“His soul is probably on its way to be with Jesus right now, I hope you realise that.”
Nico didn’t care, he shook with laughter.
“He told me I couldn’t scare him,” he tittered. “Proved that bitch wrong, didn’t I?”
I left the laughing hyena, and headed outside of the house to find Alec at the end of the garden.
“It’s only a cardboard cut out.”
“It’s evil, and I swear it blinked at me.” Alec clipped, placing his hands on his hips. “I’m gonna kill Dominic.”
I snorted, but looked down when my phone rang in my bag, so I quickly rooted for it. I clicked answer when I saw Gavin's Collins' face flash across the screen.
“I’m not talkin’ to you, Gavin Collins. Do you think I’ve forgotten that you just ignored me pleas to stop Damien and Dante from fightin’ at the garage yesterday?”
“I’m so sorry, but please, I need to talk to you, Alannah! Can I come by? I’m in deep shite.”
The urgency in his tone worried me.
“Are you okay?”
“No,” he answered. “I just found out somethin’ that is goin’ to make me brothers and sister kill me.”
I widened my eyes. “What’d you find out?”
“I’m goin’ to be a da.”
“I need you to explain this to me one more time, Gav.”
Gavin, who was lying face down on my settee, groaned. After he phoned me, I made an excuse to Alec that I had to go, then I all but ran to my car, shouting goodbye to everyone on my way. Alec knew I was on the phone to Gavin because he heard me say his name, and I could only pray that he hadn’t heard Gavin’s declaration because with his big mouth, it’d get back to Aideen before Gavin could tell her the news that she would be an auntie.
“I already told you everythin’ I know,” he said, his voice muffled as he spoke into the settee pillow. “Please, don’t make me tell you everythin’ again.”
“Who is she?”
“Who is who?”
I threw a pillow, smacking him in the back before it fell onto the floor, but he still didn’t move.
“Who is the woman you got pregnant?”
“Oh.” He grunted as he pushed up, then turned and sat on his behind, leaning his head back on the settee. “She’s just someone I was seein’. ’Er name is Kalin, you wouldn’t know ’er. She’s from Kildare.”
I frowned. “You never mentioned goin’ out with anyone.”
“We weren’t goin’ out; we were just—”
“Havin’ sex?”
“Yeah,” he replied, turning his head to look at me. “Kind of like what you and me big brother were doin’.”
I felt my cheeks burn, and Gavin snorted before he turned his head to look at me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I said, wringing my hands together. “I was goin’ to, but I hardly ever see you, and when I did, I’d chicken out … then you found out along with everyone else before I could figure out a way to form the words.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Gavin said. “You don’t need to check in with me when you fuck someone.”
I cringed. “Don’t say it like that.”
Gavin smiled. “Sorry, you don’t need to check in with me when you have sex with someone.”
“That’s better.”
He chuckled, then as if remembering why he was here, he groaned out loud. Again.
“How did this happen?”
I clasped my hands together. “Well, when a man and a woman like each other—”
“Shut up, smartarse.”
I giggled. “Sorry.”
He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. My heart went out to him, so I got up and sat next to him, putting my arm around his waist and resting my head on his shoulder.
“We’ll figure this out,” I said, giving him a squeeze. “Have you talked to Kalin? Has she let ye’know anythin’ regardin’ the baby?”
“She’s keepin’ it, and she’s six weeks along. She’s also offered a paternity test to prove the baby is mine, just in case I have any doubts. That’s as much as I know.”
“D’ye?” I pressed. “Have any doubts?”
“At first, loads,” he admitted. “Then I couldn’t remember if I wore a condom or not. We mostly got together at parties, and when we drink at one of the boss’s parties, we drink good. I’ll take the test either way, but Kalin says she’s only ever had sex with me so she knows the baby is mine.”
The boss he referred to was Brandon Daley, Keela’s uncle. I didn’t know exactly what Brandon was involved in, but I knew it wasn’t legal. My friends never spoke about him around me, not even when I asked questions, so I figured they probably had no clue what he was truly into either. Gavin knew, though—not that he would tell me.
From what I personally knew of Mr Daley, I liked. He did a lot of business with the insurance company my da worked for, and he even bought a large canvas painting off me before. I had no idea who purchased the piece until I delivered it to his house. He was a perfect gentleman, and told me he would keep his eye on my website for other pieces that caught his eye.