When He's Dirty (Walker Security Adrian’s Trilogy #1) - Lisa Renee Jones Page 0,58
I imagined his withdrawal outside. “Ready to meet the team?” he asks.
“Ready to run away to somewhere with fall leaves, cool temperatures, and hot cocoa.”
“I know a spot,” he promises. “I can make that happen. Soon.”
I warm with the promise that radiates from his words and reaches his brown eyes. “Not soon enough,” I murmur, but already Adam is motioning us forward.
With Adam in the lead, we track a path through the heavy wooden tables and walls lined with booths, and then up a set of wooden stairs. I glance down at the room below as we travel up, and I’m not oblivious to the fact that this is a planned seating arrangement. From what I can tell, from the balcony area above, we can see anyone coming or going. Once we’re on the upper landing, my suspicions seem confirmed, as there are about eight tables, but only one, the long one by the railing, is occupied, and with three big men.
Soon, we’re joining them, and all three men are on their feet and I’m introduced to Savage, Lucifer, and Jacob. My first impression is that they could not be more unalike. Savage is a huge guy, about six five-ish and solid muscle with a scar down his face. Lucifer reads a bit like a blond, tatted-up rock god persona, and Jacob comes off as straight, clean-cut military. We sit, me and Adrian at the end of the table, with Savage at the opposite end, while Jacob and Lucifer are to my right. I note the fact that on the inner side of the table, I’m the only one who doesn’t have a full bird’s eye view of the lower level. Right now, though, I’m focused on Savage. “Who’s watching Ed?”
“Dude named Dexter.” He hitches back in his chair. “He reckons himself—I talk Texan because I am Texan—he reckons himself a killer.” He smirks as if that’s amusing, but not in a way the rest of us understand.
“Dexter, Lucifer, and Savage all in the house on this one,” Lucifer chimes in. “What could go wrong?”
“Right,” I say, a tightening in my chest. “What could go wrong?”
Adrian squeezes my leg. “Everything for the bad guys,” he assures me.
“Got that right,” Lucifer agrees.
The waitress appears at our table and Savage grabs the basket of bread and lifts it. “We’re going to need about five more of these.” He grins up at her. “There’s a big-ass tip in it for you.” She laughs and gives him flirty eyes that he doesn’t seem to notice because he’s now looking at me. “Really nice to meet the lady that tickles Adrian right under the chin in the right spot and gets him warm all over.”
I groan and cover my face with my hand. Adrian grabs it and kisses it, his eyes brimming with mischief. “Told you he’s crazy, but you do tickle me in all the right places.”
My lips curve. “Really?”
“And apparently,” Savage says, “you even put up with his bad jokes. Or has he kept those to himself? Because, man, Adrian, you have to be real with her. Put that bad joke baggage out there. Let it shine.”
Lucifer snorts. “Adrian can’t help himself. I’ll bet you a hundred bucks she’s heard his jokes.“
“You win,” Adam says. “He hasn’t kept them to himself.”
Jacob smirks slightly and butters his bread. He’s the quiet type, I decide, but in this crowd, someone has to be.
“All right then,” Adrian says. “You all asked for it.” He pretends to roll up his non-existent sleeves. “Since we have a prosecutor in the house, a joke for her. Did you hear about the two thieves who stole a calendar?”
I laugh. “No, I did not. What happened?”
“They each got six months,” he says.
Jacob sets his bread down. “You get worse every day, man.”
I laugh yet again and ease into the table banter that follows, ordering, and enjoying a delicious bowl of macaroni and cheese while Adrian and the rest of the guys all eat burgers. Savage’s is disgustingly rare and my disgust amuses him. It’s a good lunch, and if Adrian wanted me to feel support, I do feel that and more. I feel like I’m a part of a team that’s come together to take down Waters once and for all.
When the plates are clear, Adrian focuses on me, and so does the table. “Let’s talk about the strategy and structure,” he says. “You’ve met everyone, but here’s how they fit into the big picture. Jacob’s cool under pressure and