by Carr, Mari
“I’m not sure what—”
“I know about you and Finn.”
Finn’s family didn’t function like the rest of the world. They took things like homosexuality and threesome marriages in stride. Live and let live, Finn had always said. It was one of the main things that had drawn him to Finn and his family. Most straight guys tended to build a wall after hearing Miguel was bi. Some of them probably didn’t even realize they were doing it, but Miguel could always feel the new distance, always felt as if he was being held at arm’s length.
He’d never felt that with Finn or the Collins family. He’d told them he was bi and they’d acted as if he’d said he had brown eyes or was left-handed. It hadn’t made one bit of difference.
In the meantime, his uncle and mother were still struggling with his sexuality, and he’d taken care not to throw it in their faces. Not that they’d disowned him or even expressed outright disapproval. They were both old-fashioned, raised devout Catholics, and while it was hard for them to understand, they were trying.
Miguel loved them both with all his heart, and because of that, he’d shielded them from the things that made them uncomfortable, only introducing them to the girls he was dating, never the guys.
This time, he wanted to introduce them to Layla and Finn. But he wasn’t going to pretend that would be an easy visit, and he didn’t have a lot of confidence it would end well. It was one thing to like sleeping with men and women. It was another to do it at the same time.
“He told you?” Miguel asked, though he wasn’t surprised.
Aaron shook his head. “No. He told Colm and Padraig, who told Pop, who told Riley, who told me first thing this morning.”
Miguel rubbed his eyes wearily. “Excuse me for saying so, but your family is fucked-up.”
Aaron laughed. “I’m related through marriage.”
Maybe that was so, but it didn’t mean his boss didn’t fit with the Collins perfectly.
“I stopped by the pub on the way to work today and talked to Finn for a few minutes,” Aaron said, not giving him a single clue what was said between them.
When the silence stretched and Miguel realized Aaron wasn’t going to fill him in, he asked, “You okay with me and…Finn?”
Aaron nodded. “Not a question of how I feel—though for the record, of course I’m fine with it. Why wouldn’t I be? You and Finn are good friends. But more than that, you bring out the best in each other.”
Miguel smiled and realized at exactly that moment how much Aaron’s approval mattered to him. “Thanks.”
“It’s how you feel that counts. And given the misery I’ve been witnessing the last twenty-four hours, I’d say you are not okay.”
“How much did Finn tell you?” Miguel asked.
“All of it.”
“So you know about Layla?”
Aaron nodded.
“None of this was planned, sir. Finn and I have been dancing around each other for a while. I knew he was straight, so I kept my distance. Or…I tried to. Then Layla moved back to Baltimore, and all of a sudden, Finn’s spending all his time with this old friend, LJ. And I was okay with that because I thought LJ was a guy and Finn was straight. I met Layla when her coffee shop got robbed.”
Aaron nodded. He knew Layla’s place had been robbed. Knew about all the local businesses that had been hit.
“The two of us went out one night—Finn was in Vegas at that conference—and it was great. She’s really cool. Layla was the first person to make me think that maybe I could get over my feelings for Finn. Then, I saw him kissing her at Pat’s Pub a week or so ago. I lost my shit. Stormed out. Finn followed me and…I kissed him. And he kissed me back.”
Aaron smiled. “Then what?”
Miguel ran his hand through his hair. “Layla followed us. Said it was the hottest kiss she’d ever seen. She thought…she saw the kiss and thought…”
“Thought the two of you were a couple,” Aaron finished.
Miguel couldn’t believe he was telling Aaron all of this, couldn’t believe he was baring his soul to Finn’s father, for God’s sake. But the hard truth was, Miguel didn’t have a father, and he couldn’t share this with his uncle. And he didn’t have a million cousins like Finn, who’d chosen to confide in Colm and Padraig and his dad. It also didn’t help that he was running on fumes, that he was approaching the thirty-six-hour mark without sleep.
“Go on, son,” Aaron encouraged. “What happened then?”
Son. That sounded nice.
Miguel shook that thought away and continued, “We told her we weren’t a couple, but she’d seen that kiss. She saw how we felt about each other. So she told us to do it again. We didn’t, we couldn’t. And then, I sort of lost my mind and said the three of us needed to sleep together.”
“What did Layla say to that?”
“She was all in. Finn was the harder one to convince.”
Aaron chuckled. “Jesus. Sounds like you boys have found yourself a woman who approaches life the same way as Riley. You’ll have a hell of a lot of fun, but God help you both.”
Miguel laughed. Hard. Loud. And Aaron joined him.
Then reality snuck back in and Miguel sobered up. They’d found her. And lost her.
Aaron leaned toward him, his elbows on his desk. “So let’s fast-forward. Because I don’t need the locker-room version. Why are you and Finn both looking like you lost your best friend and your girl?”
Finn was upset too?
“We convinced Layla to give us a week. She just got out of a long relationship, and she’s bound and determined not to tie herself down again.”
Aaron sighed. “I’m assuming she held you to the one-week time limit.”
Miguel nodded miserably. “She left us yesterday morning, wished us luck as a couple and walked out. According to Finn, she and Darcy and Kelli went barhopping last night.”
“You and Finn going to try to be a couple?”
“I’m crazy about your son, sir. But whenever I think about us, about our future…”
“You want Layla there with you.”
Miguel nodded.
“What’s Finn want?”
“We haven’t exactly talked about it.”
Aaron closed his eyes and squeezed the top of his nose as if he was warding off a headache. “Miguel—” he started.
“In my defense,” Miguel interjected, “there was another robbery and I’ve been working pretty much nonstop.”
“I admire your dedication to your job.” Aaron’s tone was infused with enough sarcasm to let Miguel know that line was a crock of shit. “So I return to my first question. Are you going to pull your head out of your ass anytime soon? Call my idiot son, tell him how you feel, and then the two of you figure out how you’re going to get the girl.”
Miguel stood up, wishing he’d managed to be a bit steadier on his feet.
“But before you do that, go home. Sleep a few hours, then shower and shave. You look like shit.” Aaron walked to the door of his office and opened it. “Landon,” he called out. “Drive Garcia home.”
“My bike’s outside.”
Aaron placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder. “You’re exhausted. Do as I say and have some faith, Miguel. It’ll all work out. Okay?”
Miguel nodded gratefully. “Thank you, sir.”
“I think it’s time for you to start calling me Aaron.”
“That’s going to be weird,” Miguel joked.
“Tell me about it.”
In the end, Miguel followed Aaron’s instructions to the letter. He let Landon drive him home, he took a four-hour power nap, showered, shaved and headed to the pub. It was after eleven when he arrived, but the place didn’t close until midnight. He glanced around the pub, then waved at Padraig behind the bar. It was a slow night, only a few patrons in the place.
“Finn?” he asked.
Padraig pointed above his head. “Dorm.”
Miguel waved in thanks and headed toward the stairs at the back to the
pub, the ones that led up to the apartment.
He grinned when he reached the top of the stairs. Oliver and Gavin were sitting on opposite sides of the coffee table, fists white knuckled as they faced off in one hell of an arm wrestling match. Darcy and Finn were sitting on the couch, cheering them on. Considering they were both cheering for a different guy, it was clear a wager had been placed.
Darcy brightened up when she saw him, rising to cross the room for a hug. “Miguel! Where the hell have you been? I swear it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
As he looked around the apartment, he realized he felt the same. Over the past year, he’d spent as much time, if not more, at the Collins Dorm than his own place.
“Your dad’s been kicking my ass at the precinct,” he joked before pointing at Oliver and Gavin, still locked in mortal combat. “Who’s your money on?”
“Gavin,” she said. “Five bucks.”
Finn hadn’t risen from the couch, but Miguel had felt his friend’s gaze on him since he’d entered the living room.
“You got a minute, Finn?” Miguel asked.
Finn nodded and stood up.
“What about the contest?” Oliver asked through gritted teeth.
He shouldn’t have expended the effort. Gavin slammed his fist to the table, shouting victoriously.
“Dammit!” Oliver said. “Finn distracted me.”
“Which is exactly why my money was on Gavin. You have the attention span of a toddler, Ollie,” Darcy teased, holding her hand out as Finn slapped the five-dollar bill in her hand.
Finn’s lack of bitching should have been a clue to the rest of them that something was up, but Darcy, Gavin and Oliver all settled back on the couch, pushing play on the movie they’d paused, the one that had obviously prompted the contest.
“Over the Top? Seriously?” Miguel asked.
Finn smirked. “The boys here are woefully ignorant on Stallone. I’m addressing some holes in their education. Come on. We’ll head up to my room. I’ve seen this movie too many times to admit.”
When they reached Finn’s room, Finn closed the door behind them as Miguel took a steadying breath before turning to face his best friend.
Finn didn’t give him a chance to speak. Instead, he stepped right up to him and gave him a quick, hard, intense kiss.
“You’re getting good at that,” Miguel teased.
Finn shrugged then dropped down onto the side of his bed. “What can I say? I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
“That would explain why you’re shit at takedowns. Layla even got the better of you.”
Finn rolled his eyes. “I let her take me down. Wanted to build up her confidence.”
“Mmm-hmm. Is that what you’re doing with me and Fergus every week?”
“You’re a cop. He’s ex-military. I’m bringing Ollie and Gavin next week to even out the playing field. Let you see what I can do when the cards are more evenly stacked.”
“Might be fun with Oliver and Gavin there.” Miguel dragged Finn’s chair away from the desk, opting to sit there rather than the bed. He didn’t trust himself to say what he needed to say if he and Finn were on the bed together.
If Finn thought his choice of seating was weird, he didn’t let on.
“I’m glad you stopped by. I was hoping we could talk over dinner.”
Miguel gave him a guilty grin. “Sorry for putting you off.”
“It’s okay. I know work’s been crazy for you.”
It wasn’t work that had kept him away tonight. “Did Darcy say how her girls’ night out with Layla and Kelli went?”
Finn shook his head. “Couldn’t really bring myself to ask her. And because Darcy is Darcy, she offered nothing. She’s going to make me ask before she’ll give up anything. You’re lucky you never had sisters, man. Both of mine live to torment me.”
Miguel chuckled, agreeing that Finn’s sisters loved to give him a hard time. But he also knew Sunnie and Darcy adored their big brother, and there were times when they looked at him like the sun rose and set on his shoulders. Miguel wouldn’t mind being on the receiving end of that kind of affection every now and again. Even if it meant putting up with some teasing.
“You should have asked her.”
Finn sighed. “Yeah. But then I was afraid she’d tell me.”
Miguel got that. Man, did he get it. He’d been worried ever since learning Layla was going barhopping that she’d do exactly what she said she’d do. Find another guy and expand on that casual sex stuff she wanted so much.
Then he imagined what he’d do to any guy who touched her who wasn’t him…or Finn.
“Didn’t expect her to go out so soon after…” Miguel wasn’t sure how to describe what the three of them had just shared. An affair? One-week stand? Relationship?
Finn didn’t make him search too hard. “Yeah. Me either.”
Both of them fell silent, letting the awkward moment stretch on too long.
“Listen,” Finn said, at the same time, Miguel said, “Finn.”
They both stopped talking, then laughed.
“You first,” Finn offered.
Miguel shook his head. “You.”
They were quiet again for a moment. And then they both started talking over each other again.
“We need LJ,” Finn said, his words overlaying Miguel’s, “Layla should be here.”
Miguel sucked in a deep breath. “You want her with us?” he asked.
“Yeah. But I was afraid. I didn’t want to…fuck, man. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, make you think what you and I could have wouldn’t be enough. Maybe if LJ hadn’t shown up when she did…”
“You’re not hurting my feelings. I’m crazy about both of you.”
Finn grinned widely. “Shit, yeah. I feel the same way. It’s kind of fucking with my head a little. I mean…I love you, bro. I have for a while, even if I couldn’t see it. Say it. Then LJ shows up and…”
“She’s adorable. Funny. Perfect.”
Finn nodded. “Perfect. For both of us. Just like we’re perfect for each other. I’ve spent my whole life watching my uncles, seeing Sean and Chad together with Lauren, but I never thought…it never occurred to me that I might want the same thing. Oliver does. He says it all the time.”
“It’s different for him. Sean, Chad and Lauren are his parents. He was closer to it.”
“Yeah, but Fergus grew up with my uncles Killian and Justin and Aunt Lily. And he didn’t want it. Said he isn’t wired that way.”
Miguel considered that. “Not sure it’s wiring. I think it’s just three people who are lucky enough to find each other at the right time.”
Finn thought about that, and when he looked back at Miguel, the smile on his face said he liked that idea. It was a brief response, then he sobered quickly. “Not sure LJ thinks this is the right time for her.”
“Been thinking about that too,” Miguel admitted. “I think it is. She just doesn’t realize it.”
Finn stood up and walked to the window of his bedroom, glancing out onto the side street. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked, turning back to Miguel.
“We have to convince her.”
Finn nodded. “With words or…”
Miguel laughed. “I say we seduce the hell out of her. Got my cuffs right here.”
Finn came over and slapped him on the shoulder. “This is why we’re best friends.”
Miguel stood, ready to seal their newfound plan with a kiss, when Finn’s iWatch pinged.
“Text?” Miguel asked, when Finn glanced at his wrist.
Finn shook his head as he tapped the face of the watch. “That’s not the sound— Fuck!”
“What?”
Finn spun to his laptop, which was set up on the desk, and fired it up. “Padraig just pushed the panic button in the pub.”
Chapter Eighteen
Layla walked into the pub and spotted Padraig alone, wiping up a table.
“We’re closing,” he said, before
looking up and seeing her. “Hey, Layla. You’re out late.”
She nodded. “I was, um…” She glanced toward the doorway at the back of the pub, the one that led to the Collins Dorm.
Padraig grinned. “Darcy is up there if you wanna go visit. She’s a night owl, so chances are good she’s still up.”
Layla considered going with that lie, pretending she was here to hang out with Darcy, but she caught the amusement in Padraig’s eye. He knew why she was really here.
She glanced at the stairs and still hesitated.
“Something wrong?” Padraig asked.
“I can’t decide if I’m about to make a huge mistake.”
“You aren’t.”
“You don’t even know what I’m talking about.”
“Yes. I do. Be brave. Go upstairs, Layla.”
There was something in Padraig’s voice that told her he did understand, and it gave her courage. She took a deep breath and was about to walk upstairs when, behind her, the door to the pub opened. She wasn’t paying attention to the door or Padraig. All that mattered was going upstairs.
When he shifted, his body language changing from relaxed amusement to aggressive tension, the hair on the back of her neck tingled.
“Layla, go upstairs,” Padraig said slowly.
“No one moves,” a creepy voice commanded.
Heart in her throat, she spun on her heel.
“Fuck,” she whispered as Pennywise walked deeper into the pub, gun drawn.
He held up a bag. “Give me all the money in the register.”
Padraig raised his hands. “I don’t want any trouble here.”
“Then fill the bag.” Pennywise tossed it at Padraig.
Padraig grabbed the bag out of the air, using the movement as an excuse to step in front of Layla, putting his body between her and the gun.
Pennywise ducked his head, almost in a nod, then reached out and slapped the light switch. The main bar lights went out.
Layla sucked in a breath, frozen in the moment it took her eyes to adjust to the remaining ambient light from the beer signs on the walls and the small lights that illuminated the bottles behind the bar.
