Page 49 of Gambit
She lets out a loud laugh, and the murk disappears from her eyes. “You know it. I want to see that evil genius kitty again.”
My smile turns to one of plotting, and I nod. “It’s a date.”
She smiles wearily and heads on up to bed.
Turning to the guys, I say, “Anyone allergic to cats?”
25
ELIZA
“Right.We’ve got work to do, and I’m not about to let any grass grow under our feet.”
The guys look up at me from the kitchen table, where they’re in various forms of waking up at the crack of dawn. I, on the other hand, have been awake for hours, and I’m showered and dressed, ready to confront the day.
I focus on Raphael, seeing as he seems to be the one who appears most alert.
“Okay,” he says. “What are you thinking?”
“We’re moving into a new chapter here, and everyone needs to pull their weight. Four families is a thing of the past. We are now one big happy family, yeah? We will eat this part of the country for breakfast, and no one will dare come for us.” I point at Oliver. “You’re on money. It’s time we started making this a business rather than a pastime.”
Oliver nods, his eyes lighting up. Money talks to him the same way as Flick talks to me—fluent and persuasive.
“James,” I continue, turning to him, “you are our eyes in the sky. I want to know everything before it happens. If someonesneezes in our direction, I expect you to have handed them a tissue before I even hear about it.”
As expected, a smirk plays on James’ lips, and he gives me a mock salute before he takes a gulp of steaming coffee. But I catch the glint in his eye. He lives for this, for the thrill as we all do.
“Tarquin,” I say, and just the sound of his name causes a flutter in my chest that I stamp down quick, or this is going to end up with us all in a sexy tussle on the kitchen table, and we have work to do. This is business. “Your job is to be our handshake with the other families. Charm them, threaten them, I don’t care. Just make sure they’re with us, not against us.”
He unfolds his arms and steps closer, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “And what if they refuse?” he asks, voice low.
“Then make them an offer they can’t refuse,” I shoot back without missing a beat. It’s dark humour, but we all understand it. Tarquin nods once, solemnly, the burgeoning career as my enforcer flickering in his eyes.
“And me?” Raph asks, stepping forward.
I bat my eyelashes at him. “Why, you’re the force to be reckoned with, sweetie.”
He snickers. “I can handle that.”
“What about the uni? How do we play it here in the meantime?” Oliver asks.
“Leave that to me,” I say. “I’ve got plans. We’re going to weave our way through Castle like it’s our kingdom because, let’s face it, it is.”
They all nod, the understanding clear between us. We’re a unit, a family by choice, not blood—that makes us stronger. The game’s happening, and we’re all players, with me leading the charge. As I look around at each of them, I see the reflection of my own determination shining back at me. This is our world for the taking, and we’re not stepping back until every piece is ours.
“Alright then,” I say, clapping my hands together, breaking the moment. “Get to work. And remember, keep it clean, smart, and seductive.”
They disperse, getting ready to face the day, leaving me in the silence of the room. There’s a buzz in my veins, the electric hum of power and possibility. We’re on the brink of something big, and I can almost taste it. With my guys, my partners in crime and love, there’s nothing we can’t do. We’ll do it our way, the new way, unapologetically and relentlessly.
Oliver returns shortly with a laptop, which he sets down on the kitchen table. His fingers fly over the keyboard, his brow furrowed in concentration. I leave him to it while I make a cup of coffee and stare out the window at the back garden, the sunlight just coming over to peek at the corners.
“New accounts are almost ready,” he says without looking up. “And I’m moving assets where they can’t be touched.”
“Wow, that was quick,” I murmur, turning around.
He gives me that grin that could charm a nun into dropping her knickers. “I’m that good.”
“Yes, you are.” The heat in the room is suddenly a bit too much to bear.
