Chapter 37

Laine

The Quinn family takes the weekend to rest and recover, and though Tag has another scar to add to the evidence of a violent life, the bullet hole through his side is dedicated to me and his willingness to die to protect me.

"How are Cora and Connor?" I ask on Tuesday morning as we sit as a family, having breakfast.

"They're doing better," Bryan says, coming in with another plate of bacon. He sets the plate in the center of the table and starts helping himself. "Kelvin said Connor can be up on his feet with crutches today, and Cora is insisting she make dinner for us tonight."

I groan and drop my head into my hands. "I'm so sorry this happened to them."

"Nonsense." Tag reaches over and squeezes my hand. "One of the first things our parents taught us as kids is that we aren't responsible for the violent actions of others. You can't take what Marco did on as your own."

"Especially because he never would've found you here if Siobhan hadn't contacted him and invited him into our lives," Brendan says.

"Traitorous bitch," Bryan adds.

I see the flare of fury in Tag's eyes at the mention of Siobhan. Apparently, he and Aiden hit a wall in their friendship on Saturday night because of her.

But after Marco said an Irish chick told him where I was, they searched my ex's phone.

The call to Chicago came from Aiden's number.

Not only had Siobhan been snooping through his computer to learn stuff about the Quinns, but she set him up to look bad in Tag's eyes.

Since then, all has been forgiven, but I don't think it'll ever be forgotten.

"Have we located her yet?" Brendan asks.

Finn nods. "I hacked into the CCTV cameras in the south and tracked her entering Declan McGuire's loft on Saturday afternoon. They were much too friendly to be casual and when I went back, it seems she's been sleeping with men on both sides of the river for months."

"Ouch. How did Aiden take that?" Bryan asks.

"How do you think?" Tag snaps. "The guy's gutted. No matter how many times I tried to tell him, he just didn't see her as the snake she is."

"Do you think she's the one who outed me to the McGuires?" Rose asks.

Tag wipes his mouth with his napkin and sets it on the table. "I do. And I apologize, because it never should've happened. Aiden never should've brought her to your home that night. I'm sorry."

Rose lifts her coffee mug. "The important thing is that we survived the attacks against us and we're all in one piece to rally and fight another day."

"Damn straight," Bryan says. "And fight we shall."

I haven't heard the entire story of how Rose fits into their family yet. From what Tag shared, Rose and their mother were the best of friends and when their mam died so long ago, she took on the unofficial role as their godmother.

Cormack Quinn, their father, never wanted her to be caught up in the dangers of their world, so he ensured that publicly, there was always a degree of separation between Rose and the family.

Until Siobhan put two and two together.

"Speaking of fighting the fight," Tag says, rising from his chair. "I have calls to make before Laine and I head out to Brittas Bay for her mam's family service. If you'll excuse me."

He leans over, places a gentle hand against the side of my neck, and brushes his thumb against my jaw. "No more regrets about the past, luv. Today is about your mam and the family who loved her."

I accept his kiss, very aware that everyone around the table is taking in Tag's public display of affection. Which, in truth, has become a regular occurrence since Saturday night.

When he leaves, Rose lifts her mug once more. "That boy is lost in love, duck. I never thought I'd see the day when he let his guard down enough to risk his heart, but there it is."

My cheeks flush under the scrutiny. "Well, the feeling is mutual. He's everything to me, and I'm so thankful for the support and friendships I've found within your family."

Finn lifts his mug. "Tag believes Brigid has played matchmaker, bringing you into his life. I don't know if I'd give the credit to the goddess or the fae, but whatever force brought the two of you together, I'm thankful for it. You are exactly what this family needed, when we needed it."

I press a hand to my chest. "Who knew you were such a romantic, Finn? I'm touched."

Brendan chuckles. "Aye, Finny here is our Dublin Charmer, haven't you heard?"

I shake my head. "Tag has referred to himself as the Dublin Rogue a couple of times, but I thought he was joking around."

Bryan wipes his fingers on his napkin and laughs. "Och, no. The citizens of Dublin came up with our monikers years ago. Tag is the Dublin Rogue, Sean is the Dublin Devil, Finn is the Dublin Charmer, Brendan is the Dublin Brute, and I'm the Dublin Beast."

I blink, taking that all in. "Seriously?"

Rose laughs. "Don't be offended on their behalf. The boys get a kick out of it."

I search their expressions, and she's right. They're all chuckling and amused by the way the citizens of the city see them. "That's a PR campaign waiting to happen."

Finn grins. "Don't think we haven't tried to figure out how to use it to our advantage."

"Well, Bryan and I did," Brendan says. "It was part of our billing for the fight Saturday night."

I give the boys a clap. "Right, congratulations for you both winning your matches. In all the chaos, I didn't get the chance to congratulate you."

Brendan waves away my apology. "Knowing what the rest of you faced that night makes our fights insignificant. We're just thankful everyone survived to tell their tales."

I meet the worried gazes and set my napkin on the table. "We did. And as Tag says, we're looking forward. If you'll excuse me. I'm going to lie down for an hour before we leave for my mom's service."