Together we walked into the kitchen, and a card game I wasn’t familiar with was in full swing. There weren’t enough chairs around the table with me here, but Hunter silently offered the vacant one to me and disappeared, I assumed to go find another.
Four pairs of eyes stared as I sat, so I forced myself to be polite. “Thank ya for having me.”
King took the opportunity to glare, and Grant swiped some of his blond hair off his forehead and smiled. Seeing him here with his brother—Hunter’s father—it was very clear they were all related. I just had to treat this like visiting at home. I’d mind my manners.
“I’m glad you came to New Gothenburg,” Grant said, and King tossed a card at him that sailed wildly around his head and ended up on the floor.
“I only wish I could have gotten here sooner. Business kept me tied up.”
King’s significant other, the fed I’d heard about, stood and went to the fridge. “I’m Dallas. You are?”
We made the introductions quick, mostly because I knew everyone else, and through it all King glared at me. I was beginning to feel that he might not cry tears if I left. Or if something worse happened to me.
Dallas pulled open the fridge door. “We don’t have alcohol, but we have water, Coke, Sprite, and Izzes.”
“What’s that last one?”
He glanced over his shoulder and his deep brown eyes were laughing. “It’s like fizzy fruit juice. We have blackberry and grapefruit.”
“That’ll do it. The grapefruit. Thank ya.” I leaned forward and rested my elbows on the table, then felt maybe that was rude and sat back. Grant bit his lips to stop smiling at me, but damn it, I couldn’t help it. King just kept staring.
“You’re welcome.”
King glowered at me some more, totally different from the harsh but happy-go-lucky man I’d convened with on my last visit to New Gothenburg, and by the time he seemed to be working up to saying something that no doubt would have blistered the skin off my hide, Hunter was back with a desk chair he was able to slide into a spot to my right, between me and King. My boy was smart, I’d give him credit where it was due. I think King might have shot me for certain if I’d brushed up against him. His aura was unforgiving at present.
Reaper, who had been at the warehouse with us, gave me a nod that felt mildly respectful, so I returned it. King narrowed his eyes at him. “Kai, you know Mr. Shannon here?”
Reaper only shrugged and went back to his cards, scratching at the skull tattoo on his neck.
“Mm-hmm. Okay. That’s how you want to play things,” King grumbled and switched to delivering a withering look at Grant, who was unperturbed.
“Uno,” he said with a toothy grin and held up a single card to wiggle it in King’s direction. I leaned my shoulder against Hunter’s, and the shy smile that curled his lips made me care significantly less about whether or not King had an opinion about anything to do with us, even though I wanted to mostly stay on his good side.
They played out the hand and King won. The tension in the room climbed as no one spoke, and I breathed through the urge to ask Hunter, yet again, if he wanted to go back to my place. I laced my fingers through his and gave his hand a squeeze. Unlike myself, the lack of conversation didn’t seem to be bothering him, but then again, he was a quiet devil.
“How’s business, James?” King asked me, and I startled.
“Good as it can ever be. Ya know, those Russians are always kicking up trouble, and now there’s even some Mexican out of California who thinks he wants to take a jab at the Company, but we’re mostly at peace.” I smiled. “Well-positioned to do business in New Gothenburg at this time.”
King’s eyebrows dipped but then he relaxed back into his chair. “I do know how that goes.”
Grant sighed and tossed his cards on the table when King scooped a pile of money from the middle in his direction. “I think I’m done with this.”
King glanced at Dallas on his right, and it was easy to see who ruled in this house. I fought back a laugh. Much as the man blustered, I’d have never thought he’d be so deferential. “But Dallas wants his family night, and motherfucking hell, we’ve only—”
“Let’s watch a movie. Would you like to watch a movie with us?” Grant asked. Aye, I could see how that might be less stressful for all involved, especially since King’s temper seemed to be piqued by me being here. I still wasn’t sure how I’d managed to infuriate him. We’d had a friendly enough time on my last visit.
“How aboutBoondock Saints?” King asked and shot me a sly glance.
I groaned and had to laugh. “So ya want to murder me with the bad accents and even worse action scenes?”
He stood and walked behind me to slap me on the shoulder. It fucking hurt.
“You’ll live,kid.”
The bastard wasn’tthatmuch older than me, but maybe that was the point.
We adjourned to the living room. I found myself in the corner of one of the comfortable couches along the wall across from the TV with my arm around Hunter, which was a damn fine spot to be in, if I did say so myself. Pizza was ordered, delivered, and devoured, all while that damned movie played. I hadn’t ever really seenBoondock Saints, just remembered when it came out and there was a big hubbub over it, and terrible accents aside, it was a decent film. Eventually Hunter wriggled from my side, and I assumed he was headed for the bathroom.
