Page 499 of Lodestar

Her hand landed on my arm. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear that.”

When her tits brushed my bicep, I sighed with annoyance at the come-on. “Look, I’m not?—”

But I didn’t need to defend my honor.

Not with Kat around.

“Hey! Get off my dad,” she shouted.

From across the gym.

So loud that everyone heard.

And everyone twisted around to find outwhyshe was hollering like this was a football game.

Ali turned bright red but she cleared her throat and bustled away as quickly as she’d attempted to worm her way in.

I shot Kat a thumbs-up, but she was too busy glowering at Ali to see it, and it was then that it hit me what she’d said.

Dad.

I knew she’d call me Conor after this class was over, but using that particular label had been her initial instinct.

This time, when I dunked a carrot stick into hummus, I was grinning like a loon, and once we were ready to leave, I didn’t just get us hot dogs—I got us pizza and cannolis because that’s what dads should do after gym class.

At least, that’s whatthisdad did after gym class, and who the fuck else mattered?

53

STAR

As we settledaround the poker table I'd set up in our den, I knew Savannah’s presence would be an issue for Eoghan, but it hadn’t stopped me from allowing her to join, mostly because he needed to get over himself.

We were all fucked up—Savannah too.

No, she hadn’t killed someone—or many someones—but she’d seen people die and she’d coped with more than most civilians ever did in her relatively short life.

As a result, I didn’t push him when he played quietly, but neither did I let him off the hook.

After dealing the cards, I peered over my hand and took a look at the group around us.

Cin was studying Chadwick like he was a brownie and she’d been dieting for a year. Troy kept eying Eoghan—he was cute in hisPeaky Blindersget-up, but I thought it was more to do with her sizing him up for the kill. Savannah was scowling at me and her cards which was totally a bluff—I knew her tells better than she did.

“I have to share something with Conor.”

As an opening line, it wasn’t as smooth as it should be, but it was weighing on my conscience nonetheless and that was supposed to be the point of these meetings.

At least, that was what I’d figured from watchingThe Queen’s Gambitwith Conor.

Eoghan arched a brow. “What do you have to tell him?”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“It’d help if we knew?—”

I sniffed at Savannah. “I’m not telling you without telling him first.” A yowl from the kitchen told me the hellcats were fighting.

I didn’t bother getting up to umpire, knowing that Ren would hightail it out of there in a few.

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