“Nah,” said Finn. “We’re just waiting on Colt.”
“Have the new guys shown up yet?” Ryker asked Chase, who was sitting at the head of the table.
“They’re expected in a couple of months,” said Chase. “Charlie and Titus have a few things to finish up.”
Ryker nodded and pulled out a chair. He exchanged a few words with Dex. He wondered what the new guys were like. Charlie Munson and Titus Finch were ex-SEALs who had been recommended by Tex, someone Chase knew from the teams. The Brotherhood was being overrun by frogs, not something he’d ever say out loud. It was a joke between him and Dex.
He heard a voice from the hall, and Colt walked in.
Colt did a chin lift to the guys and sat across from Ryker.
“Sorry I’m late. I promised a client going out of town that he’d have his car ready when he left.” Colt owned a garage and lived in a two-bedroom apartment in town, unlike some of the other guys who lived in the cottages built into the woods around the center.
“No problem.” Chase knocked on the table to get their attention. “Okay then, let’s get this meeting going. I only have a few items to discuss. Then I want to get back to watching TV with my fiancée.”
“Watching TV?” Dex snickered. “Is that what you’re calling it these days?”
“Fuck off.” Chase grinned. “Whatever I call it, I want to finish what I started.”
Watching TV? Yeah, Ryker could get into that—if he had a woman. He shook his head. Sure wasn’t going there. Women were off his dance card for the time being.
He had a lot of work to do on his house and setting up the woodshop. He asked Dex who was more than proficient with computers to build him a website to advertise his finished wood pieces and woodworking services. Ryker wondered now if that was a good idea. He wasn’t shipping big items, and he didn’t want people coming to the house. Fuck, maybe he hadn’t thought that one through.
“So what’s new, Chase?” asked Finn. Finn was the gregarious one in the group. Want a good time? Call Finn. Conversation lagging? Call Finn. Ryker was an introvert like several of the other guys, so it was nice to have that one person who could get a party started.
Ryker got to know Finn when he lived for a time in one of the cabins on the property before he bought his house.
Chase leaned back in his chair. “Quite a bit. Our services are in demand. Referrals are coming in from the shelters in town, former clients, and Tex, who has been a lifesaver.”
“Remind me again who Tex is?” asked Ryker. Tex’s name had been thrown around a lot, but he only knew bits and pieces of the history.
“John ‘Tex’ Keegan lives up north with his family. He’s an ex-SEAL who lost his leg in battle and is a whiz on the computer. He helps the government, other agencies, the SEALs, and his friends out.” Chase tapped his fingers on the table. “I don’t know how he does it, but he has his fingers in many pots.”
Ryker nodded. He looked around the table at the other men. Zach took care of their security systems. He looked like the guy next door. Short, black hair, clean-cut—boyish looks. Almost innocent-looking except for his eyes. However, looks were deceiving. The man was lethal and could probably kill someone with his pinky. Ryker was sure Zach had issues with PTSD. He was sweet on Melissa Doherty, the feisty redhead who trained the dogs at the center. He was sure Zach had no idea that they all knew he liked her.
Colt had that bad-boy vibe going. He let his dirty blond hair grow out, had some scruff on his chin and got some tats. He was a mechanical whiz but didn’t talk about his life much. Ryker knew his parents lived in Georgia. And he had a sister named Isabelle who was always getting into trouble. It had to suck to be him.
“I have a couple of files here for Ryker and Colt to acquaint themselves with.” Chase passed the files around and then looked at the guys. “Finn, Dex, you two will be up next time.”
They both nodded.
“Does anyone have something to report?” asked Chase.
Finn mentioned his last assignment, which went much better than Ryker’s experience with the asshole who wanted to commit his sweet mother.
Dex’s assignment had been guarding a woman moving out of her apartment who was afraid her ex would get wind of it and try to stop her. He didn’t, and the move went smoothly.
“All good news.” Chase pushed his chair back and slapped his hands on the table. “That’s all I have.” He looked at Ryker and Colt. “I don’t have to remind you to destroy the files when you finish reading them.”
“Nope. I’m good,” said Ryker.
“Same,” said Colt.
“Okay then. I’m off. We’ll talk next week,” said Chase. He stood and looked at Finn. “Lock up.”
Ryker spent a few minutes talking to the guys after Chase left. Chase lived on the other side of the campus, so he didn’t have far to go. He’d met Naomi Fields, Chase’s fiancée, a couple of times. She sometimes came in to help in the office or to say hello. He thought she was going to school to get her degree in … something. Good-looking woman, kind of shy, but everyone liked her. Chase had helped her with her problem with a deranged stalker before he arrived, but that issue had been resolved.
He’d also met Joy Maddox. Chase’s sister lived in front of the center and taught school. Her fiancé, Liam McBride, was a cop in town. He liked them both, especially Joy, who was bubbly and easy on the eyes. Not that his eyes were on her; he had a feeling Liam and Chase would beat the shit out of any man who stared at her.
So far, none of the other guys had a special woman. Crap, neither did he.
Ryker knew the guys dated and slept with women, unlike himself. He told himself that he was going through a dry spell, but that was bullshit. Although he’d gone out to drink or play pool several times, none of the women he met turned him on, and he wasn’t so desperate that he wanted to fuck any of them.
Bah, time to leave. Ryker gave a hand wave and got into his truck. His house wasn’t far from the center, and he was home in no time.
The neighborhood was quiet. He noticed lights on in the previously empty house next door, where a woman and a kid lived. She’d said hi to him once, but he had been in a hurry to get to a job. He brushed her off—no big deal.
One thing for sure was that he didn’t need anyone in his life right now or in the foreseeable future. He was done with relationships, trust, and love.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ryker wiped the sweat and sawdust from his brow. He rubbed his hand over the top of the cabinet. Smooth as a baby’s bottom. Not that he ever felt a baby’s bottom, but all his sanding had paid off. His stomach grumbled, and looking at his watch, he realized that he’d been so engrossed in building cabinets that he missed lunch. And dinner.
He walked outside his woodworking shed to a darkening deep-blue sky. Long shadows played in the woods beyond his shed. The air was slightly humid, and a soft wind blew that smelled of pine.
As he entered the kitchen, his big decision was whether to grill something or have food delivered. His stomach growled. Okay then, grilling it was.
The grill was right on the patio. He stopped to light it. It would heat up while he washed. Pulling open the refrigerator door, he saw there was steak or … steak. Perfect. He’d be done eating long before food delivery would come.