Page 20 of Celtic Dragon
“So, we done?” I ask.
“Yep,” Ryder and Doc reply.
“Ok, boys. Enjoy the rest of your day. See you tomorrow at the house. Hawk is taking us to Buffalo.”
Chapter 7
Caden
The next morning I wake to an empty bed.What time is it?I reach for my watch on the nightstand and can’t believe what I see. It’s 10:15 am.Holy fuck, I haven’t slept this late since I was a teenager. What the fuck! I’ve got too much shit to do, I can’t afford to be sleeping the day away.
I get up quickly and shower, then grab my duffle bag and pack it with some clothes. I place my Glock in the side pocket of my cut and pack the KG-9 safely in my bag. I scan the room to see if I’m forgetting anything.Nope, all good,I think to myself.
As I come down the stairs I can hear the girls chatting quietly at the table. Ari is all packed and ready to head back to Gettysburg. Although she is happy to have her own car, she isn’t too thrilled with what I chose for her; it’s the car I bought when I was hiding out from the Satans. I promised her that I would get her a better car when she graduates; hopefully by then things around here will have quieted down.
“Good morning, ladies,” I say as I turn the corner into the kitchen.
“Good morning, babe,” Emma says as she saunters over to me and gives me a kiss.
I kiss her back and then ask, “Ari, are ya ready to go?”
“I am. Rebel was over this morning and helped me pack the car. It was tough saying goodbye, but he said that as soon as he gets back from Ireland he would come down and see me.”
“Oh, I bet he will,” I reply sarcastically. “Promise me you’ll be careful? You know I worry.”
“Yes, Caden, I promise. You tell me all the time that I drive like a grandma. I don’t think I can get any more careful than that,” she says smartly. I laugh. She has a point. Then she adds, “I was just waiting for you to get your butt out of bed so I could say goodbye before I left.” She walks over to me and gives me a big hug.
I can’t get over how much she has grown. She’s no longer a little girl. She’s a woman about to graduate from college. I hope she knows how proud I am of her. I know it was hard for her when Mom and Tyler died, so I did everything I could to keep her life as close to normal as possible. I did my best. And now I look at her and see that she has blossomed. I hug her back and kiss her on the forehead. “I’ll call you when I get back to the States.”
“Promise you’ll be safe.”
“I promise.”
“Promise me something else?” she asks.
“Anything.”
“Keep Rebel safe. Please bring him home to me, Caden.” She sounds so scared and desperate. I want to make that promise and mean it, but after all that I’d been told yesterday about the IRA, I’m not so sure I can.
But I promise anyways, because that’s what my little sister needs from me. I know that she knows that I’ll do everything I can to keep that promise. At least she knows that I won’t intentionally let her down.
She gives Emma and Honey a hug and turns to leave with tears in her eyes. I know that she wants to stay. Having Emma back in her life has turned this house into more than just a house. She has made it a home for Ari and for me, which is something neither of us have had for a very long time.
For the first time, I see that Ari is actually going to miss being home. This place wasn’t much of a home for her in the past since I spent most of my time at the club. When she was home, she was usually here by herself. Having Emma here—and of course, me being here more now too—has changed things for us both.
As the time gets closer for me to leave, I begin to dread leaving. Not because I’m a fucking pussy, it’s just that I finally have my girl back; she’s moved into my home and has made it our home. We’ve been through so much shit over the last few months, but we got through it. And now she’s pregnant with my kid. The timing of this IRA shit really sucks!
Emma runs upstairs to get something and leaves me alone in the kitchen with Honey.
When I’m sure Emma is out of earshot, I ask, “Will you do me a favor, Honey?”
“Sure, Ice. I would do anything for you.”
“I want you to take care of Emma for me while I am gone. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone, and it’ll really make me feel better knowing that she has you as well as the club looking after her.”
“Ice, there’s no need for you to even ask that. Emma and I have built a true friendship and I’ve already planned on staying around here with her while you’re away. You don’t need to worry about her at all.”
Relieved, I reply, “Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”
