Page 90 of Seduction in Spades

“So, you and Aves, huh?” Ryder tosses me a bag of frozen peas. “You dog.”

I scowl at him and press the bag to my eye. He doesn’t sound all that surprised. “How long have you known?”

He grins. “As soon as you spilled hot coffee on your dick.”

My scowl turns into confusion. “You suspected then? How? We’d only hooked up the night before.”

“You forget.” Ryder squeezes my shoulder. “I was the first one you told when you lost your virginity to Courtney Whiteside. You were so fucking twitchy. Was the first and last time I ever saw you like that. Once you mastered your sex game, and especially after joining the Navy, you got your cool game back. Until Avery.”

“Bullshit. You had no idea, otherwise you wouldn’t have been blatantly hitting on her in front of me.”

Ryder’s grin grows even bigger. “And you’re welcome for that. Not only did I have fun pissing you off, but I also averted Trey’s attention off you so you could woo your girl.”

“Yeah, well, Avery doesn’t want to be wooed.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Christ. I shouldn’t be talking about my sex life with you. I need to get to Micky.”

“Whoa. Nolan. That’s going too hard, even for you.” Drake drops the files to the couch.

“Micky Donahue’s a piece of shit who needs to be wiped from the face of the earth.”

“Not arguing with you, but going after the head of the Irish mob will put an even bigger target on your back.”

“Drake is right.” Ryder rubs his hand across his jaw. He shouldn’t be messed up in this business. Ryder’s full of life and love. He’s totally out of his element here and being close to me will only put a target on his back.

“No offense, Ry, but you need to keep away. There’s no need for any of this trouble to come knocking on your door.”

“Fuck you.” It’s rare that I see Ryder’s temper, and even more rare for it to be directed at me. “I may not have the brains like Drake, or thewho gives a fuckattitude and muscle like Trey, or the training like you, but I’m part of this.”

“My muscles are just as big as Trey’s.”

The tension in Ryder’s jaw releases and he looks like himself again.

“Your first priority is righting this thing between you and Trey. Ryder and I will start drafting a plan of attack. Meet us in my office when you two are done. And don’t kill each other in the process.”

“Drake?” I call after him. “Did you know too?”

He scratches his neck and glances to the right. “Nora had a feeling. It’s why we set up that dinner at the Yard House.”

After they leave, I go to the kitchen sink and splash water on my face. I don’t bother looking in a mirror. I deserve whatever kind of damage Trey did to me. I toss the peas in the trash and head down to meet him at The Club.

I rap my knuckles on the door and let myself in. Trey doesn’t have a fancy office like Drake and I do. It’s big enough for a desk he rarely uses and a couch he uses even less. The cushions aren’t even broken in after two years.

Something Ryder likes to razz him about, even offering to bring a lady friend back to break in the couch for him.

Trey’s sitting behind his desk, two open beers in front of him. He picks up one and motions to the other. I don’t worry about it being poisoned. I deserve whatever punishment he doles out. If Donahue’s issue is with me, and I’m dead, the threat to the rest of them is gone. It’s a win-win. Not that I’m suicidal, but I’ll throw myself in front of a bullet for any of them.

I follow Trey’s lead and take a sip.

“Sit the fuck down.”

I take a seat at the edge of the couch and wait for Trey. We sit there quietly sipping our beers. I run through a dozen ways to approach this. I can start right out with apologizing, although an apology means I won’t do it again. Do I regret keeping Avery’s and my relationship a secret from Trey? Yeah. I should have gone to him the moment I realized who she was and told him how I felt about her.

Do I regret keeping my word to Avery and not telling her brother? No. If I give my word, I keep it.

I doubt he wants to hear a play-by-play of our not-exactly-a-relationship, and he sure the shit doesn’t need to hear his sister only wanted sex with no strings.

I could bring up Micky Donahue and the plans I’ve set in motion with Hugh and one other member of my team, but I respect Trey too much to dismiss the impact Avery and me keeping this secret from him has made on our friendship.

“Do you love her?”

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