Page 29 of The Renegade Billionaire
If she hears the crack in my voice, she doesn’t comment on it. Either that, or the noise coming from the dining room drowned me out. It could go either way right now.
“He’s home.” Pops’ voice carries over the crowd. “Come on in here, boy. Let’s see what you got.”
Carrying the box into the dining room where everyone is still rushing to be seated, I lower it when I reach him so he can peer inside.
He nods as he inspects the bottles. When he lifts his gaze to mine, I see for the first time that this man has my number. I don’t know what he knows, but I’m sure he sees something in me I wasn’t ready to divulge.
“You did good, boy. Pass ’em around, then come sit.”
I do as he asks and walk around the table while everyone grabs a beer. When I get to Savvy, she pulls out a bottle of wine and raises a brow in my direction.
“Most expensive bottle at the packy? Good to know you’re aware that our girl is worth it.”
Heat creeps up my neck, and I’m one thousand percent sure everyone in this room is witness to my blushing.
“Savvy,” Madison reprimands her with one word. Savvy shrugs and sets the bottle on the table while I make a quick retreat to the kitchen to put the rest of the beer and wine away.
By the time I return to the table, there’s only one chair available—directly to Madison’s left and dead center in the middle of everyone.
What’s the worst that can happen, right? They’ve all been nice so far. So I take a seat next to Madison and let the games begin.
My ass isn’t even in the chair before Pops speaks.
“Boy, meet Shep. He dated Madi after college.”
Poor Shep chokes on his beer.
“Ah, I wouldn’t call it dating.” Beau chuckles.
Madison lifts her wine glass to her lips and tips it back, swallowing three times before she sets it back on the table.
Clover, who sits to my left, leans in close. “Don’t worry about Pops. He’s just messing with you, it means he likes you.”
“And then Beau tried to date her for a time.” Pops is sitting at the head of the table and completely in his element.
“That wasn’t dating either,” Shep says. “Madi’s a matchmaker, remember? Just because she goes out to dinner with someone doesn’t mean it’s a date for herself.”
“Clover and Madi dated this nitwit,” the man introduced as Chief says. “Madi only dated this one in middle school.”
“Ah, Uncle. I can feel the love from here,” Beau says.
“Why are you giving my dating history at dinner, Pops?” Madison asks.
“What’s the big deal?” Beau asks. “Newbie over there might as well know if he’s going to date one of us, he’s dating all of us. That’s how it works around here.”
“That’s disgusting, Beau.” Savvy throws a roll at him. Turning to me, she shrugs. “The dating pool is abysmal in town, so sometimes you date your friend’s ex. It’s not as incestual as they make it out to be.”
Now it’s my turn to chug my beer, and when I do, I make eye contact with the giant named Cian who hasn’t said two words. He blinks as though he’s bored, and I focus on my beer.
“Who said he was here to date anyone?” Clover asks. Is she coming to my defense? She might be my favorite of Madison’s friends.
“Have you seen the way he looks at Madi?” the second-biggest man in the room says. There’s no denying that he lives up to the nickname Moose.
Once again, my face is on fire.
“He’s blushing. Leave the boy alone,” Pops says.
“Pops,” Madison scoffs. “You’re the one who started it.”
