Page 36 of Nails
Nails rolled his eyes.“You guys done?”
“Nope,” Snow grinned.“Because I’ve seen how you look when her name comes up.Not to mention how you act around her.”
Duke turned toward Snow, a smile tugging at his lips.“Do tell, Snow.”
Snow grinned, looking at Nails.“Riley is his mom’s hot neighbor.”He then told them how they met Riley when she was stuck in Nails’ mom’s attic window.And how Nails couldn’t stop staring at her.And how he spent yesterday helping her change the oil in her Jeep, and then how a chat over coffee turned into lunch.”
“And you didn’t sleep with her?”Jay Bird asked, looking shocked.
Nails shook his head.Hell, it never even crossed his mind.That right there should’ve told him something.
“What does she do?”Duke asked.
“She works for Homeland Security.”
“That’s impressive,” Bear chimed in.
“She’s also funny, smart, and badass.Hell, a little over a week ago, she took a bullet to the chest during a raid.Thankfully, her vest caught it,” Snow told them.
“She sounds interesting,” Jay Bird said.
“She is,” Nails muttered.
As they pulled into Bayside, the guys started filing out of the truck.Bear clapped a firm hand on Nails’ shoulder as they walked toward the entrance.“So, are you serious about this woman?”
Nails shrugged one shoulder.“She’s interesting.And yeah, I’m curious to see where it goes.She didn’t run screaming when we talked over lunch, so I figure that’s a win.”
Bear chuckled as the two of them stepped inside.The two of them followed behind the others.
They were still laughing when a blur of curls and energy bolted across the room.
“UNCLE NAILS!!”
He barely had time to brace himself before Amira launched herself at him.Nails laughed and scooped her up effortlessly, spinning her once before settling her on his hip.“Hey there, Squirt!”
Behind them, Bear pouted with mock offense.“You just ran right past your own father, traitor.”
Amira giggled and leaned toward Bear.“Sorry, Daddy!But I have important stuff to talk with Uncle Nails about!”
The team chuckled as they made their way toward the table where Jocelyn, Clover, Joker’s girlfriend, and Hannah, Duke’s fiancée, were seated.Nails gently set Amira down but kept an amused brow raised.
From the moment he met Amira and her brother Max while he and the team were on a mission in Chad, Amira had him wrapped around her pinky finger.Well, technically, she had the whole damn team wrapped around her finger.
She was six years old, going on thirty, and was a wild mix of glitter and grit, with enough sass packed into her tiny frame to make any grown man pause.Her wild curls had a mind of their own, much like her mouth.She could go from an innocent, wide-eyed angel to a miniature drill sergeant in under ten seconds.
She had this fearless curiosity that reminded him of the good kind of chaos.The kind that made life interesting, unpredictable, and somehow better.Amira didn’t just walk into a room; she announced herself, usually with a question that would make her dad turn red and others nearly choke on their drinks.But hell, he loved that kid.She was his little sidekick.
“Important news, huh?”he asked as he took the seat on the end.
Amira nodded.She had her hands on her hips like she meant business.“I found you a lady friend!”She announced loudly.
“You did what?”Nails asked, staring at her, because he honestly wasn’t sure how to respond.
Jocelyn tried to hide her laugh behind her wine glass.“She’s been on a matchmaking mission lately, trying to find you the perfect lady friend.”
Nails shook his head, chuckling.For some strange reason, Amira has had a deep interest in his love life and has been determined for months to find him a “permanent lady friend,” as she called it.It really was adorable.But at the same time, it was a little concerning.
“Okay, hit me with it,” he said, humoring her.“Who’s this perfect lady friend?
