pulled Ronan off,” Dad continues. “But he held on until Ronan tapped. Colton didn’t like that very much.”
“And you didn’t stop them?”
“Why would I? They fight all the time.” Dad isn’t wrong.
“Yes, they do,” Mom says. “But not in the office and certainly not when an innocent person could get hurt in the process.” Her voice stays calm, which somehow makes it worse.
“I’m disappointed.”
Oh fuck. We’re screwed. Mom being angry is survivable. Mom being disappointed is not. That means punishment for everyone. Even Dad. Dad cuts a hard glare toward Liam.
“This is your fault.” He points at Liam.
“No, it’s mine. I’m the reason they were fighting. I’m so sorry.” Colton steps in front of me. Actually, steps between my family and me.
For a second, I just stare at his back. Does he think he can protect me from them? Would he really try? He went after Declan for me.
Declan.
Most people avoid him on instinct, but Colton threw himself right into the middle of it without hesitation. Declan is bigger than me. He’s massive compared to Colton. But none of that mattered to him. He still put himself in harm’s way for me.
Something hits me so hard it almost hurts. Colton is mine. But somehow, impossibly, I think I’m his too. Is he aware of that? Does he realize what he’s doing to me? In my family, we protect each other no matter what. But none of us steps between Mom and whoever she’s angry with.
Ever.
And yet Colton is standing there like he can shield me from her disappointment.
“No, sweetheart, it’s not. I tried my best to raise them all with some common sense, but it didn’t work with most of them.
I’m sorry you were put in this position.
Now,” she turns toward Liam, “you will watch what you say to or about Colton. To make sure you remember your manners, you will take supplies to the assisted living home once a week for the next three weeks, on bingo night. Bring your bingo cards to me each time.”
I try my hardest not to laugh. Liam hates having to go to the assisted living home. It isn’t that he has any particular dislike for old people; it’s the pinching of his cheeks and the inappropriate comments the old ladies make to him. I watch on the security cams every time he has to go.
“You, Declan, I’ll be talking it over with Xavier. I think he mentioned wanting to hand out fliers at the local high schools about the shelter.” She looks at Kieran. “You and I will talk later.”
“What about Ronan?” Liam says smugly. I want to choke him again. While I know he is just trying to get a rise out of me, mission accomplished, it still pisses me off. No one should ever talk to or about Colton like that, joke or not.
She looks at Liam. “Ronan isn’t being punished. He was reacting to you. He was defending what’s his, and you knew that when you started it. Keep questioning me, and it will be four weeks. Apologize to Colton and your brother.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry, Colton, Ronan. My comment was inappropriate and in poor taste. I didn’t mean anything by it. It really was meant as a joke.”
The baby monitor in her hand crackles to life. “Well, hello, sunshine. Did you have a good nap? You can call me Uncle Xavy.” Ollie’s giggle comes through the speakers clearly. I hadn’t noticed Xavier leaving. “Ew, what is that smell?”
“That’s my cue. I expect you all to behave.” And with that, Mom leaves the room. I look at Colton. Something’s wrong; his face is blank, and he’s staring at the floor. I don’t like it.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He finally looks at me.
“No, I’m not fucking okay. What the fuck just happened?”
“Alessia Murphy just happened,” Declan answers. Colton slowly turns his head toward Declan and then back at me.
“Why did you attack your brother?” he asks me.
“Because he had no right to say that about sharing you. I’m not sharing.”
“What does that even mean? Does he want me to work for him? Is he in IT, too?”
“It means you’re—” I stop myself from telling him that it’s because he is mine. “Liam is in operations, mainly import-export. He’s just being his usual annoying self.”
Colton just shakes his head.
“Declan Dirk Murphy! Did you really just put Ronan in that naked back thingy hold?” Xavier rushes back into the office.
“The what now?” Colton asks.
“The MMA naked move or whatever.” Xavier moves his arms around.
“A rear-naked choke, and yes, I did. He was choking Liam.”
“Let me guess. You held on till he tapped instead of just separating the two as a normal person would do.” Xavier crosses his arms over his chest. This isn’t the first time we have fought each other.
“You know the rules, and so do they. We don’t let go until someone taps.” Declan tries to defend his actions.
“We’ll see how long it takes you to tap on Friday when we’re passing the fliers out at the school.” Xavier grins wickedly.
“Babe,” Declan starts to talk.
“Nope, you know you guys aren’t supposed to do that sort of thing in the office. Besides, you’re not going to let me go alone anyway.”
“Yes, but I didn’t plan on participating.”
“Well, now you are.” Xavier pulls Declan down for a kiss.
Declan quickly turns it into a deep, entirely inappropriate kiss for the office.
But it makes me think. What would Colton’s lips feel like on mine?
I usually hate kissing and a lot of touching, but I keep wondering what Colton will feel like.
I’ve never understood why they do that in front of people.
Now I can’t stop thinking about doing it myself.
Inside, I let out a mental groan and have to look away from them.
“Wow, what did I miss, and why are Declan and Xavier putting on a live porno?” I groan as Finn and Conor walk into my office.
“Is there a reason that my entire family is in my office?” They all need to leave.
It’s late afternoon, and soon my time with Colton will be done for the day.
I can already feel my skin itching because of it.
Like a drug addict who has only been given a small taste, I want more.
I need it. The apartment is ready for him already, but the idea of him going somewhere other than my place irritates me.
Plus, it’s in Declan’s building and not mine.
“I’m Finn, the baby of the family. You must be Colton.” Finn holds out his hand for Colton to shake. It feels like my molars are going to crack. I have to curl my hands into fists to stop myself from pulling Colton away.
“That’s me. So baby, huh? It’s weird, you all look the same age.”
“Well, we’re Irish.” Finn grins. I groan at what I know is coming next. “We’re all Irish twins. Conor was born in September; the twins came early in August of the next year. I was born the next July. Mom wanted a big family, so she decided to knock it out as fast as she could.”
“I still say she should have stopped with me,” Conor says.
“Why, when she saved the best for last?”
“Everyone needs to get out of my office,” I say.
“Aw, come on, Roe, we came to welcome Colton into the fold. Besides, you’ve had him to yourself all morning.
” Finn knows that I hate that nickname or any nickname.
They make no sense. If your parents wanted you to be called something other than your name, then they should have named you differently. My eyes narrow at Finn.
“You’d better be careful, Finn. Aunt Alessia has already doled out punishment to these three for messing with Ronan and Colt,” Xavier explains while extricating himself from Declan’s hold.
“Really?” Finn grins.
“Yeah, and I usually wouldn’t warn you so that you could join them. But I want Colt to stay so I can play with Ollie tomorrow. I can’t do that if you scare him off.”
“Who’s Ollie?” Conor asks. Colton starts to answer, but Xavier beats him to it.
“Oh, my God. You need to meet him. He’s the most adorable baby on the planet. He’s Colt’s son. Alessia has him set up in a fucking awesome playroom down the hall.”
“You have a son?” Conor glares between Colton and me.
“Yeah. I do.”
“And it’s none of your business. Everyone needs to leave, now.”
“Come on, Dec. You can meet Ollie.” Xavier starts pulling him from the room. Liam, Finn, and Conor follow them out. Everyone files out except my dad.
“I actually came in here to tell you about your apartment.”
I cut him off. “It’s not ready yet,” I say quickly. Dad cocks his head at me.
“That’s okay. I’m paid up at the place we are staying until next week. We can just stay there.”
“That’s not happening. You and Ollie are staying with me.” I brace for an argument. He won’t win it.