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I kiss the top of his head, and he smiles up at me.

“I want to hang with Mildred.” He shrugs, and I wink at the older woman, who looks obviously pleased by my boy’s declaration.

“You’re a good boy, Charlie Brown.”

He wrinkles his nose at me. “Now I wanna watch Charlie Brown Christmas.”

“In May?”

“Sure. It’s Christmas somewhere,” he says and hops off the stool, making Mildred and I laugh.

“I think the expression is ‘It’s five o’clock somewhere.’”

“What does that even mean?” he asks.

“Never mind. Go watch it if you want.”

“Can I have popcorn?”

“No. You had ice cream for dessert. Just because you sit in the theater doesn’t mean that you have to eat popcorn every single time.”

“Lame,” he says, rolling his eyes, and stomps off for the theater.

“He’s learning new things,” Mildred says with a laugh.

“This is only the beginning. Thanks, school.”

I smirk and decide to go out to sit by the pool. It might be getting dark, but I like the sounds out there, and the lights from the pool make it pretty.

I try to reach Carson, but the call fails, and I blow out a breath as I sit on the chaise.

What’s going on?

Forty-Four

CARSON

It’s past three in the morning when my phone rings—thank fuck—and I see Julian’s name.

“Are you okay?” I ask by way of greeting.

“Jesus, what a clusterfuck,” he growls. “It took me six motherfucking hours to get our phones back, and the computers are still down. Someone hacked in and made a goddamn mess. What’s going on there?”

“Oh, just a normal night. Spider was strung up in my fucking cell, someone set a fire in my shopping center, and a couple of assholes posed as gaming commission. We’re under attack, Julian.”

“Is your family at home?” he asks.

“Yes. Natasha?”

“With me at the penthouse. I’m going to call Rome and see if they’re okay.”

“I’ll call Mateo,” I reply, and hang up, then dial my brother’s line, and when he picks up, I hear sheer pandemonium in the background. “Mateo?”

“Fuck, Carson,” he growls. “Some assholes opened fire in my club. Killed at least five people before my men took them out. I can’t talk.”

He hangs up, and I push my hand through my hair.

Someone has declared war on the Kings of Vegas.