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It wasn’t long after that when Sergei called me in and announced that he’d released Rooks. He’d sent him out of the country and threatened to end him if he ever came back. Hard to know if it was the right call, but Rooks had done his part and helped us out of a tight spot.

He’d written the letter for his sister and gave it to Seven, but I never heard whether or not he passed it along. Didn’t figure it was my place to ask, but I knew Seven well enough to know that he would do what he thought was best for Tallie, even if it meant tossing the letter. He certainly had every reason to.

My mind snapped back to the present when I heard Tabitha laugh. I glanced over and saw that she was on her way back to me. She’d almost made it back to the bar when Goose called her back over. She eased over, and seconds later, something was said that made Goose laugh so hard several heads turned to see what was going on.

I couldn’t help but smile.

My woman fit. Not just with me but all of us.

And she did it without even trying.

Tabitha was still giggling when she sat back down next to me and said, “Wow, they’re in rare form tonight.”

“You are, too.”

She gave me that look—the one that made my chest tight. It was hard to explain, but it was like she could see right through all the years of bloodshed and guilt and still wanted me anyway. It was that look that would carry me to the end of my days.

A soft smile crossed her face as she whispered, “Thank you.”

“For?”

“For being you.”

She reached under the table and took my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. And for the first time in a long damn time, I let myself lean back and enjoy the moment. The noise. The people. The music.

And most of all, her.

My ol’ lady.

I had it good. There was no denying it, and it was just the beginning.

Tabitha’s eyes danced with mischief as she leaned towards me and asked, “Want to play a round of blackjack?”

“I don’t know,” I smirked. “Hate to take money from your boys on their opening night.”

“You think it’ll be that easy?”

“Absolutely.” I stood up, brushed my hands down the front of my jacket, and leaned in close enough to whisper, “But a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”

“Okay. Okay.” She grinned and looped her arm through mine. “But try not to bankrupt the family on the first night.”

“I make no promises.”

With that, we made our way over to the blackjack table. We played a few rounds, and to my surprise, I lost every damn time. I expected Tabitha to give me hell about it, but she didn’t. She just gave me one of her knowing smiles and let it go.

A few hours passed, and the crowd slowly started to thin out. Tabitha gave a little yawn and rolled her shoulders. It had been a long night, and I could tell she was ready to kick off her heels and collapse somewhere quiet—preferably on top of me.

“You ready to call it a night?”

“God, yes.”

“Then, let’s get the hell out of here.”

Tabitha nodded and slipped her arm through mine, and we made our way toward the front. We stepped outside, and the cool night air was a welcome change from the warm casino floor. I walked over to the valet and gave him our ticket, and when I turned back, I saw that Sergei had come up behind us.

“You two leaving?”

“Afraid so,” I answered. “But it was a hell of a night. You boys outdid yourselves.”