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“I’m honored,” she said.

“I suspect you might get on well with Jess.”

“Why’s that?”

“She doesn’t like me, either. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Rory and Declan hugged, then he leaned down and kissed Jess on the cheek.

“Hey, it’s granddad,” she said with a grin.

Rory turned to Abby. “Did I also mention she’s a total bitch? Jess, Declan, this is Abby.”

Declan shook her hand, but she could see that same wary expression in his face as in the other McCabes. “Nice to meet you.”

Jess was less reticent; she stepped closer and gave Abby a hug. “Welcome to the family.” She glanced across to the group. “They take a little—okay, a lot—of getting used to, but there are compensations.” She glanced sideways at Declan as she spoke and licked her lips suggestively. “Is that your daughter? Wow, she looks like Declan. And Logan of course.”

Five minutes later, Abby stood to the side and watched the group interact. Jenny stood surrounded by McCabe men—Logan, Declan and Rory. She might well have been intimidated, but they had obviously welcomed her with open arms, and she looked relaxed and at ease chatting with them. Her mum was talking with Judith and Tamara.

“Rory’s an asshole, but you have to stand up to him.” Jess had come up beside her, a beer in her hand.

“He told me you don’t like him.”

“Can’t stand him. He once tried to pay me to stop seeing Declan.”

“Really?”

“It was a long time ago, but I’m not quite ready to forgive him yet.” She studied Abby for a minute. “So, I get the feeling there’s a little tension here. Jenny has obviously been welcomed into the fold, but with you I sense a little bit of the cold shoulder.”

“I don’t think they’ve forgiven me for not telling them sooner.”

“No, I can see that might be a bit of a problem. So why didn’t you?”

Jess was certainly blunt and to the point, but Abby preferred that to circling around the subject. “I tried, but he was in prison at the time, so I went away again.”

“Oh God, of course, that would have been when he was locked up. A sore point, and not only for Logan.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “Well, both Declan and Rory blamed themselves. Rory because, with his background, the cops were always looking for anything on the family, and Declan because Logan got into the fight to protect his little brother.”

“Oh.”

“They’ll get over it.”

“I doubt it.” She sounded morose. It was becoming clear that they really didn’t like the police, and maybe they had their reasons. But it was who she was, and she wasn’t going to change that, didn’t want to change it. A detective was all she had ever wanted to be.

“Why’s that?” Jess asked.

“I’m a sergeant in the metropolitan police.”

Jess’s lips twitched, and she burst into laughter. “Fucking brilliant.”

“I’m glad you think so. Rory and Logan were less than impressed. Rory almost accused me of some convoluted plot to set Logan up. I mean, yeah, I got pregnant at eighteen with the sole purpose of waiting eleven years and then weaseling my way into Logan’s life, discovering what nefarious practices he’s up to, and locking him away—for good this time.”

Jess laughed again. Declan and Logan stood across the room and they turned at the sound. Logan murmured something to his brother, and they both strolled over.

Seeing them together made her sigh out loud.