Aidan by L.K. Shaw

 

Aidan, an all-new smoking-hot, mafia standalone romance from bestselling author L.K.Shaw is available now!

At twenty-eight, I’m not supposed to be raising my three orphaned siblings and trying to run our family’s pub alone.
When dangerous men come to collect on Da’s debt—one I can’t pay—I go to the only person who might be able to help. My closest friend, Aidan.

Only he’s not who he says he is.

As a member of the Donnelly family, and the biggest crime organization in Dublin, he’s able to pay off the debt and keep my siblings and me safe.

His price?
Marriage.

Start reading today→ https://books2read.com/u/mgN61v

Add to Goodreads→ https://bit.ly/3pWp4xt

Keep reading for a look inside Aidan!

“Should we wake her?” a stage whisper filters through my awareness.
I drag my eyes open, blinking slowly with the effort, and a figure appears. Three figures to be exact. My brain finally catches up with my vision. Kellen, Carson, and Aisling stand over me. Sunlight filters through the windows, and I squint against its brightness. I shade my face. “What time is it?”
“Half seven,” Carson answers.
“Shit.” I jump up.
The kids need to get to school, and I need to get ready to meet Aidan. “Boys, go get your bags packed.”
I rush into the kitchen to make them breakfast, but they stop me.
“We already did,” Kellen says.
“We ate breakfast, too.”
They did? Sure enough, dirty bowls are in the sink and the box of cereal is still sitting on the counter. Along with the milk. With a sigh, I put both of them back where they belong.
“You spilled your drink, but we cleaned it.” That’s Carson.
I turn back. What drink? Fuzzy memories of last night come back of me checking on Aisling, the boys going to bed, and then me sitting on the couch. With a beer. Shit, I can’t believe I fell asleep. Actually, yes, I can. The late nights of staring at the accounting books and trying to come up with a solution clearly caught up with me.
“Thank you for doing that.”
Aisling comes to stand in front of me with her lips down-turned. “You didn’t read to me like you promised.”
I kneel down to her level. Her hair has been brushed, and from the bright pink skirt with white polka-dots and white shirt with purple horizontal stripes, it’s obvious she picked her own outfit. “I’m sorry. You were sleeping so sweetly, I didn’t want to wake you up.” “But you promised,”she says, her voice plaintive. A burst of anger at the unfairness of everything bubbles up inside me, but I bite it back. It’s not Aisling’s fault. She’s just a little girl who lost her Da. You lost him, too. I hush the ugly voice.
“I’m sorry.” I brush back a curl dipping down onto her forehead. “Next time I’ll read you two stories.”
Seemingly satisfied, she nods, but I’m not sure she believes me.
I stand. “Alright, let’s get you off to school.”
Once I’ve made sure everyone’s bags are actually packed, we head down the stairs, through the darkened pub, and out onto the street. The sound of gulls fills the air, along with the familiar and comfortable scent of the ocean. Aisling holds my hand while the twins bicker with each other several yards ahead.
Out on the water, fishing boats move away from the shore and toward the silhouette of several islands in the distance. There’s a pang of longing in my chest to be somewhere else. This is my home, and I love it. But I never expected to spend my whole life here. “Are you going to come get me after school?”
I glance down at Aisling. “I have to be at the pub. The boys will walk home with you.”I make a mental note to remind them.
“Okay.”
I hate the defeat in her tone, but there’s nothing I can do. Someone has to take care of the business and the only one around to do it is me. Thankfully the school is only a short walk from the pub and after our goodbyes and the three of them disappear inside, I rush back to the flat. I take a quick shower, throw on my clothes, and pull my hair up into a ponytail. A smidge of vanity has me dabbing on some pink lip gloss and a bit of mascara. There’s not much I can do for the dark circles.
By the time I make it out the door, I have fifteen minutes to reach my destination. Which, in a village as small as Burtonport, is plenty of time. I wave at the few villagers I pass on my way to the small cafe. Aidan’s waiting outside at one of the picnic tables. It’s the perfect weather to be sitting out here, actually. The sky is clear, although it’s a bit gray in the distance, but for the time being, it’s lovely.
When he spots me, he smiles and stands. I can’t help but appreciate the way his shirt pulls across his chest and upper arms. Or how his waist narrows and how snug his jeans fit. I suppose to some, Aidan might be intimidating with all the tattoos that decorate his upper body, covering the entirety of both arms and the back of each hand and all ten fingers. Especially the one that crawls up the front of his neck and wraps around both sides. But to me, they’re just a part of him.
“Good morning.” He pulls me in for a giant hug. It’s how he always greets me.
I squeeze him back, breathing in the woodsy scent that clings to him, and absorb the warmth of his body. “Morning.”
Aidan draws back and his eyes track down me. I can’t hold back a small shiver. Please, don’t let him notice. “You look nice.”
I relax. “Thanks, so do you.”
We take a seat and a minute later, Fiona comes out. “Morning, Sorcha. Aidan. The usual?”
“Yes, please.”
Aidan nods. Every once in a while, I’m tempted to surprise her by ordering something different, but not today. I need today to be like any other visit from him. Where my Da isn’t gone, I don’t have to parent three children, and I don’t have to worry about losing everything.

For more information about L.K. Shaw and her books, visit her website:
https://www.lkshawauthor.com/

My Review
5 Stars
Aidan by L.K. Shaw is book Three in the Dublin Kings Series. This is the story of Aidan and Sorcha. Sorcha has had to step up after her father dies to take care of her three orphaned siblings. In addition she has taken on the family pub. But she soon finds that her father has been in debit to some really bad people. This makes her turn to her best friend Aidan. Aidan is part of a mafia family so danger is nothing knew to him. But Aidan has kept that life style a secret from Sorcha because he likes just being a regular person with her and just being her friend. But when he see the danger she is in he steps forward demanding marriage as a way to protect her. Enjoyed this book and hope to read more from this author and series.