Page 55 of My Three Rivals

“Yeah, but we’ve managed to stay off the mob’s radar until now, haven’t we?” Wyatt quipped, and I sighed, covering the chicken with foil before turning toward the oven.

The kitchen still needed an overhaul, the preheat doing nothing in the ancient appliance. Still, I dropped the chicken inside and closed the door.

“It’s also different with Tegan in the mix,” Maverick added, voicing my deepest concern.

I hadn’t wanted to say it aloud, but everything had shifted now that we had her to protect.

“I can take care of myself.”

I lifted my head to see Tegan on the back stairs, her dark mane pinned on her head in a clip, shoulders sagged in against the strain of her army-green tank top.

“No one said you couldn’t,” Maverick told her smoothly, stepping forward. “But you have to admit that this is a bit more than just fending for yourself.”

“I think you guys are overthinking it,” she insisted. “You’ve all been on such high alert for so long that you don’t know how to sit back and look at this reasonably.”

Wyatt chortled mirthlessly. “You seem to think there’s some reasonable way of dealing with the mob, Tegan.”

She stared at him, her full lips parted. “I think that the mob wouldn’t be in business still if they went around just killing everyone all the time. I think there’s a way to deal with this bastard and get him off our backs.”

I liked how she put herself in the equation, even though I knew she had been in it from the start.

“The first thing we’re doing is setting up security cameras around here,” I said, slowly making a mental list.

“Is that really—” Tegan started to say, but Wyatt cut her off.

“It’s a hundred percent necessary. In fact, that should have been the first order of business. That’s the one thing we always do with a new development.”

“This isn’t a new development,” she reminded us.

“More the reason. It’s established. There’s equipment here,” Maverick agreed, and Tegan’s scowl deepened.

“You’re worried about me, not the winery,” she insisted.

“Yes!” we all agreed, bobbing our heads.

A small laugh fell out of Tegan’s mouth, and she ambled toward us, the bottom of her boxers riding up along the smooth cream of her inner thighs.

“I guess I can’t stop you,” she said, sliding onto the chair across from Wyatt. “You do own half the place. I just think that there’s money better spent on other things.”

“Money isn’t really a problem, in case you haven’t noticed,” I replied, and she eyed me.

She wanted to ask more about our business, but she’d already been overwhelmed with the news about Emerson.

“Are we done with all the secrets, then?” she asked slowly, peeking at me before turning her attention to my partners. “Or am I going to be blindsided by any more weird men cornering me in the city?”

Wyatt tensed alongside of me, our minds going to the same place.

Tegan can’t be left alone. She can’t just wander into the city anymore.

“What is that look?” Tegan demanded, reading our faces easily.

I tried to busy myself in the kitchen.

“We’re just considering all the angles of cutting off Lou’s payments,” Maverick interceded in his usual, charming manner.

I shot him a sidelong look, and Tegan exhaled.

“You’re worried about me,” she said flatly, and again, we all agreed.

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