Page 57 of The Devil's Reward
Dmitri: Get it done. You have less than twenty-four hours.
I grind my teeth, pissed that he talks to me this way. Does he not realize everything I’ve done for him? How much money he’s made because of me? He should be talking to me with the respect I deserve. I’ve given him everything that has made him what he is.
So I’ll do what he asks, and then I’m going after the club. Once they’re gone, I’ll be taking Dmitri and his men out of the picture too. You never hold all your cards in one hand. Bull’s own words.
So I don’t bother responding to Dmitri. Instead, I look back at the building and wait.
THIRTY
SHADOW
I will not lose them.
“That was so much fun!” Macy practically screeches as we all walk out of the restaurant and head for the vehicles. She’s holding on to my hand and her mother’s, and I can’t help the smile on my face. I don’t look over to where Rose and the other women are grinning at me. My only focus is the little girl who has somehow accepted me effortlessly. Quinn smiles at me softly, and I have to figure that Macy’s acceptance will result in another date.
At least I hope so.
We walk over to Quinn’s car, and I ignore all the chatter and noise behind me as the group hugs and says goodbye and starts getting into their vehicles. My focus is on Quinn and Macy. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” I tell Macy happily as she lets go of my hand and beams up at me when Quinn unlocks her car.
“Can we go on another date?” Macy asks sweetly. “Maybe next time we can go to the pool. Go for a swim,” she suggests coyly.
I hear Quinn sigh, exasperated with her daughter, and I just chuckle. “Maybe,” I reply, hedging. I have a feeling that it’s best to never give in quickly with this one, because if you don’t there will be hell to pay.
She pouts but then shrugs. “Okay. Bye, Shadow. Thanks for the pizza and the ice cream. It was the bestest time ever!” Then she rushes forward, hugs my legs tight, steps back, and opens the car door to hop inside, slamming it shut behind her.
Quinn looks at me with a shy smile. “Thanks, Shadow,” she says softly when I step towards her. “I had a good time.”
“Even with so many interruptions?” I tease.
She smiles. “Even with them. Maybe they even made it a little better,” she remarks, a teasing light in her eyes.
I smirk down at her. “Is that so? Well then, I think I need to take you out again, away from them, to prove differently,” I suggest smoothly, reaching up to play with her hair.
“You think so?”
“I do,” I murmur. “So if I text you later with a date and time, will you let me know if it works for you?”
She nods, eyes holding mine. “I had a good time, Shadow,” she murmurs. “And yes, I’ll answer you.”
“Mom, come on, let’s go!” Macy suddenly shouts from inside the car, breaking the moment between Quinn and I.
Quinn huffs out a laugh. “I guess I should go. I need to stop at the pharmacy before we head home.” She glances over at the car, and I look to see that Macy is facing the back windshield, waving at everyone behind us as they’re calling out their goodbyes. When I look back, Quinn goes up on her tiptoes and presses her mouth to mine in a quick kiss, then blushes and steps back. “Bye,” she whispers before she walks around the car and climbs into the driver’s seat.
I step back and give a quick wave when Macy turns in her car seat and waves at me. I wait until they disappear down the street, then I turn around and head for my bike. All the Lincolns are gone, as well as Alice and Dale Lane, leaving Rose, Bullet, King, and Sage standing there, waiting for me. Only now, Izzy and Torque have joined them.
“Thought we would crash the party,” Torque says when I shake his hand. “Though we’re a little late, I see.”
“That’s what happens when you end the work day banging in your office,” King drawls.
Izzy and Torque share a heated look, but neither disagrees with his statement. I roll my eyes. “Horn dogs,” I drawl at them.
Both just grin. Izzy looks at Rose and Sage. “You guys alright if I catch a ride back with you?” she asks them.
Rose smiles warmly at her. “Of course, honey. My son being a pain in the ass again?”
“Or something,” Izzy smirks, making Torque roll his eyes and mutter under his breath.
Sage snickers. “It’s a man thing. They’re always pains in the ass.”
