CHAPTER TWELVE

Baja—

Evelyn strolls over and joins Lola, Memphis and I at the bar, but it's me she pins with her eyes.

"She's a nice girl, Baja. I like her. Don't fuck this up."

The corner of my mouth curves. Maybe because her giving me orders is cute, but I think it's because I'm glad she likes Elaina. It makes me happy the girls approve of her.

"There's nothing to fuck up, sweetheart. She's my brother's girl."

"Not anymore, way I hear it."

"She hasn't decided anything yet. Besides, I think she's a little too high class for the likes of me."

"Maybe you should take her some place nice," Lola suggests. "And by the way, we're stealing her for a girl's day on Friday."

I chuckle. "Yes, ma'am. What are you going to do with her?"

"That's none of your business." She grins and walks toward Rock at the end of the bar.

"Guess she told you," Memphis mutters, taking his son out of my arms. "Maybe you should go get your girl before they tell her all about you."

That has me straightening. There's a lot they could tell. "She's not my girl." I hear his laughter behind me as I head to get Elaina.

"Sure, she's not, brother. Keep tellin' yourself that."

I snag Elaina's hand. "Come on. Let's play pool."

"Pool?" She trails behind me. "I don't know how to play."

"I'll teach you." There are a couple prospects playing, but I run them off quick enough with just a word. "Scram."

They drop their cues on the table and walk away while I rack a new game. When I'm done, I explain the rudimentary rules of 8-ball. "Got it?"

"I think so. Am I stripes or solids?"

"Depends what you sink when you break."

"Oh."

"You can go first," I offer.

She leans and makes the break shot, sinking the two-ball.

"Guess you're solids," I say with a grin and nod to the table. "Keep going."

She sinks another easy shot, then gets the cue-ball in a predicament. She bites her plump bottom lip, and I can't take my eyes off her. She bends to make a shot, and her cute ass is aimed directly at me. Moving the cue back, she peers over her shoulder and catches me checking out her ass. I glance up to see one brow cocked, and I smile.

"Want some help with that? It's a tricky shot."

"Sure, if you're offering."

I lean and wrap around her, my left hand guiding hers on the felt, changing the position of her right hand and the angle of the cue. Then I whisper in her ear. "Hit it gentle, now."

I back off, and she makes the shot, then turns and bounces on her feet.

"I did it."

"You did. Keep going."

She scratches on the next shot, and I run the table on her. I don't know if she was expecting me to let her win, but she seems to admire my skills.

"You're really good at this, huh?"

"I've had a lot of practice."

She eyes the electronic dart board in the corner. "What about that?"

"You want to play?"

"Sure."

It doesn't take me long to figure out she's played before. "The girl's got skills. I'm impressed. Where'd you learn darts?"

"College. Seemed like every bar on campus had one of these."

"You play for money?"

"No, of course not."

"Beer?"

She grins. "Maybe."

"A-ha. I knew it."

"You know nothing." She gives me a sassy smile.

No, but I want to. I want to know everything about this girl. And I don't want to be apart from her. Even being across the clubhouse in plain sight of her was killing me. She's quickly becoming an obsession, and I know it. I'm just not sure how to handle it.

My eyes flick across the room, and I catch the girls watching us with knowing smiles.

Elaina asks where the bathroom is. I point her in the right direction, and Trez wanders over.

"You see who's watching you two?" His grin makes me want to punch him.

"Yeah. Christ. That can't be good."

He chuckles. "Never good to have the ol' ladies all up in your shit."

"I can only imagine what they're going to fill her head with when they take her out. Makes me want to sabotage their day… Not because I don't want Elaina to befriend them. I do."

"Right."

"Okay, maybe I'm a selfish jerk, but I don't want them fucking up whatever this is before I can figure out whatever it is."

Trez lifts a brow. "Do you hear yourself right now?"

"I sound like a rambling idiot."

"Well, you got the idiot part right."

"Shut up. You were just as bad with Isabella."

"I was not."

"Want me to take a vote?" I emit a sharp whistle, and he knows I'll do it.

"Fucking stop it. Fine, maybe I was."

"Look, Elaina's life is in Denver. This is just a…" I trail off; I don't know what this is.

"A what, brother?"

"I don't know. A time out," I fumble for the words.

"A time out?" He nods. "Sure. If that's what you want to call it. But let me give you a piece of advice. Make the most of it. You're only gonna get one shot, Baja. Once she's gone, she's gone."

His words sink in, but in my head, I've got a lot of reasons piled up that give me pause. "Trez, I've said it for years—I don't want or need another long-term relationship, and the reasons for that haven't changed."

His face sobers. He knows everything I've been through. He knows the guilt and the devastation I've lived with for years.

Of all my brothers, only he knows how much it's affected me.

"You've built that wall high, brother," he murmurs.

Don't I know it. I've had to. When I don't answer, I feel his hand on my shoulder. I shake my head. "I don't think I'd survive that again, Trez."

"Nothing says it'll happen again."

"Can you guarantee that?" I snap. We both know he can't. No one can.