Page 109 of Wrapped in Silver

“Price?” I pull out a wad of hundreds.

“Your money’s no good here, Ghost.”

“Fuck off.”

“I’m serious.” Ace lifts his hands, and I grab his face.

“Listen to me. I’m paying for my future wife’s ring. I don’t care if you stuff the money up your ass, it’s coming to you.”

“Okay. Okay.Relax.I’ll charge you cost. This one will run you a clean twenty.”

“That’s more like it.” I count out ten thousand of a thirty stack and leave the rest inside the rubber band. “Clean band. I want the diamond to pop.”

“Right away.” Ace takes the diamond carefully in the napkin and gets the jeweler to work.

Once it’s done, he dresses it nice with a gaudy box that actually has a white light in it. A little too romantic for my taste, but Quinn will be so taken aback by the whole thing she’ll think it’s a movie. The thought brings a smile to my face.

She was right about what she said—she’s tough. Tougher than I would’ve pegged her for, and I love her for it.

xxx

When I get home to our stage house—the one that’s been abandoned for some time—I hear footsteps pattering down the stairs. Quinn has a dorky headset on from one of her accounting meetings, and a little gift bag in one hand.

She runs and jumps on me, which makes me wince since it’s a whole person on my recovering leg. “Woops!”She drops off of me and rubs my shin. “Sorry, you just look so good without the boot on.”

The ring is in my pocket, and I have to shift awkwardly so she doesn’t touch it by accident. I pretend it’s from pain, and put my hand up telling her it’s alright.

“What’s that?” I nod to the bag.

“It’s for you.But—”She pulls it away from me. “I have news to share. I officially gave my two weeks’ notice to the firm.”

“Hell yeah, kid.” I smack her backside.

“And I took the entry level forensics job at the private company,Ivres Tilly.”

“Good, because if you took a PD job, we’d be mortal enemies,” I joke.

“Just like you and my dad, right? Yeah,okay.”

I take her hand in mine. “I’m proud of you, Quinn. That’s a big step.”

“Thank you.” She leans up and kisses me. “Now for your gift. It’s small, but ferocious.”

“Ferocious?” My brow furrows as I look inside. A part of me dies when I see them.

I hold up two lion socks, each with a huge mane of fuzz. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Nope.”She twists back and forth, unable to contain herself. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Aren’t you going to try them on?” She bites her lip to stop from laughing.

“No.” I turn away, and she clears her throat.

“That’s not very polite, Mister Silver. You owe me one for saving your life and all—”

“Bitch. The count is three to one.”

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