Page 14 of Mob Saint

“Tiera, do not make me ask a third time. You will not like the outcome. Who’s hurt you?”

“I’ll tell you, but not until you calm down.”

He cocks an eyebrow while narrowing his eyes again. How is that even possible?

“You think I’m not calm?”

His tone makes my pussy clench. This is the worst time to be aroused. Or rather, get even more aroused. I loved the feel of his body pressed against mine. I felt him hardening even though he kept his hips away from mine. I want to hear him command me like this in bed—or against a wall—or in a car.

“I think you appear deadly calm, which means you’re pissed as shit. I don’t want you doing anything to anyone. Nothing good can come of you getting involved.”

“So, Gareth.”

I don’t like how he can read me. That’s too intense. Too intrusive. I might love it if he could do that during sex—not that that’s ever happening—because he might have felt badly that I heard those bitches, but he never disagreed with them or tried to reassure me—but I don’t love it while we’re talking. I step away from him and cross my arms. The moment I do, hurt flashes in his gaze.

“Seamus?” I can’t stop myself from stepping back to him.

“That’s a defensive stance, not an angry one. You believe you need to protect yourself from me. I never, ever want that.”

He runs his hand through his hair, making it stick up. Even sweating while playing, his hair wasn’t out of place. Now it’s wild. It tempts me to reach up and flatten it. Instead, I smile. Now he really retreats. I don’t want that either. I run my fingers over it, smoothening it.

“It was sticking up.”

He offers a jerky nod. It’s his turn to move away, reaching for the door behind him.

“I’m crowding you. I’ll give you space.”

“No, you’re not. Wait.” My gaze drops because I’m embarrassed. “Please don’t leave yet.”

I know how needy I sound.

“I won’t hurt Gareth any more than I hurt Randy. I will talk to him. I will make sure he understands anything rude he’s said in the past—anything his men have said in the past—stays there. No more.”

“He’ll just say I’m pathetic, and you took pity on me. It’ll fuel the fire.” There are too many fucking fire cliches and idioms.

“There is nothing pathetic about you, and I do not pity you. If he says a damn thing after I talk—talk, Tiera—to him, then he and I will be the ones having trouble.”

“He’ll want to know why it matters to you. I want to know, too.”

“We’re at the least acquaintances. I’d like to think we’re moving toward being friends. After what I did in court, I think defending you is the very least I can do. I treated you like shite, and I hated every moment. I don’t want you to think that’s how I see you.”

“Seamus, I told you. I get you were doing your job. It sucked, and it’s still embarrassing. But you’ve shown me you aren’t that man outside of work. Please, let it go. I appreciate knowing you’d go to bat for me, but I don’t want you to do it.”

He stares at me for a long time, and I’m not convinced he’ll agree.

“One day, Tiera, you will tell me who, and you will tell me why you’re protecting them.”

Chapter Five

Seamus

I can’t stop thinking about Tiera. She consumes every free moment and crowds into ones that should focus on work and family. I can’t help it. I don’t like how we left things after the last game. It feels unresolved. Fortunately for her reputation, we weren’t touching when a woman walked in on us talking. She was Tiera’s teammate and came to check on her. She hadn’t seen me slip in and didn’t approve, but Tiera reassured her she appreciated both of us checking on her.

I discovered Tiera’s team planned to go to McGinty’s that night. My team planned the same thing. Even if I hadn’t mentioned that, I could tell Tiera wanted to go home. I couldn’t blame her then, and I can’t blame her now. I can’t imagine the pain she felt sharing what I’d learned during the trial. I might have eventually told her I knew. If anything could have come of us, I would have. But there isn’t an us, and there won’t be.

I know how it felt to lose Dillan’s little sister when a mercenary murdered Colleen. I know the pain my entire family still feels when we’re reminded of what happened. It’s dulled to a persistent ache to just think about her. But what Tiera went through…

I watched Tiera go to her car after she and Suze left the restroom, and I followed a moment later. Then I went to where Stella and our other teammates stood watching it all play out. I lit into Stella. I haven’t yelled in a long time. I rarely need to. But it’s also been a long time since I’ve been that pissed at or about someone. I said nothing I couldn’t take back or anything that revealed what connects our families. That said, I made sure she knew I wasn’t okay with the cruelty. I made sure the two women who were already being catty when Tiera walked by knew I hadn’t forgotten about them. They aren’t mob connected, but I know they’re aware of who my family is.

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