Lift You Up (Rivers Brothers 1)

"Well," Savvy said, trying to hold back a smile by pressing her lips together. "Ah, he looks good in - and out - of everything."

"This sweet, animal-loving, devoted girlfriend thing isn't an act, is it? You're really this cute?" she asked, shaking her head. "Such a shame."

"That she can't convince you to give up your nice little life to work for her, she means," another man informed us, walking up. Tall, lean, bald, black, wearing a navy suit on the tight side with a crisp white shirt underneath. "Faye here prides herself on snatching up the real deals. If her table talk is anything to go by, guys eat that sweet shit up. Me, I tend to go for the ice queen thing," he said pointedly, casting a sly look toward Faye.

"I'd crush you and you know it, Aero."

"Oh, but I would enjoy every second of it," he told her, white teeth flashing. "Did I hear right? You're here because Eamon is apologizing to you?"

"Where is he?" Savea asked, voice dropping like it was some kind of secret.

"He likes to make an entrance," Faye supplied, rolling her eyes a bit. "As though we all haven't gotten to ogle over him several times before."

"Was he a model? I heard he was a model," Savea asked.

"He's been a great many things," another voice joined, a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. British or South African. Which said that even if he had been a gutter kid in Pakistan like the other rumor implied, he had somehow found a way to travel around in his life.

I knew it was him before I turned even though he hadn't spoken to me when he'd dropped off the chip.

"Oh, wow," Savea whispered.

Maybe some men would be offended. Lesser men would feel intimidated. But, well, I knew her eyes were for me. And, quite frankly, Eamon Awan warranted that response when first seeing him.

So I just shot her a smile when she turned her head up guiltily.

"Eamon," I greeted him, inclining my chin.

"Kingston," he said, gaze holding mine for a moment before going to Savvy. "Savea. Can I get you a drink?" he asked.

"Oh, I, ah, I, I don't hold my liquor well."

"Oh, stop," Faye demanded with a sigh. "You're just making it worse."

"We've talked about you trying to secure talent at my club, Faye," Eamon told her with an indulgent smirk like he had a sweet spot for her.

"Look at her skin, though," Faye said, shaking her head. "Come on. Someone lose gracefully to me. A couple grand might take the sting away."

With that, she, Richard, Aero, and the other woman, red-headed, older, more standoffish, walked over toward the table where a dealer was already waiting with cards still in plastic.

"I heard you found an interesting way to make Harry learn," Eamon told me, turning to make his way toward the bar, leaving us to follow behind.

"After seeing the group here, I'm surprised he was allowed to keep coming."

Eamon's shoulders shrugged as he tapped the bar with two fingers. "Harry is like that skinny dog that hangs around the dumpster. The people here aren't exactly philanthropic, but they felt bad enough to throw him scraps. Besides," he said, passing Savvy a drink with a wink even though she'd told him she didn't drink much. "No one will judge you if you get silly. Though," he went on, passing me a drink with a smirk, "you better keep an eye on her if that happens. Faye might just sneak off with her. Anyway, Harry was actually a pretty decent player. Everyone else is better, but he was good enough not to lose his shirt considering how high the pots can get here at times. Going to the Mallicks was an interesting move."

"They get the job done without hurting innocents in the process," I told him, not caring how pointed I was being.

I expected an apology.

That was the correct response to the situation.

But it was also a show of weakness.

And, I was getting the feeling, Eamon Awan was the kind of man who showed absolutely no weaknesses.

"Business is business. But there can be some regrets. Enjoy your evening," he offered, toasting Savea with his glass before moving away, disappearing completely in seconds.

"No way is Peyton going to believe me about him," Savvy said, shaking her head, moving to stand in front of me to keep eye-contact.

"He's definitely interesting."

"I'm sorry I wowed," she told me, rolling her eyes at herself.

"There's gonna be men you're gonna wow at, Savvs. I know it doesn't mean anything."

"I was just surprised," she insisted, moving closer, hand toying with my belt.

"You got possessive around Faye."

"She was eye-banging you," she insisted, eyes getting a little small.

"She was eye-banging you too."

"In a platonic way," she told me. "I'd make a terrible escort," she added, cringing.