Aideen (Slater Brothers 3.5)

Alannah nodded her head without looking at him. She moved over to me, hugged me and kissed my cheek. “Call me if you go into labour, otherwise let me die with this hangover in peace.”

I saluted her. “Aye, boss.”

She lightly smiled at me before she hugged Gavin and pinched his arm, which had him hissing and calling her an arsehole like he did me. She grinned at him before standing upright.

“Thanks for helpin’ me last night,” she muttered to Damien then walked out of the apartment. Kane grabbed his car keys and jogged out after her.

Damien slumped down onto the sofa after the door to the apartment clicked shut. “She hates me.”

I got up and moved over to the sofa, and sat next to him.

“She doesn’t hate you, Dame... she’s still hurt, and just confused. This is hard for her too. You’ve been gone for so long.”

He was silent then and I looked at Bronagh and Nico who were frowning at him. I caught Nico’s attention and jerked my head giving him the signal to leave with Bronagh. He nodded once then made up an excuse that had him and Bronagh saying their goodbyes and exiting my apartment.

I looked at Damien.

“Talk to me.”

He was silent for so long that I thought he wasn’t going to open up, but he shocked me when he started speaking.

“I left for her.”

I blinked at the sudden admission and Gavin stood up when Damien spoke.

“I’ll go make tea while you both talk,” he said and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I looked back to Damien and said, “Explain that.”

He didn’t look at me as he said, “I’m sure you’ve heard what a prick I used to be to girls when I was a kid?”

I wasn’t going to lie so I nodded my head.

“I behaved the way I did because it was the only connection with other people that I could control. After my parents died... I was a wreck. My brothers have shielded me from all the shit as we grew up, so I didn’t hate my parents like they did. I had a girlfriend... I didn’t know it at the time but she was pregnant. She was killed when the shit storm with Trent started.”

I listened as Damien spoke, my throat sealed with emotion. I hurt badly for him. I cried my eyes out when Kane went into detail a few months ago about the things Damien went through.

“I wanted to go back to New York to make peace with her, and in my own way, I did.”

“Did you find her?” I whispered.

He nodded. “She was buried in a grave marked for Trent, Marco Miles’ nephew. I had the headstone removed and replaced with the correct information. I... I had an angel poem put on it, too, for our baby. I don’t know if a heartbeat even developed when Nala was killed, but it was a baby that was part of me. It was mine, you know?”

I absentmindedly placed my hand on my stomach.

“I wasn’t ready to be a dad, I’m still not, but I would have stepped up if Nala wasn’t killed and had the baby. I wouldn’t have left New York, I would have stayed and taken care of them.”

Tears spilled over the brim of my eyes.

“Of course you would have, honey,” I assured him. “No matter the things you have done, it doesn’t change that you are a good person. You left your family just so Alannah wouldn’t have to be hurt when she saw you. I know you also left to make things right for Nala, but you had Alannah’s best interest at heart, too.”

Damien licked his lips. “I didn’t just leave for Alannah. I left for me, too. I needed to figure shit out for myself, without my brothers helping me in some way like they have always done. I needed to fix me on my own.”

I pushed my hair out of my face. “And did you figure out what you needed to?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’ve made peace that I can’t change the past, but I can shape my future. I can be a good person and not use my exterior to manipulate people like I’ve done in the past. I’m in control, no one else.”

I reached over and pressed my lips to his cheek.

“You’re a good man, Damien.”

He looked at me and smiled. “Why did Kane have to meet you before I did?”

I giggled. “Shut up, I’m a lot older than you.”

He laughed and threw his arm around my shoulder. “It’s probably for the best. I don’t think I could handle you anyway. You’re too experienced for me.”

I was shaking with laughter because we both knew the kid could run circles around me with the amount of partners he has had, while I could count all the men I’ve ever slept with on one hand.

After we chatted about lighter stuff, Gavin came back into the room as Damien flicked through the stations on the television, and together we watched a film. I leaned my head on Damien’s shoulder and he relaxed against me. I understood him more in the last few minutes than I ever did when Kane spoke to me about him, and what I learned caused my heart great pain. Damien was a troubled man, and he was trying to right his wrongs.

I knew the only thing that was keeping him a prisoner to himself was Alannah. Until things were okay with them, I doubted he would be truly happy. I wanted to help in some way, but I knew he needed to do it on his own.

He needed to break away from the protective arms of his brothers and branch out.

The only problem was, I didn’t know if they would let him.

“I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?”

I nodded to Kane as I took a sip of my water. “Okay.”

He kissed my head then turned and left the house, leaving me in the sitting room with Nico, Alec, and Damien while Branna was in the kitchen.