“Asshole,” Ryden laughed, punching his friend in the arm. “You wanna nice bed to sleep on, or you wanna sleep on your sorry excuse for a couch in your office?”
“Hey, that couch is plush,” Joker argued.
Jack snorted. “It’s like a hundred years old. You brought it with you from your old apartment when we first moved into that office building. Chip peed on it so many times when he was a puppy.”
Ryden wrinkled his nose. “Are you telling me I’ve been sitting on puppy pee for years?”
“Fuck off,” Joker laughed. “That happened years ago, and I had the thing professionally cleaned. Fine, we’ll crash at yours.”
The guys called their men on the way to Ryden’s and arranged for Fitz, Gio, and their pups to stay at Colton’s until they knew more about what was happening.
Jack drove them the long way around while Ryden and Joker kept an eye on the roads to ensure they weren’t being followed. Ryden didn’t think they were, but it was better to be cautious, which was why Jack parked the van down the block. They walked the rest of the way, vigilant of their surroundings. Oncethey got inside, Joker and Chip told them to stay by the door as they thoroughly checked the apartment. They weren’t taking any chances.
As soon as Chip had given the all-clear, Ryden relaxed. “I’ll grab some clean clothes for y’all and throw yours in the wash.” He would have to invest in more T-shirts and pajamas at this rate. The guys each took a bathroom and hit the showers. Ryden didn’t have to tell them to make themselves at home. They’d been over plenty of times for poker orSunday Night Football.
Ryden tossed some clothes onto his bed for Jack and hung the other set on the doorknob of the guest bathroom for Joker. While the guys showered, Ryden started a load of laundry and tried to wrap his head around what had happened tonight. How the hell had a simple recon mission gone so wrong? The guys joined him in the kitchen, and Ryden sat at the counter while Joker raided his fridge. He removed several items to make himself a sandwich. Ryden arched an eyebrow at him.
“What? Almost getting blown up makes me hungry,” Joker replied, arranging all the ingredients on the counter.
Ryden snorted. “Fuckin’ Snake Eater.”
“Want me to make you a sandwich?” Joker asked, holding a slice of bread up. “I don’t have any crayons to put in it. Sorry.”
“Dick,” Ryden laughed. “Okay, am I the only one thinkin’ that maybe Martin fucked up one too many times, and his buddies decided to cut him loose before he fucked up anymore?”
“You’re not the only one,” Jack said. “The fact that they killed him and left him to get caught in the explosion tells me they’re pinning Gibson’s murder on Martin. All it’ll take is for one person at Gibson Global to recognize Martin, and case closed.”
Ryden hummed. “You think Martin killed Gibson?”
Joker took a big bite of his sandwich and nodded. “It makes sense, right? Even if Gibson refused to sell to them, I don’t see them being reckless enough to blow up the guy. I’m not sayingthey wouldn’t have taken Gibson out, but they would have been more subtle. I agree. Martin fucked up one too many times and got himself dead.”
Ryden turned to Jack. “You think you’ll be able to find out more about these guys?”
“I’ve enlisted some help,” Jack replied.
“Does that help favor fish-shaped snacks?” Ryden asked, chuckling when Jack shrugged.
“He’s the only one better at this than me.”
If there was any information out there on these guys, Leo would find it. Ryden yawned. “Okay, I’m going to bed. I’m sure King wants us in nice and early tomorrow.” His friends agreed. Tomorrow, they’d make a plan.
Whatever these guys were up to, it was bad, and Ryden doubted they were going to make a play for Jacksonville, which meant the bastards were going to regroup, and who knew what the hell they were trying to move out of Florida? These guys had to be stopped before anyone else got hurt.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I can drive myself.”
Jay headed for the driver’s side of his car only to have Saint block his path, his beefy arms crossed over his chest. It was strange having Saint around all the time, especially in his condo. He’d insisted Saint make himself at home, but even so, walking into his kitchen in the morning, half asleep, to find a man there had scared the hell out of him.
This is what it was like. Yes, it was for Jay’s safety, and if Jay hadn’t known Saint, he might have been able to put his mind to it and forget the guy was there, but he did know Saint, not just as a colleague. He was Ryden’s best friend. Why did all his thoughts circle back to Ryden?
Saint didn’t budge. “I didn’t know you’d taken up defensive driving.”
“The moment I got my Florida driver’s license.” Jay arched an eyebrow at his new burly shadow.
Saint barked out a laugh. “Touché.”
“You’re not going to let me drive, are you?”
