Risk It All (Golden Falls #3)

Prologue

LEO

Four years ago

The dark-haired woman floated behind the bar, expertly making drinks, taking orders, and talking to customers. She made the balancing act look effortless—like it was second nature.

As she reached to tie her hair back, her cropped T-shirt rose ever so slightly, showing off a sliver of her toned stomach.

The bartender grabbed the three drinks she’d been making and leaned over to set them on the bar, saying something with a smile to the group of women who’d ordered them.

One of them must’ve mentioned her tattoos, because she grinned and pointed to her arm, which had line tattoos scattered up it.

From here, it looked like a vine with flowers wrapped around, along with tattoos I couldn’t make out from here.

She pointed to an empty space, talking animatedly.

Maybe she was telling them what she was going to get next.

I brought my beer to my lips, taking a long swig from the bottle. I didn’t know what it was, but I couldn’t look away. And I wasn’t alone. Nearly everyone’s attention at the bar was glued to her, completely under her spell.

She was utterly captivating. And it wasn’t just that she was beautiful—painfully so—there was an energy, a fire, that radiated off her.

“Hey, sorry,” my younger brother Colin said, snapping me out of my daze. The stool screeched against the scuffed floor as he sat. “Had to take a piss.”

I huffed a laugh. “Classy.”

“What else was I supposed to say?” He shrugged, a boyish grin on his face that made him look younger—or maybe that was because I’d always think of him as my little brother. I couldn’t believe he’d just turned twenty-one, or that he was going to graduate from college next year.

The two of us were out tonight to celebrate his birthday before his big party with friends tomorrow. I loved my brother, but you couldn’t pay me enough to go to a college house party. The college bar we were in was pushing it, but I was here because this was where he’d wanted to go.

We’d never been particularly close, but I hoped we could be, especially since there were only two hours between us with me living in Chicago and him in Madison.

Now that we were older, I hoped our relationship would shift from brothers to friends.

Growing up, I’d shouldered some of the responsibility to look out for him so our mom didn’t have to do it alone after our parents divorced. With eight years between us, taking that on came naturally. We’d live with our mom in Wisconsin most of the year and spent summers with our dad in California.

Colin was five when they divorced, so the dynamic of them not being together was all he knew. He didn’t remember the arguing, the slammed doors, the nights Dad stayed somewhere else. That was for the best, but it also meant Colin had a different relationship with our parents, especially our dad.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to be surprised we were brothers, because we couldn’t look more different.

Colin was clean-cut with polos and button-downs, while I preferred to let my facial hair grow out, had my arms covered in tattoos, and didn’t think there was enough money in the world to get me to wear a polo.

Colin had taken after our dad with his blond hair, while I’d inherited Mom’s darker hair.

“What’s got your attention?” Colin asked, finishing off his drink and chewing on a few pieces of ice.

Without me realizing it, my eyes had drifted back to the bartender. I shrugged casually, looking back at my brother. Colin’s brow was furrowed, and his gaze shifted from me to the bartender and then back to me, his mind turning about something.

After a beat, he let out a low whistle. “Damn, she’s fucking hot. You gonna make a move?”

I shook my head with a grunt, finishing off my beer. “I’m a twenty-nine-year-old in a college bar. I think that question answers itself.” I already felt like a fucking creep over how I hadn’t been able to look away.

And even if I did go up there, what would happen?

I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. There wasn’t anything wrong with it—I simply preferred a longer-term relationship.

Although, maybe casual would’ve been easier with my job.

Being a line cook consisted of unpredictable hours and late nights, which didn’t allow me to give a relationship my full attention… as made clear by my most recent ex.

The moment my words hit, the corner of Colin’s mouth kicked up in a smirk. “Suit yourself,” he said, licking his lips. “I’m gonna get another around—and shoot my shot.” He grabbed our empty bottles and gave me a sly look before sauntering to the bar.

I let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over my stubbled jaw. Something told me he wouldn’t be coming back any time soon.

While I waited for my brother, I pulled my phone out of my pocket to review my schedule for the week.

As much as I enjoyed working as a line cook, I couldn’t wait for the day I’d climb the ranks to head chef and lead a restaurant.

Create my own menus. Build my own team. That’s what made the long hours worth it.

A text popped up at the top of my screen.

Colin: You good if we split for tonight? I’m gonna wait another hour for Eliza’s shift to wrap up, but you don’t have to stick around.

Colin: Had fun hanging with you.

I looked over at my brother, who was leaning against the bar and had slipped his phone into his back pocket. Even though he likely wouldn’t see it until later, I typed out a reply.

Me: Yeah, no problem. It was nice to see you. Happy birthday.

I grabbed my coat and made my way to the exit, but I hesitated before pushing the door open.

Against my better judgment, I looked over my shoulder, allowing myself one more look at the beautiful bartender.

She grabbed another beer—the same one my brother had been drinking—and set the bottle in front of him before leaning over the bar.

A flicker of something like disappointment caught me off guard as they got lost in conversation.

I shook my head, snapping out of my thoughts, and followed through with leaving. I stepped outside, immediately met with the glowing state Capitol building against the dark sky.

While my Chicago apartment was only two hours away, I’d gotten a hotel for the night, unsure how long we’d be out or how many drinks we’d have.

Turned out, only one beer.

I could go back to the hotel and call it an early night—I needed the sleep. Or…I could pop into one of the many restaurants still open.

Easy decision.

This night called for some damn good food.