Page 111 of Revere: A Legacy Novel

“Yeah, babe?”

“I haven’t said it, but I love you.”

“I know,” he murmured, “and I don’t need you to say it.”

“I’m sorry that I’m kind of awful.”

“You’re not awful, Catherine.”

“I am, sometimes. Especially to people who love me. Sometimes I don’t know why, and other times, it’s just habit. I’m trying to be better, though. I am.”

Cross swallowed thickly. “I know, Catty.”

“So yeah, I love you.”

“Promise?”

She laughed. That was supposed to be her line. She didn’t mind the change.

“Always, Cross.”

One of Cross’s favorite memories with Catherine was the weekend he had snuck into her house when they were just fifteen and seventeen. He spent two days in nothing but boxer-briefs, listening to Catherine read Romeo and Juliet in her underwear.

They could have been making a similar memory, except …

“Holy fuck, this is the most boring shit I have ever heard,” Cross grumbled, scrubbing a hand down his face.

Catherine instantly stopped reading from her law textbook. “I know, right?”

“What are you even doing with that garbage?”

Her green eyes danced with mirth beside him on her bed. He could figure out a dozen better ways to spend their night together other than her reading text from that terrible book. Like the fact she was already half naked, and so was he.

“Well,” she said, “I thought that maybe if I became a defense attorney, that would add four to the family. Don’t all crime families need good defense lawyers on their side?”

Cross eyed her, and chuckled. “Babe, that’s what we hire people for when we don’t have one on hand. Good lawyers that actually know what they’re doing and enjoy their job.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Catherine, you’ve rolled your eyes three times in one paragraph. I watched you.”

She pressed her lips together in an effort to hide her smile. “So?”

“You don’t even like what you’re doing.”

“Again, so?”

“You’ll make a terrible lawyer, babe.”

“Cross!” She flung her arm and smacked him hard in the shoulder.

“Hey!”

“You don’t get to tell me I would be terrible at anything. Not when I haven’t even tried. Thank you very much, you ass.”

Cross sighed while dragging his fingers through his hair. “I can’t help that it’s true, Catty. Yes, you would be amazing at pretty much anything you enjoy and actually want to do. It kind of seems like this is neither of those.”

She scowled, and then hit him again. “Shut up.”