Page 43 of Cowboy
I frown, not understanding. "What do you mean?" Who the fuck is she with? A guy?
"Saoirse," she explains. "She's upstairs sleeping. I can't leave her. She's... she's like my daughter now."
I take a deep breath, glad as fuck it’s not a guy, but confused as hell as to why she has a girl with her. I have so many questions but I know she’s not ready to answer any of them yet. "Okay," I say slowly. "Then she comes with us. We'll figure it out together."
Relief washes over Caoimhe's face. "Thank you," she whispers.
"Come on," I say, gently guiding her toward the stairs. "Let's go get her. Then we're getting out of here."
As we climb the stairs, I can feel the tension in Caoimhe's body. I know there's so much more to her story, so much pain and trauma she's been through. But right now, my priority is getting her and Saoirse somewhere safe, somewhere I can protect them both.
We reach the top of the stairs and Caoimhe leads me to a closed door. She opens it quietly, revealing a small figure curled up on the bed.
"Saoirse," Caoimhe calls softly. "Wake up, sweetheart. We're leaving."
The little girl stirs, her eyes blinking open. When she sees me, she shrinks back, fear evident in her eyes.
"It's okay," Caoimhe soothes, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "This is Ciarán. He's going to help us."
“Ciarán? He found you?” Saoirse says as she looks at me warily, then back to Caoimhe. "Are we safe now?" she asks in a small voice.
Caoimhe nods, gathering the child into her arms. "Yes, sweetheart. We're safe now."
As I watch them, I'm struck by the protective way Caoimhe holds Saoirse; the gentle way she speaks to her. Whatever they've been through, it's clear they've formed an unbreakable bond.
"Ready to go?" I ask softly.
Caoimhe nods, standing with Saoirse in her arms. "Where are we going?"
"Home," I tell her firmly. "I'm taking you both home."
As we make our way downstairs, I can feel Caoimhe tensing up again. I place a gentle hand on her lower back, trying to offer some comfort without overwhelming her.
"Everything okay?" I ask softly.
She nods, but I can see the worry in her eyes. "It's just... we don't have anything. No clothes, no?—"
"Hey," I interrupt gently. "Don't worry about that. We'll get everything you need."
As we reach the bottom of the stairs, Jer approaches us. His eyes flick to Saoirse, then back to me. "Everything alright?"
I nod. "We're heading out. I'm taking them home."
Jer's brow furrows. "Cowboy, I'm not sure that's the best idea. They've been through a lot. Maybe they should stay here where we can keep an eye on them."
I feel Caoimhe stiffen beside me. "No," I say firmly. "They're coming with me. I'll keep them safe."
Jer looks like he wants to argue, but Pyro steps in. "Let them go, Jer. Cowboy's got this."
Jer sighs, then nods. "Alright. But, Cowboy, we need to talk soon. There's a lot you need to know."
I nod, knowing he's right, but I don’t want to deal with it right now. My priority is getting Caoimhe and Saoirse somewhere safe and comfortable.
As we step outside, Pyro speaks up. “Take my truck. I was the one who drove Grà here this morning.”
I turn to Pyro, grateful one of us is thinking. "Can you bring my bike back to the clubhouse?"
He nods, understanding in his eyes. "Of course, brother. Take care of them."
