Page 54

CHAPTER NINETEEN
Colin pulled into the crushed-gravel driveway and killed the engine. Dinner with his sister Sophia and Javier was as routine as drinking a cup of joe in the morning, yet Colin hadn’t unbuckled because life couldn’t have been more different than the last time they’d eaten their routine dinner.
Dad died. The last few days were a blur, and other than texting Adelia, Colin’slife lurched by robotically. No one said crap about his phone being off over the weekend, and everyone offered condolences. His father had great advice and doled it to many of the men on his team.
But that wasn’t going to get him through dinner with his sister. He hadn’t had to face her at the funeral, and Colin had never been so glad for a black veil. The simple barrier had been a life raft,and if it hadn’t been there, he wasn’t sure what he would’ve done—maybe flown right back to Iowa, to the woman who had a hundred times asked if she could be by his side for the services.
He’d put on a front and acted tougher than he’d been.What foolish bullshit. After everything he’d taken from her, he couldn’t give her that truth. Maybe he was exactly like the pigs she worried about?
Colinpushed away from the steering wheel he’d been strangling, disgusted with himself. It hadn’t been that long since Jax and Seven’s wedding, but it still felt as if years had gone by since he’d felt Adelia. Hearing her wasn’t enough.
He glanced at the inviting house with the bright lights. Sophia and Javier waited for him inside, and he’d worked with Javier for years. What would his teammate thinkof Adelia with Colin? It couldn’t be much different than how Colin saw Javier and Sophia. But still, Javier would always have a short temper and Brazilian street-fighting reputation.
Colin rubbed his temples, certain that any guy who dedicated years of his life searching for his sister would want her to be happy.
“One way to find out.” He unbuckled and pushed out of the vehicle, following thefamiliar path to his sister and Javier’s front door and knocked before letting himself in. “I’m here.”
Colin tossed his keys in the air and then flicked them on top of their mail pile as a spicy aroma filled the front hall. “Something smells good.”
“We’re in the kitchen,” Sophia called.
A small smile he couldn’t hide surfaced at the thought of talking to them about Adelia. He chuckled and groanedat the self-revelation. He had a crush on his teammate’s sister. In what universe did he see that coming? And how come it didn’t happen with Adelia before now?
“Hey.” Javier walked across the kitchen as the refrigerator shut behind him with a beer for Colin in his outstretched hand. “Drink up. She’s been experimenting.”
“With the spices of your people.” Sophia turned around with two bottlesof seasoning in hand. “I can’t help it if my man likes it hot.”
“Come on, Soph.” Colin’s nose scrunched. “Give me a break.” At least that was enough of a buzz-kill to wipe away his permanent Adelia grin.
Javier laughed, muttering in Brazilian Portuguese, and wrapped his tattooed forearm around Sophia’s porcelain neck, kissing her until she squealed and beat him away with the seasoning shakers.
“Cute,” Colin pointed out. “And that’s all I want to see.” They were sweet to the point of ridiculous, and all appeared normal for tonight’s dinner—no tears over Dad and Sophia didn’t launch into an immediate Colin-Adelia inquisition if she had any idea they’d disappeared together at the wedding reception.
Colin twisted the cap off the top of the bottle and flicked it into the garbage. Perfectshot.
He took a long drag from the icy bottle. “What’s going on?” He wiped his bottom lip with the back of his wrist. “Besides cooking for this guy?”
Sophia’s attention turned from her husband to Colin like she’d been given directions. Her eyes danced, and the curl of her lips said that it wasn’t Javier who Colin needed to be worried with in regard to Adelia. It was his sister.
Sophia putdown the seasoning bottles and turned back in a no-nonsense half-spin. “I should ask you the same thing.”
“There’s nothing going on.” He made a cross over his chest. Not like that would help.
“What do you think?” Sophia turned to Javier.
“You’re going to get yourself in trouble, buddy. She knows.”
Of course she knew. Colin refrained from rolling his eyes or sharing that sentiment.
Sophialeaned into his chuckling embrace. “I think…”
“Careful, Soph,” Colin warned then slugged back another gulp of beer. No wonder Javier met him with a beer.
“Those are hearts in your eyes…” she teased him.
“What?” Javier balked. “Hearts? For Adelia? That’s what you’re going with?”
“She’s a sweetheart!” Sophia batted against Javier’s chest. “Aren’t you supposed to be stomping around, growling,or throwing things? Mister Macho, overly protective—”