Micah thought on that before sighing, “Yeah, I guess.”

Fuck.

She agreed with me.

I opened my mouth to speak just as the hall door open and in walked Alec and his brothers.

He groaned when he spotted my uncle. “I'm going to kill Gavin,” he said.

Gavin Collins?

“Why?” I asked.

“He told them about the party when Aideen rang and told him. We tried to get them to leave before you and the girls came down the stairs. That’s why Dominic called Alec down from your room, we wanted his help.” Kane replied, glaring at my uncle.

He really didn't like him.

Wait, how the hell did Gavin tell my uncle about the party—“Keela, come here?” Alec said to me, breaking my train of thought.

I walked over to Alec just as music started up again from the sitting room. Everyone went inside and left us out in the hallway. Seconds passed and then I heard laughter.

So much for the damn party being over!

“I'll go and get rid of them.”

“Leave them,” I sighed and turned to Alec. “They're fine. Will you just go up to our bathroom and tell the girls to come down?”

Alec nodded his head and jogged up the stairs.

I went down to my kitchen to get some water and was surprised when I found Gavin leaning against my back door having a cigarette.

“Hey,” I said to him.

He flicked his smoke away. “Hey, nice house.”

I snorted. “Thanks.”

Gavin closed the back door and turned to me.

He looked so... different.

Black jeans, boots, buttoned up blue shirt, and a snapback hat on his head.

He looked... hot.

“When did you get here?” I asked. “And how did you get in?”

Gavin grinned. “Front door was open, I came with...”

“You came with who?” I asked.

Gavin avoided looking me in the eye. “Your uncle.”

My uncle?

“Why would you come with—Wait, why are you around me uncle in the first place?”

Gavin scratched the back of his elbow. “Well... he is me boss.”

Excuse me?

“That's not funny,” I said.

Gavin shrugged his shoulders. “I'm not laughin'.”

My stomach churned. “You can't be serious... You can't get involved with me uncle's... business.”

Gavin snorted.

“Gavin, I'm serious!” I snapped. “Do not get involved with me uncle.”

Gavin gnawed on his lower lip. “Too late, Kay.”

What the hell?

“What do you mean 'Too late'?” I asked.

Gavin groaned, “I can't really talk about this—”

“Brandon!” I bellowed, cutting Gavin off and stormed out of my kitchen.

My uncle walked out of the sitting room with raised hands. “Whatever it is, I can fix it.”

I jammed my thumb over my shoulder. “You... enlisted me best friend's little brother? Really?”

Brandon sighed. “The kid won't be doing anythin' dangerous, just a couple of runs here and there till he finds his feet among me circle.”

His 'circle' was his group of baby gangsters, how lads and girls started out in his world.

No!

“I don't want him to find his feet. How dare you do this!” I yelled.

My uncle pinched the bridge of his nose. “He came to me, not the other way around. If you want to be annoyed, be annoyed at the kid.”

I swung around and narrowed my eyes at Gavin who was leaning against the kitchen doorway. “I'm twenty-two, Keela. That's the same age as Dominic, Damien, and Bronagh. I'm not a kid.”

I felt sick—he had no idea what getting involved with my uncle meant.

“I'm tellin' your brothers,” I warned.

Gavin snorted, “So?”

He wasn't afraid?

His older brothers were big, and scary as hell when mad.

“Fine... I'll tell Aideen,” I snarled.

Gavin stood upright. “Don't you dare.”

Ha! I had him now.

“I am! I'm tellin' her!” I turned around and walked by my chuckling uncle.

I was about to call for Aideen when she walked down the stairs with Bronagh, Branna, and Alannah behind her.

Perfect timing.

“I need to talk to you!” I said to Aideen.

Bronagh leaned forward. “When are you goin' to the shops?” she whispered.

“Soon. I promise.”

Bronagh nodded her head as I grabbed Aideen's arm and lead her down the hallway.

“What's wrong?” she asked.

Gavin came up behind her. “Nothin', Keela is just stickin' her nose in places she shouldn't.”

The neck of the little bastard!

“I'm tryin' to stop you from makin' a mistake you little shite!”

Aideen turned and stared between her brother and me. “Talk. Now.”

Uh-oh.

Mama bear Aideen was rearing her head.

Her mother died giving birth to Gavin, and as the only daughter in the midst of four brothers and a father, she moulded into a mother figure in the household even though she was the second youngest. She took care of Gavin the most out of everyone in her family. He was the baby of the family and Aideen adored him.

“Go ahead, Gav,” I said. “Tell her about your new... job.”

Gavin growled at me, “You're such a fuckin' bitch.”

“Hey!” Aideen snapped and whacked him across the head. “Don't you speak to her like that.”

She turned to me then and said, “Tell me what's happenin'.”

“Gavin has entered me uncle's circle. He works for him now.”

Aideen stared at me for a long moment then turned to Gavin and began to slap the shite out of him.

“Damn it, Aideen!” Gavin shouted and tried to dodge away from her hands. “Stop!”

Aideen was shouting obscenities.

“You stupid little eejit! How could you? Do you understand what you have gotten yourself into?” she asked, her voice high.

Gavin grabbed her hands and stared down at her. “Yes, I do. I can handle this.”

“Brandon is a gangster!” Aideen cried, but kept her voice low.

Gavin sighed. “I'm aware of that, but he is also an honourable man.”

I snorted. “And how the hell would you know that?”

Gavin cut his eyes to me. “Because I hang around with Jason and have gotten to know him.”

A gasp came from behind Gavin so he looked over his shoulder and groaned. “Bronagh... let me explain.”

“You pal around with Jason? As in Jason Bane!” Bronagh asked, her eyes wide.

Gavin hung his head. “Yeah, he's a mate now.”

Bronagh lost her head.

“How can you be friends with Jason Bane? He was horrible to me in school, you know that!” she shouted.

“He fucked me over, you know that as well!” I growled reminding Gavin that Jason Bane was not favoured by us girls.

He was a wank stain.

“I'm beginnin' to feel like I'm not welcome here.”

No. Fucking. Way.

We all turned our attention to the doorway of my sitting room and gaped.

“Nice to see everyone, too,” the bastard himself smirked.

I didn't understand how or why he was here.

“You... get out. Right now!” I snapped.

Jason held his hands up in front of his chest. “Fine. I don't need to be told twice. I'll get me coat.”

He turned and walked into my sitting room as Brandon and Micah exited the room. Ryder, Nico, and Kane walked out of the kitchen and joined the rest of us in the hallway.

“I'm guessin' the party is over.” My uncle grinned.

I rolled my eyes. “Just leave. I'll talk to you later.”

My uncle chuckled, then walked over and kissed my forehead, before he nodded to everyone else and walked out of my house. Micah didn't look at me as she followed. Gavin walked out behind them and Aideen ran out after him shouting and demanding he listen to her.

I groaned, “Go, make sure she doesn't kill him.”

Bronagh, Branna and Alannah were already out the door, and the brothers were right behind them. I shook my head and went into my sitting room where I found Jason sitting on my sofa.

I saw red.

“Get. Out,” I snarled.

He stood and sighed. “We can't talk then?”

Talk?