“No,” Killian says, shaking his head. “He didn’t mention a damn thing.”

Oh. “Well, I hope it’s okay. I don’t want to intrude on your evening.”

Killian laughs. “Nah, don’t sweat it. It’s not like that.”

“We’re happy you’re here,” Sofia adds with a smile.

I start to settle when a young man with short ginger curls flops down next to me just as Curran reaches the bar.

“God damn,” he says. “You wouldn’t believe how bad traffic was uptown.” His attention drifts to me, a smile lighting his face. “Hey, sweet thing. I’m Finn. You a friend of Sofi’s?”

Killian fixes him with a hard stare. “No, she’s with Curran. This is Tess.”

“Hi,” I say, quietly.

Finn stares at my hand when I offer it, but doesn’t take it. “No, shit,” he says, sounding amused.

I pull back my hand, thinking I’m missing something obvious.

“So, I take it you do nails?” he asks me.

“Ah, no,” I reply, wondering if I misheard.

Finn carries the lean, athletic build Curran once held, versus his current broader, muscular frame. Killian is more of a mountain of bulk and power, capable of crushing anything insane enough to step in his path.

I return my focus to Sofia, seeing that she’s the most endearing and least threatening person here. And given how Finn continues to eye me with an unapologetic scrutiny, it’s clear I made the right choice. She offers me an encouraging smile before turning to address Finn. “Where’s Wren? I thought you were driving over together.”

This is the something shiny Finn needs to distract him. “She’s talking to Julian on the phone,” he answers, turning back to them.

“He’s not coming?” Killian asks as he pours him a beer.

“Nah. They broke up.” Finn takes the beer. “She said he was crying over some movie they went to see. She couldn’t take it. Says she needs someone with balls. Big ones.” He nudges me. “You know what I’m saying?”

“That’s understandable,” I agree, since I have nothing better.

Someone wolf-whistles, followed by another group of someones. A tall and sensual woman with porcelain skin and long ebony hair sashays toward us wearing thigh-high boots over jeans and a suede fringe jacket that hugs her startling figure.

“Hey, fucktards,” Finn calls out. “Calm your shit. That’s my sister.”

“Sister?” the man circling her asks. “Well, if she’s your sister, I’d like to—”

Killian and Finn leap to their feet, their arms loose, but ready to tear him apart. Killian points at him. “Watch your mouth before you lose the few teeth you have left, asshole.”

The woman grins, clearly unaffected by the attention, and pats the man on the head. “Sorry, I don’t date men with small dicks.” She waves to the bar. “Hey, Sonny.”

“Hey, gorgeous,” the bartender says, actually smiling.

From the bar, Curran offers me a wink. Wow. His brothers aren’t the only ones watching out for their sister, and for that I’m grateful given Merve’s atmosphere.

She sits beside Killian. “What the hell is up with the men I date?” she asks. “None of them have any balls. Are balls too much to ask for?” It’s then she notices me. “Oh, hey. I’m Wren. You Sofi’s friend?”

I open my mouth, but Finn answers for me. “This is Tess. Get this—she’s with Curran.”

“Curran who?” Wren asks, crinkling her brow, although she knows exactly who Finn means.

“I know, right?” Finn adds, rolling his eyes.

“Be nice,” Sofia says at the sight of my stunned face.

Wren takes the beer Killian pours her and leans forward. “So I take it you do nails or massage people or something?”

Why do they keep asking me that? “No, I’m sorry. I’m not employed.”

“Ah, I get it,” Finn says. “You’re on welfare. Tough break, kid.”

I throw out a hand when they all nod like everything finally makes sense. “I’m not on welfare. I work for your other brother, Declan.”

“You his secretary?” Finn asks at the same time Wren says, “I thought you said you’re unemployed.”

“It’s an unpaid internship.” I glance around. For some reason, no one seems to understand what I’m saying. It’s as if I’m speaking another language, so I do my best to clarify. “I’m in my last semester of law school. I’m working at the district attorney’s office without pay for the experience.”

Instead of making things better, my words seem to confuse them more. “You’re in law school,” Finn repeats, like he doesn’t believe me.

“Ah, yes. I attend the University of Pennsylvania.”

“You seriously don’t do nails?” Wren asks, unable to move past this concept.

Sofia and Killian exchange another round of flabbergasted glances. Finn shakes out his hand. “Wait, wait, wait. I got this.” He looks at me. “What’s the cube root of seven hundred and twenty-nine?”

“What the fuck, Finn?” Killian asks him.

This is clearly a test. One I’m obviously failing, but one I can’t just walk away from. I give it some thought. “Nine?” I offer.

“Sofe, is that right?” Wren asks her.

She nods slowly. “It sounds right.”

Finn whips out his phone. “Siri, what’s the cube root of seven hundred and twenty-nine?”

“Let me check on that,” Siri says.

Killian snatches the phone out of his hand. “Quit being an asshole.”

“The answer is nine,” Siri responds.

“Holy shit,” Finn says, grinning back at me with what appears to be newfound respect.

Heat flushes my skin, and it’s all I can do not to climb out of the booth and run. Killian leans in. “Tess, ignore these morons. You have to understand, Curran doesn’t usually bring women around.”

“And when he does, they’re not of your…caliber,” Sofia adds.

“Hell, they can’t even spell ‘caliber,’ ” Finn quips.

“Neither can you, dumbass,” Wren fires back. She looks at me. “So you’re in law school?”

“Yes.”

“Ivy League, even.”

“That’s right,” I say, nodding like an imbecile.

“And you’re with Curran?”

Not after tonight. I straighten and clasp my hands together. “Yes.”

“Why?” she asks. “You’re not—what I’m saying is, you’re not—”

Finn huffs. “Psycho, money-grubbing, evil.”

Wren points at him. “What he said. You see, Curran usually dates outside his race. He’s a white Caucasian male, and his women are typically demon spawn from the planet Slut.”

My eyes widen. “So his typical companions are these, ah, fanatical, unemployed, hellish manicurists?”

“Yes,” they all answer, taking a drink.

Wren downs her beer. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot here, but you’re one hell of a breath of fresh air from what we’ve had to deal with.” She nudges Killian. “Remember crazy Miranda—the hairdresser? Do you think that asshole could have warned me he dumped her before I walked into her salon?” She pours herself another beer. “Freaking nutcase came after me with scissors, yelling about him having no dick. I was like, ‘Yo, you can’t be spreading rumors about my brother having no dick, seeing how you straddled that shit in the back of his car.’ ”

Killian laughs. “What about Crazy Alexis? The girl with the pet monkey?”

“Or Shania?” Finn points excitedly. “Oh, remember Shania? The one who spray-painted ‘LYING PUSSY’ on your truck, thinking it was Curran’s.”

Killian’s stare turns deadly. “I’m still pissed at him for that.”

“Well, I assure you I’m not unstable,” I offer, making a face. “Nor do I own a monkey.”

“So then what are you doing with Curran?” Finn asks.

They all quiet, waiting for me to answer. “He’s sweet to me,” I tell them, honestly. “And he treats me well.”

No one moves as they seem to infer a lot more than I intended.

“How long has Curran been ‘sweet’ to you?” Wren asks, adding finger quotes over the word.

I think about it, realizing how inseparable we’ve been. “Well over a month now,” I answer.

Once more, they exchange surprised glances. Sofia is the first to smile, a flicker of recognition brightening her small features. “I know you,” she says. “My sister Lety told me about you.”