“Pfah, she’s got new favorites now.” Sionn delicately took the bottle, mindful of the strips of gauze bandages around his palms. “Although it looks like she’s kept Quinn. It’s just you and me that’s on the outs.”
It’d been two days since the doctors picked all the glass out of his hands, chest, and back, but Sionn could have sworn he still felt every single shard embedded under his skin. What pissed him off wasn’t the glass cuts or the bits of skin he’d peeled off in his fall. The doctor ordered him to take it easy with his hands, which included running his bare hands over a naked and willing Damien.
It was an order Sionn would be violating as soon as he got the other man into a room with a door that could lock.
He caught Damien looking at him, and he winked, making his lover laugh. Sionn took a sip of the stout, swallowed, then sighed. “God, I am stupid in love with him.”
“Yeah, I know how that feels,” Kane commiserated. “Think we should be worried?”
“About the two of them being back together?” Sionn shrugged. “What’s the worst that can happen? They take over the world?”
“Maybe once Mom and Edie are done with it.” The women in question began a fierce cackle, and Donal frowned, snapping a pair of clean tongs at his wife’s ass.
“Your da’s asking to die.”
“It’s a frequent request,” Kane replied dryly. “There used to be only two bathrooms in this house, and he had a shitload of kids getting ready in the morning. You don’t think he’s prayed for death before? I’m pretty sure that’s who he made that apartment behind the garage for.”
More laughter echoed around the large yard, and Dude cheerfully bounced after a ball Kane’s younger brother, Brae, had thrown for him. Soaking in the mostly warm sunshine, Sionn stretched out, content and slightly buzzed from drinking the stout on an empty stomach.
Leigh was doing well, even talking to him, which Sionn thought a miracle considering all she’d been put through. She’d only intended to drop off the week’s books on his dining room table, and instead found herself surrounded by a dead man and bones. He’d given her two weeks off, but she refused to use them, stashing the extra time into her vacation fund. Instead, she’d dyed her hair a flaming flamingo and bought the house a few rounds to celebrate.
He wouldn’t mourn the asshole—Parker. As hard as it was to let the man have a name, he did have one. Left to deal with the aftermath of the man’s murders, Sionn still cursed his existence. Damien’s melancholy over his mother’s death had been bad enough. He’d feared it would be made worse by the deaths of his father and uncle, but so far, the guitarist seemed more affected by Sionn’s injuries than the loss of his family.
But sometimes, Sionn reminded himself, nightmares took a bit before they found their victim.
“Can’t believe all of this shit was about money,” Kane sighed. “What kind of man does that to his nephew? Or his brother?”
“Same man who stole from his family’s company and then looked for ways to steal some more,” Sionn pointed out. “I can’t believe he got as far as he did, K. Says a lot about how fucked up a man is inside. Damie’ll get most of his money back from the company, but it’ll take some time. And shite, the crap of burying his parents? He’s not dealing with it. He’ll have to. One day.”
“Yeah, one day,” Kane agreed with a nod. “But he’s here. And shit, Miki’s protected his interests. Damie’ll be fine. How’s Leigh doing?”
“Good. Scoring drinks from the pretty boys and girls down at Finnegan’s last time I saw her. Remind me to give her a raise,” Sionn mumbled at his cousin. “Or get her a boyfriend or summat.”
“You’d better make sure it’s a boyfriend she needs first,” Kane teased. “Nothing like getting a peen when you really want a summat.”
“You guys talking about dick?” Damien padded up to Sionn and leaned over for a kiss. Miki followed close behind, sidling up to Kane after tugging Sionn’s bare toe in a brief hello. “And here I haven’t had any.”
“Ah, don’t want to hear it.” Kane shook his head and held his hand out for Miki’s. “Last thing I need is to hear about you needing his dick.”
“Not like we can’t hear the two of you?” Sionn sniffed at his cousin. “Close the fucking door sometimes.”
“We do. He’s just loud.” Miki tugged on Kane’s fingers. “Come on. Your dad said food’s done. Let’s get them some dinner.”
“Wait, why do they get to be waited on hand and foot?” The cop grumbled but got to his feet and pulled Miki in for a hug.
“Because Damie’s come back from the dead and Sionn nearly pancaked himself.” Stepping slowly backward, Miki dragged his lover toward a long table set up on the cement patio. “We’ll be right back. Don’t feed the dog any broccoli or I’m going to kill both of you. He farts something bad.”