Page 33 of Magic or Madness

I’d doabsolutely anythingto see that smile every day, for the rest of my life.

“As soon as his screaming muffles and blood starts pouring out of his mouth, the group of guys focuses on Ozzy, looking to exact their revenge. Of course, they were no match for him, and in two punches he broke another guy’s jaw. The next guy stepped up – same fate. Finally, we had to pull him off his victims and flee the joint before he got arrested for three counts of assault. We ended up at a bar down the street, watching the ambulances come and take the jerks to the hospital, celebrating Ozzy with countless rounds of shots,” he continues, and all eyes are on me to finish the rest.

Every time we tell this story, they always have me end it, because I’m the only one who lived it. The guys bang on the table, racking up the excitement for the grand finale.

This time, I’m a little reluctant to share, seeing as I’m not looking to impress a bunch of hussies. This girl in my arms is everything to me, and scaring her off isn’t on my laundry list of things to do.

“After the shots, I blacked out, but the guys say they carried me back to our place, and I was passed out on the living room floor, face down on the carpet when three cops came barging in, dragging me through the apartment in just my boxers. I did get arrested for three counts of assault, and spent two days in jail, in my boxers, with two men who thought I was very pretty,” I explain, letting out a small laugh, as the rest of the guys hoot and holler.

Fallon is cracking up, her laughter echoing through the dealership and right into my soul.

“So what happened next?” She asks, shaking her head at me while sipping her beer.

“Well, Doc printed out the mugshot and framed it on the wall. Like he did anytime one of us got pinched, and we had a fucking party,” I say, and the guys bang on the table again, one of our rituals.

“Jesus Christ, Ozzy!” She squeals, and the blood in my veins turns to ice.

I thought she was content with what I do, knowing it crosses lines, but her reaction has me terrified, like this could be the straw that tips her mind in the opposite direction.

“What is it, Bambi?” I ask, scanning her eyes for a clue into her mind.

“Oh, nothing, just picturing you in handcuffs, in your boxers … sounds like I missed out on the show of a lifetime,” she teases, kissing my cheek while hers flush a deep shade of red.

“Bambi, you better watch that smart mouth, you might find yourself in a similar situation,” I say softly, watching as her eyes meet mine, heat and lust hiding behind those dark irises.

“You two need a private room?” Lex teases and everyone playfully shields their eyes.

Fallon climbs on my lap, pressing kisses to my neck, giving the guys a show, and I fucking love her confidence. If they want to tease her, she’ll give them something to talk about.

Everyone may be looking at her, but she’s with me, and I swear, lightning strikes inside my body every time her lips touch my skin.

“Never challenge me, Lex,” she warns, a joking tone in her voice as she climbs off me and pours herself a shot from the bottle of vodka on the table.

Having her in our environment is surreal, like something I’d only see in my wildest dreams. On the outside, she could be a princess in a fairytale, down to the big brown eyes and purple hair. Fallon shouldn’t blend in so seamlessly with our crew, the misfits, the criminals who don’t hesitate when it comes to harming others in the name of money, but somehow, she fits in like the lost puzzle piece.

I watch as she jumps into a conversation about sports betting, educating the guys on the probability of their odds with handwritten math equations, and I’ve never felt more at home with a group of people in my life. It’s like we’re finallycomplete.

“Alright, boys. That’s as basic as it gets, do we all understand how odds, spreads, and money lines work?” She asks, and they all nod, staring at her like she invented a new language.

Max wheels the whiteboard over, and everyone cheers as Fallon grabs a marker, scribbling her teachings on the board.

After an hour ofGambling 101, the boys dive into their phones, scrambling to implement Fallon’s lessons, and I can finally have her all to myself.

“Class is dismissed,” I say selfishly, lifting her off the ground and tossing her over my shoulder, carrying her to my room.

The hooting and hollering can be heard even after we close the door, and we both collapse onto my bed in a fit of laughter.

“You’d make the sexiest teacher,Miss Fallon,” I tease, kissing her neck tenderly, and gripping her hips as she moves closer to me.

“Ozzy, if you keep talking like that, you may have to stay for detention,” she purrs, and in a frenzy, I pull her lips to mine.

I’ve held back from kissing her all day, attempting to keep my focus only on her, and learning as much as I could about her as a person, versus her body, but I can’t resist those perfect pink lips any longer.

“Bambi, you keep finding new ways to amaze me,” I whisper in between kisses, my hands roaming her body like I can’t physically get close enough to her.

She responds to me so well, her breathy moans like a symphony, and she climbs on top of me, sitting on my stomach, raking her fingers through her hair as she looks down at me with those captivating, doe-like eyes.

“I love hanging out with your friends, jumping into your world, they’re so fun.” She smiles, her messy hair cascading in waves around her face.

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