Page 93 of A Ryan Recollection

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Mikey holdsmy hand while I sit on Liam’s lap on the car ride home. Liam has his arms wrapped so tightly around me that I can barely move. We have hardly spoken since we left the club.

“I’m sorry I ruined our night,” I whisper.

“No, baby. You didn’t,” Liam says softly, brushing my hair from my face. “You didn’t ruin anything. I should never have let you out of my sight for even a second.”

“I should have waited for you,” I sniff. “Was that woman okay?”

“What woman?” he frowns at me.

“The woman who was crying earlier.”

“I have no fucking idea, Jessie,” he says with a frown. “The minute I realized you were missing my whole fucking world stopped turning.”

Mikey puts his hand on the back of Liam’s neck. “It wasn’t your fault either, bro,” he says.

“What are Shane and Conor going to do to them?”

“You already know, Red,” Mikey replies.

I wipe away a tear that falls down my cheek. “It’s my fault they have to do that.”

“No. It’s not,” Liam says, hugging me tighter. “Those men hurt you, Jessie. They would have done way worse if we hadn’t found you.”

“Thank fuck we got to you so quick,” Mikey says with a deep sigh.

“I’m so glad you did,” I say with a shudder thinking of the threats Jason and his buddies made to me.

“Well, I knew you had to be in one of those rooms. We just had to get the keys and work our way through them,” Liam tells me.

“Yeah, we saw some interesting sights opening the other doors before we found you, Red,” Mikey says with a soft chuckle.

I smile at him but my heart is heavy with worry. Laying my head against Liam’s chest, I hope that Shane and Conor are home soon.

* * *

As soon aswe got home, Liam and Mikey briefed Chester on the evenings events while I took a quick shower — trying to wash away the reminder of Jason and his brother’s grubby hands on my skin. I’m so relieved that it was only my neck they touched.

I rub the skin there subconsciously. My throat is a little sore but otherwise I’m fine. I just wish that Conor and Shane would come home so that I know they’re fine too.

I climb into bed, pulling the covers over myself and a few moments later, Liam and Mikey walk into the room. Both of them are dressed in only their boxer shorts and Mikey carries a tray of hot chocolate.

“I put a little something special in for you, Red,” he says with a wink. “It will help your sore throat.”

“Irish whiskey, perhaps?” I ask and he smiles at me.

“Of course,” Liam says as he climbs into bed beside me while Mikey sets the tray down on the nightstand before he slips beneath the covers too.

“You okay, baby?” Liam asks as he wraps a huge arm around me.

“Yeah,” I lie. “I’m sorry I ruined Christmas.”

“You did not,” Mikey admonishes me. “Of all my Christmases, this doesn’t rank in even the top twenty-five worst ones.”

“Yeah. This Christmas is still epic and it’s only just Christmas Eve,” Liam adds with a chuckle.

I snuggle between them both. “I’m sorry you never had good Christmases growing up,” I whisper.

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