Page 54
Ryan leaned closer. “He’s worse.”
“You’re only noticing because you don’t see them every week.”
“That was his fifth public display of ownership in twenty minutes.”
“You started counting?”
“Against my will.”
“You threatened Lyric for speaking to me.”
“I corrected Lyric.”
“You gave a full summary of her crimes.”
“She had several.”
“You sounded prepared to contact management.”
“I was escalating responsibly.”
The vodka nearly went up my nose when I laughed. Ryan caught the base of my glass before it tipped, his hand closing over mine long enough to steady it.
Our eyes met.
His fingers remained against mine for one beat longer than necessary before he released me and leaned back.
Neither of us commented.
The bartender offered us another round of mezcal after overhearing Briggs complain that he’d missed the first one. Ryan ordered six shots. Bliss objected because she had final wedding decisions to approve after dinner, but accepted one when Cade assured her she made most decisions more confidently after tequila.
“This isn’t tequila,” Ryan said as the bartender lined up the glasses.
Bliss looked at him. “Will it still make me confident?”
“It’ll make you loud.”
“I’m already loud.”
“Then it might make you fluent in Briggs.”
“No substance has been approved for that,” Rider said.
Briggs placed one arm around his shoulders. “You understand me where it matters.”
“I understand you need to move.”
The shots reached us. Ryan slid mine across the bar, and I accepted it without pretending the first hadn’t burned.
Aura lifted hers. “What are we drinking to?”
“Bliss and Cade,” Briggs said immediately.
Bliss’s expression softened.
“Getting through the wedding without an arrest,” Easton added.
“That feels targeted,” Briggs told him.
