“It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s any alpha with a dick or a pussy who catches a whiff of your pretty scent and thinks they even remotely have a chance with you. Anyone who thinks they can take you from me will find out why I am called The Butcher of Boston.”
My stomach swooped. Not out of fear, but thrilled at the proposition that someone cared about me enough to do such a thing.
Maybe that made me a demon if I was willing to dance with the devil.
Maybe I didn’t care.
Thirteen
WILLOW
My jaw dropped when the elevator opened. I had never been to a casino before, but I’d seen them in movies. The entrance opened like the maw of a cave, revealing something more marvelous than I had imagined. Exposed brick mingled with polished mahogany. Emerald, velvet-lined, bespoke card tables, each guest seated there more lavishly dressed than the last.
Brass lamps illuminated the colorful space, casting shadows along the vaulted ceilings, making it impossible to tell where the game started and ended.
Waitresses in glittering gowns, draped with diamonds, moved effortlessly through the crowds, handing out champagne. When we left, I worried I might have been overdressed, but nothing had been further from the truth.
Guests wore Dior and Chanel, their jewelry more expensive than most people’s mortgages. Familiar faces of actors and athletesfilled the space. The sound of chips clinked in the distance as Kaelen whispered something to Aidan before he disappeared into the crowd, leaving Torin with us.
“Where’d you two come from?” I asked Torin, trying to calm my racing heart.
They followed us into the pub, but I hadn’t seen them after Kaelen took us through the fingerprint door.
“Industry secret, Miss Willow,” Torin winked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Mr. Finnegan. What can I get for you and your guest this evening?”
A pretty server blinked at us.
“I’ll take a Macallan. Neat. What would you like, mo chroí?” he asked, his hand drifting to my neck and curling around it possessively.
I nibbled my lip. I rarely drank. Tonight, however, I wanted to indulge, to let go and enjoy myself. Other than going to the farm or the animal shelter, I didn’t go out. Not to clubs and certainly not illegal casinos. I couldn’t risk damaging William Sterling’sglitteringreputation.
“Something fruity. I don’t really want to taste the alcohol,” I said, feeling like a child at the request.
“Whatever you want,” he whispered, his breath lingering on my skin. “A strawberry daiquiri with half a shot.”
The woman nodded, disappearing into the crowd. Aidan returned, passing Kaelen an obsidian, velvet pouch, which he tucked away in the pocket of his suit pants. As Kaelen steered me through the crowds, the sea of people parted to make way for us. Whether out of fear or respect, I wasn’t sure.
“What would you like to play?” he asked, the backs of his knuckles ghosting over my arm.
Outside of the slot machines, I had no idea how any of the games worked. People sat around tables while dealers dressed in custom suits slung cards and took bets. Electronic tables lit up as people cheered and booed at a ball skittering around a wheel.
Large stacks of chips filled the tables, some towering dangerously tall. Sweat slid down my back, reminding me how out of place I felt.
“I don’t have any money,” I said, only expecting to wander around with him and take in the ambience.
A laugh whispered over my skin as he cupped my chin, pulling me in for an unexpected kiss. My body relaxed at his touch almost instantly, my lips parting for him. His tongue slid along mine, taking more and more until I almost forgot where we were.
“Don’t worry about the chips, mo chroí. I will handle that part. What game looks fun? What do you want to try?”
“Blackjack,” I said, regurgitating the name of the one game I knew. “But I don’t know how to play. I don’t want to embarrass you.”
A shyness burned my cheeks, the blush getting worse when Kaelen flashed a brilliant white smile at me. His fingers tracked a tantalizing trail under my freckles.
“This is my casino. You could never embarrass me. I could shut down this entire floor this instant and have the dealers walk you through every game while I kicked everyone else out.”
“Please don’t,” I blurted, panicking.
