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“Well… When we locate The Baron, maybe you can get some of your revenge then,” she muses.

I consider it for a moment, but I shake my head. “No, I’m sure there are more people in this world that have been wronged by The Baron, who will want to claim his death. My issue was with The Sheriff, and now that he’s dead, I can sleep easier.”

“Look at you sounding more grown up. Are you sure you didn’t take a blow to the head?” she jokes, and this time when I laugh, the pain is so bad, tears spring to my eyes.

“Ha ha, very funny,” I deadpan, and Bree rolls her eyes.

She takes in the way I’m clutching my side, and as she stares at the monitor I’ve silenced, her gaze narrows on me. “I think it’s time you went back to your room. I’m going to find the nurse. It will give you a bit of time alone with Liam.”

I give her a small smile as she leaves, grateful for the time alone with him. I have so much I want to say to him, but I couldn’t say any of it with Bree there. I know he can’t hear me, and this is more for my benefit than his, but I need to get it out there.

“Hey, little brother. You look like shit,” I start, giving his hand a squeeze in the hope he can hear me. “I know I can’t talk, as I’m sure I look worse for wear, too. I know if you were here right now, you’d tell me to stop talking shit, but since you can’t interrupt me—for once—I can get this all out.”

I take a deep breath before I continue. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. I know you don’t need protection, and you threw yourself in front of the bullets to save your wife, and that you’d most likely do it again if you had to. Still, it doesn’t change how I feel.

“You’re my little brother, and I hate that you are hurt and I couldn’t prevent it. My job, from the moment all of you were born, has always been to look out for you. Somewhere along the way, I stopped doing that, and you took over. You take care ofeveryone like you’re the eldest, and I’ve always thought it was just your way of proving that you are better than me.

“I now know I was so fucking wrong for thinking that. You only look after everyone because I stopped doing it. You protected them when I should have, and I hate myself for that. We’re incredibly lucky that you stepped in, and you’re the reason this family came back together after all these years.

“We’re happier and stronger now, and it’s all because of you. Desmond made so many mistakes raising us, and I made the error of following in his footsteps. You taught me to think for myself. You taught me that you can put family first, without putting them in danger. You taught me that it’s okay to open yourself up to love, that it doesn’t make you vulnerable.

“You and Bree showed me that being in love isn’t a weakness. If anything, it makes you stronger. I have something—someone—worth fighting for, and I can’t thank you enough for making me see that. For pushing me to open up my heart, no matter how much it fucking terrified me.

“I can’t promise to be a better person, as I’m an asshole and I can’t change that, but I can promise to be a better brother. To be a better uncle to your kid. I can promise to make an effort and be a part of this family. I can promise to be the big brother you deserve.”

As soon as the words leave my lips, tears stream down my cheeks. I say all the things that have been building up inside for the last couple of months. I know I’ve been an ass, and my family deserves better from me.

This is me making a promise, that no matter what happens from here on out, I will make more of an effort. I hope Liam heard every word I just said, as I know he will hold me accountable. He deserves better from me, they all do.

In typical Liam fashion, he wakes up on their first attempt just a couple of hours later. It’s two days before I’m allowed tosee him again, and he makes no mention of remembering the speech I gave him. Maybe one day I will tell him while he’s conscious, but for now, I know the promises I made, and that’s enough for me to stick to them.

The happiness that radiates through me when I see my brother alive and awake is something I can’t describe. Seeing him lying in that hospital bed, so close to death, is a nightmare that will stay with me for a long time. But now that I know he’s alright, I can concentrate on my own recovery.

I have a few more days stuck in the hospital, and a whole bunch of hoops I need to jump through, in order to prove I’m well enough to go home, but I’m pushing myself towards that goal each and every day.

Teigan stays by my side the whole time, not going home once. She keeps telling me she will only go home when I do, which is the big push I need to get better quicker.

The ease of which we’ve both come to see the cottage as home makes my heart soar. We don’t even discuss it. It’s just assumed we will both go back to the cottage, for me to recover there. I know there will come a time when we need to talk about the future, but as long as she’s by my side, I don’t give a shit where we are or what we do.

After spending almost a week in the hospital, and over a month recovering at home, I’ve finally been given the all clear by the doctor. I’m an impatient asshole at the best of times, but the last few weeks have tested my patience more than I thought.

I hate fucking sitting around, not being able to do anything. But the thing I miss most is fucking my girl. She’s been walking around, treating me with kid gloves while I’ve been healing. The most we’ve done is kiss, and even then she’s been scared to hold me too tight in case she breaks me.

I was probably well enough to fool around a little about two weeks ago, but Teigan gave me that look that says she’s not to be messed with, and she refused to touch me until the doctor gave me the all clear.

I was supposed to wait another few days, and go for my check at six-weeks post-op, but I hate waiting, so I brought the appointment forward. Tee thinks the doctor brought it forward due to a scheduling issue, and that’s the type of little white lie I’m happy to keep to myself.

The doctor actually asked me why I was so eager to get cleared after the surgery. He thought it was because I wanted to go back to work, and I let him believe that. It couldn’t exactly say that I brought the appointment forward, so I could be given the all-clear early because my balls are so blue they’re about to drop the fuck off, and I need to fuck my girlfriend.

Thankfully, after a mirage of tests, where he prods and pokes at me way more than I’d like, the doctor tells me I’m all healed. I can resume normal activities, and I’ve never run out of the doctor’s surgery as quickly.

There’s just one big problem with my plan to ravish my girl… We have a stupid fucking family meal that I have to attend right away, and so I will have to wait until it’s over to be with Tee.

I may have made my family promises, and I’m fucking trying to be a better brother, but I’m sure there’s not one male in my family that would begrudge me skipping the family dinner, so I can have sex for the first time in nearly six weeks.

Sadly, Bree does not take that same approach, and she will cut my balls off completely if I don’t attend—or if I make us lateby trying to fuck Teigan first. Which is why Teigan and I agreed to meet at Bree’s house after my appointment. As much as I’m looking forward to touching my angel again, I can tell she’s just as desperate as me.

As soon as I open the door to Bree and Liam’s house, I’m hit by the noise and the chaos. Bree rushes to the door, with Esme close on her heels. As soon as she sees me, the little girl throws herself into my arms, asking me how I am. Bree smiles at me, as she reminds Esme to take it easy with me, as I’m still healing.