Page 153 of Stealing Blinds

“I think one of my friends will find you first. It’s hard to hide in a prison cell. Goodbye, E.” She ends the call, letting me sweep her up in a hug while my family stares on with unadulterated glee. “That was poetic justice my father would’ve appreciated. I assume Peter witnessed it. We’ll have to deal with him, but”—she glances at the setting of world-renowned architecture and vibrant seaside energy—“Spain is a good place to kick off the saga of Sylvie and Cash.”

“It sure is.” I crash my lips to hers, conquering her mouth with one toe-curling swipe after another before I finish with a nip and cart her closer to my family. “We’ve come a long way since the vagina diagram.”

She howls against my cheek. “That we have.”

“I’m in awe of how you pulled it all off—”

“We,” she corrects, nuzzling my nose. “We pulled it off. Everything’s better with a team. With family.” She smirks. “You all bring a lot to the table, but there was one thing the Noires were missing.”

I nod in full agreement. “We were lost without you, baby. You led us well.”

“Born to beg, borrow, and steal for the morally corrupt. I think that’s why they call me Sly.”

CASH

ABOUT A YEAR LATER

Not that long ago, I would have insisted that magic was rooted in the unseen. That whether it was good or bad, what changed our lives most or impacted our days were the minute happenings occurring in the background. I’m guessing that has something to do with watching my vibrant, music-loving, and always-enchanted mother get devoured by a house of flames. I couldn’t see her being swallowed by them, but the burn was everlasting. And I became obsessed with transforming the imperceptible.

But now? With the spellbinding duo of my girls in my sights at all times? I know that magic exists most profoundly in the people we choose who choose us back.

My mother would have sobbed a puddle of happy tears at that revelation. Papa Axe has probably shed some behind closed doors. Okay, fine, I’ve wept a few times, too, holding my precious daughter, but that’s fucking sexy. My little bandit says so.

It’s Family Night in the Underground. We’re all crowded around a huge round table—much like our family dinners—but this is special because the employees are thrilled to entertain us tonight. That’s right. All of us. Well, Jax is running late, and Rena and her family aren’t able to be here. But Sterling and Flora. Bernard. And Axel and Ryker too. No alarms this time. Just a night to laugh with each other and the people who work so hard to bring the vision we had for this establishment to life.

We have kid-friendly carnival games, card tournaments, musical entertainment, and loads of food and drinks. The evening is winding down, so with most of our mingling behind us, we’re basking in a successful event and a happy staff.

It might be the truest nod to the shift from my father’s empire to ours. Ours is built on the same soil from the souls who crossed us, and it’s rooted in our ancestors and the organizations that dealt in darkness. That’s unlikely to change. But down here, it’s light and free. This is my mother’s legacy.

“I think I’m good to start next month,” Sylvie says to Axel and Zara, kissing our tiny peanut’s full head of hair as she bounces her in her arms, absolutely glowing in motherhood.

Axel sips his drink, dipping his chin to my girl. “Worth the wait.”

Last week, he offered Sylvie a position, where she’ll be breaking into our members’ businesses to show them where their security is lacking as an extra perk they can request. It enables her to use her skills without being in danger. She lit up as soon as it was mentioned, eager to get back in action.

Even with an infant, Sylvie is as athletic as ever. I love everything about this woman, including her motivation. Every morning before our little darling awakes, we work out together. I hold her upside down with her legs hooked over my shoulders and eat her pussy while she does midair sit-ups until she comes. We’ve even graduated to adding squats to the mix to up the difficulty level on my end. There is no postpartum regimen as effective as that.

Sylvie and Cash.

“We talked about the clients at our properties overseas,” I add, stealing the munchkin and soaking in her powdery scent. “We’ll go as a family, so we need the bookings scheduled in batches. And we’ll probably tack a week on to spend time on the yacht.”

Zara leans into her husband, utterly glowing. “That’s in line with what we were thinking for those sites too. The members can work around you.” She peers at Axel, whose eyes are glued to her dotingly. “And time on the yacht is a nice bonus.”

“Always,” I agree.

Just like I’d planned, after the completion of our heist, I proposed on the yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, under a moonlit sky and a canopy of the brightest stars, with my family beaming at us like proud parents. Yes, it was fast—and not because we had some secret society obligation to fulfill or any other treacherous force propelling us toward that path. It was simply because I had never hesitated to go all in on a winning hand before and I knew Sylvie was the greatest treasure I’d ever find. When you’ve experienced life changing on a dime, you hesitate less about betting it all.

She was aware it was coming, of course, but when I slid the gold diamond-encrusted ring onto her finger—designed to replicate the Venetian Mardi Gras mask her parents had fallen in love with on their honeymoon—my witty girl was speechless. Well, other than her chanting, “Yes.”

We drank Sazerac cocktails—Sylvie pretended because we hadn’t shared our news yet—ate crème brûlée that I’d had the crew get while we were in France, and danced until the freckled night bloomed a stunning apricot dawn.

I would have married her right there with Maddox as our officiant, but there were too many loved ones missing. Rena wasn’t on the boat, and she’d been absent for too many of our moments. Ryker, Mercy, Remy, and Bernard were anxiously awaiting our return. And we were also missing Sylvie’s mom and Flora, and that didn’t feel right. So, we waited until we arrived home, threw a grand Noire party, and said our vows with everyone we loved around us and our future growing in Sylvie’s womb.

As soon as we set foot in the penthouse after the heist, Ryker and all the ladies greeted us with a welcome that was indicative of the hardship they’d endured, fretting about our safety.

Ryker turned to Liam and Gage with a stern expression. “Your wives started their periods. You may be wondering why I know that. They made me throw them a period party.”

Liam burst into laughter, brightening the mood. “Glad Ace kept you in line, man.”