Page 3 of Devil's Luck

In all black . . . I’m not usually one to toot my own horn, but damn I look good.

Denim cutoff shorts hug my backside like a second skin, a cropped t-shirt with a pink skull makes the under peekaboo highlights in my chocolate brown hair pop, and Converse Chuck Taylor low tops finish off my look. I’m comfortable, and cute if I do say so myself.

Remi is still talking to Tadhg as I unfold my utility cart on wheels and walk back out to where she’s waiting by the suite door.

“And don’t think I haven’t seen that spreadsheet you put together, wife. You’ve preordered so much, I’ll have to put an addition on the house to expand your library for all the books you’re about to get,” Tadhg says as I pull the door shut behind us and head for the elevator.

“I didn’t order that many,” she tries to lie to her husband as she tugs her currently empty, but not for long, rolling cart that matches mine alongside.

“Yea, okay. Whatever you have to tell yourself.” I insert myself into their silly conversation with an eye roll.

“Excuse me?” Remi pushes the button for floor two as we step into the elevator. “Pot meet kettle. I saw your spreadsheet. You ordered the entire backlist of books from how many authors? It was six at my last count.”

“No comment.” I mime zipping my lips.

“Do I need to send a moving truck to haul both of your loot back?” Tadhg asks, making us both snicker.

“No,” we say in unison. We reach our destination and when the elevator doors slide open, the volume of voices is jarring for a second.

“But I wouldn’t say no to a few cardboard boxes so we can pack them for a safe journey home.” Remi taps a few buttons ending the video chat, switching to a call and putting the phone to her ear. “But nothing super big. Books are heavy as heck. Too big and we won’t be able to lift the dang things.”

As she wraps up her call, I lead us to the end of the registration line. We’re probably thirty or so people back, so getting checked in goes fairly quick. After we tuck our phones in our back pockets, we loop our VIP badge lanyards around our necks, and wait for the doors to open.

CHAPTER TWO

FERGUS

The sun has barely begun its descent behind the skyline, casting a warm golden hue through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the luxury hotel room I’m more or less hiding in. No one except my head of security knows I left Houston and made the four hourtrek north to Frisco solo, and I’d like to keep it that way for a few more minutes.

The city below buzzes with life, a sense of urgency that is intoxicating in a way that would be strange to most. In the life I live, I’m very much used to this feeling and my body feeds off of it. One can’t have my job, leading as many people as I do, being responsible for everyone in that periphery, without a bit of chaotic energy coursing through their veins. It can be a bit exhausting at times, but don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade being the leader of my family for anything.

But for what is about to happen, I need it. Not one to ever chicken out of something once I make a decision, I need to harness all the energy.

Nola Taylor. Hearing her voice this morning, it broke and healed something inside of me all at the same time. When she winked at me, and joked with me about flirting with her, it was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. I needed to see her like I needed my next breath, and not just through my sister-in-law’s phone screen.

Pretending I had an emergency pop up, I rushed out of my brother’s house like my ass was on fire. I had somewhere else I needed to be.

So here I am, about two hundred and fifty miles from home, anxiously waiting for Nola to appear.

Standing by the window, as I watch the tiny people dart between their cars and the various stores and restaurants below us in the district, everyone’s life rushing by while mine is hanging in the balance waiting for time to determine if this trip was a mistake or the best decision I’ve ever made.

I hear the main door to the suite open with a click and everything outside fades into irrelevance. There could be an asteroid barreling its way to Earth and I wouldn’t be able to care less. My focus remains locked solely on the woman who just stepped into the bedroom.

She freezes as soon as she sees me. “Fergus?”

God damn is she stunning. Even looking a little worn out from hours on her feet, the exhaustion I see in her eyes takes nothing away from her beauty.

“Nola.” I finally step away from my perch by the window and make my way to her. “Did you have fun today?”

She nods in response and takes a step toward me, but then stops again and looks around the room like she’s just realizing where she is. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you.” I tell her like it isn’t obvious. To me it is, but I don’t think she does . . . but she will.

“Me?”

“There’s no one else in your bedroom, Nola.”

I circle behind her to close the door, but it’s quickly pushed back at me and Remi comes to a screeching halt when she sees me.

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