Page 25 of Mob Saint

“Calm down, Seamus. I told you before, I don’t want you getting involved.”

“I am involved, and I am calm.”

“Yeah, deadly. I already know you won’t back down just because I ask you to. Don’t shove me in the line of fire in your attempt to shove me out of the way.”

Chapter Seven

Seamus

I’m walking a fine line of not bullying her. She reads me too well, knowing I’m angrier than I want my expression to tell her. I wanted her to know I’m not okay with whatever’s going on, but she knows my level of anger is to the point of what most would call menacing. I don’t like Gareth—fucking Welsh name for a wannabe mob boss—because he’s young and impetuous. He doesn’t think enough steps forward. He thinks he can bully his way into everything, and that’s exactly why I don’t want to come across like him.

At the same time, the thought that anyone intimidates Tiera makes me stark raving mad. It makes me want to wrap my hands around their throat and shake them until they’re blue. Then I want to kick them in the balls, so they puke. Then I’ll consider how I want to kill them.

I’m irrationally protective of her, and I know that. She’s right that I need to calm down. Not my anger. My possessiveness. I have no hold on her. I know the accident happened three years ago. But her grief was plain as day when she told Stella and the others the truth. She’s pissed I spoke to Gareth, even if I didn’t bring her up. She doesn’t want me or any overtures I might make.

“Gareth does say whatever he likes, and I know that means his guys think they can do the same thing. You don’t want me involved, and I get why. But the other men won’t stop if Gareth doesn’t. Why are you willing to put up with that if I can help? Why are you protecting these other guys? Who are they?”

She watches me, then shakes her head. What she says next does the opposite of what she intends.

“Seamus, I don’t want to say who because it’ll only make everything worse. Please trust me. I know you know Gareth. But I’ve been around him our entire lives. He’s younger than you and your cousins and Cormac, so he has a chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove himself. I don’t want it at my expense. I’m the one who has to go to Trenton tomorrow and deal with him.”

The fuck you are.

“No.”

She blinks at me. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Don’t go to Trenton tomorrow, or at least don’t go alone. You’ve waited this long, and it’s pissed him off even more. He knows what happened in the courtroom, and I don’t want him near you. Nothing you’ve said—or not said—each time we’ve talked convinces me he won’t attack you. If he already says shite to hurt you, so he can control you, then I can imagine what he’ll say to ridicule you as he manipulates you even more. Maybe you can withstand his theatrics and his machinations, but I don’t want you facing this alone.”

Her shoulders droop as she turns her head to look at the skyline before looking at me, her head still turned away.

“You’re not wrong, but you’re not right either.”

“Then let me take you.” What am I doing?

She shakes her head, and I feel her sadness as strongly as she must have felt my anger. I study her before I brush hair from her cheek. She closes her eyes as her cheek turns into my hand. She leans into me, her body pressing against mine. It’s seductive as fuck. When her eyes open, there’s no annoyance left. Not even sadness like there was a moment ago. Her lips part as our gazes lock. Her hand slides up my stomach to my chest while pressing her cheek harder into my hand.

Does she just want to fuck? Or could it be more? From how upset she was after the game, I don’t think she’s over her husband’s death. If she’s still grieving him, I don’t want her picturing him or wishing it were him instead of me. I don’t want to be a hit it and quit it. I want way more.

There. I admit it.

“Wait to go back a couple more days. Tell him the U.S. Attorney’s office still has some stuff for you to do or that you still have too much work to get away. I pissed him off because of how my cross examination went. But he couldn’t vent his spleen at me, so he blamed you. He’s going to be a dick to you. Give him a couple more days to settle down again, then let me take you.”

“I—”

“Tiera, I’m going to be there. I’d rather we not be adversaries when what I want is to shield you.”

“It’s not your duty. I’m not your responsibility.”

But you will be my woman.

Fucking hell. These thoughts.

“You are the furthest thing from either of those. I want to do this. I want?—”

Fuck. I barely catch myself.

“What do you want, Shay?”

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