“He’s fucking vicious,” Damien murmured in agreement.
“They have the knife, ye know?” Donal grinned wickedly at Damien’s raised eyebrows. “Our boys can find out who he is now. That’ll be summat—bringing him in now once we have a name. So don’t worry, Damie. He’ll be found.”
“He’s already gotten Miki. Maybe my mom too, but definitely Sinjun.” The coffee was getting cold, but he drank it anyway, hoping for a jolt of caffeine to hit his courage as well as his bloodstream. “I’m not good for him to be around. Not until this guy gets caught.”
“Miki’ll knife ye next, Damie boy, if he hears yer saying that,” the man warned him. “And I think Sionnie will hold ye still for him.”
Damien deflected the conversation. “Does he know you call him Sionnie?”
“Aye, he’s known for a while. He’s my nephew too, you know… for all his Finnegan blood.” Donal smacked Damie’s temple with a light tap of his fingers. “He’s run with my boys for years now. When his worthless da packed him up over here, it was a fight we had with his gran. Brigid and I wanted him with us, but she was hard to move. Said the boy belonged with her, but still, I look at him like a son, and I’m glad he’s brought ye in.”
“Yeah, Miki….”
“I’m not talking about Miki here, Damie boy.” Donal looped his arm around Damien’s shoulders and pulled him into a lopsided hug. The man was warm, scented with coffee and cream. “Your Sinjun’s not the only one I’m glad ye taught to love. Ye’ve given Sionn a bit of yer heart to hold onto, and he’s given ye his in return. Even if we didn’t already have Miki, ye’d still be a part of us. Yer with the Morgans now, boy. Yer our Damie, and heaven help that bastard who’s crossed ye, because he’ll be wishing Miki finished him when we finally catch up with him.”
THE puffy brace-splint they’d put on Miki’s leg made the singer look like a lopsided blue-footed booby, and he struggled to get out of Kane’s SUV, waving off his lover’s help. Damien hovered close by, then finally snapped at the singer to at least hold onto Kane’s shoulder, snarling at him when Miki tried to give him lip.
By the time they’d pulled their cars into the warehouse’s garages, the day had already started its futile efforts at pushing away the rain clouds. Small streams of pale, buttery light crept through the gaps in the stormy front, the wind jealously chasing the holes closed to keep the sun out.
Dude met them at the door, barking and weaving around Kane’s legs until the man shouted at him to stop. In retaliation, the terrier squatted and peed on the stoop, kicking up flicks of urine at them with his back legs before he trotted into the warehouse with his tail held high.
“Fucking dog,” Kane muttered without heat. “Come on, babe. Let’s get you in bed.”
“I just want to sit down on the couch for a bit.” Miki brushed off Kane’s tight, exasperated hiss, hopping past the cop on his one good leg.
“How about if I make him some tea? Maybe something to eat?” Sionn offered.
He needed something to do. He’d come outside just as Donal was walking back in with Damien. Hoping to catch the guitarist alone, he’d been taken aback at the sight of his uncle’s arm over his lover’s shoulders and the affectionate kiss Donal left on Damien’s forehead before he let Damie go.
The steak was still sitting in the fridge, and Sionn pulled it out, staring down at the rare meat and wondering if he should reheat it or make something out of it to throw at the others. He’d just decided to raid leftovers in the fridge when Damien came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Sionn’s waist.
“Just let me hold you for a bit,” Damien muttered into Sionn’s shoulder. “They’re out there chewing on each other. I wanted to come where it’s safe.”
“Who’s winning the argument?” Sionn turned around in Damien’s embrace and dropped his hands to cup the man’s firm ass.
“Miki.” The man grimaced. “He’s pissy. You don’t win with Miki when he’s pissy.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
“Don’t worry.” Damien nodded. “He’ll remind you soon enough if you forget. No one can hand you your ass like Sinjun.”
Sionn waited a few heartbeats, rocking Damien in his arms before prying. “You want to be telling me what Uncle Donal told you?”
“Huh, not bad, you lasted what? An hour?”
“Almost two,” Sionn admitted proudly. “I didn’t follow him outside. I should be getting points for that, love. Now, talk to me. I know the hospital wasn’t doing you any good. Did Uncle help you with that a bit?”
“Yeah. He yells really good. All whispery and Yoda-like.”