Page 229 of Lodestar

I groaned at her wounded expression. “No, Vana. You might have been a few months ago. But now, I don’t think so.”

“Your kindness overwhelms me,” she grumbled, shoving my shoulder with an expensively manicured hand.

“Did you get hurt?”

She frowned. “When?”

“When you were kidnapped?” That was my area of expertise and I hadn’t been around to save her ass.Some sister I was. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help.”

“Conor did most of the heavy lifting. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? That’s a lot to have to deal with.”

“I’m fine,” she repeated. “Aidan shored up his position and it?—”

“It could happen again. No matter what he does to try to protect his role as leader, there are no guarantees,” I warned, but I had no desire to shit on her parade just to make sure she knew that the storm wasn’t over.

That it never would be.

“You say that and you’re standing in my shoes now too. You love an O’Donnelly. That means you’re going to love his brothers, are on the brink of becoming an 'afternoon tea with the girls’ kind of woman, will eat Sunday dinner with his mother even though she talks about Our Lady more than she does her grandkids, and will be as married to the mob as I am.”

Inside, I squirmed, but I just mumbled, “I know.”

She squinted at me, her confusion evident. “Then what the hell happened while you were gone? Because the Star I know would rather drink strychnine than lead her life according to someone else’s plan.”

My mouth tightened. “I realized that I didn’t have to be a lone wolf anymore. I’m part of a pack now.”

“Have you been binge-watching David Attenborough documentaries again?”

I shrugged. “They help me concentrate.”

Her hum was loaded with her disbelief.

Because I didn’t get it either and could only assume it was because this was Conor, who accepted me warts and all so how couldn’t I do the same for him, I changed the subject. “Aspen is really dating a Bratva man?”

“They’re calling themselves something else now.” She pursed her lips. “She’s gaining weight though.”

Brows lifting, I stated, “That’s a positive sign.”

Another hum. “Well?”

“What?”

“Where’s my apology?”

“I literally told you I was sorry at the start of this conversation.”

“It wasn’t good enough.”

“What do you want? Blood?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

I hissed under my breath then, blowing out a sharp exhalation, snapped, “Savannah, I’m sorry that I ignored your text messages and didn’t check in with you. It was very cruel of me to leave you in the dark, especially when I know you love me and want what’s best for me.”

Savannah arched a brow. “See? You can do it when you try.” She shuffled forward, dragged me into a hug I didn’t want, then grumbled in my ear, “Hug me back, bitch. You’re in ‘Pack’ O’Donnelly now, where you allegedly want to be.We hug.”

“I don’t like hugging.”

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