The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) (13 page)

“Nope. I threw them away. I promised you I would clean up after myself.” His response is exactly what I thought he would say. “One day. He’s only been here one damn day,” I mumble.

My phone vibrates on the counter, notifying me I have a couple of missed calls. I see both of them are from my mom when I swipe the screen. She’s probably worried sick. She’s been through more with me than any parent should have to go through in the past year.

Pulling a glass out of the cupboard, I fill it with water and take my Xanax along with my birth control pills, which I have so eloquently left on the counter. I’m positive Aidan has seen them. I completely forgot to tell him I’ve been taking them for a little over a month now. Not because I wanted to go out and have sex. I need them to get my periods regulated. Being pregnant, plus the stress I’ve been under for the past year, has my hormones all out of whack.

I’m startled when large hands wrap around me from behind. I twist my head to look over my shoulder at the man who has crawled back into my life, his fingers moving delicately across my lower abdomen. My breathing becomes erratic when he pushes my hair off to the side and kisses his way up the side of my neck to my ear.

“I hope you’re not mad.” His voice is smooth, yet abrasive at the same time. “I’m not,” I say breathlessly. “Good. I was kidding about his clothes. They’re in a plastic bag in the laundry room.” He begins to circle the outer edge of my ear with his tongue while pressing his erection into my backside. “You’re teasing me,” I moan. “No. I’m letting you know that I saw your pills, which means when I get back, I’m sinking inside of you, Deidre. Deep, hard, and rough.” The way he pronounces his words has me quivering everywhere. Especially between my legs, the one spot I desire him to pummel into the most. Before I spin him around and devour him right here, it hits me he mentioned when he came back. Where does he have to go?

Weaving my way out of his hold, I turn to face him. Those deep baby blues of his turn dark, fill with lust, a craving he only wants me to fill.

I feel like I’m walking from shallow waters, where you can see the bottom, to deeper waters, where you have no idea when you’re going to drop off into the deep end. His eyes are hungry, like a shark in those waters, circling around until he’s ready to attack. My chest drags me under those waters, and yet, I still breathe. That is until he leans down and presses his lips to mine. Our kiss starts off slow, then rapidly turns passionate. Lingering, his lean body pulls me in tight. Our tongues taste, exploring one another’s mouth. He feels so good. And god, the way he consumes every crevice inside my mouth leaves me breathless, panting and wanting more when we break apart. My scattered brain is lost to him.

We stare at each other for a few moments. I forgot all about him leaving until he speaks again.

“There’s something I have to do. That’s why Roan is here.” My forehead wrinkles in confusion.

“Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to like this something you have to do?” My voice is raspy. A subtle film of sweat evolves in the middle of my chest along with a ping of hurt and worry.

“We found Ryan’s sister. You know, the one they asked me to kill?” How could I forget? His mother and half-brother are pure evil. More fucked up than I can even begin to comprehend.

I think, no, I know I just fell a little more for Aidan right here in my kitchen. This right here proves it. He’s a protector, like Roan, Cain, and Dilan. My god, if I could leap into his chest right now and hug his heart, I would.

“You’re going to her?” I gulp out, my pulse stumbling down the worry path. I try my best not to let on how worried I really am. I hate this kind of life, especially for him. His crappy family showing up out of the blue, thinking they could get him to go and take an innocent woman’s life, leaves him no choice but to tell her. It makes me even angrier than I was when I first stumbled upon the interaction between them yesterday.

“We are. She’s in Philly. There’s really not much information on her or her mother. I do know she’s a dental hygienist and still lives with her mother.” His face pinches into an expression I cannot quite put my finger on. Then it hits me. He’s worried for her. Which now makes me more concerned. I keep my feelings hidden, although I wonder why he kept all of this from me during our many conversations last night. I’m not about to ask him, though. The less I know right now, the better.

“Okay then, go to her. Do what you have to do. We’ll be here when you get back.” I say this like it’s an everyday habit. When a genuine smile spreads across his face, I can’t help but smile, too. Even though mine is filled with dread, I fake it.

“That’s my sweet, little tart of a girl,” he says teasingly. I hope anyway.

“You do know that sweet and tart don’t really mix well, don’t you?” He moves in closer, shadowing over my petite frame.

“They do when it comes to you.” His lips press firmly to mine, this kiss quick and simple.

“I’ll call you when I’m on my way back.” He’s looking down at me with a roguish smile.

“You don’t have my number.” I bat my eyelashes then duck my head playfully.

“I do when you leave your phone on the counter.” My eyes narrow. That fucker better not have drummed his way into my phone. I have a password on there.

“Spill, asshole. How did you get into my phone?” He grins like he’s won this round of our devious little battle.

“First try, baby. Diesel’s birthdate.” His eyes flash to my mouth and back to my eyes several times. He’s patiently waiting for me to strum up some smartass comment. Well, hell. He may have won this round, but the battle is far from over.

“You’re a…” I start to say, but he shuts me up gladly when he captures my mouth with his once again. God, I could eat this man alive. Like lick, suck, bite, and engulf him in ways I have dreamed about. My tongue is thirsty. I drink him in, sucking his tongue into my mouth, biting gently as I do so. Aidan growls, consuming me the same way I’m attacking him. Devilishly. Deliciously. Want meets need. Starving meets fulfilling. And god, he’s accomplishing those tasks in every way. I’m heating up. I’m aching for him.

“See you later. And no touching yourself until I’m here.”

I ignore his words when he pulls away. My body that was on fire seconds ago is now left freezing cold, like I’ve been doused with an ice bucket full of freezing water. However, it has nothing to do with not having his warmth next to me. It has everything to do with the situation that his hand has been forced to play.

I absolutely hate this feeling of dread coursing through me. I know now what Alina felt like when she first started dating Roan. Fear. Dread of the unknown. Only this time, I know nothing. I know Aidan and Roan would not be leaving if they didn’t take this threat seriously, but why? Why is it that for once in my life, I feel I could truly be happy, that the three of us could build on this foundation we’ve created, and then the senseless evil people in this world could show up and rip my world apart?

I’ve lived in hell for the first part of this past year, the only thing keeping me from completely losing my fucking mind was knowing a life was growing inside of me. I strived to get better, determined to make my child proud of me, to give him a happy and healthy life. Once again, I hold my distress inside of me. I need to remain strong, if not for myself, then for this man who in such a short period of time has become important to me.
Strong
, I repeat the word over and over in my rattled-up head.

“And I’ll teach you how to change a shitty diaper when you return.” I retort sweet-tart like, so he doesn’t hear the fear in my voice. Fear stinks; you really can smell it from a mile away. I’m living proof life’s fear and its unpredictability can catch you off guard and toss you straight into hell. I’ve been there. Nothing or no one is going to take me back there, and especially not Aidan’s so-called family. The things he told me last night about his mother only fueled the poison I know reeks from her putrid soul. She’s the one who belongs in hell, right along with her corrupted son, Ryan.

“Anything for you,” he says sweetly. I know my fearless act worked when he winks as he rights himself, leaving me behind.

I stand in my kitchen, trembling, until I hear Roan tell me goodbye as he closes the front door. Then I glide to my ass on the floor, curl my knees up to my chest, and for the first time in almost a year, my mind travels back to the last time he walked out that door, only this time I know he’ll be coming back.

I stand up, stronger, more determined than ever to not dwell on what started out to be a great day and now has turned to shit. I’m amused about the word ‘shit’ once again. By the time I reach the living room, my little man is sound asleep. My eyes roam down his body, taking in my son’s apparel. If he weren’t zonked out, I might scream, instead I whisper and shudder. “I’m going to kill that fucker.” And I mean it. He had the balls to put a Detroit Tigers baseball shirt on my son, when he knows damn well I’m a Yankee’s fan. “You’re in deep shit when you get home, Aidan Hughes. Deep shit!”

AIDAN

Most men keep their private lives private. I’m no exception. Today though, as I weave my way through the early afternoon traffic, I want to fucking roar. Beat my hands on my chest. Tell the entire world.

“That pussy-ass grin on your face speaks for itself, motherfucker,” Roan barks out. I give him the you-have-a-lot-of-room-to-talk look, press down on the gas, and let my truck do the roaring for me as I exit onto the expressway.

“Obviously, I’m unqualified as fuck when it comes to knowing how to care for a baby, but Christ, the feeling of knowing I have a son is indescribable.” I’ve endured more shit in my life than any one person can handle. But this, this is the greatest sensation my fucked-up life has ever felt.

Now, here I am, forced to leave my family so I can deal with saving a woman’s life from my mother, whom I should be calling my family. God. The idea of her or her beloved son coming anywhere near my son or this woman I’m about to see sends me in a damn rage. Sick Fuckers.

This sinister emotion is more than a stab to the gut. I do not trust either one of them as far as I can spit. If the two of them were desperate to come to me, the person they despise as much as I do them, then I know damn well they’re serious about killing her.

I can’t let that happen. Especially not to an innocent woman, who more than likely knows nothing about how malicious those two can be when they want something, a something that rightfully belongs to her.

She deserves some of that prick’s money. It isn’t her fault her father was a grade A asshole. Or that he cheated on his wife. Hell, I can’t even count the times I came home from school and caught another man exiting my mother’s bedroom, only to get a, “Hey, what’s up, kid?” or a chin lift when they passed me in the hallway. Bullshit no teenager should have to see. She’s a conniving bitch and a slut, rolled up in plastic and Botox.

“I’m happy for you, my friend. You should be with them right now instead of having to deal with all of this.” Goddamn. I love my friend. He’s my true brother right here.

“Let’s get this over with. Feel her out. See where her head’s at. Like I said before, this woman has no idea who she’s dealing with when it comes to them.” I grip the steering wheel tighter, focusing on the task ahead. Roan nods his head in agreement to the truth I just spoke. He’s one of the very few people who know about the situation with my blood family. How much hatred I hold inside of me towards them.

Roan’s urge to protect this woman, Anna Drexler, and her mother, match my own. We’ve always been this way. Cain included, we protect the ones we care about then with a flip of our hand, we destroy the ones we hate.

Like I told Deidre, we know what she does for a living, where she works, and that’s about it. I didn’t tell her we knew her name, for reasons of my own. Deidre may have saved my ass the other day by barging in like she did, but she made one big mistake by announcing she was my fiancée. Unbeknownst to her, she has put herself in their line of sight by making them think we’re getting married. She’s targeted herself. Who the hell knows if they’ll come after her or not?

“Look. You know I love you like a brother. Hell, you are my brother.” Roan pauses for a bit. I’m wondering where the hell he’s going with this sentimental shit all of a sudden. Proclaiming our brotherhood bond out of the blue.

“I talked to my dad the other day, after Deidre showed up. I’m going to assume she told you everything.” I nod, keeping my eyes fixed on the road ahead. “All I’m going to say is I think she’s still the same, yet stronger, man. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean just like Alina, she’s immune to the life we lead, the shit we do, the trouble lurking around every damn corner. If the two of you are going to have any kind of relationship at all, then never lie to her. She’s far from stupid. She knows some of the shit we do. But now, with a child in the picture and this bullshit we’re getting into with your family, she has the right to know everything.”

“Fuck.” My outburst rattles off the interior of this truck like a goddamn rattlesnake ready to strike. Darting off to the side of the road, I slam on my breaks, not giving as many fucks as the fuck yous I’m sure the people in the cars blaring their horns at us are as they drive by.

“What the hell, Aidan. You going to beat my ass alongside the road? I’m only trying to help you out.” Placing the truck into park, I drag my hands down my weary face, ignoring his comment about beating his ass. What he just said activated my fuck-up. If anything, I owe him a big thank you.

“Jesus Christ. I’m so fucking stupid. We need to get someone on Deidre, man. I can’t believe I fucking forgot to get her protection. Fuck.” I punch the dash then look to my friend, whose facial expression answers it all. He gets me.

“Calm the hell down. I’m on it.” Easier said than done. A year ago, he was as panicked as I am now when he called me and all but demanded I get my ass to New York to protect Alina.

With a flip of his phone, he’s on the phone with his cousin Dilan. Immediately, I calm down when I hear Dilan agree without hesitation or knowing why he’s even watching her. We’re all like a band of brothers. Hell, we have our own personal army, our own code of conduct. The main one being loyalty.