Page 178 of Brutal Collateral

Ava’s hand slides into mine, her touch grounding me again. “I got all the time in the world. I will make him pay. Eventually.”

“That’s my girl.” I lean in and kiss her.

Shane’s phone rings again, his expression unknowing. “Alo? What?When?”

Aw, fuck. What now?

“I’ll leave you Quinlans to toil in your spoils.” Ares shakes my hand.

“Hey, you made a rhyme.” Connor punches him in the arm.

Ares stares down at his bicep. “If your name wasn’t Quinlan, I’d kill you.”

“Glad it’s my name now,” Ava says, folding her arms.

I bury my face in her hair. “And it’s fucking staying your name.”

Ares looks smug and wants to take credit for my happiness. I guess I’ll always be in his debt. He takes a step to leave, but I glare at him with my brutal reminder to show my wife some damn brotherly love.

He straightens and turns to his sister. “Be well, Ava. Don’t give your husband a hard time.”

And then he...hugs her.

Ava’s arms dangle at her side at first, looking shocked. I make a hugging motion. Jesus, I have to teach these two how to be human toward each other.

Finally, she does. A moment later, Ares resumes his robot-like stance and waltzes out my door.

I turn my focus to Shane, expecting to hear something terrible has happened that will force me out of the house when I want to spend all night making love to my wife. Touching her stomach and talking to our unborn child.

“Shane? What’s wrong?” I ask, ready for fucking anything at this point.

Smiling, he ends the call. “Nothing’s wrong at all. Sabine went into labor and had the baby!”

I step back. “Already?”

“Aye, her water broke. She had a few contractions and pop. We have a nephew!”

A male child! Not with our name. But still...

“Can we go see her?” Ava asks, sounding excited.

“Do you think she wants all of us in that hospital room after she’s given birth, feels exhausted, and probably looks wrung out?” Connor asks.

“Even more so!” Shane responds with a sinister tone, as only a twin would. “All that brat teased me with.”

“Let’s head over there and play it by ear,” I say. “But Grayson is her husband. What he says goes.”

“And he is taller than all of you,” Ava singsongs.

Where is six-foot-six Lachlan O’Rourke when I need him?

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