Rebel (Wolfes of Manhattan 1)

“I heard your date ask for separate checks.”

“I’m perfectly able to pay for my own dinner, as you well know.”

He smiled. Damn, he was gorgeous. Those green eyes twinkled like no others. He stood, took my arm, and walked me out of earshot of his brothers.

“I’m taking you to dinner tomorrow,” he whispered in my ear. “And we won’t be getting separate checks.”

A warm shudder ran through me. His breath on my ear, his husky voice, his nearness. Everything about him put me on high alert. Everything about him made me want to forget all logic and hop into bed.

Still, I resisted. “I might be busy tomorrow night.”

“Get unbusy.”

My knees weakened. “I might be able to do that.”

“Make it happen.”

A jolt landed between my legs. “Rock, I—”

“Just do it, Lacey.”

I gulped. I was never one to take orders, but everything in me screamed to take this one. To obey him without question. To cancel anything and everything to accommodate his needs, wants, and desires.

“All right, Rock.” I smiled. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Wrong,” he said huskily. “You’ll see me tonight. As soon as I get done with those two bozos.”

“But you—”

He cut me off with a quick kiss to my lips. “I won’t be long.”31Rock“So Dad’s attorney is still your flavor of the week?” Reid said when I returned.

Lacey Ward had me hot and bothered. Damn, I could still smell her. Her fresh fragrance was all over me. For some reason, Reid’s comment irked me. “I’m not you, Reid. I don’t have flavors of the week.”

“Sorry. Flavor of the month, then?” He gestured for the bartender to bring another round.

“No more for me, thanks,” I said.

“We’re not done talking about this,” Roy said. “This has me freaked.”

“I get that,” I said, “but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.”

My brother didn’t look convinced.

And then something dawned on me. Did Roy have anything to do with our father’s murder? No. Not even in the realm of possibility. Roy was an old soul. A gentle soul.

Still, he’d taken the same beatings the rest of us had, and God only knew what had occurred after I’d left at fourteen.

Had Derek Wolfe broken Roy? Had our middle brother gone rogue?

Roy Wolfe was anything but rogue. I’d never believe he had anything to do with Dad’s death. But I had to ask.

“Is there something you’re not telling us, Roy?”

He shook his head as he sipped the last of his drink, not meeting my gaze. “Just the call.”

“If that’s it,” Reid said, “I agree with Rock. We find out what we can, but there’s no reason to go running to the cops or to even be worried.”

“Why me?” Roy asked. “Why didn’t they call one of you?”

“My guess is someone got hold of your private cell number and is playing some dumbass game,” I said.

“Agreed.” Reid nodded.

“I don’t know. I have a weird feeling about it,” Roy said. “I feel like something shady is going on.”

“Something shady probably is going on,” Reid said. “Our dad had a lot of enemies out there. But none of that has anything to do with us.”

“How do you know that for sure?”

“Because the three of us aren’t Dad,” Reid said. “Hell, Rock hasn’t even been here in over a decade. I haven’t made any enemies in business. Well…not any that would resort to murder.”

“But it’s Dad’s business. By extension, you are Dad.” Roy set his glass down and picked up the filled one the barkeep had set in front of him.

“Don’t,” Reid said. “Just don’t. I’m not anything like Dad.”

“I don’t mean it that way,” Roy said. “But you were his righthand man in the company.”

“You’re making me feel pretty shitty right about now, bro,” Reid said. “Besides, if someone’s after me, why did you get the call?”

Roy went pale.

Yeah, he knew something.

Was he involved?

I doubted it. Roy was a good man. But was he hiding something?

Absolutely.

“Look, Roy,” I said. “You need to be straight with us. If there’s something you’re not telling us, we can’t help you.”

“Nothing,” he said again—again not meeting my gaze. “Just the phone call.”

I nodded, though I didn’t believe him. But now was not the time to push. He wasn’t in any immediate danger that I could see, and I had a hot woman waiting for me at her place. “All right. You call me if you need anything. Got it?”

“Me too, bro,” Reid said. “I’m with you, Rock. I have an international conference call in about”—he checked his phone—“an hour, and I need to prepare some stuff. Let’s go. You okay here, Roy?”

He took another sip of his drink. “I’m good.”

“You call,” I said again. “Anytime.”

Roy nodded. Reid and I walked through the tavern and outside.

“What do you think?” Reid asked.

“He’s hiding something,” I said. “I haven’t been around for a while, but he’s still the brother I remember. Quiet and studious, and something’s got him freaked.”