Page 62 of The Cleaner

I feel Lisa stiffen beside me, and her hand reaches out and grips mine. I squeeze Lisa's hand reassuringly as my parents approach. My mam's eyes are already fixed on Lisa, studying her intently.

"Da, Mam," I greet them, trying to keep my voice casual. "This is Lisa. Lisa, these are my parents, Eric and Nichola."

Lisa puts on a bright smile, though I can feel her trembling slightly beside me. "It's lovely to meet you both," she says, her voice steady despite her nerves.

My da gives her a warm smile. "The pleasure's all ours. We've heard so much about you."

My mam, however, is a bit cooler in her reception. "Yes, Maverick's been quite tight-lipped about you," she says, her tone carrying a hint of disapproval. "It's nice to finally put a face to the woman my daughter’s told us about.”

Lisa tenses beside me at my mother's words. I squeeze her hand reassuringly, shooting my mother a warning glance. “Mam,” I say, my tone laced with anger.

“Are your parents here tonight?” Mam asks. “Jer did say he invited everyone. I’d like to meet them.”

I’m about to lose my fucking shit with my mam when Lisa speaks up. “Ma’s in St. Fintan’s if you want to visit with her, and if you happen to find my dad, then I applaud you,” she says coolly, her eyes spitting fire. “If you’ll excuse me,” she says, releasing my hand and moving away.

“Mam,” Callie hisses, shaking her head. “What the hell?”

“It was just a question,” Mam says, acting innocently. “How was I supposed to know that her mam was dead and her dad wasn’t around?”

I clench my fists, trying to control my anger. "It’s not your fucking business to know," I growl. "The hell is fucking wrong with you? Didn’t you learn not to fucking interfere with Callie and Jess?" I snarl, beyond pissed that she’s acting this way.

My da places a hand on my shoulder, his eyes sympathetic. "Go after her, son. We'll deal with your mother."

I nod, shooting one last glare at my mam before walking away in search of Lisa. I’m not surprised to have Stephen and Jess at my back. Stephen had enough of my mam’s shit when she found out about him marrying Jess. My mam doesn’t know when to back off. She’s all about appearances but doesn’t care about people.

My jaw clenches when I see who Lisa’s standing beside. Fucking Cowboy. What the hell is wrong with that man and why the hell is he sniffing around my woman?

I stride over to where Lisa is standing with Cowboy, my blood boiling. As I approach, I catch the tail end of their conversation.

"I’m fine. You know better than that," Lisa says, her voice a little hard.

Cowboy grins, leaning in a bit too close for my liking. "I do, but I also saw the anger on your face. You only get that way when someone pisses you off, and Lisa, you know I won’t stand for someone upsetting you."

I clear my throat loudly as I reach them, sliding an arm possessively around Lisa's waist. "Everything okay here?"

Lisa relaxes against me, offering a small smile. "Yeah, we're good. Cowboy was worried about me."

Cowboy straightens up, his easy grin fading slightly as he meets my hard stare. "Maverick." He nods in greeting. "Just wanting to make sure your ma didn’t let her inner bitch out again.”

I can’t lie, having him so close to Lisa pisses me the fuck off, but he’s her friend. There’s not a lot I can do about it, but he’s pushing his luck.

"Cowboy," I growl, my arm tightening around Lisa's waist. "I appreciate your concern, but I've got this handled."

Lisa looks between us, sensing the tension. "It's fine, really," she says, placing a hand on my chest. "Cowboy was just being a friend."

Cowboy's eyes flick to Lisa's hand on my chest, and I see a flash of something—jealousy?—in his eyes before he masks it with another easy grin. "Of course," he says, taking a step back. "I'll leave you two be. Lisa, always a pleasure. You know where I am if you need me. Maverick." He nods at me before walking away.

I watch him go, my jaw clenched. When he's out of earshot, I turn to Lisa. "You okay?" I ask, my voice softening as I look at her.

She nods, giving me a small smile. "I'm okay. Your mam just caught me off guard, that's all."

I sigh. I’m beyond pissed off at Mam. "I'm sorry about her. She can be... difficult sometimes."

I hear Jess’ soft laughter. "Difficult is putting it mildly," she mutters. "Aunt Nichola is a handful and doesn’t know when to hold her tongue."

Lisa waves her off. “It’s fine. I can handle it.”

I pull Lisa close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You shouldn't have to handle it. I'll talk to her."

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