9. Levi
Chapter 9
Levi
"I was wondering when you were gonna show."
Carter slaps me on the back as I take the empty seat next to him.
"Yeah, well, you can thank King for giving me a new headache du jour," I say, popping open a can of soda.
"What's going on with King?" Carter asks, flicking his wrist and sending a red chip spinning across the table just for the hell of it.
"Oh, you haven’t heard? Brody King, Captain of the universe, is a daddy!"
Benji appears with a tray of shots like he’s hosting happy hour.
"No shit!" Carter laughs, already riffling the deck like a pro, fingers dancing across the cards. “Who’d he knock up?”
Bar music seeps in from the other side of the old stone wall, some old-school rock anthem no one’s listening to.
Kim steps into our private room, shrugging off her jacket. Joey trails behind, shutting the door with a click.
Last I saw them before leaving the garage, Sienna was making a list of all the skills they’ve all mastered to get an understanding of who to schedule for what.
"Your new assistant’s really something," Joey announces, sliding into one of the empty seats. “Very thorough.”
Kim drapes her jacket over the back of her chair. “She's alright.”
"Hey," Carter cuts in. "My brother was just telling us the tea on King's baby."
He sends cards whizzing across the table as he begins to deal.
"Uh... okay," Kim says confused.
Benji snorts.
“She ain’t a baby, I’ll tell you that much.”
"You’ve met her?" Carter pauses mid-deal, the card in his hand freezing.
"Of course, man. She’s basically running the shop,” Benji says.
Carter turns to me, raising an eyebrow.
“You’re letting a kid run the shop?”
“She’s almost twenty,” I say, knowing how thin that argument sounds. “And she’s not running the shop. I am. She’s just… assisting.”
I stack a few chips just to have something to do with my hands.
“Yeah, and she’s—” Joey licks his finger and touches his hip with a dramatic sizzle. “Hot.”
Kim rolls her eyes and Carter stops dealing completely and stares at me.
“Wait… this isn’t the girl from Halloween, is it?. The one who slashed Jeremy Briggs’ Audi tires?”
I don’t answer.
Carter laughs, tossing his cards on the table.
“Oh shit. She is hot.”
“Enough,” I snap. “She’s Brody’s daughter.”
“Good for King. Her mom must be a smoke show,” Carter says, unbothered, as he starts dealing again.
“That’s what I said,” Joey adds with a grin.
Neither of them have any idea about the girl in question or that she no longer has a mom.
“I said enough.” I glance around the table. “We playing poker or chatting like the local book club?”
“I happen to love the local book club,” Benji says, setting down the tray of rum shots. “This month, they’re reading a steamy little pirate number written by someone from the island.”
Kim perks up. “A local?”
“A local,” he confirms, nodding like it’s a secret worth keeping.
He slides everyone but me a shot.
Carter smirks. “Think she’s one of King’s past conquests too? This author?”
“Wouldn’t put it past him. The man might have a limp but it just gives him more swag.”
Joey rises.
“To Brody King, and his swagger that never quits,” Carter lifts his shot and the rest of the crew clink theirs before hitting the table and shooting them back.
Joey gets up, after slamming his empty glass down.
“I’m grabbing a beer. Anyone want anything?”
I shake my head, muttering, “Playing poker with this crew is like herding wild ferrets that had too much to drink.”
“Wild drunk ferrets are the best kind of ferrets,” Joey says, tipping his ballcap. “So I’ll take that as a no?”
“No.” I motion to my soda, then flick a loose chip toward the pot.
Joey grins. “That’s right. Sober Steele. How about you, drunkard Steele?”
Carter salutes. “I’ll never turn down a hoppy beverage.”
“Aye aye, Captain,” Joey says, and slips out.
"Is he even legal yet?" I utter to Benji, now sitting next to me.
"Turned twenty-two this summer," Benji says. “But don’t worry. I’ve got my eye on him.”
"Good.”
I glance at the cards in front of me. Wouldn’t want any of my guys caught on these streets driving under the influence.
I’ve already had to experience what that’s like with my own son. Speaking of…
"Anybody seen Theo?"
The silence is loud. No one meets my eyes.
Of course, they haven’t. Because Theo Steele is hardly around anymore, not since he fell in with the crowd at the tattoo studio he now works for.
The same crew that convinced him to cover his body in ink and drive under the influence.
"He'll come around," Benji offers.
"Mmhmm."
I really could do without their pity. Theo has been my everything since my ex-wife told me she was pregnant nineteen years ago. I've lived a lot of life since then.
But getting the news that I was going to be a father. That was the best news of my life. That news sobered me up, launched me into the service, and led me to Brody, this island, this shop.
Everything.
Now the kid won’t even answer my texts.
The door creaks open again. Joey’s grinning. “You won’t believe who I found outside!”
And just like that, my stomach drops.
“Hey everyone,” Sienna says, stepping into the room like she owns it. Her little black skirt flutters just above tall boots that hug every inch of her legs.
She looks lethal.
Why does she have to be here? Of all places.
She's already shown up at my shop. At Brody's house. Now at Rusty's Tavern? Is there a place on this island where I can go and not run into Brody's daughter?
The crew all greet her and Carter stands, all charm and swagger.
“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced,” he says, extending his hand. “I’m Carter. Levi’s younger—and much, much cooler—brother.”
She takes it with a smile. “Oh, really?”
"At least that's what I'm told," Carter says with a wink. I could actually strangle him for how obnoxious he is.
“By who? Your reflection?” Kim mutters, not looking up from her hand.
“Many people, Kick,” Carter says. “Many people.”
As if she senses my reluctance to look her way, Sienna says, "Hi, Levi."
I nod, terse. The chip in my palm digs into my skin as I knock the table twice.
“All right. We playing or what?”
“Shall I deal you in?” Carter asks her.
She lifts her hands, palms out. “Oh, I don’t play.”
“Neither did any of these bozos ’til I taught them,” Benji says, gesturing around. “Now they fleece me every damn Friday.”
“Savage,” Sienna grins. “But I’m actually meeting someone.”
I stiffen.
Meeting someone? That’s why she looks like a walking fantasy. She’s got a date.
Of course she’s got a date.
She's young and beautiful and probably already has half this island wrapped around her pretty little finger judging by how quickly my crew has welcomed her into the fold.
A date.
Not that I care. I definitely don't.
"Hot date?" Kim asks the question I don’t dare to voice out loud.
Sienna shrugs. "More like a strategy meeting."
"You're working, kid?" Benji says. "See, Steele? Told ya she'd be a good one."
"I'm not paying you after hours," I say, not looking up.
“I don’t expect you to, boss.” Her voice is calm, but the barb’s there. I feel it under my skin. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do, so… you guys enjoy your little game.”
Little game.
I don't miss the insinuation in her tone. That I'm somehow irresponsible because I'm choosing to play while she works.
"See you tomorrow, Ms. Riley. Don’t be late," I growl out.
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Levi .”
She heads for the door, and just before it shuts, her voice carries back.
“Theo! You made it.”
The door slams, and everyone at the table goes still.
Theo? My Theo?
Why the hell is she meeting with him ?
Benji coughs, clearing his throat. “Boss… you’re up first.”
I blink down at my cards. A decent hand. There's potential.
I shove a stack of chips into the pot and try to shove all thoughts of the girl currently meeting with my son out of my mind.
“Let’s play.”