Page 126 of Lovely Venom

Choked up, I say, “Aye.”

“How did she die?” Raina whispers. “She was so young.”

“Viral meningitis.” I swallow the bitter words, the illness that changed our lives.

I’m about to ask Raina how she got through losing her ma when Griffin clears his throat from the next room.

“Brats,” his voice booms like a courtroom judge. The noise of the house ceases with his powerful command. “Family meeting. Ewan’s calling in from Waterford.”

I look at Raina. I don’t want to leave her alone with all this. Not yet.

“I can skip the meeting,” I offer. “Get the highlights later.”

“No.” She shakes her head quickly. “Go. I’m good.”

That’s when I see it. I seethe shift. The quiet, steely moment where she stops keeping her distance from me and decides to belong.

She’s not just visiting anymore.

She accepts this is my world.

And maybe, deep down, she’s starting to think it might be hers, too.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

Raina

As Griffin and Shane kiss their wives, Connor leans down and presses his lips to mine with no hesitation. It’s a quick peck, but his firm lips say:this is real.Permanent.

Gulp.

Wives are not invited, but Sabine disappears behind the office door. She’s not part of Quinlan Empire, but sheisfamily.

Her husband, not looking emasculated at all, says, “I’ll watch the boys to make sure they don’t level the place.”

“Just remember, Grayson, they’re Quinlans, your boy, too. These little brats have it in their blood to do damage,” Norah says with good humor at the stove. “Go into the living room, lasses. My girls and I will have dinner ready shortly.”

“I’m going to put baby Norah down for a nap, Ma.” Lennox strolls behind the kitchen to a quiet sitting room with gentle amber lighting.

Ma. She called her mother-in-law Ma.

Ava hands me a glass of the same wine she’s drinking and motions for me to follow her through the hall and into the living room. Grayson is sitting on the floor with his son Aiden and her twins, pushing trucks and plastic cars. I settle into a comfortable chair while Ava takes a seat on the sofa.

“You were DEA?” she asks sharply with no lead-up.

“Yeah, and I got kicked out.” I raise my glass, not being one of these people who boast with exaggerated fluff and made-up shit about myself.

“You fit into this family,” Ava snorts. “I was Navy and almost made SEAL. But failedout. More than once.”

I choke on the wine. “You trained at Coronado?”

“It was hell.” Ava nods. “Then I worked for a CIA covert unit. Until one of my lovely brothers got me kicked out of there.”

My jaw slackens, and I don’t know what to tackle first with that list. “That’s just, wow!”

Lennox returns with a glass of water and adds, “She left off that she was kidnapped for five months, and thatGriffinfound her and rescued her.”

“Sounds romantic.” I hold my chest.