Present day ...

Nothing was more sickening than a stranger being in your home.

I gestured for my wife to be silent as I nudged her behind my body. Aideen and I had just gotten home from grocery shopping. It was a rare time when we didn’t have any of our kids with us. They were down in their uncle’s apartment a few floors below ours, which gave us time to quickly get some errands done. When we exited the elevator and entered our penthouse apartment, I heard muffled voices coming from one of my son’s bedrooms.

I quietly reasoned with Aideen to return to the lobby and contact the building’s security, but of course, she didn’t listen to me. We both lowered our bags to the floor as silently as we could. My wife remained rooted to my side, her hands gripping my waist as we investigated the noise. I grabbed a steel baseball bat from the hallway closet that I had just in case of a situation like this. I gripped it firmly.

“How did they get up ‘ere?” Aideen whispered, a tremor of fear in her tone. “It’s impossible without our code to the elevator.”

I had no idea how to answer her question because no one should have been able to get into our apartment without the code. Many years ago, after Aideen pleaded with me not to buy a house as she loved our home, I decided to convert the five apartments on the top floor of our apartment building into a penthouse for our family. The elevator opened into our living room, and only our family members had the code to reach this floor. The fire stairwell was designed as an exit, not an entryway. Then there was the added security of the lobby entrance password, the patrolling security guards, and the cameras that pointed at every entrance and exit.

No one should have been able to reach my apartment ... unless they knew the codes.

“Be quiet,” I said to Aideen as we approached Jax’s bedroom. “They’re in here.”

“Oh, God.”

Her hold on me tightened. I exhaled a breath, raised my hand, and pounded on the door.

“You have two seconds to get your asses out here so I can put my foot up them!”

I heard a female scream, and a male curse.

“Wait!”

I froze, then choked out, “Jax?”

Aideen rounded on me and flung the door open once she realised the intruder was our eldest son. It took two seconds for me to realise just how fucked the situation had rapidly become. My wife screamed, then the teenage girl who was hiding her naked body with my son’s bedcover screamed, then Jax paled as I roared, “Are you fucking kidding me?”

He was naked as the day he was born, and the only thing saving his mother from dropping dead with shock was that fact that he cupped his meat and nut sack. It did a shit job considering his penis was erect, no doubt from the activities myself and Aideen had clearly interrupted.

“Mama, I’m sorry!”

Aideen didn’t reply. She gripped the handle of the door and pulled it shut.

“Ye’ call ‘er mama?” the girl asked Jax in a panic.

“Me da is American and so are me uncles,” Jax said in a hurried breath. “I’ve picked up on some of their terms, but I rarely call ‘er mama ... just so ye’ know. She’s normally just ma to me.”

I looked at Aideen, and we shared a ‘bullshit’ look. All of our kids, and my brother’s kids, called their mother ‘mama’ when they wanted something, or when they realised they fucked up. It was something me and my brothers did when we were little, too.

“Ten seconds, Jax,” I warned him. “Ten fucking seconds.”

I pounded on the door in anger.

The girl shrieked. “Where are me knickers?!”

Aideen placed a hand on her forehead. “Omigod.”

I resisted the urge to kick the door open.

“It’ll be okay,” I told my wife.

“She has no knickers on,” Aideen scowled. “What part of that is okay?”

Not a single fucking syllable of it.

“He was havin’ sex,” she whispered. “Kane, what if he wasn’t wearin’ protection?”

My heart dropped as the two teenagers rapidly dressed on the other side of the door.

“Daisy, I’m sorry about this.”

Aideen and I looked up when the door to the bedroom opened and stood the black-haired girl, now fully dressed, but had a face so red her skin looked crimson. She looked at Aideen, then at me, and for a moment, she didn’t look in shock about what was happening. She looked at me like she was checking me out, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or shout at her, but she didn’t give me a chance. Instead, she ran by us without a single word and fled our apartment. Aideen and I focused on Jax whose face was still pale as he sat on the edge of his bed. He had jeans on but remained shirtless with his hair wild.

“What d’ye’ have to say for yourself, Jax Daniel Slater?” Aideen demanded. “Well?”

Jax frowned. “What d’ye want me to say, Ma?”

“I want ye’ to man up and tell me if I need to ring that girl’s parents so they can bring ‘er to get the mornin’ after pill.”

“No, please.” Jax choked. “Both of ‘er brothers will kill me. They’re in their mid-twenties.”

I cut in. “Not if I kill you first.”

Jax ducked his head and tried to avoid what I knew was a murderous gaze that I shot his way.

“Look”—he swallowed—”ye’ both came home before I could ... ye’ know.”

“Thank God.” Aideen breathed, placing a hand on her chest. “Oh, thank you, Jesus.”

The relief that fell off my shoulders was instant.

“Good,” I clipped. “You don’t deserve to know what it feels like yet, you little fuc—”

“Kane.” Aideen shook her head.

“Give me five minutes with him. I’ll break it so this won’t happen again.”

Jax leaped to his feet, rushed forward, and hid behind his mother.

“Ma!”

Aideen turned and raised her eyebrow. She looked up at Jax who was already four inches taller than her at sixteen years old.

“I’m very disappointed in ye’,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “Ye’ promised me ye’ would tell me when ye’ started to take a physical interest in girls. Ye’ promised.”

At that moment, Jax wasn’t sixteen anymore. He was a little boy who realised he’d upset his mother.

“Mama,” he said softly. “I’m ... I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinkin’.”

Aideen shook her head and looked away from our firstborn, tears glazing her eyes. “I’m goin’ to go and tidy up before the boys get home from Harley’s.”

I frowned as Aideen turned and walked away.

“Ado?” I called after her.

Her sniffles were audible then, and it tore me and, from what I could see, my son apart.

“I oughtta kick the shit out of you, you selfish little asshole!” I lowly bellowed at Jax when Aideen was out of earshot. “You’ve made her cry.”

Jax didn’t flinch. “I hate me too right now.”

“I don’t hate you, and neither does your mom,” I scowled. “We’re just furious with you. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinkin’ about losin’ me virginity to the hottest girl in school. You or Ma didn’t enter me mind in there, Da.”

I wanted to throttle him. “You’re my son, but you can’t keep it in your pants like your uncles when they were your age!”

Jax raised an eyebrow in question. “Which ones?”

“The twins,” I grunted. “Obviously.”

Jax looked a little proud, but only for a second before he glanced down the now empty hallway were Aideen retreated.

“I really hurt ‘er.”

“Yeah,” I replied, “you did.”

“And you?” Jax looked at me. “I hurt ye’, too?”

Like a sucker punch.

“Yeah.” I nodded. “Me too.”

Jax looked distraught. “I’m sorry, Da.”

“I know”—I sighed—”but you understand why we’re upset, right? Firstly, you’re our baby, and you’re doing things you shouldn’t be doing at your age. Secondly, we told you how your mother got pregnant with you. You’re one of five of the best things that have ever happened to us, but you weren’t planned, and we struggled coming to terms with there being an ‘us’ and ‘family’ and we were in our late twenties! Do you think you could handle a surprise baby at sixteen?”

Jax looked visibly sick. “Jesus. No.”

“Then think with the head on your shoulders,” I roughly stated, then softened my tone. “Look, I know what’s it’s like, trust me. I’ve been where you are, but you have to be smart about this, Jax. You can’t just go around having sex with different girls no matter how hot they are. Pregnancy isn’t the only worry. There are nasty STDs you can catch, too.” 

“Shite,” Jax groaned. “I’m so sorry. I know all this ... it’s just ... hard. Literally. All the damn time.”

Any other time, I would laugh and tease him, but not now, not about a situation as serious as this one.

“You’re grounded for a month,” I stated. “You’ll pick up more chores and extra nights to babysit your brothers and cousins. No phone. No laptop. No iPad. No Xbox or PlayStation. No soccer games or practice. I’ll deal with your coach. Unless it’s for school, you don’t leave this house, do you understand me?”

Jax looked gutted but took it like a man. “Yes, sir.”

“And bottom line, no sex in this apartment. Ever.” I raised an eyebrow then. “From now on, I’ll keep a box of condoms stocked in the bottom drawer in the bathroom for you. Put one in your wallet and replace it every single time you take it out for use. This isn’t permission to go out and have sex with every female in sight. It’s a precaution, a safety net so that if you ever get into a situation where you’re going to do something where you know that you’ll need it, make sure you use it. Be smart. Be safe. And for God’s sake, kid, make good decisions. Please. I’ll go old school and beat you bloody if I find out you’re playing girls and breaking hearts. I don’t respect a man who has no respect for women. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, sir.” Jax straightened. “I understand.”

“Good,” I said, then gestured Jax closer. “Now give me a hug and go comfort your mama. She works herself into a fretting state because of you and your brothers.”

Jax moved closer to me and gave me a quick hug before slapping hands with me and bumping fists.

“Hottest girl in school, huh?”

Jax’s lips twitched. “You saw ‘er. What d’you think?”

“I think she forgot about you the moment she walked out of the room. Did you not see how she stared at your old man?”

“I’m better lookin’.” Jax glared. “I look like you, me Slater uncles, me Collins uncles and me ma. I’m a genetic marvel.”

I laughed and shook my head.

“God really didn’t want me to have sex today,” he then said with a sigh. “First Uncle Nico phones me earlier when I was kissin’ Daisy then you and Ma come bustin’ in like the guards on a raid.”

I snorted but said nothing.

“Can I go to Uncle Nico’s house? I need to speak to Georgie. I’m important.”

I mulled it over for a moment, then said, “Go there, talk to her, then get your ass home. I meant it when I say you’re grounded.”

Jax nodded. “I got it.”

“Get dressed then.”

He disappeared into his room, rapidly finished dressing, then went in search of his mother. I leaned against the doorway and looked into my son’s room, glaring at the messed-up bed and shaking my head before I scrubbed my face with my hands. I used to think when my kids were toddlers and kindergarten age that they wore me out, but that was only a taste of the stress that the teenage years brought.

After I went to the bathroom, I found Aideen in the kitchen. She was cleaning the countertops even though they were already clean. I slanted against wall and folded my arms across my chest. Watching my wife, I knew she was hurting without having to ask her. I was in tune with everything about her. I always had been.

“Baby doll.”

Aideen burst into tears, then turned and rushed into my arms. I hugged her body to mine, waiting until she was all cried out to lean down and plant kisses on her face. She clung to me like she needed me to get through this moment.

“If we didn’t interrupt ‘im, he’d have lost his virginity. I heard ‘im say that.” She sniffled. “He’s too young, Kane.”

“I know,” I said, smoothing her hair back from her face. “He knows he fucked up.”

“I couldn’t even look at ‘im when he came to apologise to me,” Aideen cried. “I’m so mad at ‘im. Doesn’t he realise how easy it is to catch a disease? Or to get a woman pregnant? I don’t want his life to be—”

“Baby, relax,” I said, squeezing her tight. “He knows he messed up, and he’s grounded for it. We can both sit down with him later and discuss it, but please, don’t worry about him. We caught him before anything could happen.”

Aideen’s shoulders slumped. “He told me he’d tell me when he started likin’ girls. I had it all figured out in me head. You would have a one-on-one talk with ‘im. Not the brief facts of life ye’ gave him a few years ago, but somethin’ proper so he would be aware of the responsibilities that come with havin’ sex.”

I sighed. “He’s aware of the dangers of sex now, trust me.”

Aideen used her hands to wipe away her tears. The movements caused my eyes to shift to her arms. The burn scar on her forearm always made my chest hurt whenever I looked at it. It was a constant reminder that I once came close to losing her and Jax, who was in her belly at the time, when she was attacked by Big Phil, a nightmare from my past. But I eventually got revenge by taking his life.

“The boys are still down in Harley’s apartment,” she said, retaking my focus. “I’ll go get them. It’s almost dinnertime. They probably have me brother’s head melted.”

My brother-in-law had looked after my sons for close to two hours, so I had no doubt he needed a break from them. He did us a solid, though, taking our kids when he already had two of his own to look after. Game days were always a little crazy because we only had two sons in the same age group, but we somehow made it work. Jax was on the sixteen and under team with Locke who was fifteen. Beckett at eleven was on the under twelve team, Jagger at nine was on the under ten team, and Eli, who was seven, played on the eight and under team.

They had been like a herd of elephants just after seven in the morning, which baffled me because the first match, Eli’s game, didn’t start until after ten. Once they were all dressed in their gear and had their own soccer bags with all the essentials inside, we left our home and met up with my brothers and nephews down at the soccer fields next to the team clubhouse. As usual, Alec wasn’t there because he was banned from attending any of the kid’s games, home or away, for two years.

Damien and Ryder filled us in on the bullshit he pulled that morning with Alannah, and it started our day off with laughter. An hour later, the older boys won their games, and the younger kids lost theirs, which led to a lot of arguments about who was at fault and many unhappy faces. Our families split up afterwards, and Dominic took his boys out to see a movie and to eat after they showered in the clubhouse.

After’s Damien’s boys washed the grime and sweat away, they left to go and collect Alannah, who was finishing up her Saturday art class at the community centre. Ryder, the poor fucker, didn’t have time to make sure his kids and Alec’s kids were washed and dressed. Instead, he hustled them in his mini bus and drove home, no doubt dying for some peace and quiet. My three youngest, however, refused to shower because Jax and Locke made them believe the water was tainted with the sweat of dead soccer players who roamed the clubhouse grounds angry with whoever lost a game.

They stunk to hell and back, so much so that I opened all the windows in my car as I drove them home. After we got home, and they showered, all five of them went down to Harley’s apartment. He was the only remaining Collins brother to live in my building. Not long after the kids went down to his place, Aideen called him to send them back up because we had to go grocery shopping, but Harley was cool with them being in his home, so we went shopping.

Jax obviously took this opportunity to try to get some with his female friend.

“Hey?”

Aideen looked up at me.

“It’ll be okay, you know?”

She nodded. “I know, I think I’m just in shock at what we saw if I’m bein’ honest.”

“It’ll pass,” I said. “We’ll tease him about this when he is older.”

“A lot older.”

I chuckled and slapped her ass, making her jump then laugh as she left our apartment to retrieve our tribe. When I was alone, I pre-heated the oven, then got all the food I planned to cook out of the freezer. As I waited, I walked into the living, pausing to look at the many photos on the wall. I looked at my wedding photo, and I could remember that day like it was yesterday. I had worn a black suit, and Aideen had worn a beautiful plain white dress for our courthouse wedding.

She looked so beautiful; it still took my breath away. My eyes slid to the pictures of our kids, then pictures of me and my laughing brothers. I lingered on my brothers for a moment and felt myself smile. I wasn’t sure if they knew it or not, but they were the reason I had a wife and kids to love and adore. Growing up in a family with loveless parents would have completely ruined me had it not been for my brothers. We had been through the wringer, each of us hurting in our own way, but we came out on top.

Nothing could keep us down for very long.

Nothing.