Page 153 of Lawless Rivals

Eilish touches Sera’s arm as they talk. She wears all gold satin and diamonds, the well-known Kinnane name sitting around her as clearly as the jewels at her throat.

Her father answers to Don Hennessy, which means the men in this room know better than to mistake her for decoration.

The second Fionn heads in their direction, Eilish nudges Sera with her elbow.

Fionn strolls through the room, stopping for greetings and handshakes, accepting liquor he doesn’t drink while every pause brings him nearer to the fireplace.

Sera sees him coming. Her shoulders snap back, her fingers tighten around her glass, and she takes a long drink before he joins her.

Saint follows my gaze, and his hand firms at my waist before he speaks. “He’s too close to my sister.”

“He won’t do anything,” I say. “Fionn likes control too much for that.”

My brother stops at Sera’s side, close enough to make her choose between holding her ground or giving him space, then lifts his glass and takes a drink without looking at her.

Sera glowers at him. “You look like a lost dog, Harrington.”

Fionn cocks his head and lowers his voice to a taunting rumble. “Woof.”

Sera’s breath catches just enough for me to notice, then she glares at the bubbles in her glass as if they deserve more attention than he does.

“Try the bar. It’s safer,” she mutters.

Fionn’s smile lingers as he angles into her. “For me or for you, Tallon?”

Saint goes still beside me. “He has five seconds.”

“Sera can handle him.”

“I know. That’s why he still has five seconds instead of one.”

I take his hand and link our fingers. “She doesn’t need you starting a fight at a charity function.”

“She’s my sister.”

“And I’m his.”

That holds him for a second, his thumb pressing once against my knuckles before he makes himself release the pressure.

Eilish stays beside Sera, watching Fionn over the rim of her glass. “I heard Mick Hennessy wasn’t impressed when your father brought Harrington trouble to his Dublin associates.”

Mick Hennessy’s name is enough to make nearby conversations lower.

Fionn smiles, all charm and bad intentions, the dimple in his cheek appearing exactly when he wants it to.

“You mean he didn’t appreciate the Tallons calling in debts from half of Dublin and pretending it was strategy?”

Eilish takes a slow sip, eyeing him over the rim. “That would be one version.”

“Hennessy knows exactly who caused trouble,” Fionn says. “And he’s not known for overlooking disrespect.”

His gaze slides to Sera, and one breath slips past her control before her eyes narrow.

Saint goes rigid beside me in a way that has nothing to do with calm, his gaze fixed on my brother.

I turn into him before he can take a step. “I’ll deal with it.”

“No.”