"I think we both know that’s bullshit." I cast him a look. "Just like it would be bullshit for you to hide from the fact that you have feelings for her too."
"I’m not hiding from the fact. I know I do. I fucking love her," he grated out. "And she fucking runs off like I’m a part of the problem too."
"Star isn’t…" I blew out a breath. "Star’s always been complicated. Even as a kid, she could never take the easy path when the tough path looked more interesting."
He studied me a second. "noxxiousformed a couple years before your birth, didn’t it?"
I nodded. "And Star’s. Camden’s too. We were around for the early days. Not that any of us remember all that much."
"You know how her mom died?"
Tension hit me. "Why?"
"Why not?" He narrowed his eyes. "Did you know her mom’s file at Langley is redacted?"
I pursed my lips. "That’s none of my business."
"You knew she worked for the intelligence services?"
"I know that when Sully met her, my parents didn’t think it would last," I said carefully.
"Why didn’t they?"
"Because they came from two different worlds." Cautiously, I asked, "How much do you know aboutnoxxious?"
"A lot."
"I know you’re a ‘super’ fan, but did you just obsess over the music or the musicians too?"
"More over the music. But knowing my brother’s father-in-law is Dagger fucking Daniels still blows my mind. Does that answer your question?"
"Mom, Dad, and Sully lived together for a long time."
He blinked. "Lived together?"
I cleared my throat. "Mom was raised by hippies. Rich ones. They left Ireland where it was prejudiced and uber-religious and women had to be married if they were pregnant or they’d be dumped in a ‘home for unwed mothers’ and enjoyed the sixties in the States."
"So?"
"So she believed in free love." I blinked back at him. "You know what I mean?"
"Are you trying to tell me that Gerard Sullivan and Dagger Daniels were living in a threesome with your mother?"
I grimaced. "It’s something the record label tried to keep under wraps."
"I’ll just bet they goddamn did." He frowned. "So, your mom was with both of them until he got with Star’s mom?"
"Camden’s the eldest, so he was the only one who technically lived within that dynamic."
"How do you know this?"
"After Star’s mom passed, Sully nearly killed himself with booze and drugs. They reverted to that relationship to keep him alive." I took a deep sip of coffee, choking out the next half-truth. "When Camden was a kid, he was in this accident. It was the first time my parents had confirmation that Camden was Dad’s and not Sully’s. Dad has a rare blood type, and all his kids are AB negative too."
Conor’s mouth rounded.
When he stayed silent, I winced. "I’ve done the impossible—shut you the hell up."
He wheezed a second. "Your dad—Mom—Sully—"