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“I’ve heard. Congratulations.” Sadie said. “What do you plan to do with yourself?”
“Well, I’ve made some changes in the organization and that’s why I’m here.”
Jasper chose that moment to join us and I could see Charlie making his way over, but a brief shake of my head, and he stayed where he was, chatting with Virgil and Terry.
Jasper looked me over as if he didn’t like what he saw. “Why are you here, exactly?” without masking the sneer in his tone.
“Savannah is in charge of The Crusaders,” Sadie said, amusement coloring her tone.
“The Crusaders no longer exist. The O’Connor Group has risen in its place. I haven’t figured it all out—yet—but I don’t want to be enemies.”
Jasper snorted and shook his head, folding his arms and trying to use his size to intimidate me. I didn’t intimidate easily these days.
“That’s what you say, but what about your network? Ronan had a lot of connections; they will be hard to sever.”
Still bouncing Ava Rose in my arms, I turned to Jasper. “Not so hard, actually. I have dealt with the Black Jacks. Well, Me and Charlie have. Permanently.”
I’d made sure of that bit of business myself.
“Is that a fact?”
“It is,” Charlie said, unable to keep his distance for long. “I saw her slice Blade from ear to ear myself.”
“Blade is just the head of the snake,” Jasper shot back.
“Roadkill has been gifted to the Nunez Cartel, my new supplier. I hear they’ve put him to work with the leader’s son as a lapdog in the palace. Should be fun.” He’d now know exactly how it felt to be at a sadist’s mercy for months on end.
“Shit,” Sadie whispered, not even trying to hide the awe in her voice as took Ava Rose from my arms and placed a pacifier in her mouth. “Good for you.”
“Does this mean you’ll stop trying to take over our territory? Stop trying to knock-off our games?”
“Yes. I have no desire to take over the casino game. This area had too damn many, anyway. I think we can be helpful to each other, and if we can’t, we can certainly co-exist.”
The Ashby family was old school, and I intended to be new school, with my new group.
“Just like that?” Jasper’s skepticism was palpable, and I understood it.
“Yeah. Your beef was with Ronan and Brendan, never me. I was the bookkeeper for the business, that’s all.”
Jasper grinned. “So we’re all fucking kumbaya, now?”
“Why not? There are plenty of enemies out there, waiting for one of us to fail, if not working outright to make it happen.” I looked at Sadie and then Jasper and sighed. “I understand the business, and I know the game, but I don’t want to be at war all the fucking time. It’s exhausting. I want to enjoy my life.”
“Amen to that,” Sadie said with a grin. “Stay for Sunday dinner?”
I was shocked at the invitation because Sunday dinner at Ashby Manor was a family affair. She had the whole damn group with her.
I looked to Charlie for confirmation but his gaze was fixed on Ava Rose, bouncing in my arms, cooing beautifully. “Sure, thanks,” I said.
He looked at me and said, “Isn’t she amazing?”
I looked down at the soft baby powder scented bundle and grinned, wondering if I could have this future. Not the white picket fence, of course, that was impossible when you lead a group that played on both sides of the law, but I could have something similar. We could.
“She’s beautiful,” he whispered, in awe as she wrapped her fist around his finger. “So damn tiny.”
“You two planning on having babies?” Sadie asked as she plucked the baby from my arms and held her for Charlie to have a closer look.
Charlie and I stared at each other in shock, neither of us knowing how to answer that question. We’d spent the past few months working and loving and living together. We were solid; I knew that. But we’d been careful not to talk about the future. I almost fell over in surprise when he answered. “Absolutely.”
“Well, then. Congratulations.”
Cal appeared then, dimming Sadie’s smile, but only slightly.
“Where’s Bonnie?” she asked, and I detected an edge in her voice.
“Don’t know,” he practically barked back. “Said she had to pick up a few things for Ava, but that was over an hour ago. I don’t know why she insists on driving herself everywhere. Oliver could have taken her.”
Sadie smirked. “Let her be, Calvin. Come see this beautiful baby of yours.”
Dinner was a loud, boisterous affair despite taking place inside the formal dining room at Ashby Manor. They ate from expensive china, sipped from crystal goblets, and stabbed at their food with polished silver, but they were just as Charlie had described. Loud and drunk and Irish as fuck.
“What are you smiling about?” Charlie whispered his question in my ear, and I shivered, turned on by just the brush his breath on my skin.
