Page 553 of Rage

“I swear to god, I will shoot my best friends right now, snotnose.”

I pluck off the shirt and twist to glare at him. “You shoot them, I shoot you.”

This gets me a kiss against the back of my neck from Xander and an exasperated groan from my brother.

“I’ll give you a single minute. Doc’s getting his supplies out of the car. He doesn’t need to see your hairy ass, Liu. Or my baby sister’s tits. And who knows what all you’re showing under that pile, O’Connell, but that leg looks like shit, even if it is wearing a tutu.”

“Feels like shit, too,” he mumbles, taking my palm and kissing it. “But it can wait just another minute.”

Another minute. Or a lifetime. We’ll have to see what they agree to.

But another minute is a good start.

Chapter Fourteen

Liam

Doc patches me up the best he can, but he still recommends I head to a hospital and get my leg looked at. There’s a good chance there’s nerve damage, which is fucked up, but still better than dead.

As Xander tries to talk Doc out of dragging him away from Cece, who’s perched on top of the trunk we were all jammed in just a few hours ago, I can’t say I regret much about tonight.

Getting shot? Yeah. I should have had a better plan than just throwing my superior mass blindly out of the trunk, but all I could think about was Eddie’s anger if I let his kid sister get hurt.

And as Eddie hangs up from one of his various damage control calls and strides to me, I have to admit that I’m still in for it with him.

Even if his kid sister ended up being the one doing the protecting.

Sure enough, when the fist flies at my jaw, I brace for it, but don’t dodge. It’s deserved, especially with the way he found us.

“Seriously, O’Connell? I expect this kind of shit from Liu, but you should know better. She’s my sister.”

“And a grown-ass adult,” I say, rubbing my jaw, remembering her annoyance when I suggested otherwise.Before I knew who I was dealing with. If nothing else, it will help sell the “I was mugged” story I plan to use at the hospital.

Eddie glances down at my leg, then motions for me to get into his hand-me-down GTX. Once I’m in the passenger seat with my leg on the dash, he turns to me, his eyes flicking to Cece and Xander. Doc’s treating him while Cece’s curled up in his lap like a cat, Eddie’s shirt not covering nearly as much of his sister as he likely hoped it would.

“She’s more than just a notch in Xander’s bedpost,” I say, guessing where his head is at.

He taps a finger against the wheel. “And you know that how?”

“You weren’t out here tonight. It…listen, we’ve all been in shitty situations. Dangerous ones. Deadly ones. Only there’s something about standing in front of your grave, waiting for death, only to have a SoCal princess, complete in a prom dress, swoop in and save you. I’m just saying it changes a man.”

“So, you’re a changed man, O’Connell?”

Xander says something, and Cece throws her head back, laughing as a kick of wind tugs at her hair. And all I want to do is to drag myself across the gravel to be with them. To catch that lock of hair, tuck it behind her ear, wrap my arms around her, and give her all the hugs she’s missed out on over the years. To be by her side as she shows the world exactly what kind of woman hides behind those shining eyes and mischievous grin.

One who will fight to the death to protect the people she cares about; a woman who will fight for what she wants. While she hasn’t said it, not yet, I’m pretty sure she wants me.

I might be morose, and I might have to work on being less of an alcoholic, but I’m not an idiot.

And tonight was just the beginning.

“Yeah, Eddie. I’m a changed man. And no big brother bluster you could throw my way would keep me from Cece if that’s what she wants.”

He slumps back against his seat. “But all three of you? How’s that going to work? Three heirs can’t all play happy family. That’s not how this world works.”

“This world doesn’t allow female heirs. So, what’s another change? We’ll figure it out. Either that, or we’ll kill anybody who disagrees with the way we conduct our business. But we’ll make it work. We both know that if it’s what Cece wants…”

“Then she’ll fight to the death to get it.” Eddie sighs, snapping his head to me when Xander drags Cece’s mouth to his, the kiss hot enough that even my already spent, injured ass gets turned on. I have a feeling this is going to be a constant state for me going forward. I can’t say I hate it.

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