Page 3 of The Deals We Make
I put my hand around her waist so she doesn’t fall off the stool. “I’m gonna invest in the things you like. Jewels. Money. Airplanes. Makeup. And bikes.”
Avery grins at that. “Yes. Make me enough to buy a clubhouse.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She zips up her panda backpack and drops off her stool. “I love you, Uncle Vex.”
But she runs off before I have time to reply. “Yeah, love you too, sweetie.”
Everyone turns their attention to the flatscreen TV. There’s a scramble as people find the one they want to be standing next towhen the ball drops. Quickly, I stack the notes and shove them in my pockets.
“Ten,” everyone calls out.
Bates lifts Avery into his arms and sandwiches her between him and his pregnant old lady.
“Nine.”
Avery stretches out her hand behind her father’s head so she can reach Niro, who has his arm around Cat. He holds her hand.
“Eight.”
King wraps his arms around Rae’s back, pulling her closer.
“Seven.”
Halo lifts Ari into his arms, and she wraps her legs around him, kissing him as if the ball already dropped. A baby monitor hangs off the back pocket of his jeans.
“Six.”
Clutch thrusts a champagne glass into Gwen’s hand as she laughs.
“Five.”
Spark places his hands on Iris’s very pregnant stomach and whispers something that makes her place her hand over his heart.
“Four.”
Saint fists his hands in Briar’s hair and studies his woman intently.
“Three.”
Catalina slides her hand into the back pocket of Niro’s jeans.
“Two.”
Switch cups Sophia’s cheeks and kisses her like a starved man.
“One.”
I’m all alone on this fucking stool, wishing I were anywhere other than here.
“Happy New Year,” Clutch booms, and the clubhouse explodes around me.
More hugging. More backslapping. More shouts of making this year special.
“Happy New Year,” Switch shouts in my ear as he finally lets go of Sophia and pulls me into a hug. “Let’s make it a fucking good one, yeah?”
I admire his optimism. The last twelve months were rough on him and his woman. But they’re both tan, having just returned from vacation where Sophia met Switch’s parents.
