Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4)

BOOK: Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4)
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Protector

 

By: Jessica Wilde

 

Copyright © 2015 Jessica Wilde

 

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce,
distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means without written consent
from the author.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,
and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or
dead, is coincidental.

 

 

Cover photo from Shutterstock.com

Cover design by Jessica Wilde

 

ISBN-13: 978-1514699454

 

 

Other titles by Jessica Wilde

 

Every One of Me

 

Our Time

 

The Brannock Siblings Series

Leverage (The Brannock Siblings, #1)

Conned (The Brannock Siblings, #2)

Missing (The Brannock Siblings, #3)

 

Rise & Fall Series

Ricochet (Rise & Fall, #1)

 

 

 

For Dad,

Liam Brannock was inspired by you.

Every day I'm grateful to have you as my father.

I love you with all my heart.

 

 

For the readers that have been with me since Lucas and
Ash,

The readers that have welcomed the Brannock family as
their own.

This one is for you.

 

 

Prologue

Liam

"Izzy, my love. I wish you could see this."

Liam couldn't take his eyes away from his children. All six
of them.

Aislinn was glowing in the white dress she had deemed as
'perfection' and the noticeable bump over her abdomen had been rubbed and poked
about a thousand times already. Lucas looked like he was about to devour her
every time she stepped into his line of vision. It would normally be something
that would cause Liam to see red, but now, he just rolled his eyes. The two
would be popping out the majority of his grandchildren with the way they were
always pawing at each other.

Conall and Emily were inseparable. His oldest son didn't
have the ability to
not
touch his girlfriend and that was alright with
him. It reminded him of the way it had been with his Izzy the first months of
their lives together. Being without her was always painful. Still was.

Emily beamed at Con every time he looked at her. They fit
well together. He was strong and silent with a wild side that was only meant to
be seen by the people he trusted most; his family and the woman he loved more
than life. Emily had helped him open up, but Liam was positive she never wanted
him to change. His stoic manner was definitely
not
unappreciated.

Liam was anxious to see the look on Emily's face when Con
popped the question tonight. He had cleared it with Ash and Luke, not wanting
to take the attention from them on their special day, and Ash had about burst
with happiness.

Conall looked his way and Liam nodded. His boy was nervous,
but it wouldn't stop him. Emily was his forever.

He moved his steady gaze to the dance floor where Fergus was
swinging around a giggling Aidy. The little girl had become the brightest light
in the Brannock's home over the last week. He had been relieved that Lily
agreed to come and stay with them for a while, just to get away. Her boyfriend,
Chad, accompanied her and it was satisfying to have a full house once again.
The last week was a party filled with long nights reminiscing and plenty of
Tullamore Dew to go around.

Gus lifted Aidy into his arms and kissed her loudly on the
cheek. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back before letting out a
string of giggles when he spun her around. When the song ended and a slower one
began, he let the little one run back to the other children attending the
reception, his eyes stayed on her until he was certain she was surrounded by
people who would watch over her.

The little fire in her eyes hadn't faded and Liam knew how
lucky they were that little Aidy wasn't suffering from what happened to her.
Being taken by a lunatic had made her wary, but it didn't stop her from smiling
and making everyone around her roar with laughter. Lily was one of the most
loving mothers Liam had ever seen. They would be just fine.

Then there was Aiden. The beautiful, fiery red head that had
stolen his youngest son's heart. She was perfect for him,
made
for him.
He only wished that his son hadn't been the asshole he admitted to being for
the first few months they'd known each other.

Everything happens for a reason.

Their relationship was full of passion, but it was the
strength they gave each other that had been the foundation. She never faltered
when he needed her. His job wasn't the easiest and it was difficult not to
bring that home, but he was good at it. After getting Aidy back and discovering
what happened to Donny Marks so long ago, he was more determined than ever to
make sure he and his department did whatever it took. He was dedicated and the
pride in Aiden's eyes made Liam all the more confident that their life together
would be beautiful.

She'd taken all the wedding pictures with the help of her
sister and Ash had refused to let her take any once the reception started. It
was difficult to hold her camera, but Aiden was determined to give her future
sister-in-law the pictures she wanted. Luke suggested handing the camera off to
Lily who had been happy to oblige. With some prodding, Aiden gave in.

Gus moved across the dance floor until he found his stunning
fiancé who was chatting with Luke's mother.

It was a huge shock to see the woman show up at the ceremony
and Luke hadn't wanted to hope. Ash had gone behind his back and invited her,
saying that his mother
wanted
to be a part of his life, she just didn't
know how. She lost herself when she lost his father, something Ash continued to
try and explain to her now husband. Seeing Luke warily embrace the woman who
had abandoned him so long ago was a good sign. Liam had a feeling that the next
few months would be difficult for the man that had become such a huge part of
his beautiful family. With a child on the way, a wife that could test the
patience of a saint, and a mother who suddenly made an appearance after years
of disappointment, Lucas Shade was going to have his hands full.

When Gus made it to Aiden's side, she excused herself and
let him pull her to a stand. It had only been two weeks since she was released
from the hospital and the movement in her arm was still painful. The jagged
scar over her collar bone was visible with the dress she wore. The stitches had
been removed, but it still looked red and raw and would for a long time.

Gus pulled her onto the dance floor and started swaying to
the slow song blaring over the speakers. Aiden smiled up at him and subtly
adjusted her dress, self conscious about her injury. Gus bent his head and
kissed the raised skin until she relaxed. Once it was forgotten, the couple
held each other close and she laughed at whatever it was Gus was whispering to
her.

Liam felt peace. His family was whole and healthy. His
children had found the love that Isabelle prayed would come to them.

Isabelle.

God, he missed her.

Every day was harder than the last, but every day he felt
her near and every day he loved her more. Seeing her in every single one of his
children was a relief. She'd been the joy of their lives and he worshipped her.

They had a rough start, but it was worth the pain. Worth the
fight.

Fergus had asked him for more details about the man that
hurt his mother so long ago, but Liam hadn't been ready to tell his son more.
It was a dark time for him and his Izzy, but it was necessary to reach the love
and happiness they lived for so many years since.

"See your children, my love. They live every day with
you in their hearts. Thank you for teaching them what love means, what family
means," he said under his breath as he watched Gus and Aiden join Ash and
Luke at the side of the stage.

It was time.

Liam stood from his seat and went to join his children as
they witnessed another joyful event this day.

"Oh Daddy, he looks so nervous," Ash whispered.

"I know, my beauty. He
should
be nervous."

She playfully smacked his shoulder with a giggle before Luke
pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. His hand rested protectively
over their unborn child. A girl. Isabelle Mairenn Shade. Lucas cried the day
they found out, but no one else knew about that. Not even Aislinn. He had gone
to Liam the minute he and Ash returned from the doctor, and broke down in front
of him. Lucas had adored Isabelle and it was just as hard on him to lose her.
She'd given him a life he never could have had without her.

When his tears dried up, Luke had said, "We'll raise
her the same way Isabelle would have. We'll make sure she knows who her
grandmother was and how much she loved us all."

Liam had cried with him,
and
after
Luke left.

"Oh, God. He looks like he's going to faint,"
Aiden muttered with an anxious expression.

"Good," Gus chuckled.

Luke laughed right along with him.

Aiden elbowed Gus in the ribs, making him bend over with an
'oof'. "That's not very nice. He's your brother. Don't tell me you weren't
scared when you asked me."

"I wasn't," he replied innocently.

"Then why did you ask me
right after
the nurse
drugged me?"

Gus smiled wickedly and leaned in to kiss her, "Because
I was terrified you'd say no. I would have spent the rest of my life on my
knees trying to convince you to say yes. It was the easiest way, Baby."

She scowled, but it didn't hold any power. In the next
second, she kissed him sweetly and patted his cheek. "You're good."

"I learned from the best," Gus replied with a jerk
of his head toward Liam. "Watching him deal with my mother was the
smartest thing we ever did as kids. I learned
all
the tricks."

Aiden looked over at Liam with a loving smile before she
stepped forward and kissed his cheek.

"Ah, my little fire, he doesn't know
all
my
tricks, but those cannot be taught. He will have to learn them on his
own."

She beamed at the now familiar nick name he'd given her. It
was quite fitting seeing as how she was never lacking sass and always causing
trouble right along with Gus.

The music stopped and all eyes turned to the stage where
Conall was holding the microphone with one hand and his other was buried in the
pocket of his tux.

"I wanted to congratulate Ash and Luke on this special
day," Conall said confidently. "You two deserve the best and I wish
you a wonderful life together with many years of laughter and happiness.
Ash," he called, searching her out in the crowd until he found her next to
the stage. "I love you, kid."

Aislinn smiled with tears in her eyes and blew her brother a
kiss.

"I, umm…" he cleared his throat nervously and
shifted on his feet. "I wanted to ask a very special woman a very
important question. Emily, will you come up here, please?"

Emily, who was on the other side of the stage snuggling with
Aidy on her lap, looked up in surprise before standing and making her way to
the stage. Her blonde hair glistened in the lights and the flush on her cheeks
made her glow.

When she reached Conall's side, he took her hand and kissed
her palm. Then he dropped down on one knee and pulled out the tiny box that had
been burning a hole in his pocket for the last two months.

"Emily. I loved you before I ever heard you speak. I
loved you more when you smiled at me for the first time and lost the rest of my
heart when you drunk kissed me in my father's backyard."

The crowd laughed, Gus and Luke gave each other high fives
and Ash loudly said, "You're welcome!"

Emily already had tears in her beautiful green eyes.

"I know I'm hard to talk to sometimes, but I swear to
you I'm always listening. You're my better half and without you, I'll never be
whole. Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?"

Silence.

You could hear a pin drop as Emily gazed down at Conall with
so much unwavering love.

"Yes!" she cried. "Yes!"

His smile was like nothing Liam had ever seen before. He
slipped the diamond ring he had stressed over onto her finger and lifted her in
his arms with a hungry kiss. She held his face in her hands and kissed him back
vigorously.

Cat calls sounded from the back of the reception hall and
applause exploded as the couple easily forgot about all the people around them.

Liam felt a sting in his nose as tears threatened. Seeing
his children so happy… it was what he and Isabelle always wanted.

It was only an hour later that the crowd began to thin and
Liam found himself back at one of the tables with his family. Emily was in
Conall's lap, Luke and Ash were pressed close together, and Gus and Aiden were
laughing about whatever story it was they were remembering. Lily had gone back
to the house with Chad and a sleeping Aidy only minutes before.

"I wish mom was here," Ash sighed. "She would
have loved this."

Liam smiled, a warm tingle running through his blood.
"She's here, my beauty. She's always here."

"Will you tell us about her, Liam?" Aiden asked
quietly. "How did you two meet?"

Every pair of eyes landed on him, waiting anxiously for the
story he'd only ever given vague details about, at Izzy's request. The memory
of the first time he ever laid eyes on his Isabelle was one he would never
forget.

Gus was the only one that knew the few dark details Izzy
hadn't wanted to share with her children until they were ready. Not because she
felt it was a weakness, but because she hadn't wanted to taint their lives with
darkness. But the things they went through together made their love for each
other that much stronger.

Was it the time
now
?

"Go ahead, my love. Let them know our story. Help
them understand why my love for them will never falter, even in death."

He closed his eyes, the whisper of her voice in his mind. He
wanted to hold her, just one more time. He would. One day.

"The first time I saw Isabelle Moore was the first time
I realized that love isn't just a feeling… it's an action. She was
exquisite…"

 

BOOK: Protector (The Brannock Siblings Book 4)
6.96Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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