The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) (28 page)
Read The Absolution of Aidan (The Syndicate Series Book 3) Online
Authors: Kathy Coopmans
Tags: #General Fiction
Her heart, I know, was shattered the most. All of ours were and still are.
Dilan. He survived, barely. He lost so much blood. It took three long days for him to wake up, and once he did, he was in and out of it for at least a week longer. His parents never left his side, until they no longer had a choice.
He took off once he was released from the hospital. Not like Deidre did last year. He told us where he was going. He needed to get away. That night destroyed him like it did me. He needed a clean break and all that shit. I understand needing time, but he’s a liar and a coward. You cannot fool another fool and all that shit.
Where he needed the escape, I stayed around my family. I know there’s more to it than guilt eating away at him though. Something was spoken between him and Anna on that walk, I know it. Something that made him want to take off. Dilan, like all the rest of us, is a family man. So whatever was spoken must have been too much for him to handle.
Deidre told me the conversation she had with Anna earlier in the evening before hell swept in and tried to take us all into the depths of eternal fire. Dilan heard Anna talking about him. She doesn’t buy it, either. Anna refuses to talk about it with anyone. When Dilan calls, he doesn’t call me. He calls Roan or his parents. Never me.
Again, none of my business. But we all hate this for Anna. The woman had it bad for him, or I should say has. Even though nothing happened between the two of them, I get it when you feel a connection so strong towards another person that it eats away at you until you feel like there’s nothing left to hold on to. No give. She tried to date, not sure what happened there. Well, if you call a couple of dates dating. Some doctor who works with Alina. Total opposite of Dilan. Needless to say, we all think she’s still hoping he’ll come back. He may come back, but I know damn well he’s been up to no good. I also know Salvatore. There is no way he doesn’t have someone on Dilan’s tail. Watching his every move. Especially when he spent a few years in prison. That’s a whole sordid fucked-up mess of a story.
Both she and Grace work at The Bakery. Live in my old apartment. And the money she inherited from her father? She donated it to the hospital. The children’s wing. She’s a saint. A warrior. And my family. Dilan needs his ass beat as far as I’m concerned. Idiot.
“Enough of this bullshit, buddy. We need to get ready.” Yup, I still swear a lot. Mostly in my head. Every once in a while, the shit spews out. It’s the way I am. If Diesel wants to swear, then let him. I’ll teach him the when and the where he can say it. The words he can and can’t say.
“Dadada,” he shakes his head, but raises his arms to me anyway.
“Love you, buddy.” In return, I get one of his sloppy kisses planted on the side of my face.
Again. I love it.
***
“If I walk funny down the aisle today, its all your fault,” Deidre rasps out, pressing her finger into my chest. “Whatever. Get out of here. Have fun. Diesel and I will see the two of you at the church.” I then kiss her, breathlessly, I might add. Then bend down and kiss my son, who’s still baking away inside his mother’s womb. We found out it was a boy a little over a month ago. I’ve given her shit about it ever since. Told her I may start up a second professional Detroit baseball team.
That shit didn’t go over well. We ended up compromising finally on this baseball feud right after that. She caved, like I knew she would. Took a little longer for her stubborn ass to give in, but she did. Diesel has a Yankee bedroom now. I loved the Harley room, told her we could keep it. But she wouldn’t listen, she made our feud over baseball into a feud I know will surely start with our boys. Wicked woman that she is. Her response when I told her that was. “Maybe will be living in Pennsylvania by then. Our kids will have to love the Pittsburgh Pirates. They can’t go to school wearing Yankees and Tigers.” God, I love her.
Our soon to be born son Harley will have the Detroit Tigers room. Little does she know once we get around to decorating his room, there will be a television on the wall. Right along with three chairs for me and my boys. Hell, I may even put one of those No Girls Allowed stickers on his door just to rile her ass.
Again. I love it.
Which leads me to now. I watch her walk out the door and head straight to her car in the driveway of our new home. No more apartment-living for my family. My kids need a yard, a place where I can toss the ball around with them. Where they can run around, do whatever they want. Be kids. And know without a shadow of a doubt that both of their parents love them and will make their childhood one they will happily remember.
I shut the door to my new home. My son is lying in the middle of the kitchen floor, his head across the back of our dog, Princess. I roll my eyes at the name. We adopted her a few months ago. She’s a two-year-old yellow lab, and Diesel’s best friend. He’ll forget about everyone else, including me, whenever she’s by him. Not today, though. I need to get us both ready. But first, I need to make a phone call.
“Come on, Princess,” I call out to her after I pick Diesel up off the floor. He grunts. Says his famous word, “Damnit.” Then his arms are out, his body twisting at whatever angle he can get to make sure Princess is following behind us.
Of course she is. I lay him down on the floor. He crawls right to her and plops himself back on her body the minute she lies down. She licks him, and his sweet joyous giggles have me smiling.
“Hey, man. How you holding up?” I tease Roan the minute he answers. “Ready to make her my wife,” he boosts. “Any word?” I hate to bring this up on his wedding day, but hell, we’ve all been worried about Dilan since he left. He calls whenever he wants to, is living life on the road, in Colorado somewhere.
“Nothing.” I hear the disappointment in his voice. Dilan promised he would show up for this wedding. I will personally kick his ass if he doesn’t.
“Sorry, man. I’ll be at the church soon.” I hang up, shaking my head at the damn fool Dilan is becoming in my mind. He needs to pull his head out of his ass and be here for his cousin’s wedding. It’s a small wedding. Family and close friends only. Deidre and Cain are standing up for the two of them, along with Deidre’s college friend Joelle and myself.
Gathering my big boy off the floor and his dog, I make my way out to my truck as I nod at my neighbor, who’s loading his three kids into a goddamn minivan. Fucking vans. I ought to blow that bitch up.
Once he’s all buckled in, I strap myself in the front seat, crank on the engine, and crank up the stereo. “Ready to jam, buddy?” I place my hand on the passenger seat, twisting my head to look at him and back out of the drive.
And we jam to The Black Moods, some AC/DC, and my boy’s new favorite Michigan native Kid Rock. It’s a wonderful motherfucking day.
“Let’s go find mommy.” I tell Diesel, tugging all of his winter garb off of him the minute we step into the church. I stop. My eyes scan her from head to toe. Mine is the only word I can think of.
“Let me take him.” I stride to her. He goes into her arms for all of ten seconds before her mom and dad load up next to us and steal him away.
“You’re beautiful, baby.” My god. She’s radiant. And all mine. Her dark green dress clings to her belly. Her breasts have my mouth watering. But it’s her face that has me captivated the most. Those eyes are sparkling. She’s glowing.
“I love you, Aidan Hughes,” she whispers, leans up, and presses a kiss to my mouth.
“I love you, too.” I wink then take my place at the altar, alongside my brothers.
The music starts, and it’s in that moment I look around at the people sitting in the pews. Everyone is dressed impeccably.
All but one. The man sitting in the far corner with the over-grown hair, and the dark sunglasses on. Dilan. And that son of a bitch is not alone. Fuck, no, he’s not. He’s with Jazmin Maria Carlos. The daughter of the Mexican Mafia. The worst enemy of the Diamonds and the Solokovs. What in the fuck?
There are so many people to thank for this book.
First of all always and forever to my husband Tony. The man I am honored to share my life with. To me you are the perfect example of a man, a father and a husband. You stand beside me with outstretched arms waiting to embrace me every day. After all these years together, I’m still so incredibly in love with you.
My children. You’ve grown up. How I wish that time would stand still, even for one day just so I could hug you and tell you all how incredibly proud I am of you. Someday soon we will all be together, until that day comes. I live for your phone calls, your text messages showing me your lives. You inspire me to live my dream because you are all living yours.
To my editor Julia Goda. You came to me at the right time. You put up with my ADD quirks. You take the ball and run with it woman. AND YOU SCORE!
To CP Smith. My formatter. Thank god for you. You my love are a life- savor.
To Sommer Stein. Words don’t do your work justice. Again I have a brilliant cover. You amaze me with the talent you have.
To my blog girls. Oh lord. We could spend days going on about the four of us. But let’s just say my life is complete now that I have you.
To My BETA readers. Lord only knows what I would be doing if it wasn’t for you. You ladies catch the tiniest detail, the simplest mistake and the whoopers. You push me to be better and not one of you are afraid to tell me like it is. That’s love right there. That’s trust and a friendship that will be carried for the rest of my life.
Hilary Storm. God, where do I even begin with you? This past year we have grown so close. I feel like I have a younger sister. One I can confide in. Bitch to and listen to in return. This is our year woman. We are going to rock this shit out.
Eric Battershell and Burton Hughes. My photographer and cover model. OH MY FLIPPING GOD. Truth is in the eyes and the minute mine dropped on this photo all I could think of was good lord he did it again and with Burton. A man who captured my Aidan perfectly.
To all my girls who are constantly posting and pimping my name everywhere. How can I even begin to thank you? You ladies put so much time and effort into what you do and expect nothing in return. You’re selfless and it show every day. I would be nothing and nowhere without you.
To every reader, blogger out there. Sweet baby Jesus, you have all welcomed me. Helped me become what I’ve always wanted to be. You read my stories, you message me with thanks when in reality it should be me thanking you. For without you, where would any of us who write be? Lost, empty and not living a dream. Not doing what we love to do and that is bringing the best stories into your world. Thank you for embracing my work. For the reviews. For the sweet gestures. I adore you.
And lastly. To my sanity, my helper, my friend Helena Rizzuto. I’d have my head buried in the snow by now if it wasn’t for you. The ideas you toss my way. The way you jump and have something done before I even ask you about it. The way you’ve come into my life and pulled those reins tight and took control. I adore you Helena. You are the greatest thing to have stalked me. HA!
Please leave a review for Aidan and Deidre when you are done. Those reviews help Authors more than you will know.
Until next time,
Kathy.
The Shelter Me Series
The Contrite Duet
The Syndicate Series
The Absolution of Aidan
Late winter of 2016
The Deliverance of Dilan
Spring of 2016
