“How’s that going to work?” The four of us and Ashely. That’s a bit more than the three-way Reed promised her.
“You’re the one with the experience. You tell me.” Colton looks at me as if I’m suddenly going to have the answer.
Priest’s gaze turns on me too.
“It was a long time ago. And there were only two guys, not four.” I regret starting this conversation as now I’m going to be showering with a hard-on. “And where?”
The site wasn’t five stars, and we couldn’t all go into the city.
In my next breath, I know. The place we always gather to talk shit and play cards and have a few beers. Priest’s room.
“I don’t think anyone is going to care if we have a little party to celebrate Reed coming back.” Colton puts his hands on his hips as if he already has a plan and is waiting to action it. “Priest has the nicest room, given that he’s in charge, and that’s where we hang out.”
They’ve put much more thought into this than me. Do they want it more than me?
Yeah, I like her, and I want her, and these guys have become some of my best friends, but what if we end up ruining our friendship? What if she ends up hating us?
“So is it a one off?” I try not to sound as though I’m doubting the whole thing.
Priest sighs as he glances at me. “I hope not.”
It was one of those things we joked about over beers. However, I never thought it would be a possibility. Mostly because I doubted that Ashley would be interested in getting mixed up with us, but mostly me.
No one has ever wanted to be a part of my life for any longer than necessary. I didn’t expect this job to be any different.
I remind myself that if Reed doesn’t come back, we won’t be celebrating anything, so I shouldn’t get my hopes up.
CHAPTER27
Ashley
My body is aching again.After getting up and training with the three of them for the last two days, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to move tomorrow. I stretch and groan, wanting to be done, but also wanting to finish this report.
At the moment, it’s only based on my memory of what I saw in the mine plus whatever data I was able to scrape together from the mining license application. It wasn’t high on the list to look at, because there are closer mines. But this one…
I know there is something there.
There’s a knock on my office door, which isn’t closed. I look up to see Hargrave filling the doorway. He’s dressed casually as he’s finished work for the day.
“Hi.” My cheeks heat even though there is no good reason for them to do so. It’s not like he’s going to do me in my office.
“Hey.” He nods, then takes a moment. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
He steps in and closes the door behind him. Most people have left, but he clearly doesn’t want to be overheard. He sits opposite and laces his fingers as if whatever he has to say is very serious.
“What’s wrong?” My stomach drops as I realize he might be here to deliver bad news. “Is it Reed?”
He shakes his head. “Priest is going into the city for meetings and such, and said he’ll bring him back. I think it’ll take a bit more than a few bullet holes to stop Reed.”
He’s watching me as if he expects me to say something or do something and I don’t know what he’s looking for. A sigh of relief escapes. “I’m glad he’s okay.”
“I didn’t say that.” His lips twist into an almost smile.
I frown, not sure what he’s implying.
“We’re all a little broken, Ashely. We’ve swapped stories, or bits of them anyway.” He looks up at the maps pinned to the wall behind me. The place where I was held is marked with a pin, as is the mine I was forced to inspect.
