Page 122 of Lovely Venom

“My friend over there.” He points to a video playing on a propped-up iPad.

My throat goes tight when he rounds the island and kisses my forehead. “Let’s be bad and eat in the living room and watch television.”

I lift my bowl and follow him to the sofa. “Sounds gloriously normal.”

And with a torture chamber on the other side of this apartment, that’s saying a lot.

“Anything particular you want to watch?” He grabs the remote, and we browse a streaming service until we agree on a movie.

Pretty quickly, too. Sometimes, Ruby and I would scroll for nearly an hour, finding something to watch that we agreed on.

What am I going to do about Ruby? And why haven’t I heard from Valdrin again? Does he and Noel know I’m with Connor?

Do they not want to challenge Quinlan Empire?

The warm, savory food in my bowl steals my attention, along with the familiar music from a blockbuster action movie that came out a few months ago. “That one!” I point to the perfect escape from my problems.

Besides sex with Connor.

“If Vin Diesel is in it, I’m watching it,” Connor says, sitting with his feet on the coffee table.

Even his feet are beautiful.

I devour every bite in the bowl but refuse seconds. Connor goes back for a third round, leaving the bowl that’s licked clean in the sink.

I sneak up behind him in the kitchen with my empty bowl, nearly as sparkling. “I’ll wash everything.”

“Not a chance, Venom.” He rinses the pot and puts our bowls in the dishwasher.

“I never lived with a man, Connor,” I confess, wondering how different it is from a quasi-roommate who comes and goes.

“Me neither. A woman. A girlfriend. I’ve only lived with my brothers. Even when we were older.”

That surprises me. “Really? Until how old?”

“A couple of years ago. You’ll see the house on Sunday. It’s a bit of a mansion. Has separate wings. We always worked together, but we had our own space in the house. I never felt like I needed to be on my own.” He shrugs and leans against the low run of cabinets. “I liked having my brothers around.”

“What happened?” I glance around this spacious apartment. “How did you end up here?”

“One day, a man showed up at the house in Astoria.” He settles in to tell me the story and fill in the pieces I didn’t know. “A lawyer. For Troi Keller.”

“I knew about Troi.” I nod. “That he died and named your brother Griffin the new head of the Irish Mob.”

“Troi’s wife was my ma’s cousin.” Connor crosses himself for his deceased aunt. “Next thing we know, we’re running our empire here in Manhattan.”

“How many of your brothers are married?” I ask, running a finger along the countertop.

“All of them,” he says with a voice that’s so final it startles me.

“And Griffin will let you be with me when he probably wants to marry you off to an heiress or some other don’s daughter who—”

“Nowho, Venom.” He pulls me into his arms. “You. Would Griffin have found someone? Maybe.”

“That means I’m in the way.” Doubt claws my insides.

“Let me tell you something about my siblings. Except Griffin, they all fought to be with someone they loved. Starting with my sister Sabine, of all people. Ewan tried to marry her to Kieran O’Rourke. She saidfuck thisand moved to Los Angeles. Then lied and told us some guy we never met knocked her up. That’s how badly she wanted Grayson. Ewan fell for a woman who’s technically our niece. And Shane...” He laughs. “Griffin tried to marry him off to his wife’s sister first. He killed that deal and married the woman he wanted.”

These stories prove his argument, but holy hell, Ihaveto know more details about the brother who married his niece.