Page 11 of Revived (Lucky Ones #1)

Without a word or prompting, I grab Elle’s bag and pull out her injection supplies.

She takes long acting insulin twice a day and insulin every time before she eats.

Quietly and quickly I prep the injection site before pulling the syringe and vial out of the small pouch and drawing the correct dose.

After making sure all the air bubbles are out, she leans her head on my shoulder.

I inject the insulin, making sure to hold the syringe in for five seconds before removing the needle and covering it.

I kiss her temple softly and wait until she sits up before standing to go find the sharps container that the manager keeps in his office.

I know it’s there because I called to check first.

When I return back to the table, everyone’s already eating, and my plate’s already been made. They have the long table set up family style. Quietly taking my seat beside Elle, I lean over and press my lips to her temple. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, Roe’s the one who made sure they had the food out right after we got here. I just made the plate.”

She’s trying to smooth it all over, but she knows as well as I do that I like things the way they are now.

“So, Sully. How long ago did you say you were promoted?” Rowan asks while picking at his plate. “Kieran asked earlier but I didn’t catch your answer.”

“I didn’t.” I answer. My voice brokering no room for a discussion.

“Alright Sullivan, we get it. You’re unhappy we’re here.

You’re unhappy to be sitting here with us.

Just cut the shit attitude. We’re all here to support Flynn.

You won’t be seen, and neither will Elena.

Now can we all please just pretend to like each other for the next couple of fucking hours?

” Declan’s hand slams down on the table to really drive his point home.

I didn’t mean to upset him, and I know if he tells Jake I did, I’m going to have a string of overly annoying texts to answer later. So I’ll concede if for no other reason than to avoid my brother's annoying husband just a little longer.

My beef with Jake will never truly go away.

I know what actually happened back in the day now, but I don’t care.

Part of me will always hold him responsible for the shit Declan endured for five years.

Never mind all the times he held a fucking knife to Dec’s neck.

As a brother you can only be understanding about that shit for so long.

I get it. They’re madly in love and doing amazing.

That’s all fine and shit but those dark years still happened, and I can’t forget or forgive as easily as the others.

“Yeah. Sorry Dec.” I bring my eyes up from my plate, where I was keeping my focus, to his emerald stare.

“It’s no problem. We don’t want to rehash anything. At least, I don’t. I just want to spend the evening with you while watching Flynn knock some heads around. Think we can manage that?”

“Yeah, I can get onboard with that. How’s CHFD doing?”

That’s all it takes for us to fall into easy conversation about Declan’s job.

It eventually merges into talks of the spouses and kids.

Rhett’s twelve now, so that’s where Rowan’s grey hair must be coming from.

To hear Rowan tell it, the teen boy phase is in full effect.

Maeve is five and just starting Kindergarten, apparently she has three boyfriends currently, and now Roe’s talking nonsense about those small children.

Lorcan is now three. Our tiny but mighty baby is now what Kieran calls a ‘threenager’.

He’s huge now, standing as tall as Maeve, but what do you expect when his dad stands at six and a half feet tall.

Mac announces that Clara has offered to be his and Lee’s surrogate, which almost brings tears to my eyes.

Mac’s wife was sold into a child trafficking ring when they were seven.

She was highly abused and tortured until she was saved as a teenager.

The damage to her body as well as other health issues that emerged from being poked with dirty needles while she was captive led to her being unable to carry children.

The fact that Clara is willing and ready to give them what they’ve wanted for years just shows how selfless and amazing she really is.

I love my family, really I do. I know it doesn’t seem like it right now, but I’m just guarding myself from getting swept up in all that comes with loving the Byrnes. Well, not just me… more like myself, Elle, and Flynn.

Once dinner is over, Kieran begins to fill us in on tonight's ‘plan’. Which is just a fancy way of saying he’s about to annoy me because I don’t need security like they do.

“So, we’re all going to take the Tahoes out back over to the rink.

They’re plenty protected. We’ll enter through the back of the building to the employee elevator and take it up to our suite, which is fully tinted and reinforced with bulletproof glass.

No one will be able to see inside of it. They won’t even know we’re there.”

“Okay, cool. We’ll meet you guys in the suite.” I turn to leave when Mac’s voice stops me.

“You misunderstand, Sullivan. He meant all of us.” His tone is harsh, and I know if I turn around I’ll see the tension lining his shoulders.

“No.” I turn around to face all of them, except for Elle, who, like always, is by my side.

“I think you misunderstand. I am not anywhere close to that life anymore. I have worked my ass off to be so far removed from it that it’s damn near impossible to connect me to you guys.

I’m in no danger, nor is Elena. We will be taking my Bronco like we do multiple times a week.

We’ll enter through the front doors, again, like we do multiple times a week.

And we will meet you guys at the suite. No one is trailing the two of us.

Hell, most people don’t even know Elle’s real last name.

We’re fine, and you guys need to chill out.

I love you all, but damn you make it hard to. ”

Without another word, Elle and I leave and hop into the Bronco to head over to the rink.

The ride is silent, but her hand never leaves mine.

She knows I’m barely holding on, and she’s giving me the strength to get through.

Once we’re in the parking garage and I shut the vehicle off, Elle turns to look at me.

“I know this is bad timing and everything, but do you ever think about that day? Before everything went to shit?”

I can’t help but chuckle. “Do I think about it? Baby girl, I could be eighty-seven with severe Alzheimer’s, and the only thing I’ll remember is the feel of your lips on mine that day. I know we can’t do this, but dammit does my soul ache and my blood sing at just the thought of that kiss.”