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“Savi?” Keith lowered his voice. “Is Lexi home?”
“I don’t think so. I haven’t seen her since last night.” Keith nodded and looked away, then turned back, waved goodbye, and disappeared as quickly as he’d arrived. Savannah looked at me, and I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly with a deep sigh.
“One thing at a time.”
“See,” Olivia popped her head around the corner, “Uncle Keith didn’t touch the cookies either.”
“Off you go.” Savannah shooed her away. “Here, Grandpa, take one for the road.”
“Thanks.”
I hurried downstairs and only just avoided a collision with Butters. The crazy dog was infamous for stealing socks, and his latest bright blue prize dangled from his mouth as he raced in the opposite direction to avoid being caught. Things certainly had changed around here.
My eye went to a grouping of photos on the wall, and I took a moment to study them. When I’d first put together Team Blackstone, it had consisted of only four guys—myself, Frank, Zack, and Ray. A photo of the four of us put a grin on my face. We were together, heads thrown back in laughter, while Zack hung upside down from our homemade climbing wall. He clowned around, having lost a race with Frank. I moved to another picture, one of my son Cole. It had been taken the day I’d handed the team reins over to him. Cole was so happy to take over as team leader, and it showed in the pride on his face.
Then Mark, basically our adopted son, was brought in, along with Paul and John. Mike and Keith came into play later, and then York. York was never really a full-fledged member of Blackstone. I thought of him only as a filler and the one man who would never have his picture hung on any wall at Shadows.
I studied the photos along the wall, and nostalgia filled me as I walked toward the conference room. Over the years, we’d lost a few of our men, and each one hit us hard. One hit, in particular, had been really difficult for us all. It happened just a few years back. Staff Sergeant Paul. He was a great soldier and an even better friend. He’d been killed while on a mission. We had his picture hung inside our conference room, not just to remember him, but to give us all the feeling he was still part of our meetings. I touched the frame as I entered the room. It had become a tradition for all of us.
As I sat down at the rectangular wooden table, Frank angled the camera and started in.
Location: Cartel House, Rosarito, Mexico
Coordinates: Unknown
Eric
Warm light peeked through the sheer curtains, and a beam of sun brushed over her bare legs. Her dark hair was tousled across the pillow, and her skin nearly glowed as I gawked at her flawless body.
I ran my finger down the artwork along her spine and noted the color from the fallen feathers became faded as I stopped at her tailbone. The intricate bird on her shoulder tilted as it flew away toward the evening sun.
“Aren’t you going to ask me what it means?” she mumbled from the pillow.
“No.” I retracted my fingers and pulled my phone cord from the charger. She chuckled as she rolled over and let the sheet fall away to expose her bare breasts. Her pink lips parted, and when she caught me looking, her gorgeous brown eyes blinked behind long dark lashes. The thin chain she wore held a cross close to her throat, and it caught the light when she swallowed. The contrast of her skin against the crisp white sheets was beautiful, and I fought the need to reach out and touch her again. But I didn’t and wouldn’t.
“I wish you’d tell me about this.” She reached over to run her finger up my stomach to my chest, but I snagged her fingers, giving them a kiss before I let her go.
“Hungry?” Her voice was all breathy.
“No.”
“Of course not.” She sighed and swept an arm to clear away her long hair. “The night’s over. It’s my cue to leave.” I simply shrugged, and her head shot back. “Will my payment be left on the nightstand, or will you pay me over an app?” she spat, and I knew her hackles were up. I hated what she said. I didn’t want her to degrade herself like that. I knew she had two degrees and worked hard in her family’s business.
“Stop,” I warned.
“Why?” she challenged.
“Because I said to.”
“I see.” She rolled her eyes. “Well, if you say so.” I sent her a look, and she returned it. “The dangerous Eric Noah doesn’t show feelings, huh?”
“They’re pointless.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Then we differ.”
“But you have no problem showing me how you feel at night?” She tried to make sense of a senseless situation.
