Page 125 of Fix You

Finally, Quinn extended a hand. “Welcome to the family.”

Happy tears stung my eyes as Rafe reached out to clasp Quinn’s hand in his own. “Thank you.”

In that moment, I had no idea how short lived my happiness would be.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Raphael

When we got on the plane to Boston, the adrenaline that had been coursing through Maeve’s veins since the coffeeshop dissipated. She collapsed down into one of the seats. As the harsh shakes echoed through her body, she turned her frightened gaze to mine.

I knelt down in front of her. After taking her hands in mine, I squeezed them. “Easy,amore. Just breathe through it.”

Her trembling was so bad her teeth chattered. Glancing over my shoulder at Milos, I said, “Will you grab me a blanket.”

“Yes, sir.”

When he returned, I wrapped Maeve in it. My hands rubbed up and down her arms. Harsh shakes went through her body.Once her body regulated, the tears came. Her chest pumped hard with her sobs. Through her cries, she repeated Nolan’s name several times.

“I’m so very sorry,” I crooned into her ear.

Her grief was valid. Our bodyguards often became extensions of our family as they put our lives first. As I glanced over at Milos, I nodded my head at him, hoping my gesture spoke what I couldn’t say in words.

He responded with a nod of his own. He then went and got a bottle of water and some tissues for Maeve. “Thank you,” she whispered as he handed them to her.

“Is there some of Nolan’s family you’d like to contact?”

That suggestion caused the tears to flow even harder. “He’s been divorced as long as I’ve known him, but his daughter, Aoife, is in college at Maynooth University outside of Dublin. That’s why he liked being with me because he got to see more of her.” Her anguished cries cut through to my soul.

“Why don’t you go into the bedroom and give her a call?”

She shook her head. “I can’t. Not like this.”

“How about I ask your mother to do it?”

When she nodded, I took my phone out of my pocket. It was then I remembered that out of all the Kavanaughs, I didn’t have Orla’s number. “Let me have your phone.”

After she handed it to me, I jerked my chin at the bedroom,. “Why don’t you go lie down?”

“Will you join me when you’re finished?”

“Yes.”

After kissing my cheek, she rose out of her seat and went into the bedroom. When she closed the door, I dialed Orla.

She answered on the first ring. “Róisín, are you okay?” she demanded.

“I assume you’ve heard what happened.”

“Yes, Quinn called Callum–” It was then that it hit her that she wasn’t talking to Maeve. “Raphael? What are you doing on Maeve’s phone?”

With a grimace, I replied, “I assume Quinn left out the part about me being in Dublin.”

“Yes, he did.”

“I flew in yesterday to surprise Maeve. We’ve been seeing each other since after my father’s shooting.”

“Now I know why she’s been so happy these past few months.”

“I kept telling her she should tell you.”

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