Page 12 of Endure the Pain

“I am,” Finn replied. His voice didn’t hold the usual venom. With those two words, I heard respect.Interesting.

Hating that he was standing behind me, I kicked out Dylan’s chair and it scooted away from the table. “Take a seat, Finn.”

Everyone looked at me like I’d committed some grave sin. I met their stares head on. “Untwist your panties, gentlemen. He’s my guest and it’s not like Dylan’s using it.” I glanced at Stefan. “I like to be able to look at someone when speaking with them.”

“We have a code—traditions, Maura,” Jamie said.

“Only your father—” Conor started but trailed off when he noticed a change in me.

My darkness surfaced. My entire body relaxed as the feral entity within me took over. I tilted my head slightly as I regarded my uncle, leveling him with a cold stare. I didn’t like being questioned. There was only one person at this table I gave that right to and he had yet to say anything, which told me he wasn’t going to. My eyes traveled to Jamie, then Rourke and Louie. They smartly kept their mouths shut. My gaze landed on Stefan last.

He held a proud expression. “I suggest you take that seat, O’Reilly.”

Finn stepped out from behind me and slowly sat in Dylan’s chair. He glanced around the table. It was obvious he was a little unsettled to be sitting there.

“Why’s your uncle in prison?” I asked bluntly.

Finn glanced at everyone around the table again.

“Are you looking to them for permission or to save you from answering me?” I snapped. “I’ll tell you right now, you’re wasting your time and mine.”

Finn glared at me. “He sacrificed his freedom to save the family,” he said with a hint of pride. “Fifteen years ago, the cops ambushed a gun exchange. My uncle stayed behind to hold them off so Stefan and four others could get away. My uncle was caught and charged. The DA offered him a plea deal for shorter time served if he gave up everyone else involved. He didn’t. He got sentenced with twenty years in prison and to this day, despite all the attempts they have made to get him to rat, he refuses to betray the family.”

“I was among those four,” Conor said sullenly.

I guess that explained why he'd looked like he'd wanted to kill Samuel and Dylan at the execution. Their betrayal had pissed all over everything Finn’s uncle had sacrificed. I tapped my fingers on the table as I studied Finn. His eyes were the darkest shade of green I’d ever seen and the color of his hair reminded me of nutmeg. His lashes were enviably dark and long, and he had a tiny white scar on his chin.

Finn glared back at me. “You have a staring problem.”

This time I didn’t stop my smile from slowly forming.

Louie whistled. “You’ve got a death wish, man.” Despite trying to be funny, there wasn’t any of the normal lightness in his tone.

“Or maybe he doesn’t realize who the fuck he’s talking to,” Rourke added.

“It’s because I’m a woman,” I told them. I hadn't known what his hang ups were at first or if they were just with me, but the more I listened to him speak and interact with everyone else, I knew. Finn glanced around the table, expecting to find support in his sexist views. It was satisfying to see him disappointed.

“I bet two hundred she turns him into ceviche within a week,” Rourke said to the table.

“Him or his dick? She isThe Castrator,” Louie asked, and everyone chuckled, apart from Finn and myself.

“I’ll get in on that bet, but Maura’s iron-willed and gets off on torture. Three hundred he’ll last at least a month before she offs him,” Louie said.

Idiots.

“I bet five hundred she doesn’t kill him at all.”

Everyone turned to face Jamie. But he ignored them all as he stared solely at Finn. His expression was anything but kind. “Everyone at this table would’ve killed you along with Samuel. I would’ve killed you. If I see you look at her like that again, I just might.”

Finn squared his shoulders in a defiant posture. “She your woman?”

Jamie didn’t confirm or deny it, not that it had been secret, but his eyes narrowed sharply. “She’s the Banphrionsa and next in line to take over. You will show her fucking respect.”

Everyone was a little stunned. I didn’t need Jamie to defend me. He had always respected that by stepping back and letting me destroy my own enemies. But I would've been lying if I'd said it wasn’t nice every once in a while. Scratch that. It was sexy as hell, seeing his own dark side come out, wanting to protect me—wanting to kill for me. I could feel his desire to reach for his gun and shoot Finn right then and there.

Oh, great.I was getting turned on in the middle of a family meeting.

I cleared my throat and relaxed back into my chair, forcing my darkness down. It was a bigger hussy than I normally was. “What’s going on with the Colombians?” I asked Stefan, getting the meeting back on track. “A little birdie told me they took our payment, but reluctantly.”