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“I’ll be fine,” I assure her.
“So, tell me about your family,” Eda asks softly.
“Haha! My family isn’t normal.” God, they’re anything but. Whenever anyone finds out that my Ma isn’t my birth Ma, and that my siblings all have different parents, they think we’re weird.
Eda shrugs. “Whose family is?” She turns to look at Octavia. “Other than yours, that is.”
I smile. I love how close all the women are. They’re best friends and closer than sisters.
“I had six brothers,” Eda says, and the pain that I’ve seen in her eyes is back. It’s raw, harrowing, and consuming.
I want to ask why she said had, but I won’t because it’s obviously something hard for her to talk about. “I have four brothers and three sisters. They range in age from twenty-eight to five.”
Octavia leans forward, her coffee mug in hand. “Really? That’s so cool. I have three brothers and a sister. I bet your house is chaotic most of the time.”
I nod. “Danny, Malcolm, and Holly are a lot older than I am. By the time I was thirteen, they had all left home. Then Mary was born eleven years after I was, then Gareth followed just over a year later, and the twins followed him almost a year later.”
Octavia’s eyes are wide. “God, your parents must be saints. It’s hard having that many young kids running around.”
I laugh. “Tell me about it. But thankfully, they all get along really well, and Ma’s great and so gentle with them. Not to mention, Granny and Granda are always around. Besides, we have a lot of uncles, like dozens of them.”
“That’s super cool. So, Makenna’s your aunt, right?” Eda asks.
“Yeah. She’s the youngest of Granda Seamus’ kids. Da and Makenna had different Mas. Granda Seamus fell in love with Granny Molly, and she feel pregnant with Da, but my great-granda Henry had already promised that Granda Seamus would marry Sharon. They moved here to New York after the wedding, and Granny Molly had Da alone.” My great-granda adored my granny. He always speaks highly of her, and I know that if he could go back and change things, he would.
“That’s shit. It must be hard having to marry because of an agreement,” Octavia sighs. “I know that it’s part of the life of the mafia, but I’m so thankful that I was able to find Tate and didn’t have to marry someone I didn’t know.”
I shrug. “My aunt and sister both had arranged marriages and they have some of the happiest marriages I’ve ever seen. So do my cousins. Both Jade and Hayden had to marry for alliances, and from everything I’ve heard, they’re both happy and in love. Hayden is completely gone for Adelina. He’s so protective. I guess it does truly depend on who you marry and how you treat that person.”
Eda nods. “I couldn’t agree more. If you’re an ass, you’ll be treated like one. But I’m so glad that you’re here, Chloe. I know that you and Pyro have a lot to work out, but he’s different with you. I see the happiness in his eyes whenever he’s with you.”
“She’s not wrong,” Hayley says as she takes Kinsley's vacant seat beside me. “My brother is the happiest I have ever seen him, and that’s saying something, considering you’ve been battered and bruised and have spent most of the time recovering.”
I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks.
“Thank you, Chloe, for making him happy,” she says as she grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze.
“Ugh, this is pathetic,” I hear a nasal voice say from behind me. I turn and see a short, blonde-haired woman. She’s wearing the shortest skirt I’ve ever seen. Her pink tank top barely fits over her fake breasts. Her plump lips are turned up into a snarl, and she’s glaring at me.
“You don’t make him happy. You’re just someone new for him to sink his dick into,” she practically shouts at me.
Ugh, great. She must be a woman James has slept with. She reminds me so much of Zoe that my stomach is churning. I turn my head, not willing to give her the satisfaction of a response. I take a sip of the coffee and release a contented sigh. “This really is great coffee, Tavia. Thanks. It’s just what I needed.”
She gives me a soft smile. “Anytime, girl. You’ve been cooped up in that room with Pyro for almost a week. It’s about time the man let you up for air.”
I know what she’s doing, and I appreciate that she’s making out that we’ve been doing a lot more than what we have, but I don’t need to justify anything to a woman who’s obviously an attention seeker.
“Bubbles,” Eda snaps. The anger in her voice is palpable. I guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t like this woman. And what sort of name is Bubbles anyway? “You’re banned from here. Unless you want me to get a brother, you had better leave.”
“I’m here for Pepper. You know that I’m here for my girl. She’s pregnant with your precious brother’s baby, and you’re all treating her like shit. Shame on you.” The nasally tone of her voice really grates on me. It sounds as though it’s put on and fake. I guess it could be, just like the rest of her.
“Sure, like you give a fuck about Pepper. You’re just here trying to get a brother to fuck you so you can do exactly what Pepper did and trap a brother. It’s not going to happen, so fucking leave.” Eda’s tone is harder than before. She’s not messing around. Just like I am, she’s not looking at Bubbles but focusing on the women around the table.
Tavia turns and fixes another pot of coffee, and it’s when her back is turned that the bitch takes her chance. I should have seen it coming. Fuck, I let my guard down and she took her shot.
She grabs a fistful of my hair and wrenches it back with a jerk of her hand, instantly pulling my neck into an awkward angle. I desperately cling to the edge of the table and look down at the crumbs on its surface. Pain rips through my skin, but I bite it back and squirm. Memories of my childhood bully flood my mind as I think of the lessons my da and brothers taught me—the techniques of self-defense I perfected thanks to them. In a moment of surprise, I yank my head forward and grip the edge of the table. Just as quick as she grabs it, her hands fall away from my hair.
I get to my feet and turn to face her. Her face is red and her eyes narrowed. “What you got, bitch?” she taunts.
