DREW
Pulling my phone out from the back pocket of my jeans, I glanced at the screen. No missed calls from Ayda. No texts. I didn’t want to bethatguy, but I also knew I’d never see a day where I didn’t worry about her when she wasn’t with me.
But one bottle of beer turned to five, and somewhere among the empties that we’d thrown behind us, I’d lost that edge I carried around so heavily. All I could think about was what Rubin had offered. How he’d put himself out there, made a promise to a bunch of guys he didn’t really know, and that promise involved potentially bringing down his own father.
Maybe he was tougher than any of us knew. He already proved he could shoot when it counted.
Slater was sitting beside him now, meaning Rubin was flanked by him and Deeks, while I leaned back against the wall and watched them ruffling his hair and poking fun at him. Rubin soaked up every joke they passed his way, never once looking like the moody teenage brat his best friend Tate sometimes looked like when among the guys. Did that mean Rubin felt more natural here than Tate did? I hoped not, but I didn’t have time to think about that anymore because Jedd had strolled up behind the three of them, scowling and eventuallylooking up at me.
“Seriously?” He raised a brow.
“What?” I smirked.
“You got the kid drunk?” He turned his wrist, taking a look at the face of his thick, black watch. “Doesn’t he have a curfew?” When Jedd looked back up at me, he was smiling. It was a smile I realized I hadn’t seen in so long. One I’d missed.
“Shut the fuck up and have a drink.” I pointed to the stool next to Deeks, but Jedd shook his head and turned to scan the bar.
“Can’t. I’m looking for K-Dog.”
“Kenny?” I scanned the bar with him, realizing Kenny was another face I’d missed recently. Everyone had stayed clear of me before I’d woken up from the dark, murky waters of my grief, but I’d never gotten around to telling them I was working toward being better now. It was safe to come out of hiding. I wanted my fucking brothers back.
“Yeah,” Jedd blew out, his eyes searching every chair, sofa, and whore in the place.
“What’s the little piss ant done now?”
“Nothing. He said he wanted to spar with me tonight. He ain’t in the training room where he’s meant to be, though, and I ain’t letting the fucker stand me up.”
I huffed out a laugh just as Rubin drained the last of his fourth beer and dropped the bottle back to the bar. He leaned back, holding onto Deeks’ shoulder as he tried to look up at Jedd’s face. “Kenny? You’re looking for Kenny?”
Jedd glanced down at Rubin through suspicious side eyes. “Yeah, kid, what about it?”
Rubin listed to one side before Slater pushed him upright, causing Rubin to chuckle like a boy who’d just been caughtdoing everything he shouldn’t be doing. When he leaned forward and rested his arms on the bar, he looked up into my eyes and grinned, showing me all his pearly white teeth.
“Everyone knows where Kenny always is, these days.”
I raised a brow, not speaking or needing to encourage him to go on. A drunk man’s secrets are always standing on the edge of their tongues, waiting to jump free.
“He’s in bed.” Rubin waved a hand in the air flippantly before he flopped forward and dropped his head to the crook of his arm.
“Bed?” Jedd’s nose creased as he looked at me.
“He’s a lazy fucker,” Slater mumbled.
“Leave the boy alone,” Deeks chimed in.
“Shall we?” I asked, eyeing Jedd and Slater.
Their faces lit up with old-school mischief, the kind I hadn’t seen in them for a long time.
“Lead the way, Tucker.” Jedd waved his arm in front of me, gesturing for me to go first. Walking out from the bar, I pushed my finger to my lip and urged them to follow. I was up front, my two main men behind me creating the perfect guards on my shoulder.
Just like old times,I thought.
When we got closer to Kenny’s room, I glanced over my shoulder at both of them, making sure to keep my voice down when I spoke.
“Slate, you get the comforter off him. Jedd, you help me strip him.”
“Roger that.” Jedd’s smile was devilish.