Page 5 of Twisted Thorns

Avalina doesn't remember me, but I remember her. The secret meetings, longing glances, and nights spent together, separating before dawn broke through the clouds. Even then, Avalina was feeling torn between duty and desire. Between being the socialite that everyone around her expected her to be and being her own person, free to make her own choices without feeling the need to fit in.

I understood her frustrations and feeling caught in a web of your own making. I felt the same between the family business and being my own man. We both were caught in the trap of expectations and found solace in each other.

But we were a secret. We met by chance. And now she doesn't remember me and our nights together, what we shared. But I'm watching her blossom and I fear that to be in her life again will only bring her back to where she doesn't want to be, that I'd drag her back into the darkness. My darkness.

My mind snags on a memory, my hand wrapped around Avalina's throat as she arched and writhed under me. Never would I have imagined that this pretty socialite was such a pretty submissive.

Fuck.

I pick up my whiskey again, downing the rest of the glass in one burning gulp. I shook my head like I was trying to shake these memories loose that were plaguing me. As much as I cared for Avalina, I would not bring her back to a place she didn't want to be.

She belonged in a world different from this one, one that she could be herself in and shine. I would only doom her to the shadows.

The server drops more whiskey off at our table and just in time, as the door opens to reveal the reason Liam and I are here to begin with.

Finnegan O'Neil barely lets his steel-gray eyes scan the room before he's making his way to us, his purposeful stride eating up the distance. He is a mountain of a man, all broad shoulders and thick arms, his dark red hair matching his beard.

Anyone else would bristle at the fact that Liam and I are sitting across from each other, which leaves Finn with a choice of which enemy he is going to sit next to. I inwardly smile as he slides in next to Liam. Finn has always had a good instinct about where the danger truly lies.

Leaning back, I quickly note the way Finn's weight is shifted to one side, no doubt because of the gun he has hidden. We're all armed right now, so I don't really care. Liam breaks the silence with one of his charming smiles. “How’s Sloane doing?”

Finn’s red eyebrows arch as he studies my brother before giving him the information he wants about his sister. “She’s bored. She would rather be here at this meeting with us than sitting in her room staring at a boat moving across the ocean.”

“She should just leave. Stop letting Sean keep her locked away like some princess.”

I eye my brother. “That’s the whole point, Liam. Sloane plays her part, so we have more inside intel. It’s how we’ll take Sean and his operation down.”

Finn's father Sean is the head of the O'Neil family, and he is clutching to that role with an iron fist. Sean keeps telling Finn that he'll pass the job onto him soon, but it's been years now with no changing of the guard.

Rolling his eyes, Liam huffs and sips the whiskey I brought him.

Finn just laughs and punches my brother in the shoulder. “When are you going to admit you’re hopelessly in love with my sister?”

“When she admits I exist beyond whenever she calls me.”

“She just knows you’re a good little puppy. You come when she calls.”

“This puppy is about to bite your ass,” Liam says as his eyes narrow.

“Can we get back to the topic, please?” I sigh, watching the two bicker.

Turning back to me, Finn says, “Jimmy recently mentioned to me he thought my father should step down soon, that it’s best to retire in your prime so you don’t get taken out back and shot like a dog.”

I interrupt Finn. “But I thought Jimmy was one of Sean’s loyal cronies?”

Finn nods. “So did I, but I guess things are changing.”

“That or it's a test.” Liam pipes in.

“Either way, I don’t see it happening,” Finn continues, “even if it did, we all know Slone should get the honors, not me. She’s the eldest.”

I snort. “We all know how Sean feels about women.”

“Yeah, the only places they’re acceptable are the kitchen or the bedroom.” Liam chimes in.

“He’s a fucking asshole,” Finn replies before gesturing the server over to order a beer.

“Are we any closer with the intel about the shipment Sean’s expecting?” I ask.

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