Page 102

CONAN

One week later...

“ C onan, wake up, baby,” Hallie whispers.

I feel Bertie nudging my hand with his wet nose.

“Hi, trouble,” I croak.

“You’ve got visitors coming today, is that okay? You feel up for it?”

Finn has been here every day, checking up on me.

Bertie hasn’t left my side.

And Hallie has been an angel.

She thinks I don’t know that she just lies next to me while I’m sleeping, stroking my face and whispering how much she loves me.

“Declan?” I ask.

“And Finn, of course. And the twins. I’ve made some lunch. Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

I groan as I sit myself up. She rushes to my side to help me.

The pain in my ribs—hell, everywhere from my neck down—is quite something.

I just need to get better.

“What would you like?” she asks, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

I slide my arm around her waist.

“Your pussy.”

She blushes, and I lick my lips.

“We have guests coming. And you’re in recovery.”

I pretend to pout. She giggles.

“Conan Quinn. You are being a very naughty patient trying to flirt with the nurse.”

She leans over and presses a kiss to my lips.

As she goes to pull back, I grab the back of her head and kiss her harder.

She’s been treating me like I’m fragile. When it comes to her, I’m not.

“A bullet hole ain’t gonna stop me from tasting you.”

My tongue slides against hers.

Her hand cups my face.

“If you behave, maybe later I’ll let you indulge, sir.”

I growl and grip her throat loosely.

“Promise?”

She nods. My cock already twitches.

“Can you be a good boy, Conan?”

“You know I can for you.”

“I’ll let your brothers up.” She quickly pulls back and gets off the bed.

I’m empty without her.

When my brothers appear, followed by the twins, they all surround my bed.

“I assume you have news? You didn’t just want to see me with no shirt on in bed?”

They chuckle, and Rowan raises a brow.

“Well, I mean, you caught me,” he says, holding up his hands.

“We do have news. It seems like Theo King has made progress in London, and he’ll be flying out for a meeting with us next Friday,” Declan explains.

“Nice. Finally.”

“Drago believes we’ve captured and killed all the men associated with Arthur. But we still need to remain on guard. He might send more.”

Great.

“We do what we have to do to keep our families safe.”

Finn steps forward.

“We’ll be stationing someone outside Hallie’s house, monitoring twenty-four-seven. But it may be best if you move back to Decadence.”

I shake my head.

“Not happening. I can’t take her back to the place that broke us. There’s another option. Once I’m better and can actually fucking move without being out of breath.”

My brothers know what that option is.

Something I’ve had in place for a while.

“How breathless are you?” Finn asks.

I panic.

“Just a bit, if I try to do too much. Probably because my ribs are broken and I’ve got a load of ruptured shit inside my chest?”

“Yeah. Something like that. I’ll book you in for a scan so I can check everything’s healing as it should.”

I salute him.

“Got it, boss. Am I clear to have sex?”

Declan coughs, and Reggie chuckles.

“I suppose, if she rides you? You need to not move too much. It’s been a week, Conan.”

Hmm. Okay. I can work with that.

“Hallie’s made you all lunch downstairs.”

“We know. Charlotte is down there now.”

That makes me smile.

And they’re pregnant at the same time, which is so fucking awesome.

We get to see our kids grow up together. And Charlotte and Hallie have each other.

“It’s all worked out well,” I say, looking to Declan.

“God. You’re making me feel all mushy. Maybe I should find a girlfriend,” Rowan pipes up.

“You should. Could lose your virginity then.”

“Reggie. Tell Conan I ain’t a virgin!” Rowan demands.

“How would I know?” Reggie’s face remains stern.

“Well, seeing as you watched me stick my dick in Angel’s ass last night while you face-fucked her, I’d say you’re a pretty reliable source to confirm I ain’t a damn virgin.”

He slaps Reggie’s bicep.

I laugh so hard I have to grab my chest. Pain shoots through me like lightning.

“Tag-teaming strippers?” Finn asks.

“No comment,” Reggie mutters, biting back a grin.

“Well, you guys are the ones getting in the way of me getting laid right now. Go eat your food. And I’ll eat mine. Tell Hallie to get up here.”

They all mutter under their breath as I shoo them out.

“Thanks for coming. I’ll see you all next week.” I blow them a kiss as they file out.

Finn stops by the door and turns back to me.

“Scan. Tomorrow, Conan.”

His face might not show it, but I know he’s worried about me.

I know he was in surgery with me. He oversaw it. He fucking broke my ribs trying to save my life on that road.

“Love you, brother,” I tell him.

He blinks a few times, then a small smile breaks through.

“Love you too, bud. Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.”

“I’ll try. Can’t promise it. I’ve got a family to protect.”

He nods in understanding.

“Talk to Hallie. I think she misses you.”

He frowns. As much as he hates to admit it, people care about him.

And Hallie was his friend before I entered the scene. Since my fuck-up, she quit her job, and they lost that friendship.

And then I traumatized them both.

“Misses me? I doubt it. I was just her boss.”

I roll my eyes.

“I know about the night her dad died. You don’t ever comfort anyone. She cares about you. We all do. Just talk to her. For me?”

“Ok.”