Nolan (Dangerous Doms 3)

“Is that what you think, lass?” Finn says quietly. He shakes his head. “I’m disappointed in you. A brilliant girl like you ought not jump to conclusions.”

She stills. I grip her thigh and give her a firm squeeze. She needs to stay silent, to hear what he has to say.

“As I said, your father was a friend of mine,” Father Finn continues. “When money got tight after the birth of their third child, your father got involved with the O’Gregors. Stayed on the outskirts, or tried to.” He swallows, his Adam’s apple bobbing, before he continues, as if it pains him to remember. “But you don’t dabble with the O’Gregors. Your father tried to pull out, but it was too late. One of them wanted your mum, you see,” he says. “And for the O’Gregors, all’s fair in love and war.”

“Are you trying to tell me it’s the O’Gregors who’re responsible for the death of my father, not the McCarthys?” I can tell she doesn’t believe it by the way she shakes her head and snorts. “Wouldn’t that be convenient?”

Father Finn’s placid gaze doesn’t waver. “Not at all convenient. Not when you’ve brought the wrath of the O’Gregors on our doorstep.”

Her jaw drops in shock and she looks like she’s about ready to lose her mind again, when I intervene. I squeeze her thigh and address Father Finn.

“Tell us how you know this,” I say. “Do you have proof the O’Gregors are responsible for Hurston’s death?”

“Witnessed it myself, Nolan,” he says. “He knew they were coming, knew his death was imminent. He came to me for the final Sacraments. They took him when he was still on church property. They don’t have the same scruples as you. And yes, I have proof. Security footage from the church, to be exact.”

We don’t do any type of business on church grounds, hallowed as they are.

Video footage is as clear as it gets. In any other place and time, security footage of a murder would go to the police and the O’Gregors would pay. But not here, not in Ballyhock. Law enforcement’s on our payroll and theirs. Executions at our hands are left between the clans.

Sheena’s trembling, but I can’t tell if it’s from anger or something else.

No one else has spoken since Father Finn began, but now Carson chimes in.

“I knew it, too,” he says. “The O’Gregors are responsible for the drug trafficking in Stone City and every other surrounding town.”

“I’ll… show you the footage if you’d like,” Father Finn offers.

Sheena doesn’t respond.

“I’ll see it, please,” I tell him. “Later. For now, I trust you’ve told us the truth.” I’ve known him my entire life, and he’s never told a lie to me.

Sheena shakes her head. Keenan addresses her, his voice laced with warning, and for some reason it makes me want to deck him. I don’t often want to hurt my brothers, but Keenan’s stepping on my last nerve.

“Did you have a different story, Sheena? Another take on things, as it were?”

She lifts her head and meets his eyes, squaring her shoulders and drawing in breath. “Aye, do you think I’ve been on your arses for sport, then?”

I feel the corner of my lips tip upward. Christ, I love that smart mouth of hers. Still, I grip her firmly.

Keenan shrugs. “Wasn’t quite sure why you’ve been on us. All I know is that you are and that it’s time to put an end to it.”

“An end to it?” she says, her temper flashing again.

Keenan leans on the desk, his body rigid with authority. “Aye. An end to it. You think we’d be bothered to bring you here for sport? Got better things to do with our time than fuck with the likes of you.”

She flinches as if someone slapped her.

I’ve had it.

“Fuck off, Keenan,” I say quietly. The entire room goes silent, the only sound the ticking of a clock on a shelf behind Keenan. Boner squirms beside me, and even Lachlan’s eyes widen in surprise. Christ, I can’t even believe I said it myself.

Keenan doesn’t look angry, though, but surprised. I shouldn’t have said it. Even privately is unacceptable, but in front of the others... He’s Clan Chief, my older brother, my superior. Insubordination can incur not only his wrath, but severe punishment, and I know it. Hell, I’ll take it. I should’ve kept my mouth shut.

“Nolan,” Cormac warns. He sits beside me, shaking his head. He’s likely trying to prevent a pissing match I won’t win. “You don’t speak to him that way, brother.”

But Christ, the way Sheena’s eyes look at me, whatever happens now is worth it.

Father Finn clears his throat. “Boys,” he says. “Tempers are high. I won’t have you warring among yourselves.” Aye, but there won’t be a war. Keenan will have my arse kicked and I’ll fucking take it, but I won’t apologize. I won’t allow him to talk to Sheena that way.