The other three men did not. They were all either South American or Middle Eastern. In the normal course of events, their nationality didn’t mean a damn thing. Alex had known plenty of all-American criminal assholes, but they were here “investing” in Michael Evans’s club.
These were men with ties to Evans. Evans was quite the terrorist entrepreneur. Alex was almost certain Evans was using the club to launder money, and having control of the money would give Evans a certain amount of power in the cells.
These were either jihadist terrorists or they worked for cartels. And every single one of them was looking at Eve.
He sat down, tugging her into his lap. He wanted her on the floor, safely at his feet where they couldn’t see her, but he needed her expertise more than he needed her hidden away. That was what the old Alex did. Damn, but she’d gotten to him that night on the balcony. He’d been thinking about his actions all week.
Had he turned away from her? Had it been easier to focus on Evans than to try to deal with what had happened to them?
And it had happened to them. He’d spent too many years not acknowledging that they were truly in this together. Eve had been the victim and Alex the man who had failed her, but sometime that night, as he held her close and felt her breath on his skin, he’d discovered something important.
They had to survive this together or neither could really survive it at all. Eve was right that they needed to move on, but she was wrong about how they should do it.
She thought he needed someone whole? He couldn’t be whole without her.
And that meant allowing her to be the partner she needed to be.
He pulled her into his lap and she immediately responded, allowing her head to find his chest.
The door to the kitchens opened and Sean walked through carrying a plate, followed by several young men who looked like they’d been forced into proper serving attire. Sean had spent his time getting the kitchen staff in order. They were running like a well-oiled machine.
“This is promising,” one of the Middle Eastern men said. “The last time I was here, your cook was horrible. If you intend to entertain my associates, you have to be better.”
Sean was wearing a perfectly pristine white chef’s jacket. “Today’s luncheon starts with lobster ceviche. There’s a beet and endive salad. Our main course is a rubbed rack of lamb with a celery puree. Enjoy.”
Kristen walked by, opening a bottle of wine. “I am the bar manager and sommelier for the club. Hopefully for the clubs. I believe you will find this first offering pairs nicely with the lobster.”
Kristen was wearing a black jacket that she seemed to be having a bit of trouble with. She subtlety pulled the sleeves down a couple of times as though they kept riding up and she was trying to maintain a professional air.
She was taking pictures. One of the buttons on her jacket was a camera.
Adam would have some work to do tonight.
She stopped when she got to Jake, and her face tightened. Fuck. He had hoped that she wouldn’t recognize him, but apparently she’d really done her homework. She finished her job and nodded as she walked off, not sparing him another glance.
He knew an angry woman when he saw one.
Jesse Murdoch looked down at his lunch like he’d hoped for fries and a burger.
One of the investors turned to Murdoch. “You were a soldier, correct? I remember your face.”
Alex felt Eve tense. He cuddled her closer. She was interested in a reaction. He could feel it. He shifted her so she could see the younger man whose face had flushed immediately. He wasn’t particularly good at hiding his reactions.
“I did my time,” Jesse said in a hard voice.
The man next to him smiled, a smooth, practiced expression. “Yes, I rather thought that was you. I shouldn’t be too surprised to see you here. Smart man. You picked the right side.”
Jesse took a sharp breath and then slammed out of his seat, his chair barking across the floor. “I’m not hungry. I’ll be on the door outside.”
Jake snorted a little as the door slammed. “He’s a pistol, that one.”
Chazz frowned. “He can be a hothead, but he’s proven to be a loyal soldier.”
Eve was staring at the door, her brown eyes curious. She was interested in the young dumbass in an intellectual way. That made Alex interested as well. Was there something to the kid that he was missing?
“I believe our mutual friend would find him intriguing. You know how he loves to corrupt Americans,” a second man said.
Now Alex’s attention was focused. He maintained a quiet air, paying attention to Eve, feeding her soup as he took his own, but he was all about the mutual friend.
Chazz proved just how reckless he was. “Yeah, Mikey is going to love Jesse. He’s a little too soft on the pussy though. We need to teach that boy how to handle his scene. Master A should be able to do that. I think Master A could be good for all my men. He’ll get the women in line before the big boss shows up.”
Oh, he so wanted to meet the big boss. His heart beat a little faster. Evans was coming and soon. He needed that date. He needed to know where and when.