Velvet Fire - Ashby Crime Family Romance

I stepped out of his reach and flashed the light blue teddy I wore underneath.

“What about Emmett? He’s coming with Terry tonight.”

I loved when Virgil was playful so I nodded slowly.

“No fighting, period.”

I loved watching grown men behave like little boys, at least in that way, but Sadie didn’t.

“Got it?”

Virgil pouted but nodded. “I’m holding you to that,” he said with heat in his eyes as he closed the gap between us as the doorbell sounded.

“Bonnie,” he growled.

I laughed and went in search of my black pumps that I wore more often these days since Bonnie hadn’t been to church since the day she found Father Eric. The day I was kidnapped. It didn’t seem like it was more than a month ago but so much had happened.

“We’re all she has,” I told him seriously. Bonnie’s parents were still overseas doing missionary work, despite getting word about Wyatt, leaving Bonnie all on her own.

“That’s why I’m patient about it,” he said with a tight smile.

Virgil was right. He’d been as patient as any man could be expected to be in the face of Bonnie’s erratic but understandable emotions. She’d been through too much trauma at once, especially for someone who lived such a sheltered life.

I answered the door and we walked around to the side entrance, an awkward threesome, finding the dining room packed with people. Thomas stood sentry just behind Sadie, who flashed small smiles at him all night, making me wonder again about the true nature of their relationship. Terry and Emmett Manning stood in a circle chatting with Jasper, with the younger Manning brother casting longing looks at the oblivious Kat who scrolled on her phone, probably answering emails.

This was my family now. Loud and boisterous and, like my original family, skating on both sides of the law.

Dinner was a chaotic affair as it always was, with conversations flying about a wide variety of things.

“Emmett’s been training some new fighters. How’s it going?” Sadie had a knack for asking questions that seemed easy enough to answer, but she listened to everything. Even what you didn’t say.

“We have some competent fighters, maybe four. Half a dozen more with a future taking hits at just the right time.”

“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.