“She’s okay but Puk needs to get there. He’s outside waiting. He’s a mess, man.”
“Let’s go,” Wilson said, stopping Reese when she went to follow. “It’s okay, Noble. You hang around. We’ve got a little time between now and the playoffs, and me and Pérez, we’ll be back.” He looked to the end of the bar, frowning when he found it empty, then Wilson watched her. “Take
care of…everyone and try to enjoy yourself tonight. You earned it.”
BAKER NEEDED AN UBER, and Reese waited with him, deflecting the big man’s winks and slow, drunk smiles that she knew meant something he was most definitely not up for.
“I could do it, you know…all’s I’m sayings…”
“I’m sure you could, on a good day, with the right woman.”
“Aw, Noble, you’d like it.”
“What exactly would you like?” Reese heard, staring up at Ryder when he leaned against the lobby door. Baker swayed in his chair, holding onto the velvet fabric of the tufted seat like he was afraid if he stopped touching that material, he’d fall from the face of the earth.
“Skyrim,” Reese told him, twisting her head when he laughed. “What?”
“Come on, Reesie,” Ryder said, stepping into the lobby all the way. “Big guy like that. Saving your ass on the field. Talking about you liking it…”
“See, Glenn,” she said, laughing when Ryder flared his nostrils. He always hated it when she called him by his last name. She did it anyway. “That’s your problem. You think everybody thinks like you, and trust me, thank God, that’s just not the case.”
“They do,” he said, standing next to her, then grabbing for Baker when he began to tip over. Together Reese and Ryder straightened the big man, avoiding the loud, smelly burp he released before he tilted his head back. “They just don’t know it.”
“We’ll just have to agree to disagree,” she told him, head shaking when Baker started to snore. She adjusted his shirt, fussing over his jacket, making sure his wallet was still inside it and then turned, noticing the way Ryder watched her, how his expression was soft, his mouth lifting at the side as though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to smile. “What?” she asked him.
Ryder shook his head, a slow movement that showed him to be impressed, but not surprised. “You are just amazing.” Reese’s mouth dipped down, and she felt the quick, hot rush of heat on her cheeks and up her chest. “And now she blushes.”
“Shut up,” she said, looking out of the front window in an attempt to ignore his compliment.
“You were fearless out there tonight. Such a fucking champion.”
Reese looked away from the damp street in front of the club, surprised when Ryder took her hand. “What are you…”
“I just…”
“I saw Greer earlier, Ry.” She pulled her hand away, curling it behind her waist. “Not my style to mess with something that isn’t mine.”
This time Ryder was the one shocked speechless. He moved to her, eyes darker somehow, his expression a little severe. “Let’s be real here, Reesie. If I belong to anyone in this world, you know it’s you.”
Reese meant to respond, tell him that he needed to back away, that his words wouldn’t work, not as long as Greer was around, following Ryder around the club, shooting long, angry looks at Reese all night. It didn’t matter that Ryder thought he only belonged to Reese. Greer believed he was hers.
“Mama…ow…” Baker said, jerking to a sitting position as his cell phone chirped.
Reese laughed, nodding at the man, and Ryder approached, easing his phone from his pocket. “His Uber is here. I’ll get him out.”
Reese tried not to laugh at the way Ryder struggled to get Baker into the back seat of a PT Cruiser. He occasionally threw her a desperate look, making Reese cackle with laughter, but when Baker needed a second to puke, Ryder motioned to the side of the building, catching Reese’s nod before he escorted Baker away from his Uber.
“He’s a nice guy,” Greer said, walking into the lobby. There were two women near the front desk who walked back into the club when Greer glared at them. Reese got it. She was in control. She ran things. So noted.
The air in the small room went cold just then, as though something dark and looming was on the warpath. Reese figured this was a predator/prey situation and she doubted Greer had ever been anyone’s prey.