“I say okay, baby doll.”
CHAPTER SIX
Twenty-six years old ...
“Kane.”
I looked at Ryder as he drove. We were on our way home from a job—a job neither of us wanted to do. My brother looked like a broken man. I knew it was breaking his heart to lie to Branna, but he had no choice in the matter. My heart went out to him. We had been out of the game for a few years now, but unfortunately, our past with Marco had caught up with Ryder and landed him neck deep in shit with the feds.
My brother had been given two options, help the feds by spying on Brandy Daley or be tried for murder and if convicted, go to prison without the possibility of parole. He was the only one of my brothers who the feds contacted, and I knew that was probably because of a deal Ryder had worked out to keep me and my other brothers safe. He was always protecting us, protecting Branna, and never once thought about protecting himself.
“Yeah, man?”
“I appreciate you helping me today,” Ryder said with his eyes locked on the road ahead. “This is the first and last time I’ll need your help with this bullshit, I promise.”
“Don’t sweat it, bro. I got you.”
“No,” Ryder said firmly. “This is the last time. You’re about to become a father, and nothing about that part of our lives is tainting that.”
I didn’t respond to him. He looked like he was beating himself up enough for needing me to help him. When he called me this morning and told me that Brandy wanted him to run a deal in Wexford, he knew he needed someone to accompany him. No one went to do deals on Brandy’s behalf without having some muscle to watch their back. Ryder didn’t trust any of Brandy’s men, and since I used to be an enforcer, I was his obvious choice.
“It’s over and done with now,” I said. “You got the deal and earned Brandy a hell of a profit. Put it out of your mind.”
I knew it was easier said than done, but my brother nodded. I looked at my phone for the millionth time and was frustrated to find it was still dead. Ryder’s phone was out of battery too, so I couldn’t check in with Aideen throughout the day to make sure she was okay. When we pulled into the parking lot of my building, we both got out and headed up to my apartment. The elevator opened on my floor just as I heard my girlfriend scream. My heart dropped, and I broke into a run and barrelled into my apartment, the door slamming against the wall.
“Aideen!”
Branna’s voice shouted, “In the bedroom!”
Ryder and I wasted no time. We rushed down the hallway and burst into the room. I took in the scene before me. My three brothers were pale, Aideen was naked from the waist down and in the birthing pool, and Branna was next to her and holding her hand. I focused on Aideen, and it took a second to realise what was happening. She was in labour ... and I was missing it.
“Strip down and get into the pool with her,” Branna ordered me. “She needs ye’.”
Aideen bellowed, “Where the fuck have ye’ been?”
I didn’t answer her, so she picked up two colourful balls and squeezed them. While she was focused on that, I looked at my brothers and said, “How long has she been in labour?”
“Most of the day,” Dominic answered. “We tried calling you guys.”
His words hurt like a knife twisting in my heart. I hurriedly stripped out of my clothes until I was down to my boxers and quickly moved over to the pool. I stepped inside and lowered myself on my behind. I spread my legs and moved up behind Aideen. I reached forward and gripped her waist before I leaned in and planted kisses along her neck and shoulder.
“I’m here, baby doll.”
Aideen began to cry, and it broke my heart. I felt the relief she experienced now that she had me with her, and I couldn’t begin to imagine how scared she was at having to going through labour on her own, wondering where I was and if I would make it in time to see our baby being born.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to her and kissed the side of her head. “I’m so sorry.”
She turned to me and press her face to mine. “I can’t do this.”
“What are you talking about?” I smiled. “You’re doing it, and you’re doing it fucking awesomely.”
“Hell yeah, she is,” Branna agreed.
I interlocked my hands with her, and I didn’t make a sound when she squeezed me to the point my hands went numb. It was a small price to pay for the woman who was going through hell so she could bring my child into the world. She was so brave. I couldn’t fathom ever possessing an ounce of the strength she had.
“God, it hurts!”
She moved our joint hands under her stomach and wailed in pain.
“Spread your legs as wide as ye’ can, honey,” Branna instructed. “As soon as ye’ get another contraction, bear down and push, okay?”
Aideen gripped my hands even tighter as she listened to Branna and did exactly as she said. It didn’t take long for a contraction to hit, and when it did, my girl did exactly what Branna had said and pushed with all of her might. My blood ran cold when Aideen screamed. I had never heard that type of wail leave her body before, and it scared me half to death. I flicked my eyes to my brothers. Dominic, Ryder and Damien were staring at Aideen with their jaws slack while Alec had his hands covering his eyes as he recited The Lord’s Prayer out loud.
Aideen noticed none of this.
“Branna,” she whimpered. “It’s burnin’.”
She leaned her head back against my shoulder as the contraction passed for the moment, and I wasted no time to kiss her and tell her proud I was of her. She was panting, sweating, and moaning as pain consumed her.
“Push through that sting. D’ye hear me, Ado?” Branna said. “Push through it with everythin’ ye’ have.”
For close to thirty minutes, that was exactly what Aideen did. She pushed, pushed, and pushed some more. I felt absolutely helpless. I found myself wishing I was feeling her pain just so she would have a moment’s peace.
“The baby’s crownin’ so that means the head is almost out, Kane,” Branna whispered. “You’re about to deliver your baby.”
Fear struck me.
“Branna, help him,” Aideen pleaded, most likely fearing I’d let our baby fall.
“I’m ready,” I said and kissed her shoulder. “I’ve got this, baby doll, trust me. Push as hard as you can one more time.”
Aideen had to adjust her position until she was in a squatted position, and I was behind her, with my hands between her thighs. I pressed my hands against her vagina and felt my baby’s head. I could feel hair, lots of hair, and a sob caught in my throat. This was my baby, and the woman I loved more than life was bringing him or her into the world. An abundance of love, adoration, and happiness flooded me, and I had never felt so lucky as I did just then.
My brothers flanked Branna on either side and reached out to Aideen. She grabbed one of Ryder’s arms and one of Alec’s to steady herself. Their eyes were solely on her face, and my heart was filled, knowing they were here for such a special moment. I never thought I’d want them here when my girlfriend’s half naked, but there was nothing sexual about birth.
It was beautiful, scary, and an incredible thing to witness.
“Let’s do this, Ado.” Alec smiled. “You’ve got this.”
She bobbed her head, sucked in a huge breath, and with all her might, she bore down and pushed like her life depended on it. My eyes widened as more of my child’s head became visible. I could feel tiny ears, then chubby cheeks.
“Good girl, baby doll,” I praised. “Keep pushing ... keep pushing.”
“The head is fully out,” Branna whooped a few seconds later.
Aideen screamed as she continued to push. Dominic moved to the side to get a better view and laughed. “Nothing but dark hair. That baby is a true Slater.” He tried to high five Damien, who pointed at his own mop of white hair, causing Dominic to wince and say, “My bad, bro.”