Page 5 of Diamonds & Deception

“That works for me.”

“It’s a date.” He picks up my free hand and kisses my knuckles. “I’ll be counting down the minutes.”

He gives Daisy one final rub, then jogs away, waving his hand over his head.

I won’t think about his devilish dark eyes or his easy charm. Nope. I’m going to read through my notes on Four Aces and keep digging until I find the connection to Carly’s murder.

I only hope Drake isn’t the red herring I’ve been looking for.

CHAPTER TWO

“Reservations are bookedsolid all month. I’ve had no problems with the staff, but I’m gonna have to find a new butcher. The last shipment of rib eye was more fat than beef, and they could only fill half the filet mignon order.” Ryder rattles off his report ofRed, the five-star steakhouse he manages in the casino.

My friends are few and far between, and I struck gold when I met Ryder Benton five years ago. While runningFlushin New Orleans, I developed the plans and mission for Four Aces. It was during one of my many long nights working on my computer at my usual table inChopswhere I met Ryder.

He let me use the restaurant as a makeshift office, and we spent a lot of nights talking about our dreams. Managing the mid-grade steakhouse was only temporary for Ryder. He wanted to have his own place and put a spin on the usual steak and seafood restaurants. I miss those long evenings talking shop, hanging out, and planning our futures.

While he’s a badass in the kitchen, his specialty is all things beef. He’s a master at selecting the finest cuts of meat and knowing exactly how to season and how long to cook it. He keeps his menu relatively simple using the best cuts of beef, chicken, duck, a couple of seafood dishes, and an array of sides.

All the ingredients and dishes are easy to pronounce. Red meat and red wine. That’s all he’d eat if he could, hence the name of his restaurant,Red. But because he needs to please everyone, he has a variety of food on the menu.

“What happened to the last lost shipment of meat?” I thumb through his reports.

“Nobody’sherd.” Ryder snorts.

“You’re such a dumbass,” Nolan groans. “I swear, your dad jokes are getting worse by the day. God help the woman you end up knocking up, and your future kids.”

A former Navy SEAL and at six-two, he’s not as intimidating as many think he is at first sight. Maybe it’s his muscles or his tattoos, but mostly it’s the way he calls out a bullshitter. Ryan and Nolan have been friends since they were kids, and act more like brothers than business partners.

“At least my dick still gets action. I wouldn’t be surprised if yours is empty from all the roids you shoot up.” Ryder makes a stupid face and jabs his finger in his forearm.

Nolan grins at him and leans back in his chair, not at all fazed by the ridiculous insult.

“Boys.” I roll my eyes, too used to their banter, and skim through the rest of the report Ryder sent me earlier today. Normally I would have already run them through my system, but a pair of pretty blue eyes has distracted me for the past thirty hours.

“Does it crush your manhood when the doctor has to come to your defense, Sealy?”

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