She giggled, elegant and regal as she was. “You remember Mrs. Macrini?”
“Yes,” Darcy said, without missing a beat. “Mr. Macrini had prostate cancer and can’t get it up. He likes to watch.”
“Mm, exactly. Well, her nephew will be moving back to town in a few weeks. He has experience in brothels. He managed one over in Amsterdam. I offered him a job, and he accepted.”
“Without telling me?” he huffed out, and I stepped forward, searching for him, but he met me halfway and grabbed my hand again.
“I assure you, Darcy, I do not have to tell you what I do with this establishment. I am the owner, not you.” There was a bite in her voice, and Darcy deflated beside me, obviously upset.
“I disagree.” I jutted my chin at her. “Darcy has been running this place since he was old enough. This is as much his business as yours.”
“You were the one who said he needed a rest, Brooks, dear.”
“Yes, but I think he should have a say in meeting the young man first and approve of him. He needs to be at home and not stressing about an imbecile who can destroy what he’s built. It’s different here. It’s legal in Amsterdam. Who says he knows how to handle the cops?” I wrapped my arm around Darcy’s shoulders and kept my back straight. The one thing I’d learned about Madam Winters was to never show weakness. She could smell it.
I listened to her heels on the floor as she walked toward us. Her perfume was stronger when she stopped right in front of me, and when she touched my shoulder, I didn’t move. I stayed tall and strong. “Will you take care of my boy, Brooks?”
“Yes.” I smiled gently at her. “I promised you that before the auction. I love your son.” Darcy gasped, and I turned my smile on him. “I have for a long time. I just never realized what it was.”
“How sweet,” she purred. “I love that you stand up for him. My baby boy has always needed a man like that. He’s always taken care of himself, and me, by his lonesome. He needs someone who can treat him right. It makes my big ol’ heart happy.” She released my shoulder. “Darcy, honey boy, you can meet him before he starts. Brooks is right, you should have a say in his employment.”
“Thank you, Mother.” His relief slipped through with his words, and he relaxed against me.
“You’re welcome. Anything else you are here to tell me?” Madam Winters played coy at the best of times, but she was obvious in her question now. She already knew why we were here. She knew a lot of things.
“He’s moving in with me.” I raised his hand to my lips and kissed the back of it. “Darcy is mine now, and I will take care of him, but to do that he needs to come home to my house every night, instead of being stuck at the Courtesan. After he leaves the hotel, no one is to call him unless it’s an emergency, and by that I mean the damned building better be on its way to rubble for them to even think about dialing his number.”
She burst out in laughter, and even Darcy jumped in surprise, crowding closer to me as though his mother’s amusement had him spooked. In the time I’d worked for her, I hadn’t heard her laugh this way. “Oh dear. I’m crying.”
“She’s grabbing a tissue and patting the tears from her face,” Darcy whispered urgently. “Do you think she’s been abducted by aliens and replaced by a fake?”
I snorted quietly and smothered it behind the back of my hand.
“I can hear you, Darcy Austen Winters. No need for the smart mouth.” She still hadn’t stopped chuckling, though, and every few moments another bout would leave her, until finally she caught her breath. “I respect your decision to move out. I will miss you being here, baby boy, but I let Brooks bid on you because I trust him to give you what you need. Come here.”
Darcy moved away from me, and I smiled. I knew they weren’t the type of people who showed affection like this often, but they also knew they loved each other entirely. Madam Winters had to be a tough woman when she lived in the South as a prostitute, and in turn she’d taught her son to be the same type of person.
“Your rooms will stay exactly the same, in case you change your mind,” she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.
“I won’t, but thank you.” Darcy sighed into her hug, and the small, but nearly nonexistent, sound of contentment that left his mouth was fucking adorable.
“I’m not taking him away completely.” I grinned teasingly but cursed in surprise when she grabbed my arm and yanked me into the hug.
“If you tell anyone about this, I’ll kill you.” Her warning wasn’t low, and very real. “But otherwise, Brooks, welcome to the family. Don’t break his heart, or you’ll end up at the bottom of Lake Ontario with rocks attached to your ankles.” She kissed my cheek.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good boy.” She patted my arm, then shifted away, releasing us from her strong but firm motherly hold. “If you want to meet Landon, you’ll need to do it the very minute he gets into New Gothenburg. I want him to start as soon as possible if you agree.”
“Yes, Mother.” Darcy grabbed my hand again, almost as though it was an instinct now.
“Come sit. We need to discuss what’ll happen when you start stepping down.”
Lemonade and I followed Darcy. It wasn’t even a question for us to do so. He was ours now, and I knew it would be hard for him to let go of some of his work, so I needed to make the transition as easy as possible. If that meant talking to his mother about arrangements, I was more than happy to sit there and listen for however long it took.
He was mine.
