“For once, I like the way you think, Devil Delancy,” Sami said appreciatively as she quickly reached for two heavy glass tumblers and filled them with the expensive amber liquor. Picking them up, she quickly delivered one into Devil’s outstretched hand before resuming her own seat. Taking a long, slow sip, she hummed appreciatively as she swallowed. “Now, this is the kind of stuff a girl could get used to drinking. I bet if you served this all the time, our relationship would be much healthier, Delancy.”
“As interesting as that is, let’s get back to Mannie and Nick,” Vivian pleaded urgently. “What did you mean that ‘they’re coming’? And where the hell is Nick?”
“Yeah, and why isn’t he here right now begging you on his bony knees not to kick his ass to the curb while I throw darts at his perfectly coiffed hair?” Samantha asked, swilling her scotch moodily.
“Technically and more importantly, legally speaking, it would have to be Nick evicting Mannie from the home since only Nick’s name appears on the deed to the townhouse,” Vivian corrected automatically.
“Ay! Christo! Do you think I’m going to be homeless, Vivian?” Armando yelped, jerking upright from where he slouched against the arm of the sofa.
“I seriously doubt that, but even if you were homeless, you have a place right here in this house with me, Devil, and the baby. We have more than enough room. It’ll be like a slumber party every night. Isn’t that right, Devil?” Molly declared with a pointed look at her husband. Blinking stupidly as he processed what she’d said, Molly saw the exact moment comprehension lit his eyes. She couldn’t have more effectively enlisted his assistance if she’d gotten down on her knees and begged. If there was one thing she knew, it was how to dance with the Devil.
“By God, Nicholas WILL fix this,” Devil roared, surging to his feet and taking a large gulp of his scotch. “I’ll kill his stick-up-her-ass mother myself if it becomes necessary. As for the dad,” he continued, beginning to pace, “if I can get him drunk enough, we can convince him anything is a good idea. It’s that she-beast, Sofia, that rules the roost….she’s just got Gino cowed right now. He’s terrified of the old bag.”
Holding up her hand, Vivian called for silence. “Okay,” she began, looking at Devil over her shoulder for a moment. “Let’s put a pin in the fact that Devil seems to know an awful lot about Nick’s parents for now. First, I want somebody to tell me where in the world that Italian stud is. Not that it really matters. Where he should be is here trying to work this out with Mannie,” she declared with another hard look at Devil.
“He will be by morning,” Devil muttered under his breath as he began to text on his phone.
Rising, Mannie rose to fix another drink. Reaching for the Crown Royale, he answered, “For now, he’s in Miami. The Devil over there,” he remarked, gesturing toward Molly’s husband, “couldn’t continue to live without some tech company. Nick went down to broker the deal.”
“I’ve already notified the company’s pilot, Armando. I’ll have him home by morning,” Devil informed the other man. “I’m sure this can all be worked out in no time.”
“You can fly him anywhere you want to, Devil. The wedding will still be off. I already left him a voice mail that said so.”
“What?” Molly shouted, shocked. Sure, she’d heart Mannie say it earlier, but she’d assumed he was being dramatic.
“He hid me, Molly. He hid me from people who matter to him. His familia. I can’t just forget that happened,” Mannie stated before he took a swig directly from the bottle. Staring at his friends, he shook his head emphatically. “Listen, amigas, I haven’t hid my light under a bushel tree since I was eighteen and came out to my biological family. They disowned me, but I stayed true to who I was. I can’t let anybody try to snuff out my light again. Not even the man I love more than life. I can’t do it. And after talking to his parents…let’s just say that it’s no secret why he’s remained in the closet where they are concerned. But me? In a closet? I’d never fit back inside one. I wouldn’t want to try. No, I’m gay to stay, my lovely ladies.”
“Well, of course you are,” Molly said decisively, “but, so is your future husband.”
“Not according to his parents,” Mannie muttered, swinging the half full bottle of Crown back to his lips.
“What I want to know is why the little coward hasn’t called. You left that voice mail for him, what? A couple of hours ago? Why isn’t he burning up the phone lines trying to fix this shit?” Samantha griped caustically.