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20

STAR

After jumping out of the Mini Cooper, I stretched with no small amount of relief even as I stared at the O’Donnelly ‘homestead.’

Sunday dinner—a sacrosanct affair amid the O’Donnellys.

So sacrosanct, in fact, that Aoife’s first declaration of rebellion against the patriarchs of the family was to skip this meal permanently.

Funny how a family’s traditions could be so different.

The Sullivans didn’t have a similar tradition. Was that a weakness I’d never spotted before? Were a family’s traditions what set them apart and what bound them together?

“Why so pensive?”

I blinked at Conor over the roof of his Mini Cooper. “No reason.”

He snorted. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I studied him with a measured glance. “No one calls me out like you. Do you know that?”

“Nope, but I figure it’s one of the reasons you keep me around.”

Smiling at that, I mused, “One of many.”

“Good to know.” He rounded the car even though he was nearer to the door than I was and slipped his hand inside my pocket so he could knot our fingers together. Which, of course, was when I felt the prickle of plastic—more candy. Could he rock any harder?

Pulling out the Payday he'd burrowed in there, I groaned. “I love these.”

His smile was smug. “I know.”

“You nervous?” he asked as I did a quick shuffle, passed the candy bar to my other hand, grabbed his again, then tore into the packet with my teeth before I started chowing down.

“Not really. Just thinking how we never did anything like this.”

“When you were kids?”

“At no point. Savannah doesn’t do this with her folks.”

“Probably because they’re not always in the same state.”

“Even if they were, I don’t think they’d do it.”

“Don’t blame them. Having to drive upstate every fucking weekend is a pain in the ass.”

“Not for long. She’ll be moving to the city as soon as you set her up somewhere, won’t she?”

“We’ll see. There’s time for her to change her mind.”

“Is she changeable?”

“Not particularly. But who knows right now? After… everything, she’s acting oddly.”

I thought about how many everythings the O’Donnellys had gone through lately. “All the ‘Our Ladies?’”

He grunted then scanned the cars in the yard. It was like an ad for SUVs/tanks, apart from an Aston Martin which stuck out like a sore thumb. “All my brothers are here.”

“And their wives.”

“You met them already.”

“Barely,” I grumbled. “A ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ doesn’t count for much of a meeting.”

“The worst of the bunch is Savannah and you got her back on your side, didn’t you?”

“Sort of. As much as you can get Savannah Daniels on your side.”

“Savannah O’Donnelly,” he corrected. “Don’t let Aidan hear you use her maiden name.”

“Pissing on her would be quicker.”

“Not as clean though. Plus, Ma made it a rule a long time ago—no whipping out our dicks in public.”

I let loose a laugh. “Thank fuck for that.”

Amusement gleamed in his eyes as he tugged my hand from my pocket so our knotted fingers could swing between us. “Seriously, though, you doing okay?”

“I’ll be better when we’re in London and the funeral is almost over.”

He grimaced his understanding. “Makes sense. Until then, whatever Aoife can say about Ma, she can’t argue that her roasted chicken isn't the best in the tristate area.”

Though I snickered, as we stepped toward the house, him flicking the alarm on his ride over his shoulder, I drawled, “Aoife said very little about your mother.”

“That’s because she’s too kind for her own good.”

“Probably for the best in a family like yours.”

“ Ours ,” he corrected, which made me bite my lip.

“Ours,” I repeated though I cleared my throat before and after I said it. “Next time, I’ll bring Kat, yeah?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

“I’d have brought her with us today if it weren’t for the fact it’d disrupt her schedule, seeing as we’re leaving for the UK tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to explain?—”

I sucked in a breath. “Sure I do. We’re a team. We make decisions together.”

His smile made the concession worth it. “Then I agree that you made the right decision. Though I think she’ll enjoy our meals.”

“Why? Because Seamus is here?”

It was his turn to snicker. “Yes.”

The door opened to reveal an ever-dramatic Savannah standing in the doorway.

I watched as my sister/friend strode toward me in too-high heels. “She should have been on the stage.”

“She does channel Glee energy, doesn’t she?” he teased.

“Is there a reason you haven’t answered my texts yet?” Vana shrieked.

My brow furrowed. “You haven’t texted.”

“My old texts.”

I rolled my eyes. “Who the fuck has the time to answer old messages, Savannah O’Donnelly?”

“ You do. If you want me to send you any in the future.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Uh, yes . I want a reply to each one.”

“Can they be emojis?”

“Sure but hurry it the hell up. I have a backlog of TikToks to send you.”

I gaped at her. “Then I won’t hurry up. You think I have time for TikTok?”

“You need to make time. I swear I posted a video on there yesterday and it went viral , Star. That shit about Congressman Tully’s foot fetish has been liked by nearly eighteen million people. The conversation is happening and we’re not even steering the press.”

“I’m sure Tully’s grateful about that.”

“His wife has feet too. He could worship them instead of a hooker’s in Nevada.”

“Your logic, Vana,” I grumbled.

“What’s illogical about that? You can’t be elected into office with kinks. They’re just weaknesses waiting for some reporter to hold against you.”

“Some reporter, in this instance, being you?”

She smirked, her bright red-lips a slash on her pretty face. “Yes. I swear, I shit news at this point and people love it.”

“Lovely image, Savvie,” Conor mocked, earning her attention.

Her smirk faded and she scowled at him before she prodded him in the shoulder. “Don’t think I’m not mad at you too.”

“What have I done now?”

“I called you. Twice. What is it with the people in this family ignoring me?”

“You know that’s a lie, Savannah. I never ignore you.”

Aidan’s cool drawl had me chuckling when it made her cheeks bloom with heat. She stopped pouting when her husband’s hand settled on her waist and he drew her against his chest.

I studied the move with interest, having never seen her intimate interactions with her spouse before.

Figured that it took an O’Donnelly to tame this particular shrew.

“Why are you giving Conor and Star shit, little one?”

The blush deepened, but I thought that was a combination of the words ‘little one’ and the way she darted a look at me, as if she were nervous that I’d tease her for letting him call her that.

But who the fuck was I to judge?

Conor called me ‘naughty girl’ and I creamed harder than I did when I fingered myself.

“Star didn’t answer my messages and Conor ignored my call.”

“I’m sure there’s a reason for that, Kid?”

There was a warning in Aidan’s tone that had me hiding a smile. Anyone who could see beneath Vana’s cocky facade and knew to protect her sensitive side was someone I could grow to like.

“It’s not as if I’ve been killing time watching Knicks’ games,” he retorted with a huff. “Anyway, if you wanted to talk to me, you could have come up.”

“And invade your privacy? You’re in the honeymoon phase,” Savannah grouched.

“By the way, the purchase went through, Conor. I’ll need you to extend the security settings to the whole floor.”

Conor arched a brow. “Is this a memo I missed?”

“No. You know I don’t like sharing, so I gave the other apartment owners an offer they couldn’t refuse.”

“Very Don Corleone,” I mocked.

“There were two other apartments on the floor below me, Aidan.”

He shrugged. “So?”

Conor huffed. “I don’t have time right now.”

“We can work on it together,” I said calmly. “But it’s not a priority, is it? You’ll be modifying the other apartments first?”

Aidan folded his arms across his chest. “Security modifications need to be taken into account before the reno starts.”

“Then it’ll just have to wait,” I countered sweetly. “We have other things on our plate, and Conor isn’t your indentured servant.”

Aidan frowned at that. “I never said he was.”

“No? You just drop the fact that he needs to amend your security on him when he comes by for Sunday dinner?”

Flicking a glance at his younger brother, Aidan’s tone was wary. “Kid?—”

“I’ll see to it,” Conor said with a huff.

“On our time,” I argued, squeezing his fingers with mine.

“No, I’ll?—”

“You won’t figure something out, Conor. Your brothers need to accept that you have a goddamn life and you need boundaries as much as they do.”

He smirked down at me. “You’re cute when you’re pissed.”

“I’ll be even more pissed,” I warned, “if you take on extra work when you’re already pushing your limits.”

Savannah waded in, “I’m not sure there’s anyone worse to talk about boundaries than you.”

“I’m turning over a new leaf.” And I’d turn it over a few million times if it meant sparing Conor from his family.

“Since when?” Vana queried, but she was studying me with as much interest as I’d had in her when taking note of her reactions to Aidan’s touch and his gentle terms of endearment.

“Since right now. It’s not like we’re sitting at home twirling our fucking thumbs, Vana.”

She shrugged. “It can wait, can’t it, Aidan?”

The eldest O’Donnelly son wasn’t scowling, not entirely, but he was bemused by this conversation. “I guess it can.”

With a satisfied nod, I drawled, “Good.”

Conor preened as he tugged an arm around my shoulder. “Is it the wrong time to tell you it’s hot as fuck when you stand up for me?”

“Yes, seeing as I have a future mother-in-law to meet.”

Savannah grinned. “To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this all week.”

“Only you,” I grumbled.

When she grabbed my hand and started tugging on it, I let go of Conor’s only after we shared a glance. There was definitely heat there—he hadn’t been bullshitting about liking it when I stood up for him.

As we departed, Aidan informed him, “Paddy wants to talk to us later.”

His gaze still on me as I continued staring at him over my shoulder, relying on Vana to guide me into the house, he asked, “About?”

“Liam.”

“Liam’s their cousin.”

My head whipped around so I was facing forward this time. “I know who Liam is, Vana.”

“Did you know he plays for the Mounties, smart ass?”

“Of course. What’s that about?” I asked, motioning behind me.

“What’s what about? Conor’s brothers treating him like he’s Ask Jeeves or why Paddy’s dancing around like a leprechaun with itching powder down his pants?”

I snorted. “Both?”

“Old habits are hard to break,” was all she said. “His da treated him that way so they did too. Guess that’s changing now that you’re insisting on boundaries?”

“You have a problem with that?” I growled.

“No,” she said slowly. “I’ll be glad for Conor if anything. They put too much on him and I know he’s been tired lately.”

“How do you know that?”

“I have eyes. Plus, he just seems weary. That could be your fault?—”

“Charming.”

“—because he looks the brightest I’ve seen him since I met him, but it’s more than likely to do with his workload.

“Which is where the kettle and the pot clash because your workload can’t be classified as light.”

I hitched a shoulder. “Maybe not, but we start as we mean to go on.”

She hummed. “I suppose.”

“You suppose, what?”

“Just wondering what brought this on.”

“Conor and I are a team,” was my staunch retort. “You watch out for your teammate. You have their six when they don’t protect themselves. You don’t let others take advantage of them.”

“I know how teams work, Star,” she drawled.

“Do you?” I mocked. “I’d never have guessed seeing as you’re as much of a lone wolf as I am.”

“We’re a team in our own way,” she disregarded. “You just prefer to think of yourself as a solitary alpha female when you know full well you can call on me any time, any place.”

Unease settled inside me because this was too much like my recent conversations with Conor.

I didn’t answer, just squeezed her arm with my own. She wasn’t to know that I was trying to change that part of my nature and that that change came with making sure Conor's generosity wasn’t used or abused.

“Are you nervous?” she queried, surprising me by allowing the previous subject to drop.

“Why would I be?”

“You’re about to meet the matriarch.”

“Thought I already met her.” Her bewildered frown prompted me to add, “Aoife.”

Her lips twitched. “Not me?”

I snorted. “No. You’re not matriarch material.”

“You’re so great for my ego.”

“I try. But don’t make it out like you’re miffed when we both know you’re not.”

She shrugged. “You could at least pretend to make me feel better about myself.”

“That’s Aidan’s job. Not mine.”

“Why did I miss you again?”

“Because no one tells you the truth like me,” I teased, laughing at her huff. “But no, I’m not nervous about meeting Lena. I’m surprised you were.”

“You know how I am about the mafia.”

“Actually, I’d forgotten,” I admitted.

“That’s probably because you were in boarding school when that shit show went down.”

My nose crinkled. “One of my many interventions. I should have been there for you back then.”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s the opposite of fine when you have a crush on the mafia?—”

“Oh, shut up.” She shoved me in the side. “Lena’s okay.”

“Whether she is or isn’t is no concern of mine.”

“They all rally around her.”

“I figured that out on my own,” I retorted. “Is this a warning? Don’t get on her bad side or Conor will dump me? Because, Vana, I can tell you now—I’ve done worse shit to that man than piss his ma off and he hasn’t thrown me to the curb. I think I’m set for life with him.”

“You want to be set for life with him?” she inquired softly.

“That’s what you picked up on?” I groused. “And yes. I do. Like I told Aidan—I’m keeping him.”

“He isn’t a puppy you were gifted for Christmas.”

“Thank fuck he isn’t. Do you remember what happened to that dog Dad got me?”

“Didn’t he end up giving him to one of the roadies?”

“Yeah, because I kept forgetting to walk it and Dad got sick of standing in dog shit on the tour bus.” I chuckled at the memory. “You don’t need to walk cats, do you?”

“No. You can, but you don’t have to.”

“Did you walk Teabag?”

“Surprised you remember Teabag.”

“You loved her,” was all I said. “And only you’d name a cat after a sex act.”

She sighed. “I did. And it wasn’t after the sex act, you heathen. It was after a tea. Bag. You know. A bag. Filled with tea?”

“That’s more boring than my version.”

“I have a new cat now.”

“You do? Let me guess, it’s from the same source as my new kittens?”

“You have kittens?”

“I don’t. Katina does. She’s got Conor wrapped around her pinkie already.”

“Yeah, he doesn’t look like he’d be a sucker for kids but he is. So, Amara, right?”

I grimaced at the mention of the Sinners’ Old Lady. “Yes, her .”

“Mine’s a teenager, but I still have some of the kitten stuff if you want me to bring it up?”

“You could do that. Or if you could order whatever shit I’ll need when you have the chance and have it sent to us, I’ll love you forever.”

“Sure thing,” she said easily as she guided me into a room that was loaded with photo frames.

I tugged her to a halt as I stared at the pictures, smiling at the sight of Conor wherever I could see him.

There was his graduation ceremony, another of him at the beach with Eoghan and Declan and he had the cutest chubby cheeks.

In another, Aidan had him in a noogie but they both posed for the camera with big grins while maintaining the hold on each other—that one made me laugh.

Another was of him and Brennan eating donuts in a park. I could see that he was plumper than the others until he hit his teen years, and then he shot up like a beanstalk.

There were hundreds of family shots—the six boys together, a motley crew who’d been forced to wear suits when they were kids, not yet men.

When I’d picked out every photo of Conor, I found one of Lena and Aidan Sr. standing together on their wedding day.

She looked hella young and he was hella proud.

“I didn’t realize I was into silver foxes until I realized Aidan would be the spitting image of his da when he gets older.”

Savannah’s wry comment had me shaking my head at her. “Sex on the brain, Vana.”

“With men like ours, where else could it be?”

Though I smirked, I let her tug me into a kitchen where the woman herself was standing.

She hadn’t changed much from her wedding day in all honesty. Sure, she was a touch rounder and her face was crinkled in the usual spots from age, but she was as straight-up as back then, as… commanding.

Yes, even back then, undoubtedly coerced into a marriage with Aidan O’Donnelly, she’d had a presence.

At the moment, that presence was focused on the chicken she was basting.

As Conor’s sisters-in-law ceased their chatter when they saw there was fresh meat in the room, she peered away from the bird and stared at me.

“Star Sullivan?”

“Magdalena O’Donnelly?”

Her eyes narrowed as she slipped the oven mitts on then opened the door to shove one of three chickens I realized she was roasting into the heat.

When that was done, she asked, “Would you like something to drink?”

“Water will be fine, thank you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Star,” Camille greeted. “We didn’t get the chance to talk last week.”

That was being polite. ‘Hello’ and ‘goodbye’ weren’t my idea of sterling conversation.

Inessa straightened up from her seat and moved toward me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and air-kissed my cheeks. Because I wasn’t expecting it, I allowed her to follow through with it.

As for Aela, she just dipped her chin at me while she nursed baby Cameron.

“You know Savannah, Conor tells me,” Lena stated as she passed me a glass of water.

“Practically in the biblical sense.”

Savannah, who’d been on the brink of drinking some coffee, sprayed out what she’d swallowed.

Inessa, Camille, and Aela gaped at me while I just smiled as I sipped my own drink.

“Shut up,” Vana rasped.

“I saw plenty on those tour buses.” I whistled under my breath. “Wild times.”

“What kind of wild times?”

“Shut up,” Vana hissed at me this time when she saw I was going to answer Aidan’s question.

Her hand clapped over my mouth as I studied the brothers who either made a habit of joining their spouses in the kitchen or who were coming to watch me and Lena meet.

“It’s a rumor, but they say noxxed up was inspired by the parties on the tour buses during the late nineties,” Conor drawled.

“Is that an album?” Inessa asked him, and he immediately groaned.

“I need to do something about your music education, Inessa, but yes. It’s one of their most renowned albums.”

“Triple platinum before the year was out,” I agreed. “Only God knows what it is now, and it is a rumor, but it’s definitely true.”

Brennan cleared his throat. “I’m not as big a fan as Conor but I remember that one song, “Disgusted ” ? It was about someone doing coke…”

I cut Lena a look and hid a smirk. “They used to pour it down the groupies’ ass cracks and they’d either lick it up or sniff it up.”

Inessa eeeewed while everyone else chuckled. Apart from Lena who’d gone beet red.

“Where is everyone?”

“In here, Paddy,” Aidan called out.

Ah, the prodigal brother returned.

He was, I saw, a diluted Aidan Sr. and I didn’t mean that as an insult either.

Though plump around the middle, his suit worked wonders for hiding it. He was clean-shaven, a little sparse on top, but his eyes were kind and his smile was genuine as he bustled inside the massive kitchen.

“What’s everyone doing in here?” he questioned as Savannah hissed at me:

"I'll get you back for that."

I just drank my water.

“We’re watching the showdown?—”

Aidan butted in before Eoghan could finish that sentence, “We thought we’d hang out here while Ma and Star were introduced.”

Paddy’s eyes widened but he peered around the room on the hunt for me. When he found the only person in the room he didn’t know, he beamed a grin at me and held out his hand as he crossed the space to reach my side.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Star.”

“The pleasure’s mine,” I chirped. “Any man who can clean up a crime scene in a church is my kind of guy.”

“Star,” Conor groaned.

“What? It’s true! How you deal with a crisis says a lot about a person.” My grip was strong as I shook his hand. “I’m hoping you?—”

Before I could finish that sentence, Paddy blurted out, “Conor, did Aidan tell you I need to speak with you?”

Well, that was fucking rude.

Conor sighed. “He did.”

“It’s important, son. I wouldn’t ask otherwise.”

When Conor made to stand and he headed toward a door off the kitchen, I had no compunction in traipsing after him once Paddy followed him too.

“Uh, Star?” Vana called.

“Later, babe.”

“This is Points’ business, Star,” Aidan drawled, to which Eoghan chuckled.

I shot him a polite smile over my shoulder. “If it’s Conor’s business, then it’s my business. You just entertain yourselves while Conor fixes all your problems as usual.”

That shut them up.

Apart from Eoghan whose chuckle morphed into outright laughter.

“What?” I heard him mutter. “I like her.”

Paddy stared at me oddly when I opened the door he’d just closed, but he was polite as he murmured, “This is private, Star.”

“Anything you say to me, you can say to Star,” Conor said tiredly as he leaned against a desk I figured was his da’s. I moved beside him, close enough that our arms touched as I mimicked him and folded mine too. “What’s going on with Liam, Paddy?”

“Your cousin?—”

I rolled my eyes. “Only manipulate people who are dumber than you, Paddy. Conor knows who Liam is without you trying to guilt trip him into acting because of family ties.”

The older man narrowed his eyes at me. “I’d unsheathe your claws if I were you.”

“You’re not me.” I drummed my fingers on my biceps. “This is supposed to be a family day, a rest day, so get on with your tale of woe before it ruins our appetite.”

Conor scratched his jaw, but I knew he did so to hide a grin—I saw it when I peered at him.

Hell, he was the one who told me it was a turn-on.

You couldn’t say that to someone and not expect them to react.

“She’s not wrong, Paddy. What’s going on with Liam?”

“You heard of the Rabid Wolves?”

“Of course I have. We work with them across the border.”

“They’re threatening him.”

“Liam? Why?”

“They want him to throw his next match against the Maple Leafs.”

“What do they have on him?” I queried.

Paddy huffed. “Nothing.”

“Bullshit,” I countered. “People only pull these kinds of stunts if they have leverage.”

I thought back to what I knew of Liam Donnghal—not much, really. Not as a person.

Mostly, I remembered his stats as a player. I also recalled that said stats had plummeted after he was kidnapped last year.

Matter of fact, I was the reason the guy was still playing lacklusterly in the rink rather than fertilizing roses—I'd found his ass and had helped bring him home.

“Liam’s a good boy?—”

“Sure he is,” I drawled. “He’s a professional athlete. They never get into any trouble.”

Conor chuckled. “She has a point. The Rabid Wolves deal drugs. Has Liam started using?”

Paddy’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “No.”

“Convincing,” I mocked.

“After the kidnapping, he’s gotten paranoid. Understandable but… he bought a gun from them and they’re holding that over him.”

Conor heaved a sigh. “Why didn’t he ask us to procure one for him?”

“He doesn’t like talking to me. You know that.”

Even as I wondered what had triggered a falling out between father and son, I scoffed, “He talked to you about this.”

Paddy conceded that with a grimace. “Desperate times. His words, not mine.”

Ouch.

“He could have bought a gun the legal way. Why go to some shady MC when you have a legitimate reason to be paranoid?”

“Not this type of gun,” he muttered. “Gun laws are stricter across the border.”

“Rightfully so,” I sniped.

“Didn’t think you’d have that opinion,” was Conor’s surprised retort.

“I’m full of contradictions.”

“You said it, not me,” he said with a snort. To his uncle, he asked, “What does Liam think I can do?”

“Make up a gun permit for him for the weapon. Or get the Rabid Wolves off his back.”

“I can do that,” I offered. “They do runs with the Sinners. I’ve got plenty of dirty laundry of theirs I can air. You’ll deal with the permit?”

Conor nodded. “The Mounties face the Maple Leafs next week if memory serves?”

“Yeah. Thursday,” Paddy answered.

“We’ll sort it.”

Paddy flicked a glance between Conor and me. “Thank you. I know he’ll appreciate it. He offered to come down himself but figured it was best to stay on the down-low.”

I grunted. “Tell him he owes Conor a fruit basket.”

“A fruit basket?”

“As a ‘thank you.’”

He blinked. “Oh. Sure. Wouldn’t you prefer cake, Conor? I know how much you love sweet treats, and I don’t mean fruit.”

“Candy would be great. I have to share mine now,” he said, the teasing tone for me alone.

I nudged him with my elbow then watched as Paddy split another look between us. “She the one, Con? That’s why she’s wearing my ma’s cameo?”

“She’s the one,” he agreed, sliding his arm around my shoulders.

“That’s why I’m wearing the cameo and why I’m defending his ass from his family. There are only so many pieces he has to give, and I’m not going to let you steal each of them away from him.”

Paddy’s brows arched. “It’s for the family.”

“Don’t give a fuck if it is or isn’t. Family are the ones who’ll drain you the quickest if you let them.” I sniffed as I slipped my arm around his waist, holding him as tightly as he held me. “Figure you’d know that seeing as you ran away from yours decades ago.”

Though he stiffened, he took the hit on the chin. “Thank you for helping Liam, Conor.” He cleared his throat. “Star.”

I bowed my head at the acknowledgment and watched as he left the office.

“You setting yourself up as my guard dog, Star?” Conor asked as he pressed his cheek to the top of my head.

“Someone has to before they dry you up and turn you into a shriveled prune.”

“Wouldn’t you still love me if I were a shriveled prune?” he teased.

“Sure. I’d just soak you in syrup. Rehydrate the wrinkles.”

“Good thing I like sugar then, huh?”

Snickering, I concurred, “It is.”

“And don’t worry about me. I get my kicks out of them.”

“You do?”

“They have a thing for fucking in elevators that are under my purview. Or talking about shit they wouldn’t want any of us to hear within reach of one of my mikes.”

I mock-gagged. “You watch them fuck?”

“Nope. But I still know they did it.” He tapped his nose. “Who knows when I’ll need to blackmail them into doing something?”

I cackled. “This is why we’re good together.”

He winked. “One of just many reasons.”

Heartburn.

Goddamn heartburn.

But this was the kind not even a Tums could fix.