Page 79 of Shattered Union

I take a deep breath and glare once again at my sister, who's sitting smugly on a stool at the island. "Fine, do whatever the fuck you want." I turn on my heels and storm out of the room and toward the living room.

"What the fuck is his problem?" Makenna asks.

"Could be the fact that his woman's pregnant and she's had to deal with Ma's shit for a long time and Da wants to protect her and having us come to her place of work isn't exactly going to put her at ease is it?" Danny says, and I'm relieved he gets it. That he understands why I'm protective of her.

Callie has been through hell the last couple of months, having to deal with the vicious side to Zoe, not to mention the nightmares she still has thanks to that bitch. The last thing she needs is Makenna and Holly being overprotective.

I love my sister and my kids, but they're old enough to realise that they don't always get what they want. Right now, my focus is on Callie and making sure she's safe. That asshole is still out there and until he's found, everyone is on edge.

"We're not that bad," Makenna grumbles.

"Don't fuck this up for Da," Danny tells her, his voice harder than usual. "He really fucking loves her and from what I've heard, she loves him. Leave them to it."

It's good to have my kids onside. I know that it's a lot for them all to take in, but this is my life and I've finally found someone who means something to me, someone who'll protect my kids as a ma should do.

"Da," Mal yells out.

"Yeah?" I ask as I sink down onto the armchair.

"What time are we leaving?" he asks, and no doubt wants to pick up Raylee before going to the pub.

"I'm leaving in thirty minutes," I tell him as I fire off a text to Callie. The last thing I want to do is blindside her with my family coming to the pub.

I hear footsteps and turn to see Mal coming into the room with car keys in his hands. "Which pub, I know she's got three. Jer was telling me about them."

"The one in Temple Bar."

He gives me a nod. "That's not too far from the hotel we're staying in. I'll meet you there."

"How's Raylee?" I ask, knowing she stayed back in the hotel while she was talking to her brothers.

"She's better. Still pissed at her ma. But then again, I would be too if I were in her shoes. But her relationship with her brothers has grown stronger."

Raylee's family fell apart when she was kidnapped. A lot of shit came out about her father and what he had done. He's dead now, but Raylee and her brothers are still going strong. "That's good."

"They'll be fine with Callie, Da. They see the two of you together and they'll know she makes you happy. There's no way anyone could hate her."

I nod, he's right, the way she is with a soft heart and kindness. You couldn't hate her.

"Besides, if anyone pisses her off, you'd lose your head."

I chuckle, because he's not wrong. "Go, otherwise you'll get to the pub later than the rest of us."

He shakes his head. "Not happening, Raylee's already on her way there."

I glance up at the roof. God, this family.

"She wants to meet her. She knows what it's like to meet the others. I honestly think she just wants someone to talk to."

Raylee and Callie are similar, both are quiet and relaxed. They sit and watch rather than be in the foreground.

"Anyway, see you in a bit," he says as he walks out of the room and toward the hallway.

"Da?" Chloe yells.

Jesus Christ. Not a minute's peace in this house.

"Yeah?"

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