Page 115 of Attraction (Mobsters + Billionaires 3)
“Invited me to what?” Hughes asks, starting to look a little worried.
“Wednesday is our standing poker night,” Ford explains, snaking his arm around my waist as he puts his head on my shoulder.
It’s impossible not to touch when we’re in each other’s presence. It’s disgusting, and I love it.
“You should join us,” I say, gesturing to the lively conversation coming from the library.
“Oh, you must,” Hopper says, grabbing his arm. “Tonight’s drink is blackberry gin fizz. My brother is a genius with the poker-night cocktails.”
“Hopper,” Hughes says, using his patient voice. “That sounds like fun, but it’s a conflict of interest. I cannot join you.”
Mads stumbles into the foyer with us and hiccups.
“Luuuucccaaaaa. What did you put in these drinks? They are ah-may—oh! Agent Hughes! Are you joining us for poker night?”
Ford might disagree, but I think the yellow puffer vest is cute on our friend.
“Uh. Sorry, Dr. Laghari. I can’t. It’s a conflict of interest.”
Mads snorts. “Look, LiLi. If we’re going to be friends, you can’t be busting out the Dr. Laghari. Mads or Maddie are the only acceptable names for me.” He takes a rather dramatic swig of the potent blackberry fizz, then continues, “And fuck off with your conflict of interest. We’re all friends here.”
Ford grips my shoulder, and I bite back a laugh. Ah. Drunk Mads is everyone’s favorite Mads.
Anthony pokes his head out of the library. “I…sorry. There’s no excuse for him.”
Mads holds up a finger. “There is an excuse. I pregamed. Which, in retrospect, was entirely superf…superfl. More than I needed.”
Ford buries his face in my neck, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Joe steps into the foyer. “What the hell is going on out here?”
Ford loses it, which nearly causes me to break my calm façade.
Liam starts making his way to the door. “Um, anyway. If I could get my phone by tomorrow…”
“Shut the fuck up,” I snarl in my best mobster voice. “Get in the fucking library. And, Hop, get the man his phone.”
Liam’s shoulders drop in defeat, but…I don’t think he’s unhappy about getting his arm twisted, especially when Anthony puts a blackberry gin fizz in his hand.
He’s joined us every Wednesday since.
It makes me a little nervous having him in this home I’ve built with Ford, but he admitted to Sherry on the second poker night that he had to close out the case on me.
He’d already said as much, but it was nice to hear he’s officially not looking to arrest me anytime soon. Of course, that could change at any minute. Or he could be lying.
In the meantime, Hopper is trying very hard to give him space.
You can tell it’s killing him because he nearly vibrates in his seat, which is always at the opposite end of the table. Hughes remains uncomfortable with Hopper’s affections, but I think his need to have people at his side is at war with his sense of propriety.
His grandfather is still on the earthly plane, but he’s been back to the hospital twice in the last month. It’s close, and his darkened eyes and thinner frame tell the tale.
Hopper gets a little beside himself whenever he sees Hughes looking poorly. He keeps leaving daisies at his door since I barred him from breaking and entering.
It doesn’t escape my notice that Hughes is one hell of a bluffer, and his favorite thing, I think, is bluffing when Hopper has a bunch of money on the table. He always gets a secret little smile when his hand busts Hopper out of the game.
What’s funny is that Hopper isn’t throwing the games. He really wants to win, and it upsets him that he can’t read Liam well enough to know when he’s bluffing.
I’m guessing that’s what worries me most of all. Time will tell.
