Page 35 of Gator
I looked at Mika and raised one eyebrow, and he laughed. “Ignore him. He’s just bitter cause I got lucky and took his money one time.”
“One time,” Maddox scoffed. “Try every time.”
Mika looked so darn sweet and innocent, so I had no doubt that if he had skills, he’d bluffed his way to the pot.
“Well, lucky for me, I don’t play, so my money’s safe.”
Mika’s smile fell for a second, but then it was back. “So no poker then, but you can still come hang out with us. There’s pool and video games, or you can just come watch. You can even bring Trixie out if you want.” He turned his pleading eyes on the guys, and I guarantee you not a one of them would’ve said a word even if they didn’t want the bird out here.
I looked over Mika’s head. “Do you guys mind? I don’t have to bring Trixie with me if anyone doesn’t want her out here.”
She chose that moment to fly across the room and land on my shoulder. “Trixie is a good bird. Good bird.”
I snorted and reached up to scratch her head lightly. “See? She vouched for herself.”
Axel leaned against the back of the couch, arms crossed, grinning. “Hell, she’s already better behaved than Maddox.”
Maddox flipped him off without even looking away from the TV screen.
“Come on, Julius. Bring your feathered menace over. She can help us heckle.”
Mika hooked an arm through mine and started pulling me toward the center of the room. “Ignore them. You’ll love it here.”
Trixie flapped and adjusted her perch on my shoulder, craning her neck to eye the group like a queen surveying her subjects.
I’d met Crowe months ago at Kirby’s. I didn’t really know him, but he was pretty unforgettable with his dark eyes and muscular body that was covered in tattoos. He was leaning back in one of the big armchairs, and he eyed her with an amused huff. “That bird talk as much shit as you do, Julius?”
“More,” I said solemnly.
“She cuss?” a younger guy piped up, sounding way too hopeful for someone barely old enough to shave. “I’m Bobby, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, Bobby, and yeah, she curses. Way too much,” I muttered.
Trixie clicked her tongue and announced brightly, “Kiss my—”
“Trixie, behave,” I said, cutting her off, and she stopped but ruffled her feathers at me.
The whole room burst out laughing, and an attractive fit woman, who’d been stacking pool cues and really needed a haircut, snorted. “Damn, she’s perfect for this group.”
Mika was still giggling. “Okay, okay. What do you want to play? Pool table’s open, or we’ve gotMario Kartgoing over there. Though I’ll warn you, Isaiah is an asshole with a green shell.”
A man I assumed was Isaiah raised an eyebrow from where he was setting up his controller. “Accurate. But only because I’m a winner.”
Maddox rolled his eyes and gave him a loud, sarcastic slow clap.
I glanced around the space. It was… nice. Comfortable. Like a clubhouse for overgrown kids who also happened to carry guns for a living.
I shifted Trixie to my other shoulder and said, “Pool. I’m better at looking cute holding the cue than actually playing, but let’s go with that.”
“Aw hell,” Tucker drawled, “I love a hustler.”
Axel grabbed me by the wrist and towed me to the table. “Y’all play, I’ll supervise.”
Mika offered to take Trixie, and I hesitated for half a second before letting her hop onto his arm. She seemed delighted with the change of scenery.
“Don’t teach her anything worse than she already knows,” I warned.
He gave me the sweetest, most angelic smile. “Me? Never.”