Chapter Seventeen
Claire blushed as they walked into Finn’s house. The party was well under way, and it was clear from some of the looks she was getting that most knew what they had been doing. She linked her hand with Conor's and smiled when he rubbed a finger over her new ring.
“Ready?” he whispered.
She nodded. Conor and Claire had agreed that it was best to keep the proposal a secret until the end of the party, where they could make the announcements.
They made their way around the room. Various people offered their congratulations on the election victory.
She caught sight of Teagan and Alyssa across the room and knew that keeping the news under wraps was going to be harder than she expected.
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath. “I better go meet with them before the whole room knows.”
Conor laughed. “Call if you need backup.” He leaned down for a kiss.
Claire lingered on his lips slightly longer than she needed to. “I will,” she said. The words came out more seductive than she intended, but she loved the fire that lit in his eyes.
He groaned. “We are so going back to the new house tonight.”
She grinned at him. “Sounds like I better make sure I eat.” She winked. He reached out to grab her, but she giggled and stepped out of his grasp. “Oh, look, my cousin.”
Conor turned around. While his back was turned, she slipped away.
She could hear him groan from across the room and knew he figured out her plan. After all that time of not having him, knowing how much he wanted to be with her was the most endearing thing she’d experienced. She loved her life, and she loved him. That was all that mattered.
She stopped abruptly as Maxwell stepped in front of her and thrust his hand into hers.
“I knew backing you would be the best choice,” he said.
She smiled at him. If she had known when meeting him just how influential he would turn out to be, Claire likely wouldn’t have been quite so open, but in the end, it was her openness that landed his backing.
“I can’t thank you enough for all your support,” she said.
Maxwell gave a broad smile. “Just be yourself and continue socking people in the nose who deserve it.” He laughed. “I think you'll make the best kind of politician.” He leaned forward and winked. “You’ve certainly got the interesting family to match the personality.”
Claire laughed. They were quite the family to have when running for office, but the public seemed to have bought into her image as the one with wholesome ways and loved that the plucky good girl had been brought up near such corruption. They were even crediting her with the recent changes in the Kelly family. Even the police admitted the Kellys seemed to be reforming and had contributed to disrupting some of the more unsavory criminal enterprises in the city. Of course, Finn had no problem over-playing all of this to the media.
It was comical to watch her family be viewed in an almost saintly light.
Claire grinned at the older man. “I’ll do my best to keep local politics as entertaining as I can.”
Maxwell snickered. “Now, that’s what I like to hear,” he said. “Well, off with your friends,” he said. “There was a leggy blond around here that I was following.”
Claire snorted. “Good luck.” She winked and turned away.
“Oh, and Claire,” Maxwell called from behind her. She turned to look at him. “Nice ring.”
Her face flamed. She thought she had done a pretty good job hiding it.
“Thanks,” she said quietly and turned back toward her friends.
Claire made her way to the table in the corner of the room where her friends were sitting. It was strange to her to have so many women who were her friends, but as time went on, each was taking on a vital role in her life.
She took her seat between Alyssa and Anna. Teagan sat across from her, with Alyssa’s friend Haley in the corner. The cute little redhead gave a smile as the other women stared expectantly.
“So, Haley,” Claire began, “how is kindergarten going this year?”
Alyssa huffed loudly. “No one wants to hear about dumb old kindergarten,” she said and turned to Haley. “Sorry, Hales.”
Haley wrinkled her nose. “Oh, I understand,” she said. “I know it’s a touchy subject for you since you flunked it…twice.”
Claire snorted.
Alyssa stared at her in disbelief. “I told you that in confidence!”
Haley rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, so you flunked twice. You act like you were sent off to lock-up at that age,” she said. “And don’t insult my kindergartners. They are my sweet little monkeys.”
Teagan grinned. “I like her.”
Claire laughed. “You would. Maybe you can talk to Haley about having some of her kids model your winter lineup?”
Haley sat up excitedly. “Are you a designer?”
Teagan looked to Claire for some sort of help. It was still all new to her to ever think of herself as a designer. Claire understood that, but the online shop she had started was doing very well, and she had even talked about getting her own place eventually, much to Conor’s disapproval.
“She is,” Claire stepped in. “And her clothes are amazing.”
Haley’s eyes lit up, and she knew that Teagan might just have someone to market through.
Anna sighed. “So, are you going to spill or not?”
Claire grinned. It really was nice to have people she could talk to. Without a word, she placed her left hand on the table. Several of the woman squealed and people passing turned to look.
“So, I take it you said yes?” Teagan smiled at her.
Claire nodded and was immediately swept into a hug.
“I’m so glad,” Teagan said in her ear. “Welcome to the family.”
Claire grinned. “Maybe I’m the one who should be saying welcome to the family.”
Teagan laughed. “Only if it means I get a hot husband in the end.”
Haley held up her hand. “Oh, sign me up for that club,” she said. Claire noticed her eyes were constantly pulled across the room to where the men were gathered. She had no question in her mind that Haley wanted Noel. Actually, just about everyone knew that. She’d made herself more than clear with her intentions.
Claire couldn’t help but chuckle. He seemed to keep ahead of the perky little redhead, but she doubted that would last long.
She turned to look at Anna, who held up a hand.
“Oh, count me out,” she laughed. “I’ll take some hot sex, but I’m off the marriage train.”
Claire nodded. She hated to see her friend in such a way, but maybe with time she would see that marriage wasn’t all bad. She just picked the wrong guy.
“Okay, so tell us all the details,” Alyssa said.
Teagan made a gagging noise. “Maybe not all the details please.”
Claire laughed. Yes, having friends was great.
* * *
Conor sat in Finn’s office and sighed. It had been a hell of a day and the last thing he wanted to do was be at a party, but it made Claire happy.
He watched as Liam, Finn’s half brother, Riley and Noel filtered in the room. He closed the door and looked around.
“We got a small lead on Boris,” Finn said as he took the seat at his desk.
Conor sat up, his full body at attention.
“I’ve got some of Reed’s men looking for something,” he said. “Someone went to a hospital about fifty miles from here a month ago with a five-inch puncture wound to his thigh.”
Conor’s jaw tightened.
“The files say he spoke Russian and had to have his friend interpret.” Finn stared around the room.
“Why would he fake not knowing any English?” Conor said.
Finn shrugged. “To throw people off his scent.”
Conor frowned. “I guess I was just hoping it wasn't him, and he was worm food in the ground somewhere.”
“We knew it was unlikely he was dead,” Liam said.
“I was hoping for infection,” Conor said. “Maybe for his fucking dick to fall off.”
Finn snorted. “I think we all were, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. From what Doctor Richards said, a wound like that will take months to fully heal. That doesn’t mean we’re safe. We need to start taking a more proactive approach to this. The next attack might be the one where we lose someone.” He looked around. “I’d rather that not happen.”
“You know Boris is going to come after us for his cousin,” Conor said. Neither Finn or Teagan had talked about what happened at the car that night. He had assumed that Finn might be the shooter, but the amount of secrecy didn’t really make sense, especially since Riley had been cleared fairly quickly on self-defense charges.
Of course, the police didn't seem all that interested in the case, given that the dead man had been implicated in a lot of fairly serious crimes. Perhaps they just felt the criminal element in the city was demonstrating a little self-cleaning.
Finn nodded. “You let me worry about that,” he said. “Riley knows to keep an eye out for him. Boris might be licking his wounds now, but he won’t be forever.”
Riley moved away from the wall he was leaning on. “He’s not going to get the drop on me,” he said, and Conor was sure that was true. Riley was fast and had skills that most of them hadn’t even thought to train in. Boris would have a hard time taking him out.
“And what about Anton?” Noel said. His voice was quiet but cut through the room like a knife.
Finn shook his head. “Still nothing,” he said. “We assume that he was the friend at the hospital who interpreted, but it could have been Viktor.”
Noel clenched his fists. They all knew how much he wanted to take out the man who had tortured him.
“I hear word on him, he’s yours,” Finn said.
Noel nodded and looked away. The more he pulled into himself, the more concerned Conor became.
“Ennis has been strangely quiet,” Liam said. “We think the recent defection,” he stared at Conor who looked down, “might have played more a role than we originally thought.”
Conor rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not me. It’s Teagan.” He sighed. “We’ve been ignoring it for weeks now, but we’re fairly sure Ennis is keeping tabs on her.”
Finn frowned. “Tabs how?”
“The doctor mainly,” he said. “It’s harmless so far, and he’s continuing to pay for her treatment, so I can’t really say I feel like complaining. Just her being here tonight is short of a miracle, but sometimes there are flowers or presents.”
Finn narrowed his eyes. “And what does Teagan say?”
Conor shook his head. “Nothing. Actually, she doesn’t talk about it at all. Most times she donates the flowers and sends back the gifts.”
Finn looked over to Liam. “Maybe we should have someone watching this,” he said cryptically.
Conor frowned. “We’ve been monitoring the situation on our end.”
Finn held up a hand. “Just another set of eyes. The more the better.”
Conor nodded. He was right. There was nothing to feel defensive about. This was his sister, and he wanted her to be as safe as he could get her.
Finn smiled at him. “Are congratulations in order?”
They all looked at Conor. He looked around at the men surrounding him and couldn’t help but smile. Even in the middle of a shit storm, they could find a reason to celebrate. This was the family he longed for himself. For them all. Loving and supporting people.
* * *
“First, a big round of applause for our new council woman, Claire McClure,” Finn said to the room. “The woman who had made me the man I am today.”
Claire frowned and discreetly stuck up her middle finger.
“Oh, and it seems Claire had some big news to share.” Finn grinned. “She just flashed some new jewelery to me, so I think she wants me to make the announcement.”
Conor wrapped his arms around her middle and chuckled.
“You really shouldn’t egg him on,” he whispered. “You know how he is.”
“Yes,” she whispered back. “A big dick.”
Conor laughed loudly, and several others around them turned to look.
“We’re getting married,” he said, loud enough to be heard.
Finn frowned and pulled the mic away as the music started to play again, and the cheers died down.
“You ruined my whole speech.”
“Good,” Claire said and glared at him.
Conor shrugged. “I’m just trying to get laid here.”
Finn laughed loudly as Claire elbowed Conor in the stomach.
She struggled to get away but was held firm by his strong arms.
“You are in so much trouble,” she whispered.
Conor placed a kiss on her neck, and she shivered. “The good kind of trouble?” he asked.
Claire’s knees shook as he kissed the other side.
“I haven’t decided,” she said and took in a ragged breath.
“What if I’m really good?” he whispered.
She felt her nipples perk up and turned in his arms.
“Let’s get out of here,” she said.
“I thought you’d never ask.”