Page 16 of Lawless Sinners

“Aye, to bore me to sleep.”

We turn before he reaches us and head straight for the fireplace.

The black satin dress I’m wearing belongs to Eilish. She spends ninety percent of her life in designer gowns, while I own multiple pairs of work boots and fitted denim.

She never wears the same thing twice, so borrowing from her wardrobe is practically recycling.

Since my run in with Fionn, I’ve kept a low social profile. I considered giving this event a miss too, but Saint organized it, and the Tallons don’t hide.

Eilish helped me camouflage the fading mark along my cheekbone, and the dress hides the bruises covering the rest of me.

Some came from wrestling with Fionn Harrington. The others came from two men who regretted touching me.

Unfortunately, it isn’t either of them who haunt me.

It’s Fionn dragging off his balaclava and looking down at me with that smug-wide smile on a face that has no right to be so goddamn handsome.

The bastard needs to be taken down a peg.

Preferably several.

By me.

“You’re glaring at the fire like you want to jump into it.” Eilish bumps her elbow against mine.

“I’m bored.”

“Me too.”

Across the room, Keira Harrington stands beside my brother, Saint’s hand resting openly at the small of her back.

She appears composed beneath everyone’s scrutiny, her chin held high beside a Tallon who worships her.

My big brother doesn’t answer to anyone or shy away from war, but once he realized Keira wasn’t like her father, he chose her, and she chose him.

And having her beside him tonight is the boldest declaration they could’ve made. They’ve chosen to make their relationship public at a Tallon charity event.

Nothing says love wins like armed men at every exit.

“Keira looks happy,” Eilish says.

I shrug. “Yeah.”

At the end of the day, Keira is still a Harrington, and Saint choosing her has given our enemy a route straight into our family if any of us are stupid enough to forget her last name.

Despite that, the way she leans into my brother is natural and pathetically adoring. And nothing about the way he touches her comes across as strategic.

Whereas I know exactly what strategy feels like after Fionn’s men dragged me into the back of an unmarked van.

It leaves bruises.

Fionn left me with those and a restlessness beneath my skin that whispers through me even now.

“Does that mean you’re okay with her living with him?” Eilish asks.

“Saint didn’t ask any of us. He just moved her in.” I sip my champagne. “So, I kinda have to be okay with it.”

“He seems really into her.” Eilish sighs. “I want a man who looks at me the way he watches her.”