The Scotch Queen (Scotch 2)

I smiled when I pictured how that conversation would go. That fire would leap in her eyes and burn indefinitely. “I’ll run it by her.”

“Good.” She closed the folder. “That’s all I have for now. If you need anything else, you know where to find me.”

“I know. You never sleep.” I gave her a smile and watched her rise out of the chair.

She still wore that stern expression, but she was fighting the smile that wanted to spread across her face. “Work comes first.”

“Are you bringing someone to the opening?”

“Crewe, you know I never mix business with pleasure.”

She didn’t seem like someone who had a lot of pleasure in her life. “Well, you’re always welcome to. You’ve met my women. I’d like to meet your men sometime—make sure they’re good enough for you.”

She finally smiled. “There’s no man good enough for me.” She walked out and left me alone in the office.

As usual, my thoughts returned to London. Whenever I was alone, she came into my thoughts. If Ariel knew I decided to share my bed with London exclusively, she wouldn’t be too happy about it. Her fire would burn the entire castle.

I rubbed the scruff along my jaw and felt the urge to throw back a glass of scotch. I missed the burn all the way down my throat and into my stomach. But I was trying to cut back the way London asked me to, going from nine glasses a day to four. I’d already had one, so I needed to take a break before I moved on to the second glass. It was only noon.

I picked up the phone and called Bones, knowing that psychopath would stop me from thinking about the two drugs in my life.

“Crewe, how’s the scotch business going?” He spoke with a deep voice that was just as rough as sandpaper. His tone made it sound like he was up to no good, a naturally sinister voice that was heavy with evil. I wondered if I sounded that way to other people.

“No complaints. How’s the weapon business?”

“No complaints,” he said with a chuckle. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

I only bought weapons from Bones once before, and that was because the Barsetti brothers were unavailable. The craftsmanship was good and the quality was passable, but it was nothing compared to the product Crow and Cane offered. “I’m opening a second distillery in Edinburgh on Saturday night. Wanted to know if you’re coming.”

“I got your invitation. I might stop by. I’ll be in the area anyway.”

I chewed on the inside of my lip as I contemplated what to say next. Every move I made was just as strategic as a general moving warships out in the Atlantic Ocean. I wanted to know if he was bringing Vanessa, but I couldn’t come out and ask. I shouldn’t even know about Vanessa. “Hope to see you there.”

“Will your pet be on your arm for the evening?”

All the muscles in my shoulders immediately tensed at the question. I didn’t appreciate his tone, the way his breathing changed the second London was mentioned. Anger that I couldn’t explain hovered at the surface under my skin, about to explode in a fiery combustion. “Yes. She’s always on my arm.”

He chuckled into the phone. “Looks like I missed out on an incredible woman. At least I found someone else to take her place.”

I knew exactly who he was talking about. I swallowed my anger over London because that wasn’t as important as my next question. “Will she be accompanying you on Saturday?”

“Possibly. We’ll see how her bruises heal up.”

I swallowed the bile that rose up my throat. I’d have to leave that comment out when I spoke to Crow. It would break him in half. “I look forward to meeting her.”

“And I look forward to seeing your pet.”

Before I could say anything to ruin things for Crow and Cane, I ended the conversation and got off the phone with him. I wasn’t particularly close to the Barsetti brothers, but I understood what it was like to lose a family member. My offer to help them came from my own loss. If I at least had Alec, I might not feel so alone. I would have someone to share the burden of my name. I could have disappeared into the sunset and lived out my life in solitude along the coast of Greece. But I couldn’t disgrace my parents’ legacy by abandoning my duties.

I called Crow a few moments later. “Hey, it’s Crewe.”

“How’s our product treating you?”

My men were happy to be armed with new equipment. The fortifications surrounding me reached a new peak. I kept a few guns for myself, stashing them in places that London wouldn’t come across. “Well. Pristine, as usual.”

“You get what you pay for. So, have you heard anything from him?” Crow rarely mentioned his name, always referring to him vaguely. He did a good job controlling his anger, but I thought I could feel his rage through the phone.