Page 130 of Cold Hard Cash

Rowena was definitely crying, but these were cries of pleasure. She was sprawled out across the desk, her skirt hitched up around her hips. None other than Dario Romero was there on his knees between her thighs, clearly hard at work.

“Jimmy?” Rowena groaned, lifting her head to glare at him. She flailed her hand and snapped, “Get out! We’ll be downstairs in a minute!”

“God! Sorry! Sorry! I didn’t see anything! Dario’s head is in the way! Um, hey, Dario, good to see you! Okay, bye!” Jimmy babbled a mile a minute, struggling to get back through the door and slam it closed behind him.

He hurried downstairs, finding Jerry at the bar, who gave him an odd look for being so distressed. Jimmy shook his head and said firmly, “Do not go up there.”

Jerry didn’t ask for any further detail.

“Is it too early for a drink?”

“Never, monsieur,” Jerry assured him and got to work whipping up a batch of appletinis.

“You’re amazing, Jerry.” Jimmy took a long sip. “How did you know? This is my favorite.”

“It’s my job to know,” Jerry said mysteriously, winking. “And Mademoiselle Legrand told me.”

“Here’s to Miss Legrand.” Jimmy laughed and held up his glass in a toast. He finished his drink and had started on a second one when Rowena and Dario came downstairs.

Dario’s right arm was still in a sling, and he looked like he had just survived a tornado. He had the most blissful expression on his face, and he waved happily at Jimmy. “Hey, dude!”

Rowena’s lipstick wasn’t even smudged. “Hey, sweetie. Mm, sorry about that.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Dario’s grin grew. “We were just, you know, um, talking, and then the talking… became not talking.”

Jimmy was so happy for them, but he cleared his throat and asked Rowena carefully, “So, I take it you, ahem, told him?”

“I told him everything,” Rowena said with a smile, batting her eyelashes at Dario. “He said I was like Xena, Warrior Princess, taking out all the douchebag trash.”

“As if I wouldn’t still freakin’ adore this woman for doin’ something like that,” Dario said dreamily. “I mean, come on. She’s a goddess.”

Rowena giggled and kissed Dario’s cheek.

“I take it the, um, shoulder is feeling better?” Jimmy asked.

“It’s getting there.” Dario chuckled and wiggled the fingers of his right hand. “No surgery, thankfully, just lots of physical therapy. I should still be able to play. We only got a few more days until the big party, gotta get our shit down.”

“It’s gonna be a hell of a party,” Rowena said.

“You know, don’t you?” Jimmy accused. “What your brother is planning?”

Rowena smiled innocently. “Mm, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Can’t you please tell me? I really—”

“Jimmy,” Rowena cut in firmly, reaching out and taking his hand. “Trust in my brother. Everything is going to be okay. Your dad, the Luchesis, all of it. It’s all going to work out, I promise.”

“And hey, in the meantime,” Dario piped up, “we got a show to get ready for!”

“You got it!” Jimmy agreed. “Let’s do this.”

Jimmy and Dario practiced under Rowena’s watchful eye, taking small breaks for Rowena and Dario to passionately make out and occasionally discuss adjustments to the songs.

Politely turning his head when they got a little too heated, Jimmy just smiled. He really was happy for them. Rehearsal ended early, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised. He shook Dario’s hand, teasing, “Try not to overdo it, okay?”

“I make no promises,” Dario replied. “I am going to do whatever that woman tells me to do.”

“Well, have fun. And hey, thank you.” Jimmy pulled him in for a hug. “For everything.”