“The plot thickens though. Damian was flirting with her last night, and it looked to me like she liked Damian.”
Charlotte rubbed her temple. “I knew this was going to be a challenge when I gave birth to boys, and your father told me about this little … legacy.”
“I’m not a boy, Mom,” Tamsin said.
“Yeah, I’m kind of worried about you.”
“It’s only supposed to happen in the men, babe,” Maddox, their father said.
“And I don’t know if I like that or not,” Charlotte said. “Look, Abel, I know you’re used to getting everything you want, and not really caring about anyone else in the process, but this is the woman you’re supposed to love for the rest of your life. Don’t be an asshole, and actually think about someone besides yourself.”
“Mom, that was a little harsh,” Jacob said, making everyone turn to the new arrivals. Jacob and Lou were smiling, and they stood in the doorway, wrapped around each other. Jacob held their son.
Abel went, hugged his brother, kissed Lou on the cheek, and then kissed Riley.
After all the greetings were done, Jacob came toward him. “The legacy has struck you?”
“You can say that again.”
“Oh, another thing, Harper got into the club last night with a fake ID.”
Maddox turned to glare at Damian. “What the fuck?”
“Dad, you can’t curse in Mom’s kitchen,” Tamsin said.
“You’re telling me there was a girl underage at the casino?”
“Yep, she was only twenty, and you demand they have to be twenty-one. She’s not. You know in the UK, and in other places, the age of consent differs,” Damian said, clearly not seeing his lack of concern was pissing their father off.
Maddox stepped in front of his son. “An underage girl in my casino is bad for business, Damian. Why didn’t you deal with it?”
“I only knew this morning.”
Their father still stared at Damian, disappointment easy to see.
“I’m sorry.”
“Charlotte,” he said.
“Already on it.” Charlotte took Tamsin out of the room.
“I don’t want to leave.” Tamsin complained all the way out of the kitchen.
“Our work means we draw a fine line between legal and not. We have contacts within the force that keeps them off our back providing we pay them. Something as stupid as an underage girl could fuck everything up, and I don’t want to have to deal with that, nor do you. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.” Maddox stepped away and made his way out of the room.
“You’ve found your woman.”
“Yep, and she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me,” Abel said, running fingers through his hair. Just last night he’d been balls-deep inside a whore, and now, the thought of being with Deidre repulsed him.
“Sounds like me when you wanted me, Jacob,” Lou said, smiling. “I didn’t cave to him really.”
“You were a bitch.”
“Yeah, and then Riley…” The smile faded.