“We’re not ready to call it that yet.”
But he didn’t have to. Rafe could see the truth in Lucan’s shadowed expression. No wonder he and Chase and Gideon had barked at him the other night for reporting in late. It wasn’t often the Order had to deal with the loss of one of their own, never mind an entire team that included a family member.
“Go take of your business, son. As soon as you have something solid to move on, you let me know. We’re going to get this done. I’ll be damned before I accept the alternative.”
CHAPTER 15
Rafe strode into Asylum around nine o’clock that night and headed to the pool tables in back where Cruz’s text had directed him to go.
The gang looked like they’d been there for a while, already settled in at one of the far banquettes with a round of beers half-consumed between them and a game of eight-ball nearing its completion on the billiards table.
Devony was with them, too, dressed in that hot-as-fuck black leather motorcycle jacket and a pair of dark jeans and high-heeled boots that made her legs look like they went on for days. Now, the sight of her in her long-sleeved turtleneck made him as hard as he would be if he saw her standing there in lacy lingerie. Mainly because he had no need to imagine what she was hiding under all of her concealing clothes.
He had touched every inch of her.
Had tasted every sweet curve and crevice.
She met his gaze across the tavern and he felt it as powerfully as if she’d wrapped her hand around his cock.
A private smile tilted her lips before she abruptly glanced away from him—and not before he glimpsed the faint flicker of amber sparks dancing in her eyes.
His own gaze crackled with heat too. He masked it with bravado, swaggering past the tables of bar patrons and ignoring the flirty feminine stares and whispers that followed in his wake. He didn’t give a shit about any of the would-be blood Hosts or other women who tried to catch his attention.
There was only one female in the place who stirred his interest. The one doing her best to pretend he didn’t exist as he walked up and knocked fists with the guys standing around the pool table.
Fish was sporting a flashy new watch on his wrist. Ocho and Axel were both garbed in gaudy designer shirts that Rafe guessed must have come from the Fall Collection for douchebags. Cruz had opted for a less overt display of his recent windfall, but Rafe didn’t miss the diamond pinky ring sparkling on his left hand.
“Someone’s been doing a little shopping, I see.”
Fish grinned, holding his arm up to show off the new hardware. “Set me back twenty-five large, but ain’t it sharp?”
Rafe played along, nodding as if he were impressed. “Nice.”
“Already got my eye on an upgrade once we collect on our next job.”
“Yeah?” His curiosity piqued, he glanced at Cruz. “Sounds like something big.”
“It is,” Fish further volunteered, keeping his voice to a conspiratorial level in spite of the music drowning out most of the conversation in the place. “We’ve been sitting on this one for weeks, just waiting on a go-time. Right, Cruz?”
Rafe had hoped it wouldn’t take long to hear something about the job Devony had alerted him to. Based on the gang leader’s cautious gaze as it cut away from Fish, it seemed he was in luck.
“I’m intrigued,” he told Cruz. “However you can use me on this, count me in.”
A tight nod. “We gonna finish this game, or what?”
They returned to their places around the pool table. Rafe hung back, watching as Axel took his shot. He sank a couple of stripes for Fish and himself before losing his turn to Devony on the opposing team with Ocho.
Thank fuck for loud sound systems and poor human hearing, because there was no curbing the low, possessive animal growl that boiled out of Rafe’s throat as he watched her grip the long cue and bend over the edge of the table in front of him to take her shot.
She was all business about the game, not doing anything designed to make him squirm, but damn if he could keep his cock from standing at attention. Behind the flat line of his lips, he clenched his molars together and struggled to keep his fangs from erupting out of his gums. Sparks danced in his field of vision as she shifted her stance on those spike-heeled boots, then struck with her cue.
Balls nicked against each other, followed by the clean thump of the red solid dropping into the pocket she’d called. Axel and Fish groaned, realizing they were all but beaten now that she had control of the table.
“Impressive,” Rafe murmured as she walked past him on her way to set up her next move. And he wasn’t talking about her precision-perfect shot.
She gave him a private little smile. “You game to try me? Once I clean up here, I’ll be happy to take a turn running you around the table too.”
He arched a brow. “That could be interesting.”
