All Hail - J. Bree Page 0,48

before I ever knew her.

All of the shit that would have happened if we hadn’t met.

Aodhan stares around the outside of Illi’s warehouse like he’s expecting it to blow up.

I’ve only been here a handful of times but one of the joys of being a member of Lips’ family is that I’ve never felt unwelcome here. I’m sure growing up in the Bay and hearing the stories of what Illi does to people makes Aodhan feel very differently about being here, no matter how friendly Illi has been to him lately.

“When I was a kid, my grandfather used to tell me stories about the things that would happen to people down at the docks here. It was always just boogieman stories, made up shit to stop us running off and causing trouble, but then one day people started whispering about the Butcher… and suddenly it wasn’t just a story anymore.”

I look up at him and smile. “There’s bodies hanging from the walls in there. Blood spatters everywhere, the staircase is made out of bones.”

He scoffs at me, threading our fingers together and then waving me forward like he’s going to follow my lead. “We both know you wouldn’t willingly step foot in there if it was really like that. I’m a little terrified to meet his wife though, I heard he’s dangerously overprotective of her.”

I roll my eyes at him and step forward to key in the passcode. Lips and I are the only ones who have it and Aodhan is good about looking away when I mention that to him.

“Just don’t try to flirt with her and you’ll be safe. He’s not a complete psychopath.”

The door clicks open and I usher him in, keying the code into the alarm and waiting until it beeps a clearance for us. The security here is insane but Illi had a lot of conditions about staying here after the Jackal went after Odie again.

I’m not sure if it can get any safer here and if it can, I’m sure it’ll happen before the baby arrives.

“I’m not worried about me flirting, Queenie, but I’m irresistible. What if she falls for my good Irish charms and I get killed for it?” he whispers, and I roll my eyes at him but when I glance up at him, he’s grinning at me, teasing.

He’s so completely different to Atticus that it doesn’t actually feel all that wrong to be standing here holding his hand while my heart is still torn open from my childhood love.

I wonder if this is how Lips feels about her guys?

I give myself a little shake because our situations are very different. Ash, Harley, and Blaise are all as codependent on each other as they are in love with her. There was never a question if they could share someone, only if they could find someone who would want to and who would love them all equally.

I still can’t think about that filthy fucking excuse for a human Annabelle without wanting to scream and destroy something but the real reason she would have never worked out is because she had a preference for Harley and, not at all surprisingly, the sneaky ways she tried to cover that preference up was part of the reason Harley always kept her at arm’s length.

He’ll never have to pick between Lips and his family because she is family.

He’ll never have to worry about anything happening to her like it did to his mom.

“Fuck, you didn’t say she was bringing a fucking member of the Twelve! We don’t like your type around here.”

We both turn to find a huge, tattooed biker looking fierce at the top of the staircase that leads down into Illi’s workroom. Aodhan subtlety shifts so his body covers me but I huff at the newcomer.

“Roxas, if you don’t like members of the Twelve then why do you follow Lips around the Bay when she’s home keeping tabs for Illi? I’m pretty sure you have a Boar tramp stamp on your body somewhere, I’m just not invested enough to go looking.”

His eyes narrow at me and it’s all an act because he’s trying to psych Aodhan out. He only lasts ten seconds before a grin splits across his face, all teeth and savagery. “Well, well, if it isn’t the Queen of Mounts Bay. You’re looking all grown up these days. If you’re looking for a little taste of rough—“

Illi’s voice calls out from his workroom, “She’s had enough rough, shut your fucking mouth before I