Calder and I were still drinking our first cup when Brian Kirkpatrick entered the restaurant, his son, Brayden, right behind him. They were early. Twenty minutes early.
Brian smiled and came over, greeting us with firm handshakes and back slaps. Brayden was more reserved, his eyes moving over the crowd inside the restaurant as though he were looking for someone. Brian and Brayden looked more like siblings than father and son, both tall, muscular, and blond. The only difference was their eyes. Brian’s were dark brown, almost black, and Brayden’s were pale blue. The color of ice. Still, despite the variation in color, their eyes held the same cold detachment. They could hide it well when they wanted, but they were ruthless and brutal. Completely without mercy.
Despite Brian’s friendly greeting, I wasn’t fooled and my focus sharpened.
With the pleasantries out of the way, Brian and Brayden sat in chairs across from us, which meant the waitress came over once again. When she aimed her winsome smile at Brian, he grinned back, his appreciative gaze moving over her body in a way that had her preening.
“Hi, there,” she greeted them. “What can I get you gentlemen?”
I noticed that Brayden barely looked her way, his gaze still searching the other patrons.
“Coffee, darlin’,” Brian answered her with a wink.
She grinned and turned, adding an intentional sway as she walked away. Brian took the opportunity to stare at her ass and I bit back a grunt. Clearly he still fucked anything that moved. He never mated, choosing instead to impregnate several she-wolves in his pack over the years. Though he was over one hundred years old, he looked as though he were approaching his mid-thirties, still strong and handsome. He took advantage of that as often as he could, with she-wolves and human women alike.
When the waitress returned, she leaned over, giving Brian a clear view of her assets down the partially unbuttoned top of her uniform. I ignored his leer and turned my eyes toward Brayden. He looked distracted and angry, his fists clenching and unclenching as he continued to scan the people inside the restaurant. Whatever he sought wasn’t here and it raised my suspicions.
After finishing her banter with Brian, the waitress left us again and Calder looked at Brian.
“It’s good to see you, Brian. How have you been?”
“Good, good,” the other alpha replied as he sipped his coffee. “Busy with business. You?”
“Things have finally settled down.”
Brian’s eyes flicked to me. “Good to see you up and about, Lachlan.”
I nodded instead of answering aloud.
“I was sorry to hear about your mate,” he continued.
I waited for the usual stab of pain, but it was muted. It made me uncomfortable. I had become so accustomed to the sharp edges of my grief that this dull ache felt like a betrayal to her memory.
“Thanks,” I murmured, my voice rough.
Brian tilted his head in acknowledgement before turning back toward Calder. “So, where’s your enforcer today, son? I thought she would be with you.”
Something, an instinct maybe, made me look at Brayden. He leaned forward slightly in his seat, his eyes glued to Calder. For some unknown reason, he was extremely interested in the answer to his father’s question.
Calder must have caught Brayden’s reaction though he seemed entirely focused on Brian because he replied, “She’s away, handling some pack business for me.”
“Oh, really?” Brian said, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that’s too bad. She and Brayden used to be very close, if you know what I mean.”
My brows lifted at his implication. As long as I had known Chloe, she had never mentioned Brayden Kirkpatrick. Ever.
“Ah, well then she’ll be sorry she missed this meeting,” Calder stated smoothly. I knew he’d caught on to what Brian was insinuating but he wasn’t going to address it. “So what do you need today, Brian?”
The Houston alpha shrugged. “We’re in the area for business and I didn’t want to come into your territory without speaking to you first.”
Calder arched a brow. “That was very courteous of you, Brian, but don’t worry. If you ever need to come to Dallas in the future, a phone call is more than sufficient. I hate to take up your time when you have business to handle.”
“Thank you, Calder,” Brian replied. He drained his coffee mug and looked over at his son. “Bray, we should probably get going.”
Brayden, who hadn’t spoken since we sat down, shrugged and got to his feet. When Brian reached for his wallet, Calder waved a hand.
“It’s taken care of, Brian,” he stated.
“Thank you.” Brian smiled as we all stood and shook hands once again.
