“He doubled it, said it was for a good cause.”
“Jesus Christ,” Rome mutters, pacing away. “He has a trafficked womanwith him. How honorable of him to donate money to a charity helping women like Rose.”
“Did he list her as his plus-one? That was required for the table settings,” Julian asks, and Cillian nods.
“He lists a Rose Anderson as his date.”
“He changed her last name,” I mutter. “Now that we know for sure that they’ll be there, we need to talk about logistics. We’ll have an army there, Cillian, inside and out.”
“I’m afraid I can’t agree to that.”
“I fucking told you,” Carson growls.
“I’ll havemyarmy there,” Cillian says, remaining calm. “Of course I expect you to bring your number twos and yourpersonal guards. That’s fine. But I can’t have you add in another hundred men.”
I glance at my brothers. They’re all tense, and I am, too, because there’s no fucking way.
“You’re asking us to bring our women onto your turf without our own army.”
“I’m not your enemy,” Cillian reminds us. “I have no skin in this game, for lack of a better word. I don’t like it when women are hurt and sold like sheep. So, your women won’t be in danger in my place, not ever.”
His eyes heat at the insinuation that it could be any other way.
“I’ll have four guards with Violet,” I inform him. “And I know the others will want the same, at the very least.”
“I have no problem with the guards,” Cillian reiterates. “We’re also not allowing weapons in the ballroom.”
Carson laughs and cracks his knuckles. “I don’t need a gun to kill someone.”
“Exactly,” Cillian agrees. “Lincoln doesn’t know this is a setup to get his woman. If we plan this right, it should be clean with no shots fired.”
“Then let’s start planning.”
I can hear my savage girl laughing when we walk into the house. We follow the noise to the kitchen, where the girls are sitting at the island, chatting while they watch the chef prepare dinner.
“Are you all fueled with testosterone now?” Lulu asks as Rome wraps his arms around her from behind and rubs his hands over her belly.
“We don’t need the armory for that, little bartender,” Carson says with a wink.
I watch in fascination as Rome’s hands glide under his wife’s belly and he lifts it. Lulu sighs and leans back against him.
“Oh God, that’s so good. I love her but she gets so heavy.”
“That’s brilliant,” Violet says, watching. “Just follow her around like that until she delivers.”
Rome plants his lips in Lulu’s hair. “I would in a heartbeat.”
“He would,” Lulu agrees. “But he has shit to do. HellIhave shit to do, but I’m now banned from bartending at Rapture until I’m three months postpartum.”
She pouts, but not one person here feels sorry for her.
“You can visit once a week,” Rome tells her. “But no working.”
“I love you guys,” Carson says, “but I can’t listen to more pregnancy talk. Sorry, pretty girl. Are we eating, or what?”
“Oh, we’re eating,” Lulu says with a laugh. “Let’s go.”
Despite being in a new location, and the fact that Lulu didn’t cook, family dinner is pretty normal. Violet sits next to me at the table, and as I’m talking with Julian, I feel her slip her hand on my thigh and give it a squeeze.
