Page 23 of Cowboy (Fury Vipers MC: Dublin Chapter #4)

CAOIMHE

A s I watch Ciarán ride away, a mixture of emotions swirl inside me. Fear, anticipation, determination. I know the road ahead won't be easy, but for the first time in a long time, I feel a sense of purpose.

"Caoimhe?" Saoirse's small voice pulls me from my thoughts. "Where did Ciarán go?"

I turn to her, forcing a smile. "He had to go see his friends for a little while. He'll be back soon."

Saoirse nods, but I can see the worry in her eyes. She's become so attached to Ciarán, finding safety in his presence, just as I have.

"Come on," I say, holding out my hand. "Let's go inside and make some hot chocolate. How does that sound?"

Her face lights up at the suggestion, and I feel a warmth in my chest. These small moments of joy, of normalcy, are precious after everything we've been through.

As we settle in the kitchen, Saoirse perched on a stool while I heat the milk, I can't help but think about what lies ahead. Vienna. Dylan. The possibility of finally getting answers, of understanding why my own brother betrayed me so completely.

"Caoimhe?" Saoirse's voice breaks through my reverie. "Are you okay?"

I realize I've been stirring the milk mechanically, lost in thought. "I'm fine, sweetheart," I assure her, pouring the steaming liquid into mugs. "Just thinking."

"About the bad men?" she asks, her voice small.

My heart clenches. Of course she would pick up on my tension. She's far too perceptive for her young age, a result of all she's been through.

"No, not about them," I lie, not wanting to worry her further. "I was thinking about how brave you've been. How proud I am of you."

Saoirse's face lights up at the praise, and she takes a careful sip of her hot chocolate. "I'm proud of you too," she says seriously. "You saved me."

Tears prick at my eyes, and I have to turn away for a moment to compose myself. When I face her again, I manage a smile. "We saved each other, sweetheart."

As we finish our hot chocolate, I make a decision. I need to prepare Saoirse for what's coming, as gently as I can.

"Saoirse," I begin carefully, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

Saoirse looks up at me, her eyes wide and attentive. I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words.

"You know how Ciarán has been helping us?" I begin gently. She nods. "Well, he and I need to go away for a little while. To try and make sure the bad men can't hurt anyone else."

Saoirse's lower lip trembles. "Are you leaving me?"

"No, sweetheart, never," I assure her quickly, pulling her into a hug. "You're going to stay with Grá and Bozo while we're gone. Remember them? They're very nice and they'll take good care of you."

She pulls back, her face scrunched in thought. "But why can't I come with you?"

I stroke her hair, my heart aching. "It's not safe where we're going. But I promise we'll come back as soon as we can. And we'll call you every day."

Saoirse is quiet for a moment, processing this. Then she looks up at me, her eyes serious. "Are you going to find my real mommy?"

The question catches me off guard. We've never really talked about Saoirse's birth mother, the woman who sold her own child. "No, sweetheart," I say carefully. "We're not looking for her. We're trying to find the people who hurt us, to make sure they can't hurt anyone else."

She nods, seeming to accept this. "Will you be safe?"

I force a smile, pushing down my own fears. "Of course. Ciarán will be with me, and he's very strong and brave. We'll be fine."

As I hold Saoirse close, I silently pray that I'm telling her the truth. The thought of facing Dylan, of confronting the horrors of the past year, terrifies me. But I know I have to do this, for both our sakes.

"When do you leave?" Saoirse asks, her voice muffled against my shirt.

"In a couple of days," I tell her. "We'll have plenty of time to pack and get you settled with Grá and Bozo."

Saoirse nods, but I can see the worry in her eyes. I pull her close again, wishing I could shield her from all of this. "It's going to be okay," I whisper, as much to myself as to her.

Just then, we hear the rumble of a motorcycle approaching. Saoirse perks up immediately. "Is that Ciarán?"

I move to the window, relief washing over me as I see him pulling into the driveway. "Yes, it is. Let's go say hello."

As we step outside, Ciarán is just taking off his helmet. His face breaks into a smile when he sees us, but I can see the tension in his shoulders, the worry in his eyes.

"Everything okay?" I ask as he approaches.

He nods, ruffling Saoirse's hair affectionately. "Yeah, just a lot to process. We need to talk later."

I understand his meaning, not in front of Saoirse. "Of course. Why don't you go wash up? I'll start on dinner."

As Ciarán heads inside, Saoirse tugs on my hand. "Can I help with dinner?"

I smile down at her. "Of course you can. Let's go see what we can make."

In the kitchen, I set Saoirse up with the task of washing vegetables while I start chopping. My mind is racing with questions about Ciarán's meeting, about our impending trip to Vienna, about what will happen when we finally confront Dylan.

"Caoimhe?" Saoirse's voice breaks through my thoughts. "You're not chopping anymore."

I look down to see the knife still in my hand, hovering over the half-cut onion. "Sorry, sweetheart. I just got lost in thought for a moment."

Saoirse gives me a knowing look far beyond her years. "It's okay to be scared," she says softly. "I get scared too."

I set down the knife and pull her into a hug, marveling at her intuition and strength. "You're right," I whisper. "It is okay to be scared. But you know what? Being brave doesn't mean you're not scared. It means doing what you need to do even when you are scared."

She nods against my chest. "Like you did when you saved me?"

"Exactly like that," I say, my voice thick with emotion. "And like you did every day since then."

We stay like that for a moment, drawing strength from each other. Then I hear Ciarán's footsteps approaching, and we pull apart.

"Something smells good," he says, entering the kitchen. His hair is damp from the shower, and he looks more relaxed than when he arrived.

"We're making stir fry," Saoirse announces proudly. "I washed the vegetables."

Ciarán grins at her. "Excellent job, little chef. I bet it's going to be delicious."

As we finish preparing dinner, I can't help but marvel at how domestic this all feels.

For a moment, it's almost like we're a normal family, untouched by the horrors of the past year.

But reality is never far away, and I know that once Saoirse is in bed, Ciarán and I will have to discuss the difficult road ahead.

After dinner, we settle Saoirse in with a movie while Ciarán and I clean up. As I'm drying the last dish, he leans against the counter, his expression serious.

"So," he begins quietly, "I talked to Travis and Pyro. We're set to leave for Vienna in two days."

I nod, a mixture of anticipation and dread settling in my stomach. "And they're okay with me coming along?"

Ciarán hesitates. "They understand why you need to be there. But, Caoimhe, you have to promise me that when it comes time to... deal with Dylan, you'll stay back. Let the club handle it."

I want to argue, to insist that I should be there every step of the way, but I know he's right. Whatever happens to Dylan, I can't be directly involved. Not if I want to move forward with my life, with Saoirse.

"I promise," I say softly. "I just need to see him, to understand why he did this to me. After that... he's all yours."

Ciarán nods, relief evident in his eyes. He reaches out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "We'll get through this together, okay? And when it's all over, we'll figure out what comes next. For all of us."

I lean into his touch, drawing strength from his presence. "Thank you," I whisper. "For everything."

As we stand there in the quiet kitchen, I'm struck by how much has changed in such a short time. A few weeks ago, I was trapped in a nightmare, with no hope of escape. Now, I'm here with Ciarán, with Saoirse, on the verge of confronting my past and reclaiming my future.

Whatever happens in Vienna, whatever answers I get from Dylan, I know one thing for certain: I'm not alone anymore. And that gives me the strength to face whatever lies ahead.