Chapter Twenty-Eight Dare
W hen I entered the kitchen through the back door, the happy screeches of my nephews assaulted my ears. Even with my head all jangled about my new found daughter, my lips curved in a smile at the sight of the two of them tearing around the kitchen. While four-year-old Julianna was all Caterina with her chestnut hair and brown eyes, Declan and Donnovan were Kavanaughs through and through with their ocean blue eyes and jet-black hair. “Hiya, mo pheatas .”
“Da!” Donnovan cried as he waved a meaty fist in hello while Declan ducked his head to grin shyly up at me. Although they were completely identical, their personalities were as different as night and day. Donnovan was Callum reincarnated with his outgoing charm while Declan was shy and reserved like Caterina.
It was hard to believe they were about to turn eighteen months. It seemed like just yesterday that we’d been gobsmacked by the ultrasound photo showing not one, but two sons in Caterina’s belly. It became quite the conundrum when it came to the family’s future heir. Did Callum go based on who was born the oldest or who had the true leadership qualities?
Outfitted in a pair of blue nursing scrubs, Caterina whirled around from the stove in surprise. “Dare? Did I forget you were coming for dinner?”
After bestowing a kiss on her cheek, I replied, “No. Something unexpected came up that I need to talk to Callum about.”
“Oh, well, there’s more than enough if you’re hungry.”
As Piper’s face flashed before my eyes, my stomach churned. “No. I’m good.” Glancing around the spacious kitchen, I asked, “Where’s my boyo?”
With a roll of her eyes, she added, “In the living room acting like an invalid while icing his balls.”
Chuckling, I replied, “Go easy on him. He’s the first Kavanaugh to forsake his manhood.”
Caterina swept her hands to her hips and huffed, “Seriously? He’s milking this vasectomy for all it’s worth. I’m the one who had a c-section eighteen months ago.”
“Trust me, it’s way more to a man than just a simple procedure.”
Jerking her chin at me, she replied, “Is that the reason why you haven’t had one considering how much you don’t want children?”
“You’re damn right it is.” And now with Piper’s existence a vasectomy was a moot point.
At the thought of my daughter, my chest clenched as my stomach pitched and rolled.
After eyeing me curiously, Caterina brought the back of her hand to my forehead. As I tried bobbing away from her, I asked, “What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you have a temperature.”
“What the fuck for?”
“To see if you’re sick.”
“Motherhood has made you paranoid.”
“Then why are you pale as a sheet?”
Shite. She had me there. As much as I viewed Caterina as a sister, I still wanted to talk to Callum first. “With the Philly Celtic Grand opening in a week, I’m worn down,” I lied.
Caterina’s expression softened. “You need to take care of yourself.”
“Jaysus, you’re no better than Mam.”
Poking her head in from the dining room, Mam asked, “Did I hear you call my name?”
“No. I didn’t.”
Her auburn brows furrowed. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, you look like a ghost, Darragh.”
“Ooh, she’s using your full name,” Caterina teased.
“For the record, I’m just a little overworked. Now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to speak to Callum.”
“At least eat dinner with us,” Caterina suggested as I started out of the room.
“We’ll see,” I called back as I started down the hallway.
When I got to the living room doorway, I did a double take. Callum lounging on the couch with a blue ice pack on his crotch wasn’t the shocking part. It was the purple sparkling crown atop his head and blinging clip on earrings. With his face turned to his four-year-old Julianna, he also wore a look of pure endearment.
Despite the touching scene, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Callum’s expression turned menacing, which caused Julianna to shake her head disapprovingly at him. “No, Daddy, not your mean face,” she chided.
“I’m sorry, mo chuisle ,” Callum replied.
His mean face reprieve was short lived when I held my phone up to snap a picture, “Don’t you fucking dare,” he growled.
Julianna’s little brows shot up in horror. “You said a bad word.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that, mo chuisle . Your uncle Dare always brings the bad words out of me.”
Jabbing her finger at me, she said, “Don’t make Daddy be bad, Uncle Darey.”
With a laugh, I replied, “I’m sorry. I’ll try.” Jerking my chin at her, I said, “Now come give your favorite uncail a hug.”
After hopping off the couch, Julianna dove into my arms. With the same grin she’d been melting my heart with since she was born, she said, “Hiya.”
“How’s my best girl?”
“Good.”
“Still liking preschool”
Her dark eyes lit up as she replied, “I have a boyfriend.”
“Excuse me?” I demanded as I glanced past her to gauge Callum’s reaction. When he didn’t go nuclear at the statement and merely smiled, I realized it must not be what I was thinking. “You have a boy that’s a friend, huh?”
“Mm, hmm. His name’s Cooper.”
Turning my lips down in a pout, I replied, “But I’m still your favorite boy, right?”
Considering Julianna had seven uncles, it was hard keeping the top spot, so I loved to tease her about who she loved the most. Furrowing her brows, she asked, “Did you bring me anything?”
“Julianna!” Caterina admonished from the doorway.
At my laugh, Julianna protested, “But Mommy Uncle Darey always gives me somethin’ when he asks if he's my favorite.”
Giving me a pointed look, Caterina said, “And he knows how much I hate that he does that.”
“What can I say? I enjoy spoiling her.” Reaching into my pocket, I took out my wallet. After whipping out a twenty, I waved it at her. “Will this do, Julesy?”
Julianna’s dark eyes lit up. With a squeal, she snatched the twenty from my hand. Grinning coyly up at me, she pronounced, “You’s still my favorite.”
“That’s my girl.”
Caterina swept her hands to her hips. “Seriously, Dare?”
“I’d say I was sorry, but you know I was lying.”
With a laugh, she replied, “Unfortunately yes.” Holding her hand out, Caterina said, “Come on, Julianna. Let’s give Da and Uncle Dare some privacy.”
After giving me a smacking kiss on the cheek, Julianna hopped down out of my arms and dutifully followed her mother.
Once we were alone, I eased down on the couch beside Callum. As he shifted the ice pack on his crotch, he grimaced. “Jaysus, you look like you’ve had a tussle with a banshee.”
“It feels that way.”
“After everything we’ve been through, what could’ve possibly shaken you up so much?”
“Do you remember Ava?”
He snorted. “The first woman since Shannon that you gave your heart to only for her to shred it to pieces because you were in the underworld?”
At the mention of that ghost of the past, I winced. “Yeah, that one.”
“Of course I remember her.”
“She came to see me today.”
With a roll of his eyes, Callum said, “Don’t tell me she’s decided after four long years that it doesn’t bother her that you’re a killer, and she wants you back?”
“Not quite.” I then proceeded to tell Callum about Ava’s ex.
His eyes darkened at the part about him putting her in the hospital, and a growl reverberated through him when I got to the part about her attempted rape. “I hope you didn’t think you needed to get my permission to take the fucker out.”
“You’re my leader and my brother. I need to know you’re okay with this considering we have no clan issue with him.”
“He hurt someone you care about. That makes it clan business.”
I swallowed down the emotions rising in my throat. “I appreciate that.”
“So, we’re good?”
“I wish.”
Callum’s brows show up. “Jayus, there’s more?”
“In all honesty, brother, I didn’t come here to ask permission to kill Ava’s bastard ex.” I glanced down at my hands. “I already told her I would take care of it.”
“There was something else that brought you here.”
With a ragged breath, I replied, “ Someone I never anticipated.”
After searching my face, Callum sucked in a harsh breath as his eyes bulged. “Ava has a child.”
“Aye.”
“And it’s yours.”
I nodded. “A daughter.”
“Fuck.”
“Those were my sentiments exactly.”
As he stared at me in disbelief, Callum said, “ You have a daughter.”
“I do.”
I jumped out of my skin when a laugh bubbled from his lips. Narrowing my eyes at him, I growled, “There’s nothing funny about this, boyo.” At his continued chuckling, I glared at him. “I’m fucking serious.”
Wiping his eyes, Callum replied, “Don’t you get it? You having a son is one thing. But a daughter? The universe truly hates you, mate.”
He had the audacity to laugh again. “Like you have any room to talk,” I countered.
“True, very true.” His expression grew serious. “I’ll pay for every one of my sins with women through that little girl.”
“And I’ll go down with you.”
“Does she favor us?”
“Aye, she’s got Mam and Maeve’s red hair.”
“Anything else?”
“The poor wee thing looks just like me.”
“Guess that rules out the need for a DNA test,” Callum joked.
“Even if she didn’t look like me, I wouldn’t have a doubt in my mind.” At his questioning look, I shook my head. “Regardless of how things ended between us, Ava was true to me.”
“What did the little lass say when she found out?”
“She didn’t.”
“Did Ava not want you to tell her?”
“I don’t know.” With a shake of my head, I added, “I ran.”
Callum’s brows disappeared into his hairline. “Christ on a cross, Dare. Tell me you didn’t.”
“Aye. I did.”
Jabbing his finger at the door, he said, “Get the fuck out.”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Get the fuck out of here, and go meet your child.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then man the fuck up and do it.”
“I didn’t say I was afraid.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s written all over your face.”
I swallowed hard, trying to fight my emotions. “What if she’s like me?”
“What do you mean?”
“Da said I was a waste of his essence.”
“You’re seriously not quoting that fucker like his opinion was worth shite.”
“I mean, like my dyslexia.”
Callum shrugged. “Then you’ll get the lass a tutor. Since you know what helped, you can help her.”
“I’m not a good man.”
“And I am?”
“No. But you’re a hell of a father.”
“And you will be, too.”
“I don’t know.”
“You won’t until you try. You’re awfully good with your nieces and nephews.”
“But that’s different. I play with them and then send them back to you guys. I don’t have a fucking clue about what she should be eating or what time she should go to bed.”
“Once again, you’ll learn.” He nudged my shoulder. “Now get out of here and go meet your daughter.”
Although I wanted nothing more than to hide like a pussy, I knew I had to face my fears and go back to Ava’s. Just as I reached the doorway, Callum’s words froze me.
“Don’t let your feelings for her bind you with rage.”
Slowly, I turned around. Dare gave me a knowing look. “I know you still love her. After all this time, you’re still broken by her. Despite wanting to punish her for what she did to you, fight your anger and revenge.”
“I don’t–”
He shook his head. “Yes, you do. Bury it down and think of your daughter.”
With those words in my ear, I strode out of the living room.