Page 124 of The Woman with the Handcuffs

“Why?”

“Because before she got with Chris, she was just the sister-in-law of Brio. So she was kind of on the outskirts of the Family and was very intrigued by the inner workings.”

“I get that. The more I know, the more I want to know. Except maybe not all of Brio’s colorful stories.”

“Dinner!” Gigi’s voice rose above the noise of the crowd.

“I’ve got you,” I said, reaching into my pocket to product the mini bottle of antacids I’d stashed in there before we left.

And it was worth tracking down the travel-size bottle for the dazzling fucking smile she shot me.

Seeing it, I’d swear my heart swelled to twice its size.

Caitlin - 11 months

“I know. I’m a little sad, too,” I told Plot Twist as I boxed up the last of Gav’s books in the library.

He was perched on one of the empty shelves, his little leg hanging down.

Gav’s apartment felt perfectly sized. Until I moved my stuff in. Since then, it had been pinching enough around the edges to start irritating both of us.

It was painfully clear we needed a bigger place. One with a larger library. And lots of closets for all my various holiday-themed decorations, blankets, and mugs.

Plus, I mean, we were thinking about things further in the future. Like kids. Like being in our ‘forever’ home.

And since his and Leo’s scheme to buy Ira’s business had just gotten up off the ground, bringing in even more income, Gav decided it was time for him to finally bite the bullet and buy a condo.

That was where he was—doing the final walk-through and signing the papers with the lawyers.

When it came to the home-buying process, I’d started to have silly little anxiety attacks over making the wrong decision until I ultimately begged Gav to just… do it himself and keep me out of it.

So I would be seeing it for the first time right before the movers came to bring all our things over.

“But I hear the new place has giant windows for you to sunbathe in,” I told PT as he let out another meow.

He was a very vocal cat. And I always found myself talking back to him—something Gav found endlessly absurd.

“Exactly. You get the perfect perch to watch the pigeons. Maybe they will nest on the sill like they did this spring.”

I’d been emotionally invested in the pigeon mom and dad’s romance, encouraged them as they built their hilariously terrible nest, anxiously watched the eggs, then felt my heart melt when I first saw the babies. It’d been so sweet to watch them grow up. Then mildly heartbreaking when they finally flew off.

Gav rolled his eyes but held me as I had a little cry about it.

“I hope the next people who live here love the pigeons as much as we did if they come back again,” I told Plot Twist, pretending my eyes weren’t getting misty at the thought that they wouldn’t be as loved.

“Oh, is it Dad?” I asked as PT jumped off the shelf and rushed out of the room.

I taped the top of the box then made my way out into the common area to find Gav, but several of his guys as well.

“They’re here to finish the library so you can come see the new place.”

I sucked in a deep breath.

“We need to put PT in his carrier.”

Gav winced. “I’ll get the gloves.”

The gloves in question were actual falconry gloves that went all the way up to the elbow and saved whoever was pushing PT in the carrier from getting sliced to ribbons.