The Callaghan Crest
Each male in the Callaghan family sports a tattoo on the left bicep. It is a rite of passage (and a family tradition) to get inked at the age of 18. The Callaghan family crest consists of a jeweled dagger piercing a Celtic knot. In the center is an additional, personalized symbol that identifies their unique abilities.
The Callaghan brides also have the option of adopting the crest of their husbands, adorned with a perfect rose.
Note: You won’t find Kane’s, Jake’s, or Ian’s tats in any of the first eight books.
Kane (financial analyst) has a scythe, like the one carried by the grim reaper.
Jake (Pub owner) has a Celtic cross.
Michael (doctor) has a Caduceus, the traditional symbol of medicine. It features two snakes winding around a winged staff.
Ian (computer specialist) has the schematic of a digital microchip.
Sean (mechanic) has a Da Vinci-like mechanical device to symbolize his affinity for machines.
Shane (lawyer) has the scales of justice.
Kieran (fitness trainer and MMA enthusiast) has a dragon, a nod to his love of martial arts and discipline
The Callaghan Vehicles
Everyone knows the vehicle a man (or woman) drives can provide useful insight into their personalities. The Callaghans are no exception.
Jack – Black Infinity
Kane – Black H2 (Hummer)
Jake - Black Expedition
Michael - Black Jag
Ian – Back Land Rover
Sean – Custom Built Black ’67 Mustang Shelby GT500 Eleanor
Shane – Black Lexus
Kieran – Black Porsche
Aidan - Dark Green Mercedes sedan + Black Mercedes GL63 AMG SUV
Rebecca - Silver Prius
Lacie - Silvery blue VW Passat
Mary – Deep Auburn Jeep Grand Cherokee
The Virgin Slayer
Some of you wanted to know what is in Brian McCain’s Virgin Slayer. I’ll tell you, but you have to promise to use this McCain family secret recipe only for good, never evil.
WARNING: Use caution. Deceptively sweet, light, and fruity, this one sneaks up on you.
Adjust to personal preference (for me, 1 “part” was approximately ½ oz):
2 parts Sweet Revenge Liqueur (Wild Strawberry Sour Mash)
1 part Patron Citronge (Extra Fine Orange Liqueur)
1 part DeKuyper Peach Schnapps
2 parts Cruzan Coconut Rum
2 parts Pinnacle Whipped Cream Vodka
1 part Jacquin Apricot Flavored Brandy
1 part Vanilla syrup
2 parts pineapple juice
2 parts orange juice
2 parts ginger ale
Empty each ingredient into a metal cocktail shaker with 5-6 ice cubes (or crushed ice). Shake until mixed and well-chilled. Pour into a glass and top with a maraschino cherry.
Enjoy (slowly)!
An Interview with the Callaghans
I close the lid on my notebook computer and lean back in my chair. Nearly everyone is here.
Ian slips a drink in front of me, then joins the rest of his brothers already seated at the table. The Pub isn’t due to open for another hour or so, so we have the place to ourselves and can talk freely. I’m in a position many women dream of, surrounded by all of these wealthy, powerful, deadly men. The air is thick with testosterone, yet I am not afraid, nor am I intimidated. These are my boys.
I look skeptically at the drink, then at Ian’s mischievous grin. “I am not drinking that.”
“Why not?” he asks innocently. Too innocently. Even though I know what he’s up to, I find myself still wanting to believe him.
“It’s a Virgin Slayer, isn’t it?” I look over at the bar and sure enough, there’s Brian McCain trying not to snicker and failing miserably. Ian’s grin grows.
“Seriously? I created you guys. You can’t pull anything over on me.”
“My bad,” Ian says, but he’s still grinning, so I know I have to stay on my toes. I pull an unopened, frosty Coors Light from my bag. Kane shoots me a look, a mixture of warning and pity, and I realize what I’ve just done: I’ve unintentionally issued a challenge they can’t possibly resist.
“Give it here,” Sean says smoothly, reaching for my beer to open it.
“Not a chance, Slick.” I pull my sleeve down over my palm and twist the top off myself. Not very ladylike, perhaps, but hey, that’s me.
“Glass?” Shane offers, and with a flick of those long fingers, sends one my way across the polished tabletop. It stops beside my laptop in perfect reaching distance. I raise my eyebrow. Like I don’t know about Michael’s undetectable (colorless, odorless, tasteless) additive coatings. Pffft.
“Nice try.” I raise the bottle to my lips and take a sip. My lips don’t immediately go numb and my vision is still clear, so I figure I’m good.
I think I hear Jake snort, but he covers it up by clearing his throat. “So, Abbie. How’s it going?”
“It’s going great,” I tell him truthfully. “They love you. They want more.”
“More?” Michael asks.
“Yeah.”
They look around the table at each other. “Who? You’ve already written a book about each of us.”
“And me,” Aidan chimes in.
“Well, your dad, for one.”
Kieran shakes his head. “Forget it. A Callaghan man has only one croie in his lifetime, and mom was it.” Murmurs of agreement ripple down the length of the table.
“Give me some credit, will you? I want to write the story of him and your mother. If he’ll talk to me, that is. Where is he, anyway?”
“Where he always is on this day.”
I think of the date and it hits me. “Oh, right.” It’s Jack and Kathleen’s wedding anniversary. Every year, Jack spends this day at the cemetery. Her grave sits beneath a sprawling maple in the family plot, and her sons put a bench there so that Jack’s visits would be more comfortable. He surrounds her tombstone with dozens of chrysanthemums (Kathleen’s favorite flower) and flips through the most current pics of each of their kids and grandkids on his cell phone, quietly bringing her up to date on each one. My eyes start to tear up just thinking about it. That interview will keep for another day.
“Well, Brian is a fan favorite,” I tell them.
Brian’s sitting off to the left now, not at the table with everyone else, but close. I notice he does that a lot – stays on the fringe, in the shadows. His head snaps up and he regards me with tortured eyes. “Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
The pain increases before his eyes go cold. “Not me. Pick someone else.”
I nod. Brian doesn’t believe he has a happy ending in his future, but he does. I’ll make certain of it.
“Nick.”
Nicki’s twin brother looks at me, his freaky silvery eyes both hypnotizing and disconcerting. He’s come a long way, but he’s still a bad boy with some issues. Beneath that cocky attitude is a tortured soul that thinks he is incapable of a loving, lasting relationship.
He smirks. O, ye of little faith.
“Taser.”
Sean openly guffaws at this. “Timothy?” For a moment, I think he’s going to fall right off his chair, he’s laughing so hard. I sit up a little straighter and glare at him.
“Yeah. He’s mysterious. Women love that.”
“Yeah, okay, good luck with that.” Sean wipes a tear from the corner of his eye. “Who else you got?”
“Corinne.”
This is unexpected. “But she’s a girl.”
“She’s a woman,” I correct, ignoring Brian’s wince. “And she deserves a happy ending, don’t you think?”
They shrug, but Kieran looks thoughtful. “Well, you did write our cousin Celina’s story, and that came out alright.”
“How do you know?” I ask him. “That book hasn’t even been released yet.” Suddenly Ian is looking everywhere but at me.
“You hacked my laptop?” Clea
r, cerulean blue eyes lock onto mine, and I know he has. I don’t know when, and I don’t know how, but he has. It’s my fault, I realize. I wrote him that way.
“I really like the one about Zane and Celeste,” he says, throwing down the gauntlet. “Very hot.”
“That’s not even in your series!”
He shrugs, a move of masculine elegance. “So? We’re all yours, right?”
Oh, it’s on now. My eyes narrow into slits. “Watch it, boy. There will be sequels. There’s no telling what I might feel compelled to share about you.”
He laughs at me. “You wouldn’t. You like Lexi too much to do that to her.”
Damn it, he’s right. I do. But I’m sure I can find something that will teach him a much-needed lesson. The internet holds a wealth of non-lethal, but humiliating possibilities.
“Getting back on track,” Shane says, ever the organized one. “Why exactly are we here?”
“Oh. Well, I wanted to say thanks. You’ve all been so awesome.”
It’s quiet for a moment, until Kane grunts. “That’s why I drove all the way down here?”
“Well, yeah. I wanted to thank each of you, face to face.”
He shakes his head, and I know he’s thinking of all the other things he might have been doing instead - namely, his wife.
“But that’s not the only reason. The readers, well, they have questions for you.”
“What kind of questions?” Jake asks warily.
I reopen my notebook and scan my list, starting at the top. “How have your lives changed since you found your croies.”
“That’s easy,” Jake says, taking the lead as usual. “My life didn’t really start until I met Taryn. I was just going through the motions. Then she shows up and BAM! Shit got real. For the first time, I felt. I mean, really felt.”
“Felt what?”
“Love. Fear. Rage. Want. Need. Desire. Everything.”
“So would you say, as a whole, that in your croie, you found a missing piece of your soul?”
I look around and see them all nodding emphatically. I think that about covers it. “Next question. What legacy has your mother left with each of you?”
They all go quiet for several long moments. Kieran clears his throat. “Unconditional love,” he says, his voice slightly thicker than normal. I wait, sensing there is more to come. I can see it in their faces, the reverence they share for this amazing woman who was cruelly taken from them long ago. If they hate me for it, they don’t show it.
“Compassion,” says Michael.
“Selflessness,” adds Shane, almost at the same time Sean says “Family comes first”.
“Unwavering support,” Jake murmurs.
“Live each day to the fullest.” That, from Ian.
Kane is the only one who hasn’t chimed in yet. All eyes go to him expectantly. “Take care of your own,” he says gruffly, and I know that it is a lesson they have all taken to heart.
Damn, I feel tears coming on again. Time to move on. “Do you want the next generation to follow in your footsteps, primarily joining the service?”
“It’s tradition,” Jake shrugs.
“Even your daughters?”
Sean snorts. “Females cannot become Navy SEALs. It’s the law.”
My fingers fly over the keyboard, and Google confirms this. “Okay, they can’t be SEALs. But I’m sure you could teach them what they need to know. What about including them in... the family business?”
At this they shift in their seats and exchange uncomfortable glances. Unsurprisingly, it’s Kane who answers. “Fuck, no.”
“Why not?” I press.
He looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind, icy blue eyes chilling my blood. Though he is my creation, even I’m a little scared. I dig deep, summoning my courage. “Look at Nicki,” I rationalize. “She’s as tough as any of you. And though they might not advertise it, each of your wives has a core of solid steel.”
Kane narrows his eyes in warning. Clearly, he does not wish to continue this discussion. But I bet he already has begun assembling a cache of first-rate weaponry to give to his daughter someday.
Shane, the diplomat, meets me half-way. “No argument there. They have to be, to be able to handle us.”
“And your daughters are turning out to be every bit as strong, proud, clever, and intelligent as their mothers.”
They beam at me, proud fathers, uncles, and honorary kin.
“So someday they could do it, if they wanted to,” I prod.
“Sure they could,” Ian says, looking uncharacteristically serious. “But that’s not what you asked. You asked if we wanted them to follow in our footsteps. The answer to that is a great big ‘Hell, no’, but I can tell you this: if that’s what they want, we’ll make damn sure they’re the best of the best.”
“Fair enough.” I make a mental note, thinking that if I continue the series into the next generation, there are going to be some kick-ass females getting their own stories. I tap in a few words and read down to the next question. “When away on a mission, what food or tradition most calls to you and reminds you of home?”
“Tootsie rolls,” growls Kane, and we all chuckle, aware of his wife Rebecca’s obsession with them.
“We’re not usually gone long enough for it to become an issue,” Ian shrugs. “In and out, clean and mean.”
“I was gone a long time,” Brian says quietly. “And I used to dream of a big, thick juicy burger, loaded fries, and a vanilla shake.” A few of them smile knowingly.
“What about the Ghost Team? Now that you’re all married and settled, will you disband?”
“What Ghost Team?” Sean snickers, palms up. “Sorry Abbie, we don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jake leans forward and lowers his voice. “We will always protect what’s ours.” Even Kane, who says he has retired from active duty, is giving me a meaningful look.
“I’ll take that as a no then.” Inwardly, I breathe a sigh of relief. I can’t even imagine these alpha males being content with a “normal” lifestyle of a regular job, wife, kids. These guys need the adrenalin rush that comes with being heroes, even if they don’t see themselves that way.
They stare at me, waiting for the next question.
“What do you want people to remember most about you?” I ask, consulting my list. I’m loving these questions, because bullshit canned answers aren’t going to cut it, and they know it. This one though, seems to stump them.
“That we are good men.”
“That what we do, we do for all the right reasons.”
“Fate knows what the hell it’s doing.”
I type those in as they shout them out and look up expectantly.
“Cool.” I close my laptop and smile. As much as I want to take another sip of my beer, I don’t, because I took my eyes off of it for a few seconds. The last thing I want is to wake up later with something embarrassing written on my forehead in Sharpie. They’d do it, too, just to prove they can pull one over on me.
“So that’s it? That’s all you’ve got?” Sean asks. They exchange glances of disbelief.
“Yep. For now. So, carry on, I guess.”
I push my chair back and stand up. Or try to. I’ve been sitting so long my knees scream in protest and I’m forced to lean on the table for support. That’s not much better. Too much typing has exacerbated my carpal tunnel and I have to smack my hand on the surface a few times to get the blood flowing again.
“You okay, Abbie?” Michael asks, ever the concerned physician.
“No worries,” I assure him. He narrows his eyes, no doubt realizing that his wife Maggie’s irrational fear of doctors had to originate somewhere. I refuse to acknowledge that.
“You’re not leaving already are you?” Jake asks.
“Got to.” I check my watch. “The kids will be home from school soon. That means homework, practices, dinner, laundry, dishes...” I stop, because really, I could go on for some time.
“When will you
be back?” Ian asks.
“When I can.” It’s sweet, how they seem to care. The edges of the bar room are beginning to blur, and I know my time here is almost over. I don’t want to leave, but I have to. I have responsibilities, people who depend on me.
“You are coming back, right?” They all look at me expectantly, even Kane.
As if I could ever really say goodbye to these guys who have become such a huge part of my life.
“Yeah,” I promise. “I’ll be back.”
Thank You!
A special thank you to the following ladies who submitted their questions on Facebook:
Barb C.
Colleen S.
Shannon K.
Jennifer W. S.
Rebecca H.
Carol C.
Martha Ann S. W.
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Thanks again, and may all of your ever-afters be happy ones!
Abbie
About the Author
Abbie Zanders loves to read and write romance in all forms; she is quite obsessive, really. Her ultimate fantasy is to spend all of her free time doing both, preferably in a secluded mountain cabin overlooking a pristine lake, though a private beach on a lush tropical island works, too. Sharing her work with others of similar mind is a dream come true. She promises her readers two things: no cliffhangers, and there will always be a happy ending. Beyond that, you never know...
Also by Abbie Zanders
Contemporary Romance
Dangerous Secrets (Callaghan Brothers, Book 1)
First and Only (Callaghan Brothers, Book 2)
House Calls (Callaghan Brothers, Book 3)
Seeking Vengeance (Callaghan Brothers, Book 4)
Callaghan Brothers Guide: The Official Guide to the Callaghan Brothers Series Page 4