AOIFE

ONE MINUTE JOEY was thrown down on the footpath, looking like death warmed up and the next, he was on his feet.

Whatever his sister had said on the other line of the phone had caused a switch to flip in his brain. With his inner turmoil momentarily forgotten, and fury coming off him in waves, he threw his head back and roared, sounding genuinely feral, as he stormed off in the direction of the carpark, demanding my car keys.

“Joe, just hold up a second, will you?” I called out, struggling to keep up with his feet and his mood swings. “Talk to me, will you?”

“She was attacked,” he roared over his shoulder. “My sister was mother- fucking attacked, Molloy.” His voice louder with every word that tore from his lips. “Again!”

My heart plummeted into my ass. “No.”

“Keys,” he demanded when we reached my car, holding his hand out. “She needs me to come get her.”

“You’re not driving to Tommen in your condition,” I flat out told him. “Put that notion out of your head.”

“Fine, then you drive,” he conceded, stalking around to the passenger side of the car. “I don’t care how I get there as long as I get there.”

“Okay, but—”

“Please, Molloy,” he choked out. “We can talk on the way. Just drive, baby. Drive!”

Knowing this was a terrible idea but unwilling to leave Shannon at Tommen after being attacked, I unlocked the car and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Promise me, Joe.” Cranking the engine, I chugged out of my parking spot, slipping gears before finding my groove. “Promise me that you’ll ask questions first.”

“What’s to ask?” he spat, knees bopping restlessly, as he gnawed on his knuckles anxiously. “My sister was attacked. I’m going to make it right.”

Jesus.

“Just keep the head,” I instructed, pulling onto the main road in the direction of Tommen College. “No fighting, Joe.”

“Yeah, fuck that.”

“No,” I argued, “No, not fuck that. You need to not go in there all guns blazing, baby.”

“My sister phones me up hysterical, saying someone attacked her at school, after all the shit she’s been through this year, and you expect me not to retaliate?” he demanded and then shook his head in blatant frustration. “It’s not happening, Molloy. It’s not fucking happening, ya hear? I’m done with this shit. I’m through with letting people stomp all over my siblings.”

Meaning his father.

He wasn’t thinking logically.

for.

This was more about his father than anything else.

He was looking for redemption for something he didn’t need to feel guilt

“Joey, this isn’t the same thing,” I tried to placate. “What happened to

Shannon in the kitchen that day—”

“I couldn’t stop it,” he filled in for me. “But I can stop this, Molloy, and I will.”

“I don’t want to go,” I blurted out, slowing the car when the gates of Tommen College came into view. “This is a bad idea.”

“Molloy! Drive the car.”

“No.” Shaking my head, I flicked on my indicator and pulled onto the side of the road before killing the engine. “I’m not taking you. Not while you’re this worked up. You need to calm down and breathe, Joe.”

“Fine.” Releasing a furious growl, he unfastened his seatbelt and flung the door open. “I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“No, wait!” I tried to call after him, but it was too late. He was already sprinting at full speed in the direction of his sister’s prestigious private school.

“Shit,” I hissed, slamming my hand on the steering wheel. “Goddammit to hell, Joey Lynch!”

Cranking the engine of my old faithful, I attempted to pull back onto the road, but of course I ended up tailing a tractor and slurry tank moving along with all the speed of a sedated turtle.

Fuck my life.

By the time I reached the school, there was a huge crowd forming in the nearby carpark. It didn’t take a genius to know why the crowd had formed, or why they were chanting fight, fight, fight like a bunch of deranged lunatics.

To spare Joey a conversation he wasn’t ready for with his sister, I pulled on one of his hoodies from the back seat, before shoving the door open and springing out – not an easy feat with a belly that was growing rounder by the day.

“Joey!” I called out, pushing through the large crowd that had built up around…yep, around my boyfriend.

He was lunging for Johnny Kavanagh.

But being held back by Gibsie Gibberson?

Fuck my life.

“What are you doing, Joe?” Pushing past a particularly boisterous bunch of teenage boys, I moved straight for him. “I thought we said no fighting?”

Slaps had clearly been thrown. The blood trickling from Johnny’s busted lip was proof of that pudding.

Breathless, I hurried to reach him before all hell broke loose again. Stepping between two testosterone fueled alpha males clearly wasn’t my brightest idea, but I couldn’t leave him alone in the lion’s den.

We were ride or die.

“Joe!” Pushing Shannon’s boyfriend aside, I stepped in front of mine and grabbed his face, forcing him to focus on me. “Ask questions first, remember?”

Wild, fevered eyes glared back at me for the briefest of moments before recognition flickered in him and he stopped thrashing against Gibsie’s hold.

Gibsie, to his credit, wasn’t trying to hurt Joey or hold him down while his buddy gave him a beating, he was truly trying to diffuse the situation.

A lot like I was.

“I forgot,” Joey replied as his wild eyes flicked from me to Johnny before returning and settling on my face.

That’s it, I mentally coaxed, not taking my eyes off his, just breathe, baby.

Clearly noting Joey’s withdrawal, Gibsie released him and took a few steps backwards, offering me a knowing wink as he went.

If he only knew.

If Joe only knew how much that boy had helped us.

“What the hell is happening?” Johnny demanded, dragging my attention back to present, as he wiped a trickle of blood from his lip.

“You tell me,” Gibsie muttered under his breath. “I’ve a headache coming on from the sheer height of confusion.”

“Shannon called me,” Joey was quick to answer, as anger emanated from him in waves. “Someone in this stuck-up school did something to her!”

“Did something to her? What?” Johnny stared blankly. “I was just with her at lunch.” He looked around, clearly confused. “What did they do to her?” He looked around wildly, clearly willing any of his friends to give him the answer. “What the fuck is going on?”

Gibsie opened his mouth to reply, but Hughie quickly covered his mouth with his hand. “This is the part where you shush, lad.”

“When I find out which one of you privileged pricks hurt my sister, I’ll do time for ye!” That was Joey, who was literally thrumming with tension.

“What’s going on here?” a man I presumed was a teacher at Tommen demanded. However, the speed in which the crowd around us quickly scattered led me to believe that this man was higher up the rank than a regular teacher.

“Fuck,” I heard tell his friend as they ran off. “It’s the principal.” Lovely.

Just lovely.

Alone with three Tommen rugby players, their patriarch, and a BCS hurler suffering a horrendous case of delirium tremors, I watched on helplessly as their principal gave Johnny a resigned look before turning his attention to us. “Are you two aware that you are not permitted on school property if you are not enrolled here.”

“Fuck you!” Of course that was Joey.

“Joe,” I groaned, trying to rein in his reckless temper “He’s their principal.”

“So? He’s not mine,” he shot back, well and truly on the edge now. “I’m here to pick up my sister since your piece of shit school can’t control its students and keep her safe.”

“And your sister is?” “Shannon Lynch.”

The man visibly paled.

“Yeah, that’s right,” Joey sneered, focusing every ounce of his fury on the older man. “You know who I’m talking about. You made all sorts of promises to her, didn’t ya? About keeping your students safe? What a fucking joke you are!”

“I beg your pardon.” The older man looked genuinely affronted. “I have no idea what you’re talking—”

“Hi, Joe.”

Every head turned in the direction Shannon was coming from, soaked to the skin, and looking like she went ten rounds with Rocky.

“Oh, sweet mother of mercy,” I mumbled to myself, forcing back the urge to hurl when the smell of sour milk wafted towards me, wreaking havoc on my poor pregnancy-enhanced sense of smell.

Clearly, whoever had dunked her in sour milk had rubbed salt in the wound by scribbling something derogatory about blow jobs on her face. Even though she’d clearly tried to wash it off, it was still there for the world to see.

Sniffling, she looked to her giant of a boyfriend and only then did the tears she’d clearly been holding back spill over. “Hi, Johnny.”

“What the actual fuck!” Johnny roared, first to react, as he closed the space between them and caught ahold of his girlfriend before she hit the ground. “What happened to your face, Shannon?”

“I want to go home.” I watched with my heart in my mouth as she fell against his big frame and clutched him tightly. “I just want to go.”

“It’s okay.” Inspecting every inch of her like she was the greatest of importance to him, I watched as the big lad was overcome with emotion. “Shh, baby, shh.” Seeing her hurt affected him. No, it was more than that. It crushed him. “Just calm down.”

“Who did this to you?” Joey demanded, jumping into action, as he moved straight for his sister. “Shan, what the fuck happened?”

“Was it her?” Johnny asked, joining my boyfriend in the interrogation. “What am I saying – of course it was her!”

“Who?” their principal asked. “Who did this to you, Shannon?”

“Bella fucking Wilkinson,” Gibsie chimed in, tone laced with disgust. “Who else?”

My brows furrowed as a wave of recognition washed over me. “Bella Wilkinson?”

“Oh yeah.” Nodding eagerly, Gibsie’s eyes widened to saucers as he said, “Cap’s crazy obsessed, super stalker ex bitch.”

“I want her out of this school,” Johnny ordered, tucking Shannon under his arm. “She can’t get away with this. You know what she’s been going through. She’s supposed to be safe at school!”

“Shannon, are you saying that Miss Wilkinson did this to you?”

“Back the fuck up,” Joey warned when the older man moved towards his sister. “Don’t come near my sister. I’m warning you.”

“Fucking Bella Wilkinson,” Hughie grumbled, coming to stand beside Gibsie. “It’s always something with her.”

“Because she is Lucifer with tits,” Gibsie confirmed grimly. “The living, breathing devil in carnage.”

“It’s incarnate, Gibs, not in carnage.”

“Whatever, lad. I tried to warn you all, but oh no, nobody listens to the beautiful one.” His tone was laced with a heavy dollop of sarcastic outrage. “I’m just a pretty face to you assholes. Some eye candy for the ladies. Well, I know things, too, you know. It’s not all about books. I’m an excellent judge of character.”

Bella Wilkinson.

Why the hell was that name so familiar?

“I slept with someone.”

“You lost your virginity? To who?” “A girl from Tommen.”

“What’s her name?” “Bella Wilkinson.”

“NO,” I gasped, wide-eyed when awareness finally dawned on me. The girl Paul slept with behind my back. It was the same person. “What the—”

“You!” Johnny roared, startling me from my thoughts, as he took off like a thundering bull in the direction two students were coming from. “I want a fucking word with you!”

“Johnny, don’t,” Shannon sobbed, covering her face with her small hands. “Cap, you’re in contract.”

“Think about Saturday.”

“Take the high road.”

“Fuck your high road,” Johnny roared back, ignoring his friends, as he moved straight for who I presumed was Bella and her beau. “What did I tell you, huh?” the big lad demanded, closing the space between them. “What the fuck did I tell you about that bitch?”

“Joe, he’s in contract,” I said, attention flicking between Johnny’s worried-looking circle of buddies to his sobbing girlfriend. I had no clue what

that meant, but clearly it was a pretty big deal. “Stop him, baby. Don’t let him fight.”

“Aw shit,” Joey muttered under his breath and then he was darting off in the same direction.

“Whoa, Johnny,” the older lad tried to appease, holding his hands up. “I have no idea what you’re—”

Bam!

A well-trained fist clocked him straight in the face before he could finish his sentence, and the boy hit the deck with a thud.

However, the right hook that pancaked the lad on the ground hadn’t been the result of Johnny Kavanagh’s fist, but Joey’s.

Always the protector.

“What the…fuck?”

“I owed you one,” my boyfriend explained, shaking out his hand, before gesturing to the busted lip of his nemesis-turned-ally. “Besides, I’m already getting arrested.”

Johnny gaped at him. “For what?”

“For this,” Joey explained, seconds before lunging for the lad on the ground.

Oh Jesus.

“Get off him, you dirty, little scumbag ” Bella screamed, and then she did the unspeakable; she put her hands on my man.

Oh hell to the no.

As I witnessed the bitch slap Joey, I couldn’t see beyond the haze of red blinding me.

“Hey! Don’t call my boyfriend a scumbag.” I roared, taking leave of my senses, as I hauled ass towards the whore putting hands on him. “Is this her, Shan? Did she do this to you?”

“No, Aoife, please just leave it.” Nope.

Nu-uh.

Wasn’t going to happen.

Because she had the nerve to put hands on my man.

“Who the hell are you?” Bella demanded, casting a menacing glare in my direction.

Oh, you poor, sweet summer child.

“Oh, I’m your worst nightmare, bitch,” I snarled, knocking her off Joey’s back and onto the flat of her own. “You like terrorizing little girls? Try someone your own size.” Losing my ever-loving shit right there and then, I straddled her chest. “Think you can call my boyfriend a scumbag? Think you can bully his sister, huh? Think you’re safe because you’re a girl and he can’t hit you back?” Narrowly avoiding a nail to the eye, I reared my fist back and socked her in the nose. “Well, I can!”

“You’re a psycho,” she screamed, as she tried to tear and scratch at my face.

Bitch please. She was about to get schooled real fast.

“Nails?” I spat, deftly pinning her arms to her sides with my knees – a skill I’d honed to perfection after countless battles with my asshole twin.

“You think nails are going to do it?” I reared my fist back and hit her again. “Rule number one, you boundary-absent, morally- lacking, conniving bitch: if you put hands on another girl’s fella, make damn sure you know how to throw a punch!”

“How’s your money fairing out for ya now, rich boy?” I heard Joey taunt from nearby, as he got the better of Bella’s beau and pinned him to the ground. “Being a scumbag has its benefits, doesn’t it?”

“I’m calling the Gards,” I heard their principal command. “Stop it this instant or I’ll have every last one of you arrested!”

I couldn’t stop. People were shouting and arguing around me, but I couldn’t hear a word of it. All logic had flown out the window and I was running solely on temper fumes.

Six years.

Six long ass years I had watched Joey Lynch take beating after beating.

Seeing Bella put hands on that boy had been the straw that broke the camel’s back in my mind.

Besides, she had this coming.

Fucking around with other girl’s boyfriends when their backs were turned.

Bullying and tormenting girls younger and weaker than her. She deserved everything she got and more.

“Molloy – come on, baby.” A pair of strong arms came around my waist then, lifting me off my target and away from the fight. “She’s not worth it.” With his hand wrapped protectively around my middle, and his chest heaving

against my back, Joey continued to pull me away from trouble. “You can’t be fighting in your—”

“She called you a scumbag,” I choked out, struggling to rein in my fury now that it had finally been unleashed. “I’m not having it, Joe.” My voice broke and I sucked in a shaky breath, feeling like I needed to scream at the top of my lungs to project the anger raging inside of me.

“I know, baby.” Breathless and panting, he turned me in his arms to face me and cupped my face between his hands. “But I need you to be careful.”

My heart jackknifed in my chest as reality smacked me square in the chest.

The baby.

“Oh shit.” My hand automatically moved to my bump hidden beneath his oversized hoodie and I sagged against him. “Oh god, Joe what did I do?” Disgust filled every pore in my body. “I didn’t think.” I shook my head, feeling helpless and filled with self-loathing. “I’m so stupid! What if I hurt the baby?“

“No, you didn’t. It’s all good, Molloy,” he was quick to soothe, tightening an arm around me. “You’re grand, and the baby’s grand, okay?”

“But what if—”

“Everyone, follow me to the office. I’m calling your parents,” the principal yelled, commanding everyone’s attention, as he ordered Bella and her bloodied beau in the direction of the school. “All of your parents.”

“You do that,” Joey sneered, still keeping ahold of me. “Be useful for something!”

Parents meant Gards.

Gards meant handcuffs.

Reality hit me like a wrecking ball, and I stiffened. He was over eighteen now.

The Gards in this town weren’t going to give him any more chances. “Joe.” I couldn’t hide the fear in my voice. “You’re on a warning.”

“Listen, I need you to get out of here.” Catching ahold of my hand, Joey led me towards where I had haphazardly parked my car, sounding more composed than he had in months. “You weren’t here, and you didn’t see shit.” Stopping when we reached the driver’s side door, he turned to face me. “You got that?”

“What?” I gaped at him and shook my head. “No, no, I’m not leaving you

—”

“Get in the car and go home, baby,” he cut me off and ordered. “Now.” “Joey, no, I can’t leave you!”

Reaching up, he cupped my face between his hands and gave me a

meaningful look. “Nobody’s going to mention you.”

“No, Joe,” I strangled out, chest heaving. “No, I can’t.” “Aoife.”

“But you’re going to be…”

Fisting my hair, he leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear. “You listen to me,” he said, low enough that only I could hear him. “You get your ass in that car and straight to the hospital. Don’t worry about me, okay? I’m grand. You tell those doctors whatever the fuck you need to tell him to make them scan you check our kid is okay.”

“Joe.”

“When they give you the all-clear, because they will give you the all- clear, Molloy, I want you to go home and stay there. Don’t come looking for me, and don’t go fighting my battles, baby. I can do the fighting for the both of us.”

“But—”

“I’ll look after everything else, okay?” He exhaled a harsh breath and momentarily sagged against me before straightening back up. “All I need you to do is look after yourself and my kid.”

“Let’s get out of here,” I blurted. “Come with me.” “I can’t.”

“You have to.” My heart bucked wildly in my chest, as it cracked down the center. “They’ll arrest you if you stay.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter,” I cried, clinging to him. “You matter. You—”

“I’ll be grand. Just go and I’ll call you when I can,” he cut in, pressing a hard kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be seeing ya, Molloy,” he called over his shoulder, as he walked away.

And then he was gone.