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Jasper grew into the man I thought Colm was when I first met him.
I nodded at Jasper’s words and sighed. “He seems to be committed, for now anyway.” Anger had a way of changing one’s priorities. I knew that better than most.
“We need to find him a new woman. Fast.” Jasper shook his head angrily. “Too bad Maddie had to go and get knocked up by Ellison.”
“They’re friends. Nothing more.”
Only Jasper would think you could replace love with a warm body. “We should all be grateful for Maddie. We might have lost Calvin a lot sooner if not for her.”
“Yeah, maybe,” he growled, unwilling to admit anyone could do anything to earn his gratitude. “So, you fucked Mueller?” He grinned.
I smiled and shook my head. “I thought who I fucked was nobody’s business.”
“For the purposes of mocking, it’s everyone’s business.” His smile came a little easier this time around. “The fact that he got it up for you means he wasn’t a kiddie diddler.”
“Nope. That should have been my first clue he wasn’t who he said.”
“Lesson learned,” he growled and looked at his watch. “Shit. I gotta go, Ma. You good?”
Was I good? It wasn’t a question anyone but Thomas ever asked, and I gave it some serious thought. The Black Jacks were no longer a worry. They couldn’t rebuild, Polina’s murder was avenged, and we could all rest easier at night. The Green Zone plans were falling into place. All that was left was what remained of The Crusaders. I smiled.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” At least I would be.
Soon.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Thomas
“Thomas, I need you.”
Those four words from Sadie’s mouth could mean another layer of trouble or a night of bliss. I never knew which, could never tell by her tone.
I sighed and glanced at the muted television and the soccer game playing on one of the dozens of sports channels.
“Whatever you need, Sadie.” Those words didn’t need to be spoken. We both knew it was true, but I said them anyway.
A long pause fell between us before Sadie got to the reason for her call. “I need a change of clothes.”
She was at it again. “Sadie.”
“It’s not what you think, Thomas. Okay, it’s exactly what the fuck you think, but I don’t want to hear a lecture about it. Just bring me a change of clothes, whatever you want, and come to the penthouse suite at Emerald Isle.”
She ended the call before I could ask any more questions. I just knew she’d gotten herself into trouble and needed clean threads. Or, more likely, she’d caused trouble!
I turned off the soccer game without checking the score because I spent most of my time just waiting for Sadie to need me for something. For anything. It was pathetic to love a woman who would never love me back. I knew that, but still, I couldn’t help myself.
I quickly changed into dark jeans, a light blue shirt, and black leather jacket, eager to find out what Sadie’d been up to. It was late, and no one would notice me slipping inside the hotel as long as I blended in with the other tourists. Not that it mattered if anyone did see me, but until I found out what Sadie had done, discretion was the name of the fucking game.
Inside Sadie’s well-appointed bedroom, I stared at the racks of clothes in her closet, deciding what to pick for her. She preferred those damn suits that made her look like a legislator, but then I remembered her words. Whatever you want. It was a curious statement for her to make. Sadie was a woman who always knew what she wanted.
Which meant she wanted me to choose.
I picked a sleeveless wrap dress that almost exactly matched her eyes, and black lingerie to go underneath. After gathering a few more accessories and toiletries, I made my way to Emerald Isle.
The hotel and casino were among the most profitable of the legal Ashby businesses, and when I entered the large, marble lobby, the whole damn place was packed. Sadie’s arrest hadn’t scared away customers. If anything, it made them all the more eager to try and get a glimpse of the female queenpin who constantly outsmarted law enforcement. Either way, the crowded casino made it easy to slip inside and get lost in the crowd while I made my way to the penthouse elevator. It required a key, which I had, and a few minutes later, I stood in the hall, waiting for Sadie to open the door.
Greeting me, Sadie flashed a wide smile that did nothing to hide the annoyance in her voice. “Did you take the scenic route, Thomas?”
I was struck mute at the sight of her in nothing but a lush towel emblazoned with the Emerald Isle logo, droplets of water sliding from her throat behind the fucking towel, down her legs, all over her body. She was fresh from the shower, and my mouth watered with the need to have her again. To taste her.
