Cassidy
WE ARRIVED IN the common room to find Maverick playing pool with Hawk, Booker, and Lily. "Mom!" he called. "I’m winning."
"Wow, kiddo, that’s aweso." I grinned and made my way to him. I cocked my head and asked Hawk and Booker, "You’re not turning my kid into a shark, are you?"
Hawk chuckled, and Booker shrugged.
"I can’t be a shark, Mom," Maverick said. "I’m a human, but did you know that sharks have to keep swimming or they die?"
"I think I heard that sowhere."
His eyes went to Carter, as though just noticing him, and they widened before tugging on my hand. I leaned down and he whispered in my ear (loudly), "That looks like Uncle Carter."
"That’s because it is." I smiled and straightened. "Maverick, et Carter."
Carter hunkered down beside him, which was good, since he was four tis the size of Mav. "Hey, buddy. Your mom’s told so much about you."
Maverick stuck his hand out and shook Carter’s hand, just the way I’d taught him, and I had an imdiate mont of pride in my son.
"I’ve seen your pictures and my middle na is Carter," Maverick said. "Are you really a pilot?"
"I was. I don’t get to do it as much as I’d like to anymore, but yes, I still fly."
"That’s okay," Maverick said. "Mom doesn’t dance as much as she’d like to anymore, except when she’s dancing with Kevin, but sotis she dances in our living room. Maybe you could do that too."
I bit back a giggle at my son, the encourager, trying to help Carter find a way to do what he loved.
"It’s your turn, Maverick," Lily said. Her little voice incredibly sweet and adorable. I wondered if I should talk to Payton about a marriage contract.
"Thanks, Lily," he said, and chalked his cue like a professional.
Carter stood close to , his front touching my back as we watched Maverick try to maneuver a stick taller than him on a table he could barely reach.
"Who’s Kevin?" he whispered.
"A friend."
"A dancer."
I smiled as Maverick set up his shot. "Yeah. We take a ballet class together a couple of tis a month."
I felt Carter relax. "So, he’s gay."
I snorted. "Not even close."
Carter’s body locked again, but before he could say anything further we heard a feminine voice call, "Ace?"
He and I turned as one to see the woman he’d been making out with earlier standing next to one of the sofas.
"Yeah, Lis?" he said, his voice sowhat irritated.
"Can we talk?" she asked.
"Be nice," I whispered, and turned back to the pool ga.
"Yeah," he said, and walked away.
Ace
I didn’t want to talk to Lisa. I wanted to stay and watch the ga with Cassidy, but I supposed I owed Lisa so kind of explanation.
Following her down the hall and into one of the eting rooms, I closed the door behind us and leaned against it. "What’s up?"
"What do you an, ’what’s up’?" she snapped. "You fucked last night and we had plans today and you fuckin’ blew off."
I frowned. "We’re not exclusive, Lisa."
"I know we’re not exclusive, Ace, but I changed my plans to be here today, and you know it. You better fuckin’ explain why you took off and left without a word, and I swear to God, if it’s about that tiny little bitch out there, you and I are gonna have a problem."
I saw red as I shoved Lisa gently but firmly up against the wall, my hand on her chest. "You ever fuckin’ call her a bitch again, Lisa, you are gonna have a bigger fuckin’ problem than blowin’ you off."
She scowled up at . "Fuck you, Ace."
"No. Never again, Lis. Why don’t you go ahead and fuck off?" I lowered my hand and walked out the door.
"You’re a fuckin’ asshole," Lisa yelled as I made my way back to Cassidy.
It was for , but I refused to waste any more ti... or breath on the whore down the hall. I arrived in the common room to find Cassidy leaning over the pool table, her perfect little ass on display for everyone, and I felt irritation rear its head.
I noticed Train, one of the young recruits, eyeing her and headed to him imdiately. "Look away, Train, or I will fuckin’ remove your eyes from their sockets."
"Sorry, Ace," he grumbled, and walked toward the kitchen.
The recruit taken care of, I turned back to Cassidy, only to find Mack, one of my brothers, leaning over her showing her how to make a shot. Mack typically ran with Booker, but when he wasn’t, he was usually sowhere with a woman... or two. Man-whore would have been a far softer description of the young attorney, and I didn’t want him anywhere near my woman.
"Mack," I ground out.
"Ace." Mack grinned, but didn’t look at or remove himself from Cassidy. Instead, he ran his hand over her arm and repositioned it. "Like this, babe. It’ll put less spin on the ball and you’ll be able to get it in the pocket."
Cassidy pulled her arm back and shot the cue forward, the clack of the white ball hitting a solid, and then her little squeal of victory as the solid slid into the pocket. I went hard at the sound.
"Ohmigod, it worked," she said. "Thanks, Mack."
"Anyti, babe."
"Fuck off, Mack," I hissed.
"Carter!" Cassidy snapped. "Language."
"Yeah, Carter, there are kids around. What’s your problem?" Mack glanced at with a shit-eating grin on his face, still touching Cassidy.
I faced my brother, my back to the kids and mouthed "fuck off" again before inserting myself between Cassidy and Mack, shoving the man out of the way. Mack’s response was to laugh, although, he did put distance between us.
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