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“Emmett runs the Glitz Fight League, a nonprofit boxing school that feeds into the Ashby League of fighters.” Virgil whispered the details in my ear and once again I was surprised and impressed by the reach of the people at this table.
“You’re into boxing too?”
He nodded. “MMA too. Men and women.”
“Just what I like to hear,” Sadie practically purred. “Especially with fight season ramping up.”
Sadie knew every part of the business, and after a month working with Kat, I couldn’t decide which one of them I wanted to be like when I grew up.
“How are you settling in Maisie?” Jasper hadn’t fully warmed up to me, but he was slowly growing accustomed to me being around. Most of all, he treated me like I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Good, I think,” I told him and flashed an uncertain look at Kat who was technically my boss. “My hospitality classes certainly didn’t prepare me for the size of your operation. But I have confidence I’ll get there.”
Though I was officially the Marketing Director, my job was more of a casino hostess making connections with pretty much everyone who’s anyone in town to make sure Sadie’s customers never had a reason to go anywhere but Emerald Isle, though the Black Stallion was an acceptable alternative for the high rollers.
“You’re doing wonderful,” Kat assured me with a genuine smile. We’d become friends, working and living together this past month. “Earnings are up and the high rollers have nothing but good things to say.”
Sadie nodded. “Let’s hope the rest of my children choose as wisely as Virgil.” That was as close to a compliment as I’d gotten, and I cherished it as such.
“Thanks,” I whispered and looked down shyly into my glass of whiskey.
“I love you.” The words were whispered in my ear and took a moment to register. When they did, I turned with wide eyes and stared up at Virgil, who looked calm and amused, while the chaos continued around us.
“What did you say?”
“I said, I love you, Maisie.”
I swallowed, or I tried too, and nodded my head for far too long.
“You. Love. Me.”
He nodded. “I do. How much have you had to drink?”
Not enough for this to make sense. Not now, when I’d already decided I would be all right if he never said it.
“Not much,” I lied. “You don’t have to—”
“I know I don’t have to say it, and we both know I wouldn’t if I had to. But I do. I love you. You’re mine, Maisie.”
My hand found his under the table and I squeezed it hard, just to make sure he was really beside me. That I was really having Sunday dinner at the Ashby Manor and not drugged up in one of The Crusaders whore-tels while strangers ran a train on me. I squeezed just a little bit tighter when the blood pumping in my veins was all I could hear.
“I love you too, Virgil. So fucking much.”
His lips pulled into a slow smile and he shook his head.
“Yeah? Loving me means a lifetime of all this.”
He spread his arms wide to indicate the noise, the talk of business going on around the table. The smiles. The booze. The profanities.
“This seems pretty great to me, Virgil. Besides all that, I love you, which means I have to put up with you and your crazy family.”
“Did the new girl just call us crazy?” Cal asked with a gleam in his eyes. “She’s the one in love with Virgil but we’re the crazy ones? Sure, Maisie.”
I shrugged, feeling so happy I thought my heart my actually burst. One of my biggest fears in life was that I’d fall for a man I couldn’t bring home to Gunnar, Peaches and the guys, but Virgil was a man who could hold his own. Not just that, but his family wasn’t all that foreign to me either. We fit.
Almost like we were meant to be. If either of us believed in fairytales like that. “I don’t know Calvin; pretty sure I got the big end of the stick.”
“TMI,” he groaned and covered his eyes and then his ears, feigning confusion and horror when he couldn’t cover both at once. “I’ll have to do a complete brain bleach to get rid of that image,” he said around a wide smile.
Thomas entered the dining room and silence fell within seconds. It was like his very own superpower.
“The police are here,” he said without emotion, which was perfect because the rest of the dining room was suddenly tense as hell. Thick with fear.
“Let them in, Thomas.” Sadie looked around the table. “Don’t say anything.”
Two police detectives walked into the dining room, gazes scanning the room and bouncing over the Manning brothers, Virgil, Jasper and even Sadie until they landed on…Bonnie.
“Bonnie Byrne?”
Bonnie stood, shoulders squared and spine erect. “Yes, that’s me.”
