Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72895 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 364(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
“No, Thomas. Don’t you know the tradition of Claddagh ring? You have to put it on my finger?”
He reached for my left hand, but I stopped him again.
“But I have to tell you how I want to wear it.”
The ring could symbolize a commitment, a simple friendship, or marriage. Thomas was leaving the choice up to me.
“Beautiful,” I murmured. I knew what Thomas wanted, and I wanted to give it to him. But not yet.
“It belonged to Cillian’s wife,” he said. “He told me to give it to you when I finally got the balls to do it.”
We shared a laugh, and he took my left hand. The one for engagement, leading to marriage. I shook my head. No, not yet. Maybe never. But I held out my right hand, the one signaling friendship. But I allowed him to slide the ring on my finger, the crown snug and pointing to my heart, telling the world he was my sweetheart. “Thank you.”
His brows dipped into a slight frown, but Thomas was a man of his word, and he gave a short nod at my decision and took my hand in his once again. “Shall we?”
I took his hand and clasped it with mine as he led me up the aisle behind Maisie and Jasper. The smiling, happy faces of the guests did something strange to me; it filled me with a sense of rightness.
Of satisfaction.
This place, as far as the eye could see, was mine. I built it. I nurtured it; and made it the empire it was today, the legacy for my children and their children. It was all mine.
My enemies had been vanquished. The Crusaders were no longer a threat. The Black Jacks were non-existent, and our alliance with the Reckless Bastards meant the Ashby family was stronger and more powerful than ever before.
Yeah, the future was looking as bright as the Nevada sun, and I, Sadie Rose Ashby, did that.
EPILOGUE
Sadie
“You don’t have to look so damn pleased with yourself.”
Jasper growled the words in my ear. Even though we were in a VIP room behind bulletproof glass, the crowd was loud as fuck, and the music was even louder.
“I don’t have to look so pleased, but I am. Opening night of the new and improved Lucky Lopez and just fucking look at this, Jas.” The place was packed, the dollars were stacking up in a safe in the back office, and my kids were here to celebrate.
Not all. Calvin had still refused to come, another act of defiance in case I was fooled into thinking he’d forgiven me. He hadn’t. Yet.
But I wasn’t worried.
Jasper nodded. “I never doubted that you could do it. I just didn’t think it was necessary.”
“And that’s why I’m so fucking pleased. Look around. We don’t just have gangsters and investment bankers in here spending their money tonight, Jasper. That guy right there runs the corner market, and I’m quite sure I saw his girlfriend head up to see the male dancers.”
“Your point?”
“My point, smartass, is that it isn’t just big money dollars flowing into this place; it’s all the money. People in the Green Zone now have money to spend, and they’re spending it with us.”
Jasper nodded reluctantly. “Makes it easier to clean the cash.”
I turned away from the glass and looked at my oldest son.
“What the fuck is going on, Jasper? This is a big night for all of us. It’s bad enough Calvin isn’t here; you could at least pretend to be happy with the outcome.”
“It’s not about that, Sadie, goddammit, and you know it. You and Thomas basically took this over, from me, without even a fucking discussion. You want to run things again, say so.”
Any other time, I might have given him a verbal takedown for talking to me like that, but he wasn’t wrong.
“Of course, you run shit, Jasper. You run it all. I’m the face of the business, but believe me, there’s no confusion about who’s in charge.”
“Really,” he huffed. “Because throughout renovations, all I heard was ‘We need to ask Miss Sadie,’ or ‘Ms. Ashby said this or that.’”
I sighed and sipped the club soda in my glass.
“Are you so insecure that you need to run it all?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer. I could see the outrage written all over his face. “Look, I needed something for me. Just for me, to get me back on track. To focus on something other than my constant need for vengeance. This is it. Just this, Jasper.”
He flashed a small smile and leaned in for a hug. “So, no more dead priests? Thank fuck for that,” he whispered in my ear, and we both laughed. “I can deal with that as long as you promise no more.”
“I promise.”
“Good.” He clinked our glasses in a toast and smiled. “So you and Thomas, huh?”