Page 12 of Mob Star

“Some. From what I’ve seen of this family, I have a feeling you’ll always sound like this. The men are— charismatic.”

Mair giggles. “That’s putting it mildly. If my in-laws are a clue, then we will be.” She beams.

Three sisters married three brothers. Soulmates are real. Neither set of grandparents were, but they loved each other. My parents, aunts, and uncles are just different. Mair and Dillan are the same. I’m confident they’ll be just like my parents and Dillan’s. Just like Seamus and Cormac’s parents. Mair might be blissful right now as she talks about her husband, but she’s not blind to who and what Dillan is. She pushes back when she wants, and he listens.

“I need to get going. The food is amazing here. I wish I could have it again.”

“You wish you could? Why can’t you?”

“After tonight, I doubt I’ll be welcome back.”

Mair glances at me. She leans forward to whisper to Thea. I can read her lips.

“I guarantee you’re not only welcome back, but you’ll probably get an invitation.”

Chapter Four

Thea

I stare at the woman who introduced herself to me as Margaret. She has the slightest hint of an Irish accent, and it’s only with certain words. I felt like I’d been gut punched when I watched Finn wrap his arms around her and kiss her cheek. Now that I think back on it, it was a loose embrace. Not a lovers’ embrace. But when you’re not expecting it after practically coming from a guy just holding your hand, it hits you hard.

Now that I can think about it objectively, it’s nice to see the closeness Finn shares with his brothers and cousins extends to his in-laws, too. I haven’t really seen Finn with the other guys since most of the two times I’ve been here has been spent with Tony getting himself in the shitter. But I can tell. It’s a vibe. It’s how comfortable they are with each other. It’s like they have telepathy.

It’s more than just superhuman genetics that have them looking like carbon copies of each other. I don’t know any other guys who are that close. At least, not so open about it. It makes me wonder if it’s how their parents raised them or if something happened that made them so tight. I love my brothers, and they love me. They were best friends when we were kids, even though I’m in the middle. But I can tell it’s not the same.

I don’t know what to say to Margaret’s suggestion that Finn might invite me back. That’s exactly what I’d like, but if I hold my breath, I’ll turn blue before that happens. I say nothing and take another bite of the steak and kidney pie cooled while Margaret and I were talking. It’s delicious.

“Mair?”

We both look at Finn as he moves down the bar toward us.

“After what happened here, make sure one of us walks you to your car. Thea, the same for you.”

“Thea?”

Oh, my god. He’s blushing. He’s so fair there’s no way to hide it. I dart my gaze to Margaret, who looks like she’s going to pee her pants from how hard she’s trying not to laugh. She croaks a cough and excuses herself. His cheeks practically match his hair, which only makes his green eyes even more piercing. They’re holding me captive. I don’t know where else to look.

“Althea. Thea. Your friend called you Ally, but that…”

I wait for him to finish. Instead, he shrugs.

“No. You can’t stop there. What’s wrong with the name Ally?”

“Nothing. I just don’t think it suits you.”

“Oh?” Should I be insulted?

I wait for a better explanation, but nothing is forthcoming. I can wait. He seems intent on the same thing. I’m stubborn enough that I will last longer than him. But I can also stare him down. I have an unnatural ability to last nearly a minute without blinking. It used to creep my brothers out, so I practiced and got better at it.

“You can stare me down, Thea, but you won’t break me.”

I don’t respond. I just keep watching him. Now I’ve laid down the gauntlet, I can’t back down, even if curiosity is driving me crazy. I want him to admit the reason he called me that, not make me beg to know. When I can’t go any longer without shutting my eyes for a second, I shrug as though I don’t care. I turn my attention to my food.

“You asked what was wrong with the name Ally. I said nothing, which is true. Ask me why.”

There’s something in his tone that makes me want to obey. A richness to the timber that makes me shiver and my pussy ache. Now it’s his turn to lock eyes with me with an intensity that makes me want to squirm. I can’t help it when I glance down. He leans across the bar, his height making it easy for him.

“That’s right, cailín. I call you Thea because it’s as unique as you are. And I’m the only one who calls you that.”

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