Page 73 of Distress Signal

“No, ma’am.” My voice cracked, and I struggled to regain my composure. The last thing I wanted to do was break down in front of these people—this woman who, after the loss of her husband, had raised six boys and her daughter all alone. That was a level of strength I’d likely never understand.

“Mama,” a deep voice said right before a warm, broad hand curled around my shoulder. Instantly, I knew who. No one else would touch me like this. Hell, no one else’s touch made mefeellike this, like a host of butterflies had taken up residence in my stomach, like live wires were attached to his fingertips, sending electricity through my body. “Aria. I see you’ve met Reagan.”

I hadn’t heard him approach, but goddesses, I was grateful for his appearance. He provided a distraction that allowed me to tip my face down and away from him. Swiping at my eyes, I swept away the tears that had collected on my lower lashes but hadn’t fallen.

Fuck, I missed my sister.

“She’s lovely,” Birdie said happily. “She even brought gifts!”

“Well, let’s get them inside, then,” Finn said.

As Birdie and Aria turned and headed back into the house, Finn moved around to face me, his hands coming up to my cheeks, tilting my head so I met his gaze.

“You okay?”

I nodded, clearing my throat. “Yeah.” I surprised myself by how convincing I sounded. “It’s just…hard. I miss Lainey.”

He arced his thumb across my cheek, the callous there scraping against my skin. My blood heated at the intoxication combination of his proximity, natural masculinity, and the sexy eucalyptus and sandalwood scent of his body wash. It wrapped around me, cocooning me in a bubble I never wanted to leave.

And, goddesses, I loved his hands. They were broad, tan, thick-fingered, the backs decorated with veins that snaked up his forearms beneath his tattoos. I loved how rough they were, so at odds with how gently he handled me.

I leaned into his palm, my eyes fluttering closed, allowing myself to linger for a moment.

“If it gets to be too much, don’t hesitate to leave,” he said. “They’ll understand.”

“Okay,” I whispered, opening my eyes again.

He gave me a small, reassuring smile, then slipped one hand from my face, down my arm until he captured my hand, lacing our fingers together.

“You look beautiful, by the way,” he said as he led me up the steps to the front door.

“Thank you.”

Because I knew I’d be seeing him, I had taken some pains with my appearance, swiping on an extra coat of mascara, using my favorite rose-colored eyeshadow to make my green eyes pop. My long hair fell in soft waves down my back, and I’d dressed in my favorite white eyelet blouse and nicest pair of black shorts, my feet in my most comfortable gold sandals.

Call me crazy, but I wanted to make a good impression on Finn’s family—well, his mom and sister. I couldn’t care less what his brothers thought of me.

Except, maybe, West. I understood the connection between twins better than anyone, and if he and West were anything likeme and Lainey, I knew he would never bring someone into his life that West couldn’t stand.

Lainey and I had each done it a time or two, most recently and notably for me, of course, being Troy, and it never ended well.

But at the end of the day, the only opinion thattrulymattered was Finn’s.

The interior of the Lawless home was as welcoming and beautiful as the exterior, with soaring ceilings in the foyer, a grand staircase that led to upper levels, and multiple wings branching off the entrance. Finn led me toward the left, past a formal dining room, through a kitchen, and into another more casual dining space. A long table dominated the center of the cedar-paneled room. Finn’s brothers were already seated at benches on either side, conversing while they waited for the rest of the party—me and Finn—to join.

There didn’t seem to be any sort of seating arrangement, so we ended up on one side, with West and Aria across from us.

Finn’s twin grinned at me. “Good to see you again, Reagan.”

“You too,” I said, meaning it.

The rest of the brothers chimed in with similar sentiments, and then Birdie said, “Now that we’re all here, let’s eat.”

The boys dug in with an impressive gusto, like they hadn’t had a meal in days. The feast was impressive, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Birdie had gone the extra mile because I joined them.

“Everything looks amazing,” I said to her, leaning forward to catch her eye across the table, where she sat at the opposite end with Lane at her side and Trey across from her. “Thank you for having me.”

“Anytime, dear. You’re always welcome here.”