Page 40 of Mob Princess

The only way anyone outside our family can tell us apart is by a freckle on my neck. If we’re wearing turtlenecks on missions or starched collars with a bow tie, it’s impossible to see it. We know our mannerisms are just as identical as our appearance. We run our hands through our hair the same way. We sit with our leg crossed over our knee the same way to a millimeter—we checked as kids. We have the same stride naturally. We wear our shoes out the same way. We know because we’ve swapped enough times, and they always feel the same as our own. We are absolute mirrors of each other except for the freckles on our face, but we both have enough that people can’t use that to tell us apart. It’s the one on the left side of my throat, just a half inch from my Adam’s apple that distinguishes me.

Me

I might. I don’t want it to come to that. It could be a disaster if it does. But it might be unavoidable.

Shane

Why? Who is she?

Me

His sister. She’s mine.

He sends me the eye roll emoji. It bounces on my screen before just sitting there, looking at me.

I haven’t told him her name, and the others suspect I met someone who’s distracted me. But he just knows. He hasn’t pressed me to tell him anything because I don’t have to. He guessed, and it was futile to deny it to Shane. Anyone else I can skirt the issue. If I’ve accepted I want to be with Lina, then we both know thinking otherwise is pointless and would only hurt the other.

Shane

You don’t want it to come to that but could it if he threatens her in any way?

Me

It could if he tells Tremblay.

Shane

Tremblay?

Me

She’s his granddaughter.

Shane

WTF you’ve always been go big or go home. This is likely to get you a big bullet between your eyes. Mine if he thinks I’m you!

Me

Don’t catastrophize until there’s a reason to.

That’ll chap his arse. They say I’m the most patient in the family. It’s really that I’m the most stubborn. I can wait out most people, so it means I don’t lose my shit easily. It also meant that when I was a kid, I would simply sit down if I didn’t want to do something or stand until the other person walked away. Shane isn’t a hot head, but he doesn’t have the patience I do. He prefers to just deal with things and get them out of the way. Between the two of us, he might be the first one in, but I’m last one out. Nobody gets around us.

Shane

I’d like to live to see you standing at the altar. I won’t if he kills us. What’s her name anyway?

Me

Nicolina. Nikki

Shane

But what do you call her?

Dillan calls his wife Greta, but everyone else calls her Mair, which is short for her traditional Gaelic name. Finn calls his wife Thea while everyone else shortens Althea to Ally. I guess I like tradition.

Me