Page 1 of Devil's Luck

PROLOGUE

This . . .

yes . . .

please . . .

Fergus . . .

oh, God . . .

I’ve never.

Take it . . .

every fuckin’ inch . . .

that’s it . . .

fuck . . .

you’re gonna make me come.

CHAPTER ONE

NOLA

“How did I let you talk me into this?”

Looking up from my suitcase, I see Remi glaring at me from her perch on the end of my bed in our shared hotel suite. “What’sthat?” I pretend to not know what she’s pouting about because in all honesty, her attempt of anger and sadness is a cute look on her.

“You made me leave my baby at home. What if she needs me? What if she forgets who I am?” Her bottom lip pops out, showing exactly where her just as adorable daughter gets her looks, as she crosses her arms in a half-hearted attempt to mean mug me.

Remi and motherhood are two peas in a pod. As soon as her little girl was born, and even when she still had the bun in her oven, I knew she was going to be an amazing mom. Remi is kind and sweet and cares about everyone around her like they are family. Add in the protective nature she’s picked up from her guard dog of a husband, and stand back—Remi is a fierce, strong, and protective mother.

Those same attributes are her Achilles heel in a way, especially this weekend. We’ve only been away from home for five hours and she’s ready to bail on our getaway and head straight back for the nest.

It’s Friday afternoon in the middle of March and Remi and I, along with our caravan of bodyguards, just arrived in Frisco, a city just north of Dallas, for the Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem book signing. Remi’s husband Tadhg has work things to deal with this weekend, so he sent an entourage of his men to drive us the four and a half hours north from where we all live in Houston.

The level of protection that comes with Remi being the wife of a made man is nothing like I grew up knowing, but the last twoyears of being her friend has gotten me used to the tagalongs. Sometimes it’s a little overboard, but knowing the guards being with us keeps us safe, and makes Tadhg happy, which then makes Remi happy, I can’t complain. She is my best friend and I’d deal with fifty mafia henchmen to keep a smile on her face.

“Remi, we’re only going to be gone for a day and a half. Máire will be perfectly fine with her Da and Nana.” Grabbing a hangar from the closet, I hang up my dress for tonight’s dinner and plop my behind down on the bed next to her and grasp her hand. “I know this is the first time you’ll be away from her overnight, but I won’t let you back out now. You knew you’d try, so you made me promise not to let you, remember?”

“I know,” Remi says with another sad pout. “I know she’s safe and home with her Da, but it’s still weird not just having her in the next room. I miss her so much already even though Tadhg has already text me a dozen pictures of her.”

“You deserve this vacation, Rem.” I pull her into a quick, tight hug, before we flop on our backs and stare up at the ceiling. “Hell, you’ve pretty much be on go-mode from the day you met Tadhg at that airport back in Chicago almost two years ago, and Máire isn’t even a year old yet, she won’t remember you being going for one night. You need some time to yourself.”

“And how will I be by myself when I’m in a room with hundreds and hundreds of other people?”

Her question makes both of us burst out into a fit of laughter. “Book friends are different. We don’t poop our diapers, or spit up our food, or scream and cry when we’re tired.”

“That last part isn’t exactly true,” Remi reaches over and waves her hand in my face. “I’ve seen you get awfully grumpy when you’re hangry.”

“Like you haven’t done the same.” I sass her right back with a hand of my own in her face.

Letting out a deep sigh, Remi sits up. “But you’re not wrong. I need a little ‘me time’, and what better way to do that than with a few hundred book friends.”

“You got that right, sister.” I jump up from the bed and hold out my hand for a high-five. “We’re here to have fun, talk books, meet new friends, get selfies with hot book cover models, and relax. Then tomorrow night we will get you back to your kiddo and Mr. Hottie and all will be back to normal.”

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