Page 92 of Thick as Thieves
He pushes my hair out of my face. I can feel the other questions being shouted from within. I sigh but nod at him. Kell is always the one to push, he always was, he’ll not wait.
Pulling me towards him, I feel him inhale. His eyes fix on mine, and I can see the trepidation in them. “Can we talk, when I get back?”
I nod again, I can’t get any words out. I’m not even sure what I would say.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “So fucking sorry. I miss you,—”
Lochi totters into the room, with Valentina trailing behind him. Both the boys are walking in a fashion. Well they’re standing and walk unaided, but generally they have an adult attached to them.
He moves to pick up Lochi. “Will you miss Daddy? Da, da, da,” he chants at the child. “Papa will stay and love you. Pa pa pa,” he chants again.
“You’re determined they’ll say your name first.” I laugh at him, trying to distract and break the tension. Only thing is, he knows me well. And raises an eyebrow at me.
He turns and grins at the baby. “Don’t run yourself into the ground at work. You have a team, use them. Tell her off, Sorley, if she doesn’t.” The boy looks at him seriously and up at me. “He understands me,” he says. “You’re both very clever boys,” he says, kissing them. “I hate leaving them, you, it’s so hard.” He’s hugging them one after the other. “Try not to cause too much chaos in London whilst I’m gone?” he asks me. “Is Jonno back in Ireland?”
“Yeah, something to do with a money trail. Not sure why he had to go, though.”
He’s handed the babies to Valentina, and I’m escorting him to the door of the house. “Xan’s in the workshop near the coach house,” he informs me, nodding his head in that direction. “I’ll go see him then get off. Take care of him, Kitten. He needs?—”
He stops himself from saying anymore. I put my head down. This is hard on all of us.
“I’ll be back in a week, ring if you need me.”
He suddenly pulls me to him, lifting my head and kissing me hard on the lips. I gasp out at the ferocity. My body takes leave of its senses and moulds itself to him. He makes a noise at the back of his throat and holds me harder.
I finally pull away, and he looks drunk, growling out, “When I get back, Kitten.”
I stand at the door and watch him stride away. My body wants to go after him. As I touch my fingers to my lips in a trance, I look up to see they’re watching me intently from the doorway of the workshop. Stepping back, I shut the door and take a deep breath, my mind spinning around, my stomach in knots.
“Are you okay?” Valentina asks as Sorley crabs round towards me.
I smile and pick up the baby. “Phew, you are heavy today, young man. Let’s get you packed. I’m fine Valentina, it’s just…” I stop and shrug, tears springing to my eyes.
She nods her head in sympathy and understanding. “El corazón quiere lo que quiere,” she murmurs.
I understand enough by now to know what she said. The heart wants what the heart wants.
“It certainly does,” I tell her. “And I don’t think it’s waiting anymore.”
London is full-gas.The very moment I get to my apartments, I’m inundated. Lori has my schedule and is at my door as soon as I arrive. Meetings with my team and clients, site visits, requests for buildings—I feel like I’ve climbed into the washing machine and forgot to get out before the spin cycle starts. I try to see the boys through the day, but it’s snatched visits.
As I head out for dinner with clients and the rest of my team, I realise my super idea for a time saver is a time stealer from my sons. I’ve finished feeding them a month shy of their first birthday, and I still feel guilty about it. I know I made the decision based on practicality, but the guilt eats away at me, everything seeming to be an unsatisfactory compromise.
I’ve booked Vincenzo’s, so we spend a lovely evening—but also a productive one—sorting issues and creating solutions in a far more pleasurable space than a meeting room or building site. Tommy has come with me, and after I’ve air kissed everyone goodbye, I clamber into the car to realise I’ve forgotten my shawl. Leaving him holding the door, I jump back out again and head back in. I’m trying to catch Vinny’s eye to collect it for me, when I’m tapped on the shoulder.
“Hello, Everett. I didn’t know you were back.”
Her clipped, cultured tone makes my ears bleed. I don’t even bother to turn around to acknowledge her. If she can’t get my name right, she can get lost.
I ask the waitress to pass across my shawl, smiling and waiting as she goes off for it. Again I’m tapped.
“I’m sorry, Everett, did you not hear me?”
I ignore her again.
“Evie—”
I finally turn around and smile. “Oh, hi Rowena, how are you?”
