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“Not necessarily fall for, but I am interested enough to want to know more about a guy I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t even be around.” I waited for the lecture about appropriate life partners and stability and all that crap, but it never came.
“Maze, honey, you’re a beautiful young woman. You’re bold and fierce, but just because you like a guy today doesn’t mean you’ll like him tomorrow. Enjoy him today and go from there. It doesn’t have to be your whole life, does it?”
“No, I guess it doesn’t.” I didn’t tell her that I was worried because simply dating a man like Virgil could put me in harm’s way. When I was growing up, I had memories of the women in my uncle’s lives, Aspen and Henny and Dr. Annabelle had all found themselves in danger because of the men they chose to love.
This wasn’t love, but in the underworld, it didn’t matter. A weakness was a weakness. Someone could think I was a weakness and that wasn’t a good thing in my book. “Don’t look so sad. Get to know him and decide. Or don’t.”
“Thanks, Jana. Where is everyone?”
“Charlie and Jamie are at the clubhouse where they’re testing out some new guns that just came in at the shooting range. Max is in the house waiting on me. You know what that means?” I snapped my eyes shut and wished my ears had the same ability before Jana spoke. “It’s sexy time!”
“Ugh, please for the love of all that’s holy woman!”
Jana tossed her head back and laughed. “Sexy time, Maze. That means I’ve got to go! You know it isn’t easy with a full house.”
I hadn’t given it much thought, that my being here along with their sons Charlie and Jameson, meant they had to work hard for private time.
“I can be gone in twenty minutes,” I said. I had no clue where I might go, but there was a good chance Bonnie was free tonight.
“Thanks, Maisie. You’re the best.”
Yeah, yeah, I was a real peach, leaving the house so that my aunt and uncle could get laid.
Meanwhile, Virgil’s family kept cockblocking me at every turn.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Virgil
“You look like shit bro.” Jasper’s words brought a reluctant smile to my face because I knew what he saw when I snuck into his office. I was exhausted, my hair was matted to my head with sweat and a drop or two of blood I had missed cleaning up.
Thankfully, the back entrance to Midnight Mass was a private alley owned and protected by the Ashbys.
“Thanks, Jas,” I said giving a nod to his friend Terry. “I’ve been up all fucking night cleaning up another mess. Why do you look like shit?”
He flashed a smile and raked a hand through his thick brown hair and let out a sigh as he leaned back in his plush leather chair.
“Sadie?”
I nodded. “Who else?”
The woman had a hankering for vengeance that might end up being the death of us all. And her messes were becoming harder to clean up.
“That’s not why I’m here actually.”
Jasper blinked, his green eyes instantly all business again. I could see why Ma let him handle so much of the day to day business matters.
“Then why?” he said.
My gaze glanced between Jasper and Terry Manning. We’d known the Manning boys, Terry and his younger brother Emmett, since before my father died. Terry had always been a good friend to Jasper, even saving his life a time or two, which had earned him the role as Jasper’s, and therefore the Ashby’s, fixer.
“Crusaders. Cal cleaned up the footage as best he could.”
“Cal?” Jasper’s dark brows turned thunderous. “I really don’t wanna hear Sadie’s mouth, Virgil.”
“He was with me when you called and volunteered some of his gadgets, which came in pretty fucking handy. See for yourself.” I handed over the flash drive I’d grabbed from Calvin and dropped into the empty chair beside Terry.
Jasper plugged the drive into his computer. The scowl on his face deepened and darkened as the seconds on the video ticked by. I already knew what he saw, dirt-covered bodies drenched in fear, facing an uncertain future that could only be traumatic.
“What the fuck!” It wasn’t a question. Jasper’s words were spoken in pure outrage at what he saw on the screen and the memories I’m sure it brought back.
“I know,” I told him, understanding in my voice. “We need to quash this shit quick. And The Crusaders too.”
We had our own rackets and they ran the gamut from drugs and guns to ass and extortion. And everything in between. But we didn’t fuck around with kids. Ever.
“This shit isn’t just bad for Glitz. It’s bad for business.”
“Shit, it’s just plain bad,” I muttered.
Terry laughed. “Look around, Virg, this whole damn state profits off the sale of ass.”
“Have you seen the footage? Then shut the fuck up, Terry.” I didn’t have a problem with the guy, but I had no fucking patience for idiots. Which is what he was right now, mouthing off without knowing what he was talking about.
