Archer set a firm gaze on him. “You better know what you’re doing.”
The reprimand was expected. The rules had always been clear. No mixing personal and Phoenix business. “She’s moving in a couple weeks,” Rhys said, rising from his seat. “The risk is minimal.”
Kieran snorted a laugh. “Keep trying to convince yourself of that, buddy.”
Rhys ignored the reproach. Right now, his intent was to show Zoey that there was so much more to life than what had been handed to her. She’d told him she couldn’t even go for dinner with a man without having a panic attack. He hoped that this dinner was a step in the right direction. His friends rose to greet Zoey when she sidled up to the table. “Hello, Zoey,” Rhys said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
She smiled at his friends then set those beautiful eyes on him. “Hi,” she said, just to him.
At that sweetness aimed his way, he knew he walked a dangerous line. He liked the warmth of her. A little too much. But as long as he stayed behind that emotional line, the risk was minimal for them both. When he backed away, he said, “Zoey, this is Hunt and Kieran, very good friends of mine, and you already know Archer.”
“Hi, yeah, I do. Nice to meet the rest of you,” she said with the innocent smile he was growing fond of. Until her eyes narrowed a little and awareness came to them, and Rhys fought his laughter. Obviously, she’d recognized Kieran from Lottie’s show and Hunt and Archer from their private show the other night. She quickly looked away, pink-cheeked, then turned to Rhys, clearly needing direction.
He took her hand, bringing her in next to him. Once she sat, he glanced at Kieran and gave a quick nod. Kieran immediately caught on and said, “We got a call out to a lightning strike today.” His friend had always been able to deliver a fantastic icebreaker. Which was exactly why he’d asked his friends here tonight. He hoped Zoey would be at ease, see that this wasn’t a date, and that she was simply joining him and his friends for dinner.
When Zoey visibly relaxed next to him, Rhys explained, “Kieran’s a firefighter.”
“Really?” Zoey said. “That must be exciting work.”
“Sometimes,” Kieran said with a slight shrug. The darkness behind his eyes said not all aspects of the job were good.
Rhys caught the eye of the waiter and gave a flick of his chin. The waiter came over and opened a bottle of white wine, as Rhys had instructed, pouring Zoey a glass from the just-opened bottled. He’d already noticed how she wouldn’t drink at the club, always requesting a can of something unopened.
He asked Kieran, “Was anyone hurt?”
“Thank you,” Zoey said to the waiter when he finished pouring.
Kieran shook his head in clear amazement. “Everyone survived, but how, is anyone’s guess. The lightning hit a tree and traveled through the roots, striking a man who was sitting out in a chair on his lawn. That same tree smashed into the house, crushing the living room. Luckily, the wife had just left the room.”
“Someone was watching out for them,” Hunt breathed.
“Definitely,” Kieran agreed.
“The man was wearing rubber shoes, right?” All eyes turned to Zoey. “That’s what saved his life. The shoes?”
Kieran nodded. “Had he been barefoot, he wouldn’t have survived.”
“Are you ready to order?”
Rhys only then noticed the waiter had returned to their table. He glanced Zoey’s way. “Surf and turf okay for you?”
“Sounds amazing,” she said with bright eyes.
Rhys smiled at her and said to the waiter, “Then, surf and turf it is for the table.”
Thirty minutes later, Rhys leaned back against the bench, sure he couldn’t eat another bite. The platter in the center of the table was empty, the plates wiped clean. However, the more he took stock of Zoey tonight, the more something seemed off about her. She stayed quiet through most of the dinner, her shoulders curled slightly.
As Archer and Hunt talked about the other night’s Mixed Martial Arts fight, Rhys slid a hand on Zoey’s knee. She jumped at the contact, but he kept his hand there. Truthfully, he didn’t know the inner workings of her mind just yet, but he didn’t take her as the type to be so withdrawn. “Is this too much for you tonight?”
“No, no.” She exhaled slowly and gave a small smile. “This is actually really, really nice. It feels good to be out with other people than Hazel and Elise and not losing my shit completely.” She nibbled her lip, obviously weighing the option of telling him more. Delight spread through him when she decided to share. “A woman brought her dog in for a grooming today, but things got weird,” she said.
“Weird, how?” Rhys asked.
She glanced around, obviously wanting to keep the conversation private, then she leaned forward and said quietly, “She told me Jake assaulted her.”
A fork clanged on a plate. Zoey jumped. Rhys didn’t even have to look to know she now had everyone’s attention at the table. He saw the panic in her expression and rushed to explain. “As I’m sure you’ve already figured out, these men are like brothers to me. We share everything, which includes any developments at the club. They knew your story before I truly knew you. Nothing you say and nothing they have already learned will ever leave this table. You can trust them, Zoey.”
She looked each man over one by one then gave a slow nod. “Okay.”