Page 38 of Wizard's Spitfire

“I did a cost analysis of today's possible expenditure. I have it more than covered. As a member of the Kings’ leadership, I get a bigger percentage of the profits. Plus, all the businesses pay me to do their IT work. I have a healthy bank balance. Living at the compound, my expenses are low. I put most into savings, investing a percentage of my earnings each month. Dakota, our treasurer, is a financial whiz. He’s tripled my portfolio the last two years.

“Look, Spitfire. I’m willing to take as long as you want, but I want to be a long-term part of your life. All of your lives.”

I felt the tears slide down my cheeks. I didn’t wipe them away or try to stop them.Motherfucker!This man is making me fall in love with him. HARD. If he decides this isn’t for him, he’s going to break me. I’ll shatter into a million pieces.

Losing JR was nothing. I’d already dealt with the pain and death of the relationship long before we filed for divorce. I stopped giving him the power to hurt me years ago. After he’dgotten over the novelty of fatherhood, he stopped paying for most of the girls' stuff unless he wanted to impress them.

He made sure I didn't have any extra money so he could swoop in and be the hero.

“I’ve done this with just Ma and Pops for so long. I’m not sure I know how to let anyone help me. I’ll try, but I can’t promise I’ll do it well.”

“We’ll get through it together.”

“Alright. Let’s get some of the basics out of the way while they’re in the experience.”

“I’ll have Havoc and Tully keep an eye out on them.”

“They’re here?”

Wizard smiles. “They are. They have been since we left the compound.”

Chapter 23

Wizard

We drag the girls out of the experience at lunchtime and take them to Ichiddo Ramen on Lucia’s request. After they’re refueled, we hit the virtual reality changing room. They have clothes from every store pre-loaded into the system.

They have the girls change into green sports bras and shorts before being scanned. After that, they get VR goggles and a tablet so they can choose their outfits. The orders go to the stores. When the girls finish, Charlie checks each girls’ order giving final approval before I enter my credit card into the system. The orders are processed, and we can either pick them up from the stores or have them all delivered to the concierge. We choose to have the items delivered to the concierge so the girls can hit a few more stores.

The back of the SUV is filled by the time we leave the galleria.

“How about we pick up pizza to take home?”

“I’ll text Ma and Pops and see what they want.”

We wind up getting a couple pies, pasta, wings, cheese bread, salad and dessert. We find Regina and Pops setting the table. Regina takes one look at us and shakes her head.

“Did you buy out the mall?”

“Wizard did,” Lucia says with a smile.

“I’m starved. Let’s eat,” Pops says.

?

After dinner, the girls hole up in their new room. The guest house had five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Since they were a bedroom short of everyone having their own, the girls decided to share one.

The adults are in the living room enjoying coffee or an after-dinner drink.

“When’s your next shift at the diner?”

“I’m on late shift tomorrow and the night after.”

“At least two of us will be at the diner from now on. There's enough of us. We can switch it up.”

She nods. “Can we head to the office? I have some information I think you’ll want.”

I follow her into the office of the guest house. She rummages through the desk and pulls out a file sliding it to me. There are pictures of four men in the folder, along with a file on each one of them.

---