Nolan (Dangerous Doms 3)

“I’d help you,” she begins.

I take her hand in mine and give her a little squeeze. “Down, girl. He gave her a plate of scones. It’s harmless.”

She sighs, then shakes her head. “If you say so.”

“I do,” I tell her. “Now come, today’s a celebratory day, isn’t it?”

She finally gives me her winsome smile, the one that lights up her whole face. I bend and kiss her forehead, my hand cupped at the back of her neck. She sighs into me and places a gentle hand on my arm.

“You’re too good to me,” she whispers.

“Nah,” I tell her. “Don’t worry, doll, I’ll make you pay up later.”

She winks. She’s game.

Tiernan is understandably hesitant at first, then finally gives us a sheepish grin. “Means you’ll be my brother, Nolan?” he says with a shy smile.

I grin at him. “Aye, brother.”

He swells with pride. It’s the first time I’ve given him the Clan title of brother. Sheena may have issues with our recruiting him, but she’ll learn to deal with it. He’s meant to be part of the brotherhood as much as I am, or Carson, or Lachlan, or any of the other brothers who aren’t related by blood but heart. They are every bit as much my brothers as Keenan and Cormac.

“What’s this?” Keenan walks in the room, Cormac behind him. I stand with Sheena to greet them.

“They’re moving in together!” Fiona says, and when Lachlan laughs out loud, Fiona hides her face in her napkin.

Keenan swings his gaze to mine, his brows lifting upward. “What’s this, Nolan?”

I meet his gaze squarely and don’t look away. I stand by my decision.

“We’ll have to talk about this,” he says. “In the history of The Clan, no blood relation has ever lived off the premises.”

“Aye,” I tell him. “But sometimes it may be time to break tradition.”

“Break tradition?” Carson enters, his hair still damp from a post-run shower, most like. He saunters up to the table and grabs the last scone just before Cormac does. Cormac growls at him, but Carson ignores him. “What’s Nolan doing now?”

“Why’d you assume it was me, you motherf—”

I pause when Sheena smacks my arm.

“Course it’s you,” Carson says. “Fess up.”

Keenan fills him in, and Carson heads to the table with a plateful of food. “Aye,” he says. “Smart. The O’Gregors might have told Sheena they’ll leave off, and they may have made a bargain because of Tiernan. But I don’t trust them. If you show them you two have a solidified relationship, there’s no way they’ll touch you.”

Sheena’s brows raise, and she looks at me with her mouth slightly parted. “What’s he talking about?” she says.

“Marriage!” Fiona says. Keenan groans and pours himself a cup of tea. Cormac grins around a mouthful of scone. Mam pretends she’s just buttering a scone, but it looks like she isn’t even breathing, and Fiona once more flushes a shade that matches her hair. Poor lass.

I blink, as what Fiona just said makes sense to me.

Marriage.

“Aye,” Carson says. “You know Clan law, Nolan. If you’re married to her, no rivals can touch her without certain and severe consequences. It’s the safest thing to do. And if you marry her, Tiernan becomes like family. Also subject to the protection of The Clan.”

“We need to talk about this later,” Cormac says.

“Sure,” Carson says, ever pragmatic and logical.

“If later means right after breakfast, yes,” Keenan says sternly, giving me a serious look that once more rivals dad’s.

I grin at him.

“I’m done eating. You?”

He puts the rest of his scone in his mouth, a mammoth bite, then chases it down with a cup of tea.

“Animals, every one of them, like I never taught them a day’s worth of manners,” mam mutters to herself. It’s the first she’s spoken since Sheena and I came down. I wonder what’s on her mind, what she thinks of all this.

Our meeting is brief, all the members of The Clan who were at breakfast joining us.

I tell them why I made my decision and hold Sheena’s hand and look Keenan in the eye when I tell him, “And this is what’s best for us. Think on it, Keenan. You know we planned this from the beginning.”

“We did not,” Keenan says, eyeing Sheena thoughtfully. “We planned on Sheena and her family leaving, yes. We did not plan on you going with them.”

Sheena bristles, but I place my palm on her lap to settle her.

“And now I think it’s the right decision,” I tell him. “It doesn’t mean I’m any less devoted to The Clan than I am now.”

He works his jaw but doesn’t respond at first.

“Yes and no,” Cormac says. He leans back in his chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Truth is, when you take a family of your own, your duty is to them above all. And even though you’re still dedicated to The Clan, it’s impossible to be as dedicated as you were when you were single.”