“You’d never know he was retired,” I hear Harley say. “Dad is just as fit as I remember the first time I met him.”
“Met him?” Ugly asks, his pretty face looking vastly confused.
“Micah Cobreski adopted me when I was younger. He’s not my biological dad,” Harley explains.
I knew this, of course, after having a conversation with Kid on our last mission. Having new men in the club is a great thing, but we were all curious about who was going to be joining the ranks.
“That’s awesome,” Ugly says with a nod. “So he’s stayed in shape?”
“The man puts me to shame most days,” Harley answers with a wide grin. “And of course, my wife Lana jokes with me about having such a hot dad.”
Several of us chuckle.
“And you have a kid?”
“Aria is almost three months old.”
“Kids, man.” Ugly shakes his head. “I don’t know about doing all that.”
“Why don’t you go talk to her?”
I turn my eyes to Grinch, slow blinking at the man. Slick should make another appearance soon because this man has lost his damn mind.
“Did you forget what happened last time?”
“She apologized,” Grinch reminds me. “She didn’t have to do that.”
This is very true. I never expected to be told Faith Robbins was on the front stoop wanting to talk to me. She said we should just ignore each other from then on, but she did make an extra trip out there to speak only to me. It wasn’t an afterthought after she had a meeting with Apollo and April. She showed up specifically for me.
I set my empty beer glass on the table and stand. Grinch claps me on the back in either support or because he’s bored and wants to watch me get my ass handed to me a second time by this fascinating woman.
I ignore everyone but Faith as I cross the bar. I don’t acknowledge the coos from several women I’ve spent time with in the past. They know how it is. A night of fun doesn’t constitute a claim on any of us. Sometimes I’ll revisit a woman, most often, I don’t.
I take position at Faith’s back, keeping a respectable distance between the two of us as I give Drake a quick wave to get his attention. The air shifts around us, and I can sense her turning on her stool to look at me, but I don’t acknowledge her attention.
“Hey, man,” Drake says as he walks up. “Need a couple more pitchers?”
“Just a Coke for me,” I tell him, staring at Faith’s reflection in the mirrors behind the bar.
She’s focused on me, and I’m loving the attention.
“Mr. Packwood.”
She’s the first to speak. I’m not a rude person, but it takes everything in me not to spin around and smile as I face her. I manage to move my head slowly. I’d never pretend like I’m just now noticing her because that’s not something I can pull off right now.
“Ms. Robbins,” I say, giving her an easy smile but keeping that seductive edge under wraps.
She blinks up at me, her cheeks a little pink, either from the drinks she’s consumed or the overheated bar. Either way, I like the color in her cheeks. Is she biting her lip right now to be flirty, or is she getting ready to skin me alive with more hateful words?
“It’s nice to see you.”
I blink down at her, unsure of how to respond. The woman has a bite, and in my field of work, I’ve learned even the cutest puppies still have sharp teeth they’re willing to use at a moment’s notice.
“And you,” I tell her.
“This is my best friend Sylvie,” Faith says, throwing her thumb over her shoulder to indicate the smiling woman at her back.
I nod in her friend’s direction before turning my attention back to Faith.
“Sylvie Davis,” the friend says as she holds out her hand.
“Legend,” I tell her, loving the fire I see in Faith’s eyes as they dart down to her friend’s hand in mine.
“Wow. You’re so strong.” The tone of Sylvie’s voice tells me that the woman is purposely trying to rile her friend up.
I drop her friend’s hand slowly, my eyes never leaving Faith’s face. Unaffected and uninterested, my ass. But I also know when to back away.
“Here you go, Legend. Anything else?”
I turn to face Drake as he slides my soda across the bar. “Another round for these ladies, on my tab.”
Drake nods.
“Have a good night, ladies,” I tell them both before walking away.
Chapter 4
Faith
“Did that really just happen?” I ask more to myself than Sylvie as we watch Ethan walk away from us.
“Feeling a little rejected?”
“No,” I snap with a little too much venom at my friend as I turn my back once again to the Cerberus members in the corner of the bar.
But I do feel a little rejected. Have the tables turned?