| BOOK THREE | THE LONDON CRIME KING | A DARK MAFIA ROMANCE NOVEL |
This book contains adult language and subject matter, including graphic violence, drugs and explicit sex that may be disturbing to some readers.
This series is NOT a typical roman...
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Jace threw his arms around me the second I entered the parlour. Stressed to the max, he ridiculed my sodden image and then beseeched me to decorate the shop floor ready for the opening night of Pierced and Inked.
Two hours, I had to listen to Jared and Shane, Jace's newly hired fresh-faced, tattoo-models and roomies, bickering about unimportant, irrelevant topics such as science fiction television shows, the eponymous rapscallion Austin Powers, the inventor of tissue holders and the consumption guidelines of pop tarts.
What has my life come to?
Oh, I gave those lazy, beer ingesting men a lambasting from hell. Off with their heads, I prattled on until they feared the hormonal pregnant woman enough to assist professional caterers at the buffet table. I didn't let them eat the festively coloured macaroon biscuits or get a sniff of the pastiche and charcuterie boards. I did, however, authorise the sampling of ribbon sandwiches and bite-size tortilla wraps on the bases they'd stock-up the chiller with champagne.
Jace showered and changed into his all-black attire before locking himself in the office to imbibe vodka, or so I determined.
The men readied the studio for impending guests, so I barricaded myself inside Jace's all-masculine bedroom to freshen up.
As I adopted the role of an annoying sister, I peeled off the half-dry glamour from my body and added them to the laundry basket.
Revitalised and smelling like an English rose, I tiptoed across the bedroom and emptied the holdall I had packed for this evening onto the double bed.
Towel dried and moisturised, I changed into a silver, one-shoulder sequin dress, knotted the back of my sandals and half-heartedly applied warpaint to my face.
"Alexa?" Jace knocked the bedroom door upon entering. "You look nice." He slumped onto the bed, which almost caused me a mascara malfunction. "Sorry."
"It's fine." I tossed the mascara aside and uncapped the lipstick. "Did they guys find homes for the balloon archways?"
I ordered silver and black helium displays from a local party supplies store.
"One by the entrance," he tells me, changing positions to get comfortable. "I think they put one above the food." He shrugged. "Hey, so, because you are pregnant and boring, I got us this." Rolling onto his side, he blindly reached under the bed and brandished non-alcoholic champagne and two glass flutes. "I wanted us to make a toast before the commotion commenced."
I held the delicate glass stems for Jace to pop the cork and pour effervesces. Setting the half-empty bottle onto the bedside table, he sat upright for us to clink glasses. "To making memories with my best friend," he said hoarsely, his green eyes alight. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"To my ride-or-die." Teary-eyed, my lips stretched into a smile. "Let tonight be the beginning of new, memorable adventures. For you, Mr Williams," I gripped his jaw and laid a chaste kiss to his cheek, "deserve all the happiness in the world. And I am so glad you chose me to be part of your journey."
