Page 1 of Dublin Charmer
CHAPTER ONE
Finn
The Grand Ballroom in Clontarf Castle hums with laughter and music, filled with the warmth of our annual Quinn family and friends Christmas party. We’re dressed to impress in custom-tailored Armani tuxedos, and while I’ve been told a dozen times how hot I look, I can’t shake the cold that clings to my bones.
The venue is glowing with holiday cheer—twinkling lights and evergreen garlands wrapped around every banister, the scent of roasted meats and mulled wine thick in the air, and bite-sized mince pies disappearing faster than the catering staff can replenish them.
I stand near the window, watching snow fall like glitter from the midnight sky, softening the sharp lines of the manicured grounds outside.
But inside, everything feels too loud, too showy, too much.
Tag and the twins get off on these sorts of events, their voices rising above the crowd, their women close by, thriving as if they were born to love their Quinn men.
Tag stands with Laine, his arm around her back, his hand resting on her hip, keeping her tucked in at his side. It’s like she’s the only thing tethering him to the earth. She looks stunning tonight, her belly rounded with the next generation of our bloodline.
In less than a month, our little Quinn princess will be with us.
That’s been the best gift this holiday season. Hands down.
After Da’s death, Tag moved out, and our home felt like a hollow shell of what it once was. Laine and Baby Q brought him back to us—made us a family again.
A lot has changed in the past year. Most of it was good…but not all of it.
Still, the Quinn clan has never been stronger.
Aiden and Henessey flank Tag, throwing back drinks with a celebratory gleam in their eyes.
Tag is every inch the leader Da raised him to be. Strong. Steady. Feared. It took a while, but the other heads of families have realized that over the past year.
Sean isn’t normally one for public affairs, but this party is all about family and friends, so he’s more at ease than usual. At the moment, he’s deep in it with Kieran and Gallagher, the Dublin Devils’ top brass.
Piper’s laugh cuts through the air, softening Sean’s rough edges in a way I still can’t quite believe. After the kidnapping that left him scarred as a kid, he relegated himself to rule from the shadows, to lurk and strike without mercy, to lead men who answer to no one but him.
But after twenty years of being violent and angry, there are now moments when he steps into the light. He laughs. He teases. And he loves.
That’s all Piper.
Brendan leans in close to Nora, his voice low, his hand resting on her thigh like he owns the space around her. Which, knowing how Quinn’s protect what is theirs, he likely does.
And Bryan…well, Bryan’s still got that restless look in his eye. Even with Harper by his side, his arm slung protectively around her shoulders, there is still something violent and dangerous brewing inside him. It’s better than it was, but having lost one love already, I’d bet loving Harper makes him realize he’s opened himself up to being shattered once again.
I hope it’s worth it.
And me? I’m the one who keeps the lights on, the money clean, and the deals running smoothly. I ensure our enemies stay one step behind us—and I do it quietly, from behind my screen.
No cheers for the hacker.
No fandom of local women seeking a Quinn bad boy.
No toasts raised for the brother who doesn’t bleed for the cause—at least, not in any way that counts.
I don’t begrudge them their happiness. They’ve earned it. Every scar and shadow they carry has been hard-earned. But sometimes, standing on the outside is like watching a play where everyone knows the part they’re playing but me.
I scan the room, letting my gaze fall on familiar faces—family, friends, and allies. Jimmy Frances throws his head back in a laugh, his voice gravelly as hell in his old age. As well as running the pub we frequent, the man’s a legend among made men. As our father’s enforcer, he’s been a fixture in our lives since I was in nappies.
His daughter, the lovely Ginny, sips from a crystal glass, her gaze catching mine. She’s a firecracker and a knockout, and being seven years older than me, reigned as queen of my shower pleasure inspirations for most of my teenage years.
I always got the feeling she fancied Tag, but he never seemed interested.
