“And I was a fucking nerd who spent more time coding than I did talking to people.”
Silas and I glance at each other and grin. “You’re, uh,” Silas clears his throat. “You’re still kind of like that, buddy.”
“Fuck you guys.”
The two of us laugh as I reach over and mess up Kyle’s hair.
“So what’s the deal with you?” My little brother grins, flipping the tables on me. “You still seeing — the hell was her name?”
Silas makes an exaggerated thinking face. “Victoria? No, Lauren? Shit, I lose track. Is it Tanya this week?”
“You guys are assholes.”
“And your dating life is impossible to keep track of.”
“I’m a busy man, what can I say?” I grin, spreading my arms wide.
“Yeah, dude, you are busy. Heard Dad has you helping out with his Center along with running the bar. How’s that working out?”
Silas snorts. “He’s got incentives when it comes to showing up at the Center.”
Kyle’s brow shoots up as I narrow mine at Silas. “Oh?”
“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Silas grins as he turns to Kyle. “You meet the Ellis’s yet?”
“Dad’s friend and his family?” He frowns. “Nope?”
“Oh.” Silas smiles again, leaning back in his chair. “Rowan has.”
Kyle turns to me, a quizzical smile on his face. “Something you wanna share?”
“Nope.”
Kyle grins as he turns back to Silas. “And her name is?”
“Now, why would you assume there’s a girl?”
My brother and Silas snort.
“Her name is Evangeline,” Silas says with a raise of his brow, taking another sip of beer. “And she’s very pretty.”
“She’s a Bible-thumping weirdo is what she is.”
Kyle laughs. “So there is a girl.”
“I didn’t say that.”
He glances back as Silas. “Is he still this shitty at lying?”
“Apparently.”
“Okay, fuck you.” I flip off Kyle. “And fuck you too.” I turn the hand on Silas. “I’m not going near Eva.”
“Eva, huh?” Kyle grins over his beer at me.
“He’s not going near her because your dad’s friend Leonard is a goddamn psychopath and would literally crucify Row here if he so much as looked at his daughter, let alone touched her.”
Touch her?
The braggart in me wants to open its mouth. The smarter version of that guy makes the enlightened decision not to mention that my tongue was in Eva’s pussy less than a handful of hours ago.
“I’m hitting the head,” I growl as I stand and march towards the bathrooms.
The scene from earlier rushes through my head all over again — Eva, lying on her bed, her legs spread, her breath caught in her throat, those sweet moans dripping from her lips as I run my tongue up and down that sweet, sweet-
“How we doin’, buddy?”
I jump about a foot off the ground, whirling in the bathroom to see Rich leaning against the sink.
“Jesus Christ, man,” I growl, blowing air out through my lips. “Your flare for the dramatics is fuckin’ creepy, you know.”
I notice the distinct lack of his bodyguard Gus this time.
“What the fuck do you want, Rich?”
He grins as he reaches over and locks the bathroom door. “Money.”
“No shit.”
“No, I mean, you owe me more now.”
I glare at him. “The hell are you talking about, I pay you a fortune every month.”
Rich sighs, smiling that sick smile at me. “Federal interest rates man, they’re killer.”
“Federal interest rates,” I say flatly.
He grins.
“You’re a loan shark, Rich. I thought the entire premise of your business was off the record cash.”
“Hey, I’m a respectable business man,” he says with a grin. “And your interest goes up to nine percent next month.”
I swear through gritted teeth. “That’s gonna put me under, Rich.”
“Then sell more fucking beers man, I don’t know. You’re the bartender.”
“And you’re the loan shark, you know what happens when my business goes un-”
“Respectable business man,” Rich says icily. “Don’t make me tell you again.” He lifts his coat open, and suddenly, I know why he hasn’t bothered with Gus this time.
And that would be because of the gleaming silver gun tucked into the waist of his pants.
I clear my throat. “Respectable businessman. Got it.”
He smiles. “See? You catch on quick.” He reaches up and unlocks the door as he readjusts his coat. “Don’t make me come find you like this again, Rowan.”