“McDonagh! Good to see you,” Roger Ackles boomed.
We shook hands.
“How’s your wife feeling?” I asked, focusing my attention on him and not the glances surrounding us.
Roger chuckled. “The fruit basket made her smile more than she has in weeks.”
I nodded. “Good.”
The councilman was one of the people whose hands we’d slicked over the years. I sent a bonus to him, and from the sounds of it, he was in my favor now that I was the boss.
“And how are you?” Roger asked carefully, voice lowered with concern.
Currently? Not so good. My skin crawled with ants. Each bite from their teeny, tiny teeth was accompanied by a whisper or a quick look at my face.
“Busier than ever,” I said tightly. “The high-rise is taking up most of my time.”
As we fell into an easy conversation about the construction business, my mind wandered. It was only because I was tangled in thoughts of my wife that I realized my phone buzzed.
“Excuse me a moment.” I held up a finger while pulling out the bleeding device. It was rude, I knew that. But what if it was Gabriella?
It was.
My Queen: Alright, mobster, come and find me.
There was another message. This one with a scandalous picture that showed Gabriella, topless, her back to the camera, but looking over her shoulder as the blue gown draped around her waist.
As I stared in open-mouthed disbelief at her lunatic face, bubbles appeared on the screen.
My Queen: IYCMYFM.
What the fuck did that mean? My brows scrunched together as I tried to decipher the letters. That wasn’t English. Maybe something in Italian?
Feck it.
Gabriella was topless, and she wanted me to find her.
Suddenly, not a damn thing mattered.
“I have to go make a call,” I told the councilman. “Something’s come up.”
“Of course,” he sighed, and I hoped that wasn’t gratitude for the escape in his voice. “Always a pleasure seeing you. And thank you again for the fruit.”
If it wasn’t for my money, I doubted he would want anything to do with me. None of them would. I buried that thought before I could apply the same logic to Gabriella and took off to find my wife.
Chapter 40 – Gabriella
This might be the craziest thing I’d ever done. I wasn’t some sex fiend. Or exhibitionist. Anyone could find us! But Liam was having such a shit night. The stares. The whispers! And then that asshat who commented about the mask; who said that to someone?!
I only wanted to make it better.
So, I concocted this half-baked plan. Now I waited, sitting on the leather chair that probably cost more than a Honda Accord. My dress was loosely back in place, and I thanked the saints for the thick shadows across the room. There were pieces of furniture between me and the luxurious, masculine home office space before the single exit point.
I would see anyone coming through the door, which was exactly what happened a moment later when the devil strode inside.
Squeaking, I shot to my feet only to slap my hand over my chest. “You found me.”
Liam’s stormy gaze caught in the shaft of light before he closed the door.
