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He smiled as he kissed the top of my head, and whispered, “Yeah, well. Get used to it, darlin’. I’m not going anywhere.”

We ate our dinner, then moved over to the sofa. The movie was still playing in the background, but neither of us were really paying attention. We were just enjoying being there together.

Hudson ran his fingers through my damp hair as he asked, “Feeling better?”

“Getting there.” I took another sip of my wine before asking, “So, what do you think about my boys?”

“Oh, that’s a hole I don’t want to step into.”

“I’m serious,” I pushed. “Do you think you have them all figured out?”

“About as well as I need to.” He shifted in his seat as he said, “Viktor’s the grumpy one. Nikolai’s your smooth-talker, and Sergei’s the one who is always about two seconds away from throwing someone through a wall.”

“So, you don’t know them at all.”

“I know them just fine.” He gave me a side-eye. “Hell, I have been around them nonstop for weeks.”

“So, you know that Nikolai loves art, and he’s been drawing since he could hold a pencil in his hand.”

“Nikolai?”

“Mmhmm. He’s always dreamed of owning his own studio.”

“The one with all the tattoos and the death stare?”

“The very one.”

“How ‘bout that.” He rubbed his jaw. “Never would’ve thought it.”

“And Viktor has a thing for racing,” I added, “He plans to build his own car one day.”

“So, one of your sons is a tortured artist and the other one wants to be Ricky Bobby.”

I gave him a playful shove. “You’re terrible.”

“Seriously, your boys are grown with minds of their own. They’re men, and I’ll treat them like I do all my boys. And I’ll be as close with ‘em as they’ll let me.”

“I would appreciate that, and they will, too.” I rested my head on his chest as I whispered, “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Oh, don’t get it twisted. I’m the lucky one, and I plan on showing you that every chance I get.”

“There’s no time like the present.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when Hudson was up and had me in his arms, carrying me to the bedroom. He spent the rest of the night making love to me, showing me exactly how lucky we both were, and just as we were about to drift off to sleep, he turned to me and said, “It took me a long time to find you, but you’re the one.The only one.”

And just like that, everything was right in the world. “You’re my one, too. You’re mine.”

“Damn right, I am, and you’re mine.”

23

PREACHER

The night had finally come.

After months of planning and issues with construction, the casino had finally opened, and the place was packed. It was shoulder to shoulder from the front door to the back poker tables, and it was something to behold. Flashing lights. Clinking chips. The low hum of conversation. The scent of cigar smoke and expensive perfume. And the music playing overhead gave it just the right edge of class mixed with possibility.