CHAPTER 4: Faylinn

My head barely comes up to my brother's chest as he slams into me and wraps his arms around me. Fuck, he grew up. He's got to be at least six-foot-five now and hard as a damn rock. I can't hug him tight enough, though. Pain shoots through my entire body, and I don't give a shit. Deep down, I never thought I'd see him again, let alone get to hug him. When he pulls away, he grabs my face just like Finn did on the road, and his eyes roam over my face and body.

"Holy fuck, you're here. You're alive. Fuck, I can't believe it," he says with such awe that I can't form words.

"Faylinn," someone screams from across the room. My brother moves, and I set my eyes on a beautiful young woman with hazel eyes and sleek, ear-length blonde hair. Fifteen years and I'd know that face anywhere.

"Hey, Banshee. Long-time no-see." I take off toward her, and she runs, wrapping her arms around me, erupting into tears. I squeeze Carrigan against me and let her cry. I haven't cried in years, so even though my emotions are running high, they aren't that high.

"Oh, great, now there's two bitches to deal with," a venomous voice says from behind Carrigan.

I stop rubbing her back and carefully push her away, my eyes landing on a woman standing with a small group. She's about my height, wearing a tight bra that her tits are almost spilling out of and spandex shorts so tight I can practically see her uterus through them. Even this late at night, her makeup is caked on pretty thick, and her lipstick is smeared. I let my eyes roam over the other girls, lingering for a second on one girl at the end that quietly has tears streaming down her face. I let that face go and focus back on the one that ran her mouth.

As men file in from the back, I ignore them and walk up to the one that just called Carrigan and me bitches. "What's your name?"

"Spanx," she says, crossing her arms over her chest, looking me up and down in disgust.

"Huh." I turn my upper body like I'm going to walk away but spin back and slam my fist into the side of her face. Her nose crunches under the hit, and she falls to the floor with a scream, her hands going up to cover her face. "Now they can call you Busted."

I flex my fingers, turning my attention to the other girls' shocked faces. "My name is Faylinn O'Shea, and if any of you ever call an ol' lady, exclusive, or legacy, another fucking name, I'll break your jaws so fucking bad the only thing you'll be sucking is your food through a straw."

Most of them just stare at the floor. I turn my attention to the girl at the end, who's now shaking with quiet laughter. Walking over to her with my arms open, she steps forward and hugs me. "Hey, Caelan."

She rubs her hands up and down my back. "Welcome back, Faylinn. I'm going to bed. We'll catch up after you're rested. You look like shit."

I can't help the laugh that comes out. It might be the first real laugh I've had in fifteen years. "Tomorrow." I let her go, and she turns, tapping a shorter, black-haired girl on the shoulder, and together, they head back down the hallway. As I turn back toward Carrigan, the other clubwhores tend to Spanx. I stop short at the look of fear plastered on Carrigan's face.

"What?" I say, trying to get myself to relax. I've been on constant edge for the last fifteen years, and I don't know how to turn that off.

"Not that I'm not impressed, but since when can you break someone's nose with one hit?"

I tilt my head and shrug. "It's been fifteen years, Carrigan. I'm not the same person I was when we were eighteen."

She nods and slowly walks back to the large group of men standing with Dire and Shamrock. Just as I reach them, the clubhouse doors fly open, and I jump back, instantly defensive— until my eyes move to two pairs that match my own. My other two brothers come barreling in and take turns hugging me. Dermot, my middle brother, better known to the club as Timber, is almost as tall as Dire now and built like a tank. Holy shit. Eoin, or Grey, is a few inches shorter and just as muscled but not as bulky, with red hair matching mine.

"Where's Medic?" Grey asks, hugging me again. "Why isn't he looking her over?"

Finn, who I can't think of as Shamrock yet, chuckles. "He ran to fix Spanx's nose real quick."

Grey looks from me to Finn, confused. "What happened to her nose?"

"Faylinn broke it when Spanx called Carrigan a bitch," Dire says with something that sounds like pride in his voice.

Grey steps back and stares at me. "Where'd you learn to throw punches?"

I look down at the floor and tuck my hair behind my ears. I know the inquisitions are coming, and I'm not ready. "Devils Den makes its money cage fighting. I was their fighter."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Timber roars. "That's what you've been doing for fifteen years?"

I crack my neck and take a deep breath. "Among other things."

"What does that mean," Finn asks, stepping closer to me.

"Don't," I say as I shake my head and take a step back, and he freezes.

"Baby?" His voice is so soft, and the memory of us making out against the tree out front flashes through my mind. That's the voice that used to make me feel a million things. Used to make me question everything I wanted in life. But all those dreams, all the things I wanted, are gone. I can't have them now because I'm not me anymore. I don't know who the hell I am outside of being Inferno's prisoner.

"I'm not ready to have this discussion. And who's Medic?" I finally look up at the brothers.

"That would be me," a smooth voice behind me says. I turn to find a clean-shaven man with tan skin, light brown, short-cropped hair, and dark blue eyes staring at me. He's wearing dark jeans and a tight, plain black t-shirt. He stops in front of me and holds his hand out. "Aiden Doyle, but the club calls me Medic. I'm Shamrock's cousin."

"Military medic background, I'm assuming," I say after I let go of his hand.

He chuckles. "At one time. I have my doctorate and went to medical school. I keep my licenses up to date, so technically, I'm still Doctor Doyle, but Medic sounds better. Let's get you checked out so you can rest, okay? And try not to hit me. Spanx is going to have one fucked up face come tomorrow."

I snort-laugh and follow him toward the hallway, Shamrock and Dire on my heels. If they're about to follow me into the room, they're not going to like what they hear.