Page 90 of Where We Bloom

“Beg for mercy,” he says as he rubs his knuckles in my hair.

“Brooks!” I call out.

“I’m not helping you this time,” my brother replies from across the room. “You deserve it.”

With another hysterical laugh, I shove my elbow into Holden’s side, making him wheeze out a breath.

“Connor!” I’m still wiggling, but Holden’s too damn strong. “Connor, help me!”

Suddenly, I’m yanked out of Holden’s arms and wrapped up in an embrace I know all too well.

“Was the bad man bothering you, angel?” Connor growls against my ear, making all of my lady bits stand up at attention.

“Yes. Kill him and discard the body.”

“Harsh,” Beckett says, shaking his head as Connor chuckles and gives me a squeeze.

“From now on,” Connor whispers so only I can hear, “when you need help, you ask forme,mo rúnsearc, no other man, not even your brother. Understood?”

I lean back to look him in the eye and grin at the heat there.

“I hear you.”

“Good.” He kisses my forehead, then walks away, and I have to clear my throat.

Holden winks at me before he steals a piece of cheese, then walks over to chat with Beckett, Mik, and Benji.

“Okay, what do you need me to do?” I ask Blake, who just shakes his head.

“Nothing.”

“What’s for dinner?”

I whirl at the voice coming from the doorway.I know that voice!

“Mama!”

Our parents are standing thirty feet away, grinning at all of us. Mom’s eyes fill with tears as we rush them, taking our turns with hugs and kisses, and when Birdie starts to cry because she’s so happy to see her grandma and grandpa, I can’t help but cry, too.

“God, I missed you,” I whisper, clinging to my daddy as he wraps his arms around me, holding me in the bear hug that I’ve loved for as long as I can remember.

“I missed you too, baby girl.” He pulls back to brush the tears from my cheeks. “No more tears.”

I nod and move on to my mom, hugging her so tight, I’m afraid I might bruise her ribs.

“How?” I ask. “I thought you were busy in Florida.”

“We are,” she confirms. “So we’re only here for two days, but Connor assures us his plane is ready for usanytime, so we don’t have to go by the commercial flight schedule.”

I whirl, scanning the room for my man, then I rush to him, throw my arms around his neck, and hug him close.

The damn tears are back.

“You did this forme?”

“You cried, angel,” he reminds me, his hands moving up and down my back soothingly. “And that was unacceptable.”

God, I love this man.

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