Aedan: Harrison Ambush – Erotic Tiger Shapeshifter Romance by Kathi S. Barton Page B

for you being the only sane brother in the family. At the very least, the most romantic.”
    “If I told you that I don’t have any idea why I acted the way that I did, are you going to hit me again?” She told him she’d have to think on it and put out her hand to help him up. “Storm, how are they, how is Paddy?”
    “Sitting by her bedside, holding her hand like it’s the only reason that he’s breathing. We’re still trying to figure out what happened. There is some speculation that the other driver went left of center. But I’m not buying that shit. And Paddy isn’t saying a word. He just sits there looking all of his years.” Aedan took her hand then and was lifted up. “You hurt them both, you know that, don’t you? When I went to see what I could do, neither of them said a word, but I knew it was you. Then I talked to your parents. You hurt them as well.”
    “Yes. I know it now. I need to go to see them, but Paddy and Nikki first.” He handed her the album. “Read this. And I’m going to change into something nicer. When I get back, will you give me a ride to the hospital? I don’t think that I could be safe on the roads right now.”
    “Yes. But don’t be surprised to find your family there and ready to tar your ass up and roll you in broken glass. I might yet help them.” He wondered if she knew it was tarred and feathered, but was afraid to ask. Instead he went to his room and pulled on clothing. He had a lot of making up to do, and he was going to start now. When he went back to the living room, Storm looked up from the article she was reading. “I had no idea.”
    “Yeah, me either. But then I never gave her the chance, now did I?” Aedan pulled on his boots. “I need some favors. I need some security here and at the hospital. And someone to look into this Adkins guy.”
    “Hospital is secure. The other houses are being watched too. I wasn’t sure if I cared if you were hurt or not, so I only have a few watching over here. But I’m upgrading that now. As for the Adkins guy, I have that in a file you can read when we get to the hospital.” He thanked her. “What changed your mind?”
    He took the album and gave it back to her with the picture of Nikki and her grandda at the end of a pier with a fish between them. They were both smiling, and an air of love seemed to surround them both. Storm asked him why this one.
    “That’s the day that her grandma passed away. If you read the back of the picture, after making the arrangements to have her funeral, he gathered up his granddaughter and took her out there to help with the pain. He wrote on the back, ‘fishing away the pain on this horrific day.’” She pulled it out and read it. Then she looked at him. “My grandda, before he died a long time ago, he told me once that should you ever find yourself in over your head, you should drown some worms. Not fish…he always said drown worms. That’s just what they did. Went out there to ease their sorrow and drown worms together. The fish, I would imagine, was an unexpected bonus. Like she is going to be in my life.”
    “You think it’ll be that easy? To bring her around after what you did to her?” He shook his head. “Yeah, I don’t think so either. She’s hard as nails, and scares me just a little too.”
    “Say it’s not so.” She punched him in the arm. “I have to fix this. I’m going to grovel like I’ve never done before. Beg her to let me try again, and in the meantime, try not to get my head blown off in the process.”
    “I don’t think you’re going to be able to make all of that happen.” He said nothing, hoping she meant the first things on his list and not the last. He really didn’t want to be shot. “I’ll help you. A little. But if you fuck up again, you’re dead. Not a threat, Aedan, but a promise. I will find someone to kill you and no one will ever know it was me.”
    He wasn’t even thinking she was joking. Aedan doubted very much she knew how