Page 68 of Dirty Pool

He didn’t even have to think about it.

Not really.

Nobody ever said love had to make sense.

Or even … be sane.

“Entirely too much,” he admitted.

Gabbie’s bottom lip caught under her teeth as she whispered, “Good to know, Michel.”

“Why is that?”

“It’s only fair that if I love you, then you should love me, too.”

Ah.

She was right.

That was good to know.

Gabbie smiled up at him, her grin turning a little shy at the same time. “I know you’re busy with school and so am I but—”

“I’m going to make time for you. I will figure it out.”

That much was a promise.

Maybe it would only be once a week, or even an hour every couple of weeks. That didn’t matter to Michel as long as he got that time with her.

“You better,” she said.

He just kissed her again.

• • •

Thanks to Gabbie, Michel learned the meeting was, in fact, something between the Italian Vannozzo Cosa Nostra and the Irish Casey family a couple of weeks before it even happened. It was just enough time for him to think he was prepared for what might happen when it finally took place, but apparently, he was wrong.

They also ended up switching dates at the last minute, too, so instead of the meeting happening at the end of October, they set it up for the first Saturday of November. He was feeling the cold chill in the air because of it, too, but he didn’t think it was just from the wind.

Michel still stiffened at the Irish flag hanging proudly over a pub’s door as he stepped out of the back of a car. Sal was already waiting at the curb, his arms crossed over his chest as he gave Michel a once-over.

“You managed to throw on a blazer today,” Sal said.

“I dress fine on regular days, too.”

“Sure, sure. Cat’s out of the bag, then?” Sal gestured at the flag in question, smirking a bit. “You know now what you’re here for.”

“Is the Vannozzo boss showing up today for this meeting, too?”

Sal made a noise under his breath. “No, I was told, the New York fuck is your issue who caused a problem, so you deal with it.”

“Interesting.”

Michel wasn’t sure if he believed that, or not. Any boss he knew dealing in Cosa Nostra would be quick to make sure he was at a meeting that would handle another family. Especially if said family was in the same city as him.

He didn’t call Sal out on his lie, though.

Now was not the time.