Page 20 of Cognac Secrets

She was the picture of Bohemian chic, and I liked that about her. She had style, poise, and grace to her.

Like Mia, but not like Mia at the same time,I thought. I tried to shake the thought from my head. It wasn’t fair to compare the two women. At all. Sandy was definitely her own person, and Mia was dead. There was no comparison.

Fuck, that still hurt just thinking about it…

I looked away, guilt caressing down my spine and laying a heavy hand at the back of my neck, squeezing.

“Ready?” Louie asked.

“No,” Hex and I said in unison.

Sandy and Rowan both laughed and Louie gave a cheeky grin and bowed his head, chuckling.

“Come on, let’s do it,” Hex said, groaning.

We put it up against the tailgate, and I climbed up into the back of the truck to guide it down flat.

“One, two, three!” Hex counted out from gritted teeth.

He and Louie both heaved and groaned, and I laid the big, boxed bitch down, jumped down, and put my shoulder into it to help slide it into the bed.

“Fuck!” Louie cried out and straightened up his thin, lanky frame, panting.

“Got our workout in today, boys,” Hex declared.

“Where we taking it?” I asked.

“Shipper at the airport,” Hex declared.

“Got it,” I said and wheeled the dolly over and hauled it up into the back of his truck, raising the gate and latching it.

“Taking a ride with us?” Hex asked.

“Damn right, if you don’t mind dropping me back here for my bike,” I said.

“Nah, man,” he declared.

“Be back soon,” I said to Sandy and she smiled and nodded.

“Look forward to it,” she said.

“Thank you, boys, again,” Rowan gushed and we nodded, said our “you’re welcome’s” and got into the truck. I automatically got in the back seat as the short fucker. It was my lot in life.

“She’s pretty,” Louie said, looking out the front passenger window at Sandy waving to us from the shop’s stoop.

I looked her over one last time and raised my hand in a half wave as Hex pulled away from the curb and said, “She’s off-limits until Bennie here shoots his shot.”

“What?” Louie said. “No, I know, man. I’m not a dick. I wouldn’t do that.”

I snorted from the back seat. “I’m not interested in any kind of claim on her or a relationship,” I said.

Hex and Louie looked at each other and then busted up laughing. I scowled as they howled with laughter in the front seat.

“Fuck you guys,” I grumbled and Hex knuckled a tear out of the corner of his eye.

“Nah, fuckyou, buddy. We see the way you look at her,” Hex declared.

“Aw yeah, and how’s that?” I demanded.

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