Chapter 22
I can’t see what Finn’s looking at, but whatever it is, he’s not pleased. His expression is neutral, but I can tell.
“What went wrong?”
He looks up at me, surprised. “How do you know something went wrong?”
“I can just tell. You don’t seem as at ease as you did a minute ago.”
“Seamus just messaged me. Corey didn’t leave the city.”
That’s a kick in the gut. He’s near my family. I’m not worried about him being near me because of Finn. But my nieces and nephews. That terrifies me.
“Thea, we still have guards for your family. I think your dad suspects something, but no one else seems any the wiser.”
“What do you mean my dad suspects something?”
“My guys say he looks around a moment longer than needed when he gets in and out of his car. If he’s with your mom, he makes sure she’s half a step ahead of him to protect her back.”
“He’s barely in any shape to go anywhere right now.” He should rest as much as he can.
“Before the accident.”
“Accident my ass.”
“I didn’t want to freak you out and call it an attack.” He looks contrite for choosing the wrong word.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. It probably would have freaked me out rather than mildly annoyed me. What’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s time I met your parents. They need to know how you feel about me. Do they know about the brick?”
“No. They know Uncle Corey came by to see me and that he was going to go to Jamie’s afterward. My dad would have lost his ever-loving mind if he knew about that.”
“We need to tell them everything we can. If your dad rode with a club, he’ll recognize who I am without me having to give my name. He’ll be able to tell.”
“How? You look like a totally normal guy who probably works on Wall Street.”
“And that’s what I like people to think. But when you know what to look for, we’re easy to spot. He’s likely well informed about the Boston mob. When he hears my name, it’ll confirm any suspicion.”
“I truly don’t know how he’ll react then.”
“I’ll stay by your side if you want me there. But if you or they tell me to leave, I’ll wait in the car. I won’t leave your parents’ driveway without you.”
“We leave together if it comes to that.” I’m already feeling defensive on Finn’s behalf.
“I don’t want that. I don’t want to come between you and your parents.”
“Daddy, I know. We’re planning for the worst, but let’s hope for the best. When do you want to see them?”
“Do you want to invite them out to dinner?”
I glance down at my phone. They are probably cooking already, but maybe they’d come.
“I can try.”
He kisses my forehead, and I melt against him. I pull up my mom’s contact and put it on speaker as it rings.
“Hi, sweet pea.”
“Hi, Mom. Is Papa around too?”
“Yes. We’re just about to make dinner. What’s up?”
“I wanted to invite you to dinner with my boyfriend. I know it’s last minute, but we’d really like you to meet each other.”
“Boyfriend?” That’s my dad.
“Yes.”
There’s silence, and I don’t know what to say. But I have to come up with something.
“Will you come if we meet you near your place?”
“Is something wrong?” That’s my mom.
I glance up at Finn, and he nods.
“I know Uncle Corey hasn’t left town. Did you?”
“Yes, he did. He told me he had to get back to Boston because something came up.”
“He was supposed to, but he didn’t.”
“How do you know, squirt?”
I look at Finn again. He points to his chest then the phone. I hand it to him.
“Mr. and Mrs. Gallagher, I’m Finn O’Rourke. I’m Ally’s boyfriend.”
There’s dead silence. I guess they both know who the O’Rourkes are. My dad clears his throat before he responds.
“How long have you been together?”
I chime in. “A few weeks.”
Fuck that sounds so ridiculously short for the conversation we just had. We cannot tell my parents we’re talking about moving in together. Especially not when they find out how much of those few weeks I’ve been at work. They will shit a brick.
“Mr. O’Rourke, how did you meet our daughter?” My dad’s voice could chill an ice cube.
“Please, it’s Finn. I come from a large family with a lot of men. It gets confusing. Ally came into my bar with friends a couple times. I approached her the second time.”
“Sweet pea, haven’t you been working a lot lately?” I know what my mom’s hinting at.
“I have, but I see Finn between shifts whenever I can. Mom, that’s not why we called. We want you both to meet Finn. From your silence earlier, I guess you recognize Finn’s last name. We need to talk about Uncle Corey. I don’t want to do that over the phone, and I don’t want you to remain strangers with Finn because Uncle Corey has involved Finn’s family, too.”
“My guess is the involvement isn’t new.” My dad is pissed.
Finn might not be able to tell, but just like I sensed something bad happened before we called my parents, I know my dad’s distinct tones.
“Mr. Gallagher, it isn’t. Ally’s told me about your family’s past with Corey and his club. When he arrived in town, Ally?—”
“Hold on. Finn calls me Thea, and I prefer it. It sounds weird to hear him call me Ally. I don’t like it.”
Finn is shooting me a look, saying this isn’t the right time to poke an angry bear. I shrug.
“When he arrived in town, Thea and I had just started dating. Corey didn’t know. He does now. He knows I expected him to leave New York and to leave you alone. He knows exactly what he’s risking, and he’s done it, anyway. Even if he comes nowhere near your family, I perceive his presence in the city as a threat to you. That’s not okay with me. Like Thea said, we’d rather have this conversation in person. There’s more to discuss, but a phone is not a good choice.”
I was thinking I want my parents to see us together and that we’re a normal couple. I think Finn means someone might be listening. My eyes widen as I stare at my phone, watching the seconds tick by. He squeezes my hand. When I look up, he shakes his head. He shoots me a reassuring smile. Does that mean no one’s tapped my phone? Could it have been?
“I think that’s a good idea. But this conversation will be better done in private. You two should come over.” My mom’s tone is as even as my dad’s, but I know it, and I know we’re entering a shitstorm.
“Okay. We can be there in forty-five minutes. Love you.”
“Love you too.” My parents speak at the same time.
When I hit the end call button, I realize I have no clothes here. I just have the jeans and shirt. I look toward Finn’s closet, and I can picture the million dollars’ worth of suits he must have in there. There’s not a chance in hell I can convince him to wear jeans and a T shirt to meet them. I’m going to look so underdressed.
“If you don’t want me to wear a suit, I’ll just wear trousers and a button down. I’ll leave off the tie if you prefer.”
“I like the mind-reading right now, but it’s disconcerting. I might not like it when we have an argument.”
He kisses me, and I turn to straddle him. We’re going to be late. But I slide down his cock, which has been hard since he put me on his lap. We just sit together, connected as one.
“Your thoughts are your own, and I can’t guess them all the time. Only when you’re probably thinking what I’m thinking, too. I don’t want to appear overdressed when you only have casual clothes. It’ll look pretentious.”
“We could say you came straight from work. You can’t wear your gun without a suit coat.”
“I wasn’t planning on wearing it into your parents’ home. I’d have it in the car, but I won’t bring a weapon into someone else’s home that isn’t my family or doesn’t pose a threat to you.”
“Me? What about a threat to you?”
“Your safety will always be my greatest concern.”
“You make it sound like you don’t care about your own. I don’t like that, Finn. That scares me.”
“Shh, cailín. I have too much to live for now that I’ve met you. I won’t be rash or irresponsible. I want to come home to you too much to get myself killed by not taking the necessary precautions. But I’ll still prioritize your wellbeing over mine. I do the same for all the people in my family.”
I nod. That’s only mildly comforting. He pulls me in close to lay my head on his chest. My arms go around his waist, and he hugs me tighter.
“Daddy, I like this.”
“I do too. I like how connected we are. There’s no way to tell where you begin, and I end.”
“We’re discussing some tough shit right now. I need this peace I feel when we’re like this. I always feel untouchable with you, but this is a whole other level.”
“And I always want to keep you sheltered from the darker parts of my life, but being like this makes me realize how committed I am to that.”
“Finn, can we try falling asleep like this some time?”
“I’d love that. I know we need to go, but we have to sort some things out before we get there. Do you want to do it in the car, or do you need a few minutes like this?”
“Yes.” I smile against his shoulder.
“That doesn’t answer my question.” His chest rumbles as he laughs.
“We can sort things out in the car since it’s a forty-five-minute drive. But I need to be like this for a little longer. Even though that conversation went better than I expected when it started, it was still nerve-racking.”
He strokes my back, and I sigh. This has been an intense afternoon. I need to figure out another word to describe things with Finn. Intense is getting monotonous. But it was. The BDSM, his brothers, my parents. It’s just a lot.
“I was going to drive us, but I’m going to have Joey come over.”
“Why?” I sit up.
“Because we need to get going, but I want us to finish our conversation like this. We can’t do that if I’m supposed to watch the road.”
“I don’t know that I’d fit between you and the steering wheel.”
He picks up his phone, which he’d put on the bed when I made my call. He shoots off a text, and one comes back nearly immediately.
“He’ll be here in ten minutes. You may need to text your parents and tell them it’ll be closer to an hour.”
“I know. I can do it once we see what traffic’s like. I need to take a quick shower. I?—”
“Still have my cum in your pussy. I know.”
“There’s that, but I also just want to freshen up after being at the hospital.”
We head into the bathroom, and we force ourselves to have a quick shower. It’s tempting to have another round of sex, especially since Finn’s still hard. I offer to suck him off or give him a hand job, but— with an aggrieved groan —he declines. Fucking responsibility.
By the time we’re done and dressed, Joey’s here. We meet him at the curb, and Finn slides in from the street side. The moment our doors close, he’s pulling at my jeans. I’m trying to get his trousers unfastened. We abandon each other’s clothes and get our own off. Then I’m back where I belong. His hands on my ass, cupping them as we kiss. This isn’t a passionate one. It’s one of our sweet ones.
“Do you want to tell your parents about the brick?”
“I have to. They’re going to be angry I waited to tell them.”
“Do you want to tell them the truth about how little time we’ve spent together?”
“No. No one else counts the hours they spend with the person they’re dating. I don’t want to do that with you. That said, maybe we don’t tell them we’re talking about moving in together.”
“That’s probably wise. And that doesn’t have to happen immediately. If it’ll make it better with your family to ease into that, then we will.”
“It’s not what I want, but that is the better choice. I don’t know how your family will react.”
“My parents would probably like me to wait to get to know you a little longer, but they already know about you. They know I’m serious about a future with you. I wouldn’t be with you if I weren’t. But they know this world and understand it. Your family is on the periphery.”
“And if they ask you about your family business?”
“Then I’ll tell them all about the legal ones and as much as I can about the other stuff.”
“And when they ask me alone about the mob?”
“You tell them what you know and tell them you don’t know more than that because I don’t believe it’s safe. Again, your family will understand that better than most.”
“True. I know there’s stuff my dad doesn’t tell my mom for her safety. But I also know there’s stuff he tells her he probably shouldn’t.”
“I think that’s true about all couples in this world. I will always try to think before I speak, but I let it slip that I wasn’t in New York. I trust your opinion and advice, so there may be things I ask you about. But it’ll be nothing that could implicate you. It’ll be nothing someone could force you to tell.”
“How worried should I be about the cops coming to me?”
“Aware, but not scared. The feds caused some trouble for Mair, but it was always about getting to Dillan. The same happened to a woman involved with a Mafia guy.”
“So, another woman in your family?”
“Don’t let the Mancinellis hear you calling any other family Mafia. It hurts their feelings. They’re quick to remind everyone that they’re Mafia with a capital M. That they’re the real ones since their family is from Sicily. They love to take a jab at us because we’re ‘only’ the mob.” He uses the air quotes and all.
“The rivalry even comes down to what people call you?”
“The Colombians are the Cartel. The Russians are the bratva. Sometimes people call both syndicates the mafia with a lowercase m, but no one in a syndicate does. Some of the lesser organizations call themselves mafia or mob, but that’s because they have nothing better to call themselves.”
I hear a hint of humor, but I think he’s serious about most of that. I guess I can see why the way they identify themselves is important. Their reputation and appearances are important. I guess it’s machoism. But I think it’s also a sense of family. They identify as a unified group.
“Do I need to fear the other syndicates?” I think that’s a valid concern.
“There’s some recent history I need to explain to you, but this car ride might not be long enough. It won’t paint my family in a good light. The abridged version is Dillan inherited his position from our moms’ cousin who seized it after our uncle on our moms’ side died. Dillan was out of town. Uncle Donovan was a pretty good leader once he listened to Dillan, who is a strategic genius. But when he ignored Dillan’s advice and went after a bratva wife, it put our family on a slippery slope. Declan nearly destroyed us by going after the bratva again, but after a different woman. Shite we couldn’t stop when my generation stepped into our full roles was already in play. We will always put us ahead of them, whoever the them might be. We did some unsavory shite because things we inherited were in motion we couldn’t stop. At least we couldn’t stop them and still come out alive. The Italians made some shitty choices too that endangered bratva women. They nearly got one killed in Greece. The Cartel’s hands aren’t clean either. They’ve gotten away with shite neither the bratva nor the Cosa Nostra know.”
“Cosa Nostra?”
“It means ‘our thing.’ It’s specific to Sicily. There are other Mafia factions in other parts of the country. You met Serafina that night we ran into Maria and Matteo. Her dad’s side of the family is Venetian Mafia. Her mom’s is Sicilian.”
Fuck. That’s a lot to digest. No wonder she watched me so closely. She’s probably spent her entire life assessing whether people are a threat.
“So, the bratva and Cartel don’t hurt women?” Double fuck. “That sounded horribly judgmental. I’m sorry.”
“It’s a fair question. Neither of them have clean hands. The Cartel’s done shite that’s endangered women, just not to the extent the Mancinellis and mine have. The bratva says they never target women or children, but that only comes to not physically harming them.”
That doesn’t reassure me in the least. The disdain in Finn’s voice makes me wonder what the bratva did. It feels like it must have been recently.
“Are you going to tell my parents about this stuff with your family or the others?”
“I’d rather not, but if it’s appropriate or necessary to, then I will. But you know I won’t tell them more than I just told you. You’ll learn more with time. That’s inevitable. But I’d rather you find out in whatever context it comes up rather than me unloading it now.”
I nod. I suppose that makes sense. But what if the context sucks?
Finn’s hands on my ass have me rocking on his dick, and it’s slowly building my need to come. Like having a vibrator on a low setting and just letting it buzz against my clit. It’s going to get hard to concentrate soon.
“Do you think another syndicate has something to do with Corey?”
“Yes. I don’t know who or how. But I can feel it.”
“I think you better draw me a family tree for everyone when we get home.”
His smile is pure happiness. He gives me a peck on the lips. I settle against his chest and run my thumb over his stubbled jaw. I’m happy too. In a sea of trouble right now, Finn’s my life raft.
“Sounds like a good idea to me, cailín.”
“Should I meet you parents soon?”
“Yes. I’d like to introduce you, and I know my parents would like to meet you.”
If we didn’t think we were serious before, it’s getting serious now.
“I have the next few days off. If they’re free, now would be a good time.”
“Let’s figure something out in the morning.”
I glance out the window and realize we made great time. We won’t be more than five minutes late, and my parents know any time given is an estimate when leaving the city.
“We’re almost there.”
“My cailín isn’t wearing any panties. Does she want me to meet her parents with her cunt full of my cum? Does she want that secret?”
“She does. She wants Daddy’s cum in her pussy and on her thighs.”
We move together until I’m clutching his shoulders, my head tipped back. Fucking hell. Orgasms with Finn are unreal. Except feeling his cum on my thighs as we walk into my parents’ house is completely real.
“Mom? Papa?”
I can hear them in the kitchen. Finn’s standing beside me, so when he spots my father and Papa spots him, I can tell they freeze.
“I know your father, Thea.”