Chapter 26 Brigid
TWENTY-SIX
brIGID
I couldn’t hold my emotions back any longer.
I didn’t care who saw me crying over Puck or who disapproved of my actions.
As Daddy walked me out of the room, I peered over my shoulder, watching as Notch took his pulse one last time.
Then, he pulled Lori away from her son and guided everyone else out of the room.
“Daddy?” I whispered.
He rubbed my back. “What is it, princess?”
I sighed heavily. “Can I just have a few minutes to myself?”
He kissed the top of my head. “Of course. Come find me in the kitchen when you’re done. I’ll make you some food.”
I nodded mindlessly. “Thanks.”
As everyone passed by me, they grabbed my hand or my shoulder and squeezed it. And when I knew everyone was gone and that I was alone, I broke down in tears. I sank to my knees, put my face in my hands, and sobbed so hard and so viciously that my chest started to ache.
It felt like my heart had been shattered into slivers meant to slice my veins wide open.
“No-ho-ho-ho-ho,” I choked.
I’d tried being the backbone for the family. I’d tried bringing a little class and sophistication to all of this. But seeing my brothers like this—and seeing my father like this—broke something inside of me.
However, it didn’t hold a candle to watching Puck drop like a sack of potatoes.
“Please, God,” I whispered desperately. “Don’t take them from me. Please.”
I hadn't been prepared for this scenario. I hadn’t prepared for the most important men in my life to drop all at once.
I leaned myself against the hallway wall in front of the door that led into Puck’s room, and I wiped at my tears as snot flowed down my face.
I let all of my emotions fall out of my body and onto the floor at my feet, and for the first time in my entire life I didn’t give a shit who rolled up on me and saw me like this.
All I wanted was for my family to be okay.
Footsteps padded softly down the hallway before warmth threaded itself around my shoulders.
They tugged me toward them, and I laid my head against someone’s shoulder before they pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
I had no idea who it was. I had no idea who had found me.
But as the tears flowed and my worries mounted, Lori’s voice pierced through my manic state.
“They’re going to be okay, I promise,” she whispered.
My face wrinkled up as I held back more sobs. “How do you know?”
She giggled softly. “Because I raised Ruby, and I know her heart. I know her tenacity. She gets it from her father, and if she says that none of these men are going anywhere, then they aren’t.”
My lower lip quivered. “Jesus, how did this get so fucked up?”
She kissed the top of my head again. “I think there’s someone else who wants to see you, though.”
I peeked up at her. “What?”
And when she thumbed over her shoulder, I watched as Puck stepped out of his bedroom and into the hallway.
“Puck? Wait a second, I thought…but you—”
His stare held my watery gaze. “Thanks, Mom. I can take it from here.”
Lori stood to her feet and hugged her son. “Good to see you upright.”
He hugged her closely. “Thanks. I’ll come find you in a bit.”
And as I watched in shock as he sat down next to me, I shook my head.
“How…I…but Notch said—”
He grinned. “I drifted off there for a bit, but then my eyes opened a little while later.”
I sighed with relief. “I know you’re not my biggest fan right now, but—”
He took my hand within his. “Shut up and come here, beautiful.”
He tugged me closer to him before our lips crashed together and the entire world stopped turning around us.
Nothing else existed except the feeling of his tongue next to my own and I never wanted to go without that sensation ever again for the rest of my life.
I climbed into his lap and he stood to his feet before placing me back down onto my own.
But as my back fell against the wall, his hips swiveled and teased me.
And all the while, his tongue marked its spot against the roof of my mouth.
“I’m so glad you’re awake,” I whispered against his lips.
He tucked a strand of loose hair behind my ear. “You aren’t alone in this, okay? You have my word that I’ll do anything I can to keep you safe.”
Tears streaked my cheeks once more. “Even though you hate me?”
He snickered. “I could never hate you, Brigid. In fact, I—”
I hung onto his every word before we were interrupted by the one person I didn’t want to deal with at that moment.
And when I heard my father clear his throat, Puck took a quick step away from me.
“Puck,” he said flatly.
He nodded. “Sir.”
My shoulders slumped. “Daddy, I can’t do anymore fighting. Please, just—”
But Dad held up his hand, stopping my sentence in its tracks. “Did you mean what you just said, Puck?”
I looked up at the man that had infiltrated my heart and soul as he nodded. “Yes, sir. I did.”
Daddy took a step toward us. “I owe you everything for helping to save my son.”
Puck chuckled. “Does that mean I get to make a request?”
Dad’s eyes darted over toward me before he nodded. “Yes, it does. And whatever you ask, I’ll do my best to honor.”
And that was when Puck took my hand and kissed the back of it. “Then, don’t kill me when I tell you that I love your daughter.”
My jaw hit the fucking floor. “Wait, what? You do?”
He peered down at me. “Yes, I do.”
Jesus Christ, I love you, too.
But my father’s bombastic laughter caught me off-guard.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
Puck chuckled with him as Daddy held his stomach. “You know, this might just be the only scenario in which I don’t kill you for saying something like that.”
So, with the only approval we’d ever get from him, I looked up into Puck’s glorious face. “I love you, too.”
His stare met my own. “You do?”
I smiled. “I really, really do.”
He cloaked my back with his arms before pulling me against his body. I giggled as I cupped the back of his head, bringing his lips to mine in a wanton, desperate kiss.
But my father clearing his throat quickly killed the moment. “Just because he’s not dead doesn’t mean you have to do that in front of me.”
I blushed as my head fell against Puck’s shoulder. “Sorry, Daddy.”
I found my father’s eyes as he sighed. “Does he make you happy?”
I nodded. “More than anything.”
“Does he treat you well, a leanbh?”
I smiled so brightly that my eyes closed. “Better than I deserve some days.”
Daddy waved his hand in the air. “Nonsense. You deserve all of the good things this world has to offer.”
Puck snickered. “He and I can agree on that.”
I wrapped my arms around Puck’s neck. “You need to get more rest.”
Dad started walking down the hallway. “Yes, you should. At least, that’s what Notch told me to come tell you. He heard your voice and sent me with a message.”
Puck smiled down at me. “Are you headed to bed, too?”
I cracked my neck. “I will soon. We all need the rest.”
“I’m walking away now!” Daddy announced as he turned the corner to get out of sight.
And as I broke down laughing my ass off, Puck scooped me into his arms.
“Oh! Be careful, handsome!” I squealed.
He walked me into his bedroom. “You’re sleeping with me tonight.”
“I didn’t hear that!” Dad bellowed around the corner.
We laid down in his bed behind an unlocked door and I played with his hair.
His eyes danced between my own, mesmerizing me with their beauty as his hands lazily explored my body.
I’d never been touched by a man without it leading to sex, so feeling his hands caressing me without any ulterior motives was new to me.
And he sensed it. “I just want to touch you. Is that all right?”
I cupped his cheek. “It’s more than all right. Touch me all you want.”
He scooted closer to me. “I don’t think it’s smart to try and—”
I kissed his lips to silence him. “I know. You can touch me, even if it doesn’t lead to sex. Okay?”
He snickered. “All right.”
I turned over and wiggled back into him, causing him to wrap his arm around my waist. And as he pulled me close, the door inched open.
“Can I come in to check on my son for a second?” Lori asked.
I giggled as Puck called out for her. “Come in, Mom. Just me and Brigid snuggling in for some sleep.”
She pushed the door open. “For what it’s worth, you two are very cute together.”
I threaded my fingers through Puck’s hand against my stomach. “It’s worth a lot, thank you.”
She wrapped around to Puck’s side of the bed and did a few things that Notch probably sent her to do.
She took his temperature with the back of her hand and checked his pulse at his neck.
She inspected the I.V. site on top of his hand before walking him through a few eye exercises for whatever reason.
And after Lori was satisfied, I watched her move Puck’s hair away from his forehead before she kissed it.
Causing his face to light up with pride.
“Thanks, Mom,” he whispered.
She moved the blanket back over his shoulder. “I’ll come back in a couple of hours. Notch wants me checking on you for at least six more hours.”
I yawned. “Sounds good. We’ll keep the door unlocked.”
If she came in to continue checking, I didn’t know, because I fell asleep against the warmth of Puck’s body the second she left. I slept like the fucking dead until an alarm blared on his side of the bed and it caused him to shoot upright.
And only one thing crossed my mind as my eyes opened.
“I need to go check on Kieran,” I mumbled.
But the stampeding of feet down the hallway led to Rowan bursting through the bedroom door. His eyes darted from Puck to me to Puck again, then he drew in a deep breath before he groaned.
“Okay, I’ll process this later, but Kieran’s up and I figured Puck would want to know.”
I stood to my feet. “Well, I’d like that information, too.”
Rowan thumbed over his shoulder. “Your room was my next stop.”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “Puck, are you—”
He groaned as he sat up. “You go. I’ll catch up.”
And I had never moved so fast first thing in the morning in all my fucking life.