Page 130 of Carnal Wagers

“Good. Da never should’ve let the cartel get a foot in to begin with.”

“Better late than never.” He backhanded my arm. “Oi, we’ve got movement.”

Outside, Alice and Maeve scrunched up their paper wrappers and rose from the table to throw them into the trash and place their plastic baskets in the space above the bin. There was an ease in their mannerisms together that spoke of years of friendship. They moved seamlessly, each aware of where the other was at all times.

I’d seen images of Alice’s best friend in the camera roll on Alice’s phone. In almost all of them, they made ridiculous poses together with exaggerated teethy smiles, wide-eye filters, and duck-face selfies, but this was the first time I saw Maeve with an expression close to neutral. There was a familiarity to her I couldn’t quite put my finger on, like I’d seen her over and over, yet there wasn’t anything particularly captivating about her features other than her hairstyle.

Both of them looked completely at ease as they linked arms and stopped in front of the floor-to-ceiling window Liam and I sat behind. Alice smiled my way and took out her phone. Mine buzzed shortly after.

Síbhean

I know you’ve been watching, but thank you for the space.

“Who’s the woman with your girl?” Liam asked as Alice ducked her head down to type more.

“Maeve, her best friend. She’s off-limits to you.”

“Wasn’t going to try anything.” He raised his phone and snapped a photo of my woman and her friend.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I went to swipe the damn thing from him, but he dodged.

“I’ve seen her before.”

That stopped me short as my phone vibrated over a napkin on the table.

“Who?”

“The friend. Who else?”

I narrowed my eyes at him and pulled up Alice’s message.

Síbhean

We’re going gown shopping now for the gala, so unless you want to be bored out of your mind…

I started to type something back.

“Doesn’t she strike you as familiar?” Liam added, and my thumb froze over the screen. “But what do I know? I felt the same thing when I first met Alice.” He had? “So maybe it means nothing.”

Again my phone buzzed, and a new message popped up.

Síbhean

You can even leave Arthur and Smiles with me if it makes you feel better.

If you do, tell them sorry for me for dragging them through this.

“Maeve owns a construction company. We might have worked with her.” I waved back at Alice through the window and caught the kiss she blew my way, like a lovesick sap. Fuck, what was she doing to me? Truth was, I didn’t even hate it. “Send it over to Brody just in case. It’ll be something to pull his focus off his loss.”

“Would your attention be so easily pulled away?”

My phone signaled another message and saved me from answering.

Síbhean

Kisses, HD.

I’ll be thinking of you.