Page 17 of Queen of Diamonds
6
Rand stoodat the window of his penthouse apartment and stared out at the night. Instead of seeing the twinkling lights of the boats, he saw Kinsey’s face as she’d told her made-up story. She was a good actress. He’d give her that. She’d looked genuinely confused when he’d said the Gentrys didn’t have a sister.
What did she hope to gain by inventing such a tale? Did she think she could just show up out of the clear blue and convince the brothers that they had a long-lost sister? Like they’d fall for that.
And why, when he finally felt a connection with a woman, did it have to be her?What if she’s telling the truth?He tried to ignore the voice in his head. Her story was just too far-fetched to be true. Wasn’t it? But hadn’t he thought there was something familiar about her? He closed his eyes and visualized her face; the almost-black eyes, her high cheekbones, and her full lips. It was impossible to deny that they were Gentry features. He’d been so infatuated with her that he hadn’t seen what was right in front of him.
“I’m a dead man,” he muttered. He’d slept with her. If it turned out she really was their sister, the brothers were going to kill him. First thing in the morning he was going to have to tell Nate about her, and that was one meeting he wasn’t looking forward to.
“Got a minute?” Rand asked from the doorway to Nate’s office.
Nate glanced over the top of his monitor. “Of course.” He pulled off a pair of reading glasses.
“Didn’t know you wore glasses.” Rand settled in a chair in front of Nate’s desk.
“That happens when you start getting old. Things go to shit.” He smirked. “But Taylor thinks I look hot with them on, so there you go.”
Rand chuckled. “That’s all that counts.” Nate and Taylor, a fellow agent, had fallen in love and then married a few months ago. In Rand’s opinion Taylor was the best thing that had ever happened to the boss.
“What’s on your mind?”
Rand hesitated. If there wasn’t a chance in hell that Kinsey was some kind of long-lost sister and he put her on the Gentry brothers’ radar, that could cause her a lot of trouble. Should he have told her first that he knew the Gentrys before coming to Nate?
“Whatever’s making that smoke pour out of your ears, just spit it out before your brain burns to a crisp.”
Right. Just spit it out. “Is there any chance you might have a sister you don’t know about?”
Rand had expected a laugh or maybe a snort from Nate. What he got was Nate’s full-blown attention, and was that hope he saw in the man’s eyes?
“Why are you asking?”
“Because I think I’ve met her.”And slept with her.“If you actually have one, that is.”
Nate pushed the button on his intercom. “Court. Alex. Get in here. Now!”
Well, hell. They did have a sister and they knew it. It was going to be a miracle if he left this office alive, or at the very least without a black eye or two.
“Dude,” Alex said on seeing him. “That was his boss voice.” He smirked. “I just hope you’re the one in trouble and not me.”
Oh, it was going to be him all right.
“Rand just informed me that he’s met our sister,” Nate said after his brothers were seated.
Alex shot up from his chair. “Where is she?”
If he told them, they’d be on her doorstep in ten minutes flat. The brothers were intense, strong-willed men. He needed to prepare her, especially since she hadn’t been sure she wanted to meet them. He wasn’t going to stand by and let them overwhelm her with their attentions. Because they would.
“Who is she?” Court asked.
Alex paced in front of him. “I don’t care who she is. I want to see her.” He glared at Rand. “Now.”
“Her name is Kinsey, and—”
“Last name?” Nate said.
“And she thinks the three of you are biker gang dudes, so she’s not sure she wants to meet you.”
Nate narrowed his eyes, apparently realizing Rand was stalling. “We’ll set her straight on that.”
