Chapter 34 Logan
LOGAN
It took longer than anticipated, as their legal team insisted on combing through every line item one by one, but the deal is officially closed. Together, BetMasters and Olympus are about to change the game. Once players see what we’re offering, they won’t want to place their bets anywhere else.
Despite the late hour, Jared was on his way back to the airport the moment we wrapped.
His wife is due to deliver their first child next week, so he didn’t feel comfortable staying the night.
I don’t blame him one bit—if Rosie were about to have our baby, I would be glued to her side—so I had our chartered jet staff on standby, waiting to take him home.
Ryan and I have some loose ends to tie up at our satellite office in the morning, so we’ll fly back tomorrow afternoon.
“C’mon, man, let’s hit the tables.” Ryan slaps me on the back. “Whoever walks away with the highest winnings buys dinner.”
“Blackjack?”
“Is that a real question?” He raises his brows, and the gesture combined with the sarcasm is so similar to something his sister would do, I laugh to myself.
Kyle drives us to a newly refurbished casino we’ve been meaning to check out, and we find the nearest high-stakes blackjack table. Ryan’s in the zone, doubling down like it’s a reflex, his stack of chips growing taller with every smug win.
Lady Luck must’ve clocked out after our Olympus pitch, because I might as well be lighting hundred-dollar bills on fire.
“Dude,” I mutter after my sixth busted hand in a row. “This is painful. I’m sitting the next few out. I’m sick of embarrassing myself.”
Ryan sips his whiskey and grins. “A little humility’s good for you, Edwards.”
“Have you looked in a mirror lately, Morales?” I deadpan.
He just laughs and taps the felt, signaling for another card. “Maybe it’s karma. You date my sister behind my back, you lose your ass in Vegas while I rake in the dough.”
“Blackjack for the gentleman to my left,” the dealer announces, gesturing to Ryan like he’s the king of the damn table.
The dealer flips his hole card. It’s only a five, bringing his total to sixteen, so he hits again and pulls a king of spades.
The dealer busts.
Ryan snorts as a fresh stack of chips is pushed toward him. “And that, my friend, is what we call sweet, sweet justice.”
“Son of a bitch,” I grumble, slumping back in my seat.
He swings an arm around my shoulder. “Aw, don’t be grumpy, sweet pea. C’mon, let’s take a break at that piano bar we passed on the way in. Maybe your luck will reset after a few drinks.”
“Fine, but you’re buying.”
We gather our chips, head to the cashier’s cage to exchange them, and then make our way to the Encore Lounge, a piano bar tucked into the corner of the resort.
Inside, the lighting is low, the drinks are served in fine crystal, and a tuxedo-clad pianist glides his fingers across a glossy black Steinway with impossible grace. It’s the kind of place designed to seduce with subtlety. You won’t find a boisterous crowd singing along to “Sweet Caroline” here.
While that kind of schtick can be fun—especially after a few drinks—I’m hoping the chill, upscale vibe will give me and Ryan a chance to talk.
Hanging out tonight has felt like old times for the most part, but the stilted energy between us isn’t fully going away until we hash things out.
And honestly, I’d rather get it over with than keep pretending nothing’s off.
We slide into a curved booth, and not even two seconds later, a waitress approaches and takes our drink orders. I ask for a bourbon, Ryan orders a gin-ginger beer concoction. Ryan leans back, arms stretched along the top of the leather.
There’s an awkward silence between us. He’s acknowledging the elephant in the room, but he’s letting me stew in it for a bit, which is fair, I suppose.
“So…you and Rosa.” His tone may seem casual, but anyone who knows him as well as I do could hear the resentment buried in his voice. “She’s the reason you wouldn’t go out with Penny’s friend?”
“Yep.” I nod. “And I know you’re pissed, but if you’re willing to listen, I’d like to explain why we kept our relationship under wraps at first.”
Our drinks arrive, so we hold off a sec until the waitress leaves.
Ryan takes a sip of his gin. “I have some questions first.”
“Okay…” I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. “Shoot.”
“At my mom’s party…you said you’d been dating for about a month. Well, when I thought about it, that would’ve been around the same time you were in Lake Tahoe, so it’s not adding up.”
“Yeah, about that…” I chug half my bourbon, relishing the burn. “Rosie showed up at the cabin the weekend she was supposed to get married. It was a freak coincidence. She had no idea I was there, and I had no idea she was coming. But for three nights of my vacation, we were at the cabin together.”
“But there’s only one bed, and you’re too tall to sleep on that small-ass couch.” A deep crease forms between his brows. “Did Rosa bunk in the living room?”
Oh, Christ. Is he really going there?
What’s the right thing to say in this situation? “No, dude, she did not sleep on the couch, but I did give her at least six orgasms on it. Does that count?” Yeah…probably shouldn’t go that route unless I’m in the mood to get punched again.
Shit.
I look him straight in the eye. “Ryan, I will answer that question if you really want me to, but trust me, you don’t.”
“Fucking hell,” he mutters. “So, you’re saying your relationship with my sister started because you hooked up with her on a weekend when she was incredibly vulnerable? Nice. Real standup move there, Logan.”
He looks like he’s about to throw down, but I probably do too after that bullshit accusation.
“Fuck you, Ry.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath.
“My relationship with Rosie didn’t start in Tahoe.
It started on the day we met. When I look back, there were so many defining moments between us.
If I hadn’t been such a chickenshit, we’d probably be married by now. Maybe even have a kid or two.”
I look up, my voice steady. “Yeah, I’ve dated other women, but Rosie’s the only one I’ve ever loved.
I’ve been in love with her since we were kids, and I never stopped.
How many times do I have to tell you that before you believe me?
So, when she gave me the green light to take things to the next level?
You’re damn right I took it. And I’m not gonna apologize for that or let anyone accuse me of taking advantage of her—which, by the way, this is the second time you’ve done that now.
Rosie is everything to me. She has been for a long fucking time. ”
Ryan exhales through his nose, clenching his jaw. Then he picks up his drink, downs it in one long gulp, and mutters, “Motherfucker.”
I scratch the side of my head. “Motherfucker…I don’t know what to say to that without looking like a complete asshole?”
“Exactly.” He scrubs a hand down his face.
I give him a minute to see if he wants to elaborate.
He sighs, setting his glass on the table.
“I know you love her, Logan, and that you’d never take advantage of her.
I don’t know why I keep saying stupid shit when I’m pissed.
I guess…” Ryan gestures between us. “Maybe it’s because I can’t stop asking myself why you couldn’t trust me with the truth?
I understand why you’d want to keep your relationship private from the general public, but we’re family, man.
I wouldn’t have gotten so fired up if you’d just talked to me. ”
“Seriously? History does not agree with you there, bud.” I arch a brow.
“Ryan, I literally cannot tell you how many times I’ve tried talking to you over the years about pursuing Rosie.
Every single time I even hinted at the subject you shot me down.
And I know I don’t need to remind you about how you reacted when you saw me kissing her on New Year’s Eve.
Clearly, you’re still holding onto some feelings about that, considering you recently threw it in my face. ”
“I wouldn’t exactly call them feelings,” he mutters.
“Well…” I wave him off. “That night, my teenage dream of making Rosie mine went up in smoke, but not because I didn’t want her.
After seeing how strongly you reacted when I finally did make a move, I backed off.
Then with me being away at Stanford and the whole Flingr whirlwind…
by the time things started settling down, your sister was swimming in the deep end of the dating pool.
” I shrug, as if it was no big deal, but it really fucking bothered me.
“I kept waiting for the timing to be right, but the odds of that happening kept getting worse. And then she got engaged, so…”
Ryan doesn’t say anything at first. Just sits there, tracing his finger along the rim of his glass.
“I didn’t know that,” he says eventually. “After everything took off…” His lips curve into a crooked smile. “You were partying, traveling, always had a gorgeous fucking woman on your arm. Hell, I was there for a lot of it, and it definitely seemed like you were living the dream, man.”
I huff out a humorless laugh. “Not everything is as it seems, Ry.”
He searches my eyes. “I’m your best friend. If you were so miserable, why didn’t you tell me?”
“What would be the point?” I shrug. “I didn’t want to bring everyone around me down.
I knew what my problem was. I was pining.
But the one person I wanted wasn’t available, so I kept chugging along, going out, and pretending everything was great.
It just got to the point where I couldn’t fake the social shit anymore, which is why I defaulted back to my high-school-hermit setting. ”
“Shit, you really were the biggest fucking hermit in high school,” he teases.
“Oh, fuck off.” I flip him off. “But just so you know, I wasn’t miserable. I love work, the people at the office, hanging with you, your family. I had plenty of joy in my life before Rosie and I got together. But now that I have her…she’s everything I’ve been missing, man.”
He nods once, and for the first time since our rift began, the heaviness in his eyes fades a bit.
“I’ve been a dick,” he says.
“Yep,” I agree because the man did say he wanted honesty, right?
Ryan smirks. “But you get where I’m coming from, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I do.”
There’s a pregnant pause before Ryan lifts his glass in a toast.
“I really am happy for you, Logan. For both of you. Just…promise me you’ll take care of Rosa, okay?”
I clink my glass against his. “Of course.”
We slip into a comfortable silence, nursing our drinks, listening to the pianist play moody covers. Right when I’m about to excuse myself to go check in with Rosie, Ryan straightens in his seat, suddenly alert.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“Corner barstool. Blonde in the red dress.”
I follow his gaze and spot a woman at the bar who fits the description.
I’m a little surprised she’s the one who’s caught his eye, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong…
she’s a total smoke show. Curves in all the right places, an air of effortless sophistication, and enough confidence to command an empire.
But Ryan usually goes for the chill, boho-beachy types. This one looks like she could eat him for breakfast without smudging her bright red lipstick, then run a Fortune 500 board meeting right after.
“You gonna go for it? What happened to Penny?”
“Penny went back to her ex.” His shoulders lift, eyes never leaving the beautiful blonde. “God, she’s fucking stunning. You think I should go talk to her?”
“Why the hell not? We’re in Vegas. Shoot your shot, Casanova. I’m going to head back to my room and call Rosie anyway. I’ll just order some room service for dinner.”
Ryan grins, finishes his drink, and stands. “Wish me luck, buddy.”
“Good luck,” I say, already pulling out my phone. “Don’t do anything stupid like get married.”
He flips me off over his shoulder as he makes his way over to the blonde. I laugh, watching his approach as I head toward the exit. Ryan is in full flirt mode, which she seems to appreciate if I’m reading her body language correctly.
I have a feeling Ry’s about to have himself a real wild night.