Page 89 of The Laughing Game

“Please. I’ve barely got any time left, do you think I’d waste it on trying to get a romance going with one of these old losers?”

I laughed.

“When are you going to bring your men to meet me?”

“Oh…I don’t know. It’s only been a few months, Mom. I don’t want to jump the gun.”

“On what?”

“On asking them to meet my mom. That’s something that you do after, you know, six months. Maybe even a year.”

“A year! I might not be here in a year!”

That was a distinct possibility. Still, I wondered how Vihaal and Gideon would respond to being invited to visit my aging mother.

“Okay, okay. I’ll ask them. Eat your cookies.”

She grinned and took another bite.

* * * *

It took me the better part of two weeks to go over the Tarnish accounts for the previous two years. The same shady transactions kept popping up, and the same Divine Treasures supplier was mentioned with no detailed listing of items purchased.

I went through everything, taking notes and writing a report for Vihaal. It was clear to me that there was something fishy going on. And I was sure that Dominic was at the root of it.

When I told Vihaal my suspicions and returned the files, with my notes and comments in a document that I put on a flash drive, he gave a world-weary sigh.

“I’m so sorry, V,” I said. “This is a shitty situation to be in.”

He nodded. “Thank you so much, Angel. You’ve helped me immeasurably. Send me an invoice for what I owe you.”

“I will.”

“How’s the new car?”

“Fantastic. I love it.”

Vihaal stood there silently for a long moment.

“I think we need to go to Molly’s.”

“Oh,” I said. “Well, I’d love to.”

“I get horny when I’m stressed. And Gideon’s always horny.”

I laughed. “I mean, he’s got to get sick of us at some point, right?”

Vihaal shot me an appalled look. “I certainly hope not. I want both of you in the Bordello with me this weekend.” He looked me up and down. “Yes. I need to get you into those ropes again.”

I cleared my throat, trying not to get hard.

“Look, can I ask you something?” I said. It was now or never. “Not related at all to what we just spoke about.”

“Of course.”

I hesitated, smiling nervously because it was so awkward to invite your new boyfriend—one of them, anyway— to meet your aging mother right after he’d expressed a detailed interest in tying you up with rope.

“My mom. She’s in a retirement home and I— She gets bored and I never know what to talk about, and I might have mentioned you and Gideon.”

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