“Matthew.”
“That I knew by the way Katie looked at you. You’re a brave man, Matthew.”
“The word you’re looking for is lucky.”
“That, too. What say you and I ransack Jamie’s liquor and get you a drink before the horde descends?”
Matthew cracked a smile. “Lead the way.”
Jamie left them to their quest, knowing that Matthew wouldn’t ask and Liam wouldn’t tell, when it came to Liam’s classified status. The world knew he was a royal and former SAS, but the metahuman aspect was classified. That didn’t mean Matthew wouldn’t put two and two together and come up with an answer he couldn’t confirm, but would blithely ignore. They all lived classified lives, and part of keeping secrets was never talking about them. Jamie was just glad Matthew was treating Liam like a normal person rather than getting nervous in the face of royalty as many people did.
The door to the condo slid open and Madison stepped inside, two gigantic bags of chips clutched in one hand and a grocery bag in the other, over-large sunglasses perched on the tip of her nose.
“All right everyone, the party has arrived and comes bearing snacks!” Madison said loudly as she raised her arms in victory, the bags crinkling in her hands.
“Payment was supposed to be in steaks,” Kyle told her.
“That’s Trevor’s payment. I was in charge of chips and dip.”
“Trevor is bringing chili. I ordered the steaks and they were delivered this morning,” Jamie said.
“Barbecue set up?” Annabelle asked.
Jamie jerked his thumb at the roof. “Ready for your magic touch.”
“I’m on it.”
Jamie’s luxury penthouse condo included ownership of the private-living rooftop with its shaded patio area. It got the most use when the entire team was over, with everyone making themselves at home in all areas of the condo. When it was just Jamie and Kyle, they preferred staying inside.
Annabelle disappeared up the private stairway to the roof to start up the grill. Within the span of fifteen minutes, the rest of the team arrived, including Dr. Gracie Gold. A prominent surgeon who headed up the care of metahumans at the MDF, Gracie was a metahuman with the power to accelerate a person’s ability to heal. She and Donovan had been dating for years and for once, she had the day off.
Trevor made a beeline for the kitchen to put his pot on the stove while Donovan pointed a finger at Liam. “You owe me a pool game!”
“Get a drink and let’s have a go. Matthew here can play referee,” Liam said.
Gracie rolled her eyes, but her smile was fond as Donovan went to join the other two men, all of them thoroughly insulting each other’s prowess at the game. “I brought sweet potato pie, Jamie.”
“That’s going to disappear quick,” Jamie said, greeting her with a kiss to the cheek. “Better hide it from Kyle.”
“I will break his fingers if I find them in my pie.”
Jamie laughed, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. “Put it wherever you want and grab a drink.”
Madison gleefully took control of the music, creating an exceptionally long and varied playlist for the attending computer to work through while Katie played bartender. Alexei and Sean were the last to arrive, and Alexei immediately got put to work.
“Annabelle needs you on the roof, Alexei,” Katie said, raising her voice to be heard over the laughter and music.
Alexei snapped his fingers at her, fire sparking at the tips. “Da. Will go fix grill.”
“It runs on gas,” Kyle reminded him from where he was sprawled on the couch.
Alexei rolled his eyes. “Fire is best.”
Kyle flipped him off, a gesture Alexei swiftly returned. Jamie had long since stopped finding their version ofI love youstrange. Sean carried the large mixing bowl full of potato salad into the kitchen to store it in the refrigerator until lunch was ready to serve. Jamie settled on the couch next to Kyle, drink in hand, and put his hand over Kyle’s.
“What are we watching?” he asked.
“NBA playoffs,” Kyle answered, taking a sip of his beer.
