“Funny how your brother had to ‘start again’ as well.” She smiled, and offered him her hand. “Lauren Reynolds.”
“You’re”
Knowing what was next, Lauren pulled her hand free. “Please don’t.” She hated being referred to as "his" daughter. “Yes, my father is Senator Reynolds.” She gave him her back, retreating toward the couch.
Luke laughed. “I was actually going to say you’re Julie’s best friend.”
Lauren stopped walking. There was really no way out of her stupid misstep. She was a bit too defensive about her father. And how interesting that Luke commented about Julie, when she’d just been inquiring about him the night before.
Turning, Lauren found Luke snatching a cinnamon bun off a tray on the bar. He leaned on the edge. “Want one?”
He wasn’t pushing her over her stupid retort. Instead, he was giving her a reprieve, and she appreciated it. “No. I don’t even want to think about food.” She paused for a beat, feeling the churn of her stomach. “Ever.”
Luke joined her on the couch, sitting at the other end, already on the last bite of his roll. “Did my brother get you drunk and take advantage of you?”
“I certainly did not.”
Lauren and Luke turned at the sound of Royce’s voice. This was her first time to see him in casual attire, and he didn’t disappoint. Dressed in snug, well-worn jeans and a black T-shirt that hugged every inch of his muscular body, with his long hair, freshly washed and loose around his shoulders, there was an edge of lethal wildness barely suppressed, barely contained, that had her wishing she’d worked harder to set it free the night before. “No, he didn’t,” Lauren agreed. “I seem to bring out the gentleman in him.” The words were out before she could stop them, and she felt her face warm with color.
Luke looked at Lauren and then his brother. “What am I missing here?”
Royce cleared his throat. “I need to review a couple of files with you.” He paused pointedly. “Downstairs.”
Lauren eyed Royce. “I can take a hint. You want to talk to your brother alone. I’ll wait here.”
Luke arched a brow at Royce. “Doesn’t miss a thing, does she?”
“No,” Lauren said before Royce could answer. “I don’t.”
“I’ll only be a few minutes,” Royce promised.
Lauren nodded and reached for the remote. This was new. The woman waiting on the man who was taking too long to get ready.
***
Royce followed Luke into his apartment. “Blake’s in the kitchen,” Luke told him, of their other brother.
“When isn’t he in someone’s kitchen?” Royce mumbled, considering Blake’s appetite for both food and revenge against the drug lord that had killed his fiancée were damn near legend.
Royce entered the kitchen and eyed Blake, who was quickly gobbling up junk food, his long hair neatly tied at his nape. “It’s a little early for cookies,” Royce informed him.
Blake smiled a bright white smile. “It’s dessert. I ate leftover pizza first.”
Luke grimaced. “That pizza was a week old, man.”
Blake shrugged his broad shoulders. “Tasted fine to me.”
Royce frowned and looked at the wall clock. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the airport by ten?”
Blake glanced at his watch and shoved the chair from the table. “Ah, hell,” he said. “I’m late.” Then he glared at both his brothers. “I know this airport contract pays us, and pays us well, but I hate these weekend security meetings. Next Saturday, one of you is going.”
“They like your ATF background,” Royce reminded him.
Blake waved on his way out of the room. “We’re talking about next Saturday.”
The instant he was gone, Luke turned an expectant look on his older brother. “Well?”
Royce let out a long breath, and leaned against the counter. “I have a situation.”
“A situation?” Luke laughed. “Is that what you’re calling a gorgeous woman in your living room these days?” Royce gave him a go to hell look. Luke raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’m listening.”
“You already know Reynolds asked me for a favor.”
“Did it include sleeping with his daughter?”
Royce grunted. “Not exactly.”
Luke’s eyes widened incredulously. “Not exactly? What in the hell does that mean? I was joking.”
”Someone’s been sending him threatening notes, and Lauren has been mentioned.”
“Do they have any idea who might be responsible?”
“No, he doesn’t. She doesn’t know about any of this and he doesn’t want to tell her until I’m certain there’s a real threat.”
“And that would be why?”
“He says it’s because he believes she’ll blow off the threat. She works for the District Attorney’s office. That makes a person immune to fear in ways most wouldn’t be. I’d like to believe him, and after spending time with her, I certainly think his concern is merited.”
Luke grabbed a chair, and sat down at the table. “But?”
“I don’t know,” Royce said. “Maybe he’s being blackmailed for something he thinks she won’t forgive him for. Which, in and of itself, has bad news written all over it. Then there is an entirely different realm of low to consider, which are the senator’s political motives. He’s trying to get Lauren to run for office and she isn’t buying the idea. I hate to think he’s selfish enough to keep her in the dark over a threat out of fear of turning her ‘no’ into a ‘hell no.’”