Page 63 of The Biggest Sacrifice

“Ha!” He barks a laugh. “Don’t start, woman.”

“Billy, leave your brother alone.” Chelsea admonishes him.

“Chels, I know Adam was not around when you picked that name, but was that your nod to him? You were secretly hoping it was like a beacon in the night, waving Adam home right?” He cups his ear and acts as if he’s listening for something. Then he cups his mouth and echoes, “Dom. Dom. Dominant.”

That earns him a smack to the head from Adam and we all crack up.

“I got a black eye for loving your sister, and you only get a smack for all the shit talking you do? Something is seriously one sided in this family.” Jackson gives Adam and Billy the evil eye over the table while Francesca soothes his poor ego.

Billy rolls his eyes in an exaggerated motion. “You were asking for it, Jackie boy. Don’t even try me right now.”

“Sounds like just another usual night of Casanova Chaos!” Cash appears beside our table and everyone welcomes him. Him and I haven’t spoken since he walked out of my house the other morning and I’m a bit nervous about seeing him tonight. I don’t want our tension to show amongst everyone.

He shakes hands with all the guys and gives quick hellos to the girls. He leans down to give me a kiss on the cheek and Tommy pulls me closer to him and out of Cash’s reach.

“No kissing my girl.”

My heart begins to race at his declaration. Cash backs up, putting his hands up in defense. “Hey man, take it easy. Just saying hello to my friend.” He winks at me but breaks into a smile, and so does Tom. They clap hands, Cash settles into the chair next to Tom and Jackson slides him a beer.

“Think she’ll want to be your friend after she learns your real name?”

Cash is mid sip of his beer and begins choking on it while Tommy breaks into laughter. Cash wipes at his mouth and turns to face him with a look of surprise. “You been going through my file, Casanova?”

“Nope. Just heard a whisper from a little bird.” Sitting back with a smirk, I eye him while downing my beer.

“Come on, man, none of us think your real name is actually Cash.” Billy sits up. “Let’s all have a guess! I’ll go first. There’s only one Bill around here, so you had to go with another money name, am I right?”

Adam groans out. “What a corny fucking joke, Billy! No, I think it’s something really bad like Roger. Or Alfred.”

Jackson bumps Adam’s shoulder. “Right? And he was trying to be cool by going with Cash.”

“I bet it’s a girly name. How about Michele? That can be a guy's name, too. Are you french, Cashy?” Bobby snickers at his own bad joke accompanied with an even worse accent.

“You guys will never guess.”

“Do you really know, Tom?” I ask. I watch him, sitting with a smug look, still eyeing up Cash.

“I do.”

“Tell us!” Tom sits quietly, and he and Cash seem to have a silent conversation. The table falls silent until the awkwardness is too much.

“Adley, how’s the writing coming?”

Francesca changes the conversation and I watch as Billy glances at her with pride in his eyes. Adley is good for Billy. I know Tommy is concerned because she appears wild like he is. But it’s a different type of wild. She has a certain presence that she carries that I think gives Billy peace. He doesn’t have to be ‘on’ all the time when she’s around. She can carry the conversation, she can jump in and harass the rest of the family just as well as he does.

Adley sits up straight and a broad smile takes over her face. I love when she lights up like this, talking about what she loves. She’s so passionate and it shows with everything about herself.

“My current writing in progress is so good. I’m in love with my main character. He’s stubborn and likes to chase women but in true romance fashion, he finds the one woman who won’t be chased. She gives him nothing but a hard time.”

“I certainly hope he has a hard time. That’s the whole point of your porn books, isn’t it?”

“They’re not porn books! And watch yourself,BJ,or you’ll wind up in the book, too.”

“You mean that story isn’t already about me?” The family chuckles around the table but I don’t miss his next sentence.. “I remember someone enjoying my chase.”

Heat takes over the table as I see her slide her hand under the table and a second later Billy jumps in his seat. Tom glides his hand across my shoulder and under my hair, gripping the back of my neck. He pulls me closer and leans in. “Must be a twin thing.”

Giggling, I feel the blush spread across my face.

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