“Go again?” Ryan asked, holding up his cue.
“You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?”
“Seems that way,” Ryan said. But he was determined to right this ship. He never lost three games in a row. Never ever. This was unprecedented, and he had to get his act together, because he didn’t like being so off his game.
He racked the balls as Shannon walked into the den, holding up beer bottles for the crew. “Are we ever going to eat lunch?” she asked as she doled out bottles to Brent and Ryan. She had one left for Colin, since he’d texted that he’d be there any minute, and she set it on the edge of the table. “Or are you boys going to play all afternoon?”
“I’ll stop when I break my streak,” Ryan said, as Johnny Cash barked happily from the other room. He must have spotted one of his favorite lady dogs walking along the sidewalk from his perch staring out the front window.
“Brent, please let him win. I’m hungry,” Shannon said to her husband, who simply laughed.
Ryan shot a sharp-eyed stare at Brent. “Play fair and square.”
“I’ll play.”
Ryan spun around to see his brother Colin walk in, with Johnny Cash trotting by his side. “What the hell? You don’t knock?”
“Yeah, some asshole who owns this house didn’t lock the front door. I was able to wander in and your guard dog greeted me with a big lick,” Colin said with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he petted the dog’s black furry head. Then he looked at Ryan. “You’d think a man who works in the security business would lock his door.”
Ryan rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I know you used your key. Don’t even try to pretend that stuff would slip by me.”
Colin grinned widely and held up his key. “Ha. Got you. Where’s Michael?” he asked, looking around.
“He said he’ll be here soon. Just finished up some work on this new client deal we signed this week. White Box. These guys are awesome, and they fucking love us,” Ryan said as he clapped his brother on the back in greeting. “How’s it going? Haven’t seen you in a few weeks.”
“Good. Busy. Been training for the Badass Triathlon next month.”
“You are hardcore. Is that the one where you do some crazy rock climbing too?”
Colin nodded. “Yup. Was up at sunrise on a climb. Gotta go for it after the other time I tried to do it. We all know what happened then.”
“You’re gonna do great this time, man.”
“I hear you’re busy too these days.” Colin wiggled his eyebrows. “Getting it on with some new lady.”
Ryan swiveled around to face Shannon. She held up her hands. “Ryan, you had me get her a dress. It’s not a state secret that you’re seeing someone. But I don’t even know her name.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it,” he said, cutting this conversation off at the knees. He missed Sophie like a hungry man misses food, and it had been less than twenty-four hours since he’d seen her. He missed every single thing about her, from her clever banter, to her sexy winks, to her giving heart, to her beautiful body that he wanted to ravage. He’d spent the morning burying himself in work, then in Frisbee time with his dog, then in a long swim in his pool. Now he had some of his favorite people to help keep his mind off the woman who’d nabbed center seat in his brain and his heart.
A picture of Sophie in her black cherry dress and white sunglasses, inviting him to the gala, popped into his head then, unbidden.
Tempting and tantalizing, the image of her was like a summons. And he wanted to do nothing more than appear before her. Tell her how he felt. Tell her he wanted her in his life, not out of it. But he was no good at talking. Despite what his grandma had said, he was no more skilled at opening his heart to a woman this morning than he had been last night.
He desperately needed the diversion of this game. “Colin, grab a cue and join us. You’re on Brent’s team. Shan, you’re on mine.”
Shannon arched an eyebrow. “You must really want to win, Ryan. You know I can beat the two of you blindfolded.” She did have a knack for the game. Their dad had been a bit of a pool shark and had taught all of them to play at a young age. Maybe Shannon would help him regain his mojo.
Shannon handed Colin the remaining beer bottle, the non-alcoholic kind, then she grabbed a stick, leaned over the table, narrowed her eyes, and assessed the best angle for the break shot. She pulled back the cue, snapped it seamlessly, and sent the top of the table into motion, balls scattering, with an orange one landing easily in a corner pocket.
“Nice,” Brent said with an appreciative whistle. “Can’t even get annoyed because that was such a perfect shot.”
Ryan pointed his beer bottle at Brent. “Sucking up to the opposing team—I approve only because it involves my sister, and you should always compliment her.”
“And I always do,” Brent said with a laugh as he held his beer in an air toast. Ryan lined up the next shot and then proceeded to whack the purple ball neatly across the table, sinking it easily. Shannon held up a hand to high-five him, and they smacked palms. Ryan turned to Colin as Shannon set up another shot.
“Hey Colin, I heard your firm is one of the sponsors for the big fundraiser for the community center. I knew you were a volunteer, but I had no idea you were putting your money where your mouth is too. That’s awesome. Another one of your quiet give back projects?”
His brother nodded. “Yup. They do great work, and Elle, the director, is passionate about helping. Some of the kids there have had rough childhoods, so the center is all about giving them a place to hang out, and, man, do they ever need the help to refurbish that place.”
Ryan tipped his chin. “Proud of you, bro.”
“Hey,” Brent cut in, setting down his beer. “That reminds me. I heard from my friend Mindy earlier today. I already told Shan, but I wanted you both to know, too. Remember the guy I saw hanging outside her house a month ago?”
The pool game ceased and all eyes turned to Brent. After the murder case was reopened, Brent had mentioned spotting a guy in a Buick idling outside Shannon’s old condo. He’d snapped a photo at the time, and while the guy in the car hadn’t done anything suspicious, he’d spent far too long doing a whole lot of nothing in the car while staring at her building. Turned out Shannon had seen him at another time too. Shannon was living with Brent now, so she felt safer. Still, Ryan and his siblings all wanted to know more about the guy in the Buick, in case he’d been watching Shannon for some reason.
“Mindy talked to her friends on the force. Asked them if the ink on his arms looked familiar.” Ryan flashed back to Luke’s comments about the Royal Sinners, and the tattoos that bore their mantra, as Brent continued. “The picture I had of him wasn’t perfect, but we zoomed in as close as we could and it looks like one of the tattoos says ‘Protect.’”
Ryan’s blood chilled. Protect our own. “That’s the ink of the Royal Sinners,” he said, dread laced through his voice.
Shannon moved closer to Brent, visibly shivering, and he draped an arm around his wife. “Are you serious?” she asked.
Ryan nodded. “You need to be careful, Shan. I’m going to get you a security detail right away.”
“I can take care of her,” Brent said protectively.
“I know you can, man. I don’t doubt it for a second. But I’m talking about when you’re not with her,” Ryan added. “And you need to make sure you’re carrying, Shan.”
“Ryan,” she said, chiding.
“These guys don’t fuck around. Stefano has friends on the outside. And he had a kid at the time he went to prison. I heard the kid’s been getting into some trouble. What if this guy watching us is Stefano’s son? He looks young enough. We need to be careful,” he said firmly, in a tone that brooked no argument, then turned to Colin. “Same goes for you.”