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“You’re wrong,” Joey replied in a voice so low I had to strain to hear him. He glared at the coffee cup in front of him, jaw clenched, expression mistrusting and wary. “So justgive up.”

“Joey,” Mam said gently. “You’ve been traveling down a very long road, love. Maybe it’s time to rest those feet and let someone else carry the load for you.”

Silence.

“Let me help you.”

More silence.

“Let me save you, Joey.”

“You can’t,” he choked out, cracking his knuckles anxiously. “There’s nothing left to save, Mrs. Kavanagh. So please juststop.”

Clearing my throat, I dropped my gear bag at the door and walked in. “You’re out.”

“Yep,” Joey muttered, not bothering to lift his head.

“Oh, love, you’re home.” Mam offered me a smile, but it was laced with concern. “How was training?”

I gaped at her. Shit, this was bad. Sheneverasked about training. “Grand,” I replied warily. “What’s going on?”

“Are you hungry, Johnny?” Mam asked, ignoring my question as she moved for the stove. “I made roast beef with pepper sauce.”

Shaking my head, I walked over to the island and pulled up a stool. “Jesus,” I muttered, taking in the swelling under Joey’s right eye. “Cormac got you good.”

“Yeah, and I got you good,” he shot back, gesturing to my busted lip. “Sorry about that.” Grimacing, he added, “Poor communication skills.”

I shrugged it off. “So, what’s happening now?”

“I’m in a bit of shit, Kav,” Joey scoffed. “That’s what’s happening now.”

“Yeah, I gathered that much.” Resting my elbows on the marble countertop, I leaned forward and studied his guarded expression. “Are you being charged?”

“He’s not going to be charged with anything,” Mam answered for Joey, tone confident. “Your father has made sure of that.”

My brows shot up. “You’re off the hook?”

Joey shrugged, looking at a complete loss. “Apparently.” He gave me a strange look, and I swear I could see terror in his eyes before the shutters clamped back down and he looked away. “According to your parents.”

“Where’s your ma?” I asked, bracing myself for the backlash I knew would come with a question like that. “Did she go down to the station for you?”

Joey shot me a look that saidWhat the fuck do you think, asshole, and in that moment I felt a surge of sympathy flood my chest. “She’s working,” he explained tightly. “Couldn’t get through to her phone.”

“That was Principal Twomey,” Dad announced, breezing into the kitchen with his phone in his hand. “The school board held an emergency meeting tonight.”

I stiffened. “And?”

“And Bella will not be returning to Tommen to finish out the school year,” Dad replied.

Joey blew out a harsh breath. “Thank Christ for that.”

“She will be allowed to sit her leaving cert in one of the local schools, but she will not be welcome back at Tommen. Her locker has been cleared out, her phone has been confiscated, and all photos she took of Shannon have been erased,” Dad explained, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Natasha O’Sullivan and Kelly Dunne have both been given a week’s suspension for their roles in the incident—though due to Shannon’s statements, and following a lot of discussion, it has been decided by the board that both girls will return to Tommen after their suspension andwillbe permitted to sit their exams there.”

“That’s bullshit!” Joey and I both hissed in unison and then turned to frown at each other.

“Pick your battles, boys,” Dad replied. “This is a good result.” Mam handed Dad a cup of coffee and he kissed her cheek before turning his attention back to us. “Take emotion out of the equation and look at the result for what it is: a win.”

“And Cormac?” I said, locking eyes with my father. “How’d you manage to pull that off? He was hell-bent on pressing charges earlier.”

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