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Another stream of Gaelic came out of Finnan as he glared at the other man. Sweeney’s eyes were like ice as he stared at the Mac Tíre boss before finally backing down and looking away.
Finnan steered me toward the table.
That was when I noticed he had purposefully ignored the blonde woman and the older man she was with, who were already seated. Before I could find out why, the waiter appeared again, holding a tray with our drinks. He placed the bottle of Cristal and one champagne flute onto the table, then the whisky along with ten squat tumblers.
The waiter glanced up at the only other woman present. “Would the lady also like champagne?”
Glaring at me, she replied in a throaty rasp, “Whisky is more to my taste. I’ll leave the champagne to the little girls.”
Ignoring the comment, Finnan held out my chair for me, and as I slid onto it, he squeezed my shoulders and leaned down to whisper in my ear, “You look ravishing tonight, my dear. Well done.” He pressed a kiss to the side of my neck, taking in a deep breath as he buried his nose against my throat.
Grayson immediately poured himself a glass of the amber liquid. He swallowed it down in one gulp, then poured himself another.
“Are you going to fucking snub me, Quinn?” barked the man seated beside the blonde woman. “You’ve already sullied the fucking institution of our Conclave by bringing your Warlord and a whore, but you have the brass balls toignoreme and Aisling, too?”
“This is Mannix King, and his daughter, Aisling,” Finnan replied in an off-hand tone as he took his seat. “Leader of the Bèar Clan.”
My gaze shifted to Aisling, who was staring at me with her intelligent green eyes. A serpentine smile graced her lips. I dropped my eyes from her face, playing the meek, naïve woman they expected me to be. Let them underestimate me.
“And she’s not a whore,” Finnan added. “She’s my future wife.”
“Wife?” King repeated loudly, leaping up from his seat. He loomed over the table, but his fierce gaze was laser-focused on Finnan. Aisling seemed unruffled—the only reaction she gave was a slight raise of her naturally pale brows.
“Whatthe fuckare you talking about, Quinn?”
My pulse roared in my ears as testosterone filled the air. I had no doubt that every single one of these men would commit violence without sparing a thought for where they were or what innocent people would be caught in the crossfire.
Without waiting for Finnan’s reply, King said, “What about my Aisling? We had a deal!”
“What is he talking about?” Gael asked, looking between the men. “What deal?”
With a growl, Mannix replied, “He was betrothed to my daughter.”
I watched Grayson’s reaction to that, but his expression remained impassive. He’d either known about the arrangement, or his blank face was impressive. Turning my head, I stared at Finnan. His mouth was curved into a self-congratulatory smile.
“We did have an arrangement. The one I set up with her father was much more… advantageous.” Finnan turned his green eyes to me. “She’s younger. More beautiful, too. A much better decoration to have on my arm.”
Aisling made a derisive sound down low in her throat and took a swig of her whisky.
“Decoration?” I hissed. “Did you just call me a decoration?”
“Sloane,” Grayson said in warning.
Finnan turned his cold eyes to me. “Aye, lass, I did. Decorations don’t speak. They remain silent in my presence.”
I felt an unfriendly smile curve my painted lips. “I guess you just gave me permission to be the starfish in bed then. Fantastic. I won’t have to fake my enjoyment or the orgasm you couldnevergive me.”
Some men around the table started to chuckle at what I’d said, but their laughter only threw fuel on the fire of Finnan’s rage. His already cold eyes became arctic as he leaned in and hissed, “You’ll do well to remember what I said to you before, Sloane.”
Knowing how to play this game, I poured myself some champagne, watching the slender glass fill up with the yellow liquid. Taking the glass in my hand, I took a sip, then gulped down the rest of it in one swallow. After what I’d just done, I needed to do something with my mouth to stop it from working.
The waiter was there to refill it in an instant.
“I’m surprised you’re here, Quinn,” Sweeney said in a greasy voice. “I heard someone tried to take you and a number of your clan out last night.”
Finnan’s hand curled into a fist. “What do you know about it, Sweeney?”
“Nothing,” he replied with a smug smile.
