by April Hunt
“I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about.” She shot her gaze to the other side of the room where Roman and Tank, under Liam’s guidance, worked in tandem to drop a slab of granite in place over the bar.
Grace rolled her eyes. “You’re such a lying sack of poo. I know you’re usually oblivious to this kind of thing, but he’s not exactly keeping it low-key.”
“He’s been overseas for months, with mostly other guys for company. It’s harmless.”
“I’m not so sure everyone sees it that way.”
Zoey followed her gaze to where Ryder and Knox carefully installed the glass windows to the antique liquor cabinet. But where Ryder’s eyes were focused on the job in front of him, Knox’s dark gaze glared toward the bar—and Tank.
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she contemplated the possibility—for about two seconds. Knox’s game of hot and cold was enough to give a girl whiplash.
Their mind-wiping kiss had been followed up with an epic brush-off. Then there’d been the half-hidden innuendos during self-defense class and his living shadow impersonation at the crime scene. And then nothing.
They hadn’t spoken in two days and yet he always seemed to be around. It was more than a little frustrating…and confusing.
“He’s on guard duty because he promised Cade he’d keep an eye on me. Guys like him don’t mess around with women like me. Remember?” Zoey reminded herself as much as Grace.
“I don’t know who’s denser. Him for saying it, or you for believing it.” Grace stepped off the stool and hoisted a lunch cooler into Zoey’s hands. “Live-action experiment time. Go hostess and hand out these sandwiches. See what happens.”
She knew her friend had more in mind than her acting as waitress. “What are you trying to do?”
“Prove a point. Why are you so hesitant?”
“Because I’ve known you for a long time and you always have a hidden agenda.”
Grace’s grin transformed from naughty to downright mischievous. “It’s not so hidden, Zo. Serve. Talk. Smile. That should be about enough. Go. The boys look famished.”
Zoey couldn’t believe she was about to cave, but it was close to lunch and her own stomach growled, protesting her skipped breakfast. She took the cooler. “Fine, but only because I’m hungry and it would be rude to eat in front of others.”
She ignored Grace’s chuckle and went over to where Liam, Roman, and Tank had finished securing the tabletop into place. Sweat poured off them, soaking their shirts.
Roman yanked his off and mopped his head. “This workout is better than hitting the gym.”
“You should still hit the gym afterward. You’re looking a little soft around the middle.” Liam drilled a teasing punch into his brother’s stomach.
The idea of Roman needing to amp up his exercise regimen was laughable. The man was one giant slab of hard muscle. Still, his impressive ab display didn’t faze Zoey in the least. The only one who would—Knox—had remained fully clothed for the entire day.
She set the cooler by the guys’ feet. “It looks like everyone’s worked up an appetite. What’ll it be? Chicken salad? Roast beef? Or turkey breast?”
“I’m a breast man myself.” Ryder grinned, obviously meaning the double entendre as she tossed him his sandwich. “Thanks, Zo.”
Liam and Roman dove into the chest, fighting over the same roast beef sandwich despite there being at least three of them.
Tank waited until they finished scuffling and pulled out a chicken salad. “Thanks, chère. Do we have you to thank for these?”
“If you mean that I ordered them from the deli across the street from my place and then picked them up on my way here, then yes. If you mean did I put them together? No. I burn water.”
Liam spoke around a mouthful of beef. “She speaks the truth, man. You’re probably thinking, no one can burn water, but Zo can—and did. I was there when she had to trash the pot because she couldn’t get the black shit off of it.”
Zoey smacked him in the chest, making him cough on his sandwich. “See if I ever invite you over for dinner again.”
“Thank you. That’s the kindest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Liam smirked, dodging another smack.
Tank smiled shyly. “Maybe we can go easy on both our smoke alarms and grab dinner sometime. Together.”
Grace’s soft chuckle drifted over from the other side of the room. Ryder and Liam chewed their sandwiches, watching unabashedly as their gazes bounced from her to Tank and back. Even Roman looked on with interest.
She should accept, set a date and time, and relish in the fact that a nice guy asked her out. She may not have known him long, but it didn’t take more than a few seconds to realize Hunter was as far from Scott Reed as it got.
Something stopped her from accepting. Something that she suspected was connected to the all-too-familiar warmth settling on the back of her neck. “If you keep hanging around this brood chances are high that we’ll be sharing meals together pretty often.”
Tank smiled, not looking the least bit deterred, or upset. “I hope you’re right.”
Someone’s watch ticked, filling the silence. No one talked. No one moved until Zoey grabbed the nearly empty cooler and tucked it back in the corner, earlier hunger forgotten. “I’m going to look around for any other battleship-sized craters. I’ll be back.”
Zoey headed toward the doorway connecting the front and back rooms, but she needed to pass Knox to get there. With less than a foot to go before she was in the clear, his stance shifted and his arm brushed hers.
Tingles ran up from the point of contact and zipped to every nerve ending in her body. She glanced up as she passed and immediately wished she hadn’t…because if she was confused about him before, she was even more so now.
Knox looked…relieved.
Because she was leaving? Because she’d turned down Tank’s offer?
She couldn’t shed the question as she walked through the back halls of Iron Bars. Up stairs and then down, making a left, then right, she went deeper into the building than she’d ever gone before, reaching an unfamiliar, slightly ajar iron door.
In contrast to the run-down look everywhere else, the door looked new, a state-of-the-art scanner mounted on the wall next to the handle. She’d heard of extreme measures businesses went to in order to protect family recipes, but this seemed a bit overkill.
Lights, probably on a motion sensor, flickered and then stayed on as she entered the open rotunda. Her eyes widened to anime orbs.
Filled with computers and wall-mounted screens, the room was shaped like a wheel. Doors and corridors branched out like spokes. On the left, a display pen showcased a myriad of weapons from handguns to ones she’d seen in action films. Long, lethal knives and what looked to be throwing stars blinked under the bright overhead lights.
“Didn’t know making vanilla-flavored vodka takes a freakin’ armory,” Zoey murmured.
“It doesn’t.”
Zoey spun, heart pounding in her chest, and faced Knox. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you it’s impolite to go around scaring people into massive heart attacks?”
“Didn’t anyone tell you that it’s impolite to snoop?” Knox leaned against the doorjamb. He didn’t look upset, or angry. He didn’t look much of anything, his face in that blank emotionless mask she’d come to expect.
“I didn’t mean to snoop. The door was open and—”
“It should’ve been closed and locked. Not your fault.”
She glanced around the room. “Either the distillery business is a lot more cutthroat than I thought, or this is something else.”
“Definitely something else.” Knox brushed against her as he walked past, gesturing to each of the doors. “There’s a makeshift barracks down that corridor, and the hall next to it leads to a series of conference rooms. A workout room is on the left, and that far corner will eventually be a full kitchen.”
“A person could live here.”
“That’s the pl
an—not living down here, but that we could if we needed to.”
“So you can make flavored booze? That’s the story you’re going with?” Zoey didn’t blink away from his intense stare. When he didn’t answer, she scoffed. “Glad to see that everyone’s still playing the game of Let’s Protect Zoey From Everything More Threatening Than a Shadow.”
“It’s not just you, angel. Even our mom doesn’t know about what happens down here.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No, it’s supposed to make you realize the gravity of the situation.” He nodded around the large circular room. “You’re standing in the epicenter of Steele Ops. Anti-terrorism. Anti-corruption. Anti-anything that threatens people on a global scale. It’s an elite private security firm—emphasis on private. The guys aren’t going to make many friends outside of a select few military brass. The less who know, the better.”
Zoey pretend-zipped her lips and tossed the key before her gaze tracked back to the weapons. “This makes so much more sense than a distillery.”
Knox chuckled. “I tell you that my brothers are basically forming their own little army and that’s your first comment? The distillery’s still a legit business, angel. It’s just not the primary venture.”
“What about Grace and Cade?”
“What about them?”
“Do they know about this little side venture?”
Zoey saw the answer on his face and tried not to get offended. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you’ve been trying to convince my brother to jump back into his camo and he’s told you to take a flying leap.”
Knox’s lips twitched. “Something like that.”
“Don’t give up on him yet. He likes working at the DCPD, but it’s not what he wants. Not really.”
Knox watched her carefully. “And you’d be okay with him jumping on board? It’s not a cozy desk job.”
Zoey wasn’t sure she liked his tone. “Contrary to popular belief—or at least yours—I am intelligent enough to understand the concept behind a private security firm. Will I miss him when he’s not around? Yes. Will I worry? Definitely. But he’ll be happy and that’s what matters. Lord knows it’s about time I supported him for a change.”
“Cade hasn’t minded looking after you one bit. None of us have.”
Zoey’s blood pressure spiked, making her vision go wonky. “That’s not exactly the point.”
“Then what is?” He took a step closer.
“As long as Cade stays with the DCPD, he’s always going to sacrifice what he wants to take care of me.” An idea struck. “Maybe I should take Tank up on his offer. Maybe seeing me as something other than the little girl you guys had to cart up the hill on your backs will shake Cade’s screws back into place.”
With renewed determination to get both her life and her brother’s back on track, Zoey headed toward the door. She’d barely gone three feet before Knox hooked an arm around her waist and spun her toward him. She collided against his chest with an oomph.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re seriously going to accept that date with Tank hoping that Cade will wake up?” Knox demanded. His rough tone threw her off-guard.
“As long as I’m honest with Tank about it, I don’t see why I shouldn’t. If you have any better ideas, throw them out there. What would it take for you to stop seeing me as your best friend’s little sister?”
“Nothing. Because I know all too well that you’re not a child,” Knox growled—and then his mouth dropped onto hers.
On first contact, her body responded, mouth opening to accept the slow swipe of his tongue. Her hands slid over his shoulders and into his hair, dragging him even closer. Knox’s touch had had a disastrous effect on her the last time, but it was nothing compared to now.
Her knees buckled, turning to jelly. His arm, wrapped snuggly around her waist, tightened until a telltale firmness pushed against her stomach.
Her body arched against his, and it pulled a low groan from Knox’s throat. “Does that feel like I don’t know you’re a woman, angel?”
“No. It feels incredible.”
He nibbled her bottom lip. A needy whimper slipped from her throat. Knox, as if reading her mind, skated his hands down her back and over her hips. “Lock your legs around me, Zoey.”
He helped guide her legs into position, and the second they locked behind him, he walked them toward the nearest flat surface. Her bum hit the table, and she slipped her hands beneath his shirt, running her palms up the rock-hard planes of his chest.
She half expected him to pull away, to show the remorse she’d seen after the boat kiss. Instead, he kissed what his hands couldn’t touch, their mutual greed making her feel more alive than she’d ever felt before.
“Knox.” She opened her mouth to let out a moan of encouragement and got cut off by a throat clearing.
“Sorry to interrupt.” Roman stood by the door, his lips pressed into a tight line. “Actually, no, I’m not.”
Knox ripped his mouth away but didn’t move from between her legs. He didn’t apologize. He didn’t even look away, keeping his gaze on her as he spoke to his brother. “What do you want, Ro?”
Knox’s ragged breath matched hers as he waited for an answer.
“Not coming to the Ops Center to find my brother mauling our friend’s baby sister would be a good start. Second would be you giving a flying fuck about our livelihoods and wanting to be here. But I feel greedy asking for too much.” Roman’s hard glare shifted from Knox to Zoey, visibly softening. “You need to be careful, kiddo. He already has one foot out the door.”
Knox stalked angrily toward Roman, stopping inches away. “Keep talking and see what happens.”
“What? You mean Zoey hearing the truth? Or did you decide to stick around and forget to tell us?” At Knox’s strained silence, Roman snorted. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. She deserves to know what she’s getting into with you, and if you’re not going to tell her, then I sure as hell am.”
“You don’t know a damn thing about me, Ro. Not anymore.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I probably know you better than you do.” Roman stepped back, eerily calm compared to Knox’s tense stance. “Both of your absences are getting noticed.”
Roman issued Knox another scowl before walking out of the room.
Zoey slipped off the desk and straightened her shirt. Not knowing quite what to do, she approached slowly. “I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”
“Never better.” His wildly ticking jaw muscle said otherwise.
She gently touched his arm and it tensed, feeling like velvet-covered steel. “I’m not going to push or make some grand speech about you lying your rear end off right now.”
“Zoey—”
She shook her head, cutting him off. “I don’t need explanations. Just know I have a pretty good set of ears if you need them. Or not,” she added when he turned his gaze toward her. “Great. Good talk. If that’s all settled, we should probably get back upstairs.”
His hand caught hers. “About what he said…”
Zoey glanced down to where their fingers had automatically entwined. “About you not wanting to be here or you having one foot out the door?”
“Both.”
“I already knew you weren’t planning on staying home, Knox. The only difference is that you’re leaving behind more than just the distillery.”
“It’s not how it sounds.” Knox scrubbed a palm over his face. “Or maybe it is. At this point, I don’t even fucking know anymore. But he’s right, angel. You need to be careful around me.”
“I’ve played it careful my entire life. I’m tired of it.” In a rush of moxy, she tugged his mouth down to hers for a short, but impactful kiss.
She pulled away to the sound of his soft groan. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart.”
“Good. Then my evil plan is working.” She flashed him a saucy wink.
Knox mutte
red under his breath, making her grin widen as she headed for the door.
“Zoey.”
She looked back at him still standing in the same spot. “Yeah?”
Excitement tingled down her spine at the lingering heat darkening his eyes. “No more talk about giving Tank a shot.”
“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t?”
Knox stalked toward her with the ease of a predator eyeing his prey. Every step sent a small flutter to her stomach. By the time he breached her personal space, those butterflies turned into pterodactyls. “There are tons of them. As soon as everyone leaves, I’ll start listing them out for you…one by one.”
She scrunched her nose. “I’ve never been a fan of lists. I much prefer hands-on demonstrations.”
Knox’s lips twitched with the threat of a smirk. “Be careful what you wish for, angel.”
Chapter
Fifteen
An hour after Knox and Zoey headed upstairs to Iron Bars, Knox realized his hands-on demonstration wasn’t going to happen—at least not tonight. Roman’s foul mood made sure of it. Now, five long hours of manual labor later and with everyone gone, it was time for the inevitable heart-to-heart.
Or ass-kicking.
Knox leaned against the bar top and waited until Roman breached the doorway. Seeing him, he came to an abrupt halt.
“For a man who couldn’t be bothered with us for two years, you sure do show up a lot.” Roman turned his back and grabbed his car keys from the wall-mounted hook.
“I need you to do me a favor,” Knox said.
Roman let out a humorless snort. “That’s rich. Excuse me if I don’t feel like making your life easier.”
Knox stepped in Roman’s way as he headed for the exit. “Too damn bad. Because Zoey’s off limits. If you have a problem with me, you bring it to me, and leave her out of it.”
Roman looked genuinely surprised—for a second. “You brought her into it the second you shoved your tongue down her throat. What the fuck, man? It’s Zoey.”
“Aren’t you the one who said she was a grown-up able to make her own decisions?”
“Yeah, and I meant her job. Where she lives. You? You’re not a decision. You’re a bad bet. You said it yourself. You’re not staying. But while you’re here, you’re going to what? Get your rocks off with our honorary little sister? That’s fucked up.”
