Page 109 of Dirty Pool

“You sure this is what you want to do, man?” John asked. “Because you two are up next.”

Gabbie looked over at Michel’s cousin—she didn’t know much about the guy, but he asked no questions when Michel called him the day before. All she knew was when they went in to get their marriage license, a day after arriving in New York, someone had pointed out to them that they were going to need a legal witness for the marriage. Michel swore up and down there was no damn way some random witness would work for this.

He needed family.

“You should call your mother or father,” John added.

Michel’s hand tightened around Gabbie’s leg. “After, John.”

“Yeah, that’s gonna fly over well.”

“I could have called Andino, you know.”

John scowled. “Low blow.”

“Yeah, well …”

The two cousins shared a look between one another, and then they grinned. Gabbie had no idea what in the hell she just missed, but she had a feeling Michel would eventually explain it. She didn’t mind waiting. There was a lot about Michel, and his life here that she didn’t know anything about.

She wanted to learn it all.

John cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him again. He nodded at Gabbie as his gaze drifted to Michel. “So, are we going to pretend like the marriage license in her hand doesn’t have her last name down as Casey, because I’m pretty sure Detroit has been on the news for the last forty-eight hours since the city might as well be burning down from the shit happening there, and all. But you know, totally up to you if you don’t want to share and all.”

“You didn’t ask questions last night.”

The man shrugged. “I’m bored now, indulge me.”

“I really should have called Andino.”

John outright scoffed at that. “Right, fucking Andi, who follows the rules of this family even more than I do, Michel. I am sure that would have blown over exceptionally well for you. He’d have had your mother, father, and sister here. But sure, you can keep living in that delusion.”

“I fucking hate you.”

“No, you don’t.” John smirked, asking, “And how is the whole … becoming a doctor thing going for you?”

Michel sucked air through his teeth, his frustration clear. “I’m probably going to fail my second year, but you know, shit happens.”

“Yikes.”

“What can you do?”

“Uh, not get involved with the idiots in Detroit who are apparently warring with that woman’s family … shit, is she like … the Gabbie Casey?” John raised a brow when Michel said nothing. “You know I’ve spent time in Detroit before, right? I know who people are there, Michel.”

“Michel Marcello and Gabbie Casey, you’re up!”

Michel passed his cousin a look, and Gabbie stayed quiet beside him. She was quite aware that there was more happening between these two men than she understood. A whole family dynamic that she had never been privy to, likely.

“I know I’m not doing it the right way,” Michel said to his cousin.

“As long as you understand that.”

“But it’s the only way, John.”

John grunted under his breath. “I’m just saying that if I came home married to a woman without telling my parents … but especially my ma, someone would have a great time pickling my balls for it. And my ma, Michel, she’s the sweetest thing on the block. She won’t hurt a moth when it gets into the house. You ever see Lucian running around the living room with a net to catch a moth because Ma won’t let him kill it? Yeah. That’s my ma. Yours, though … she’s going to cut your heart out for doing this, and then she’s going to wear it as a necklace for the rest of her life as a reminder of how you broke hers.”

“Wait,” Gabbie muttered, looking between the two. “That’s what this is?”

“Sorry?” John asked.