Page 34 of Cops and Robbers

“Oh, no…” Lewis said, gaze swiveling between Raz and Kate. “Oh, yes.” He clapped his hands before his cheeky grin, reading Raz’s territorial situation clearly. “You’re…and with—“

“Shut it,” Raz snapped, not wanting the reality blown in his face before he had the chance to explain it to her. “Kate, please stay with Lewis.” He turned to Lewis. “I’m…I’ll be in your office. Just take care of her.”

Raz had to peel his feet from the floor, internal dragon claws dragging along his shins in a maddening ache.

“Oh, you bet I will,” Lewis teased.

Pain lancing across his forehead, he walked away from them, hoping to calm his dragon before it burned a hole through him. Behind the stage, he navigated through the makeup stations until he reached Lewis’s office. It was more like a conference room with a minibar, a table for eight, and a desk in the back. He cursed when he spotted the gray streaks in Sid’s black, wavy hair. Sid sat at the table, a large laptop open before him.

“I’m glad to see you, Raz, but you know better than to come around us cocking that attitude,” Sid cautioned, referring to the dominance stretching across Raz’s skin, squeezing every part of his body—the curse of a Rogue. Without the ability to release their dragons since they didn’t have a hidden territory secreted from human eyes, their beasts were more temperamental, harder to subdue. It had been nearly a year since they took their trip into the middle of nowhere to let loose.

“Sorry. Didn’t know you were in here.” He moved to the cabinet next to Lewis’s desk and searched through the drawers.

“What are you looking for?” Sid asked.

“Pain killers. Anything to stop this fucking headache.” He straightened from his search, fingers shaking. There is another option to rid this energy. He twisted to Sid.

The other male met his gaze. “Don’t you dare give me that damn look. We rip into each other here, and Lewis will kick our asses.”

“Let’s go upstairs then. I need to hit something.” Thank goodness Lewis lived on the bar’s upper stories and had a gym.

Sid sighed and pushed his chair back. “Best two out of three, then?”

“Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?” Lewis’s deep voice from across the bar tugged at Kate’s distracted mind as she swiveled on the stool.

“Huh? Yeah…” Her mind circled around the pressure that had imprinted heat and power against her skin as Lewis had approached her and Raz earlier. The energy coursing from Raz stroked over her and ignited a need she couldn’t understand. What she needed was to put her desire for Raz to rest. Nothing there was worth going after. Even if her entire focus lay on the door Raz strode through.

Glass clinked against the counter, tearing her from the thought. Before her sat a whiskey tumbler full of brown liquid and a sword toothpick stabbing a cherry to the bottom.

“What?” Lewis asked, meeting her scrutinizing gaze. “You look like you could use it.”

He’s not wrong. She wrapped her fingers around the cool glass. Come on, you need to win over these Dragon SEALs. “Are you trying to butter me up?”

“Is it working?” His tone dipped in register, and goosebumps grew up her arms. “Not sure if Raz mentioned it, but I’m your biggest fan, and I have questions for you.”

“My biggest fan, huh?” Her lips tugged at the sides. “What questions?”

He nodded toward her cup. “Drink first. I want your opinion.”

She grinned and scooted the tumbler closer to take a tentative sip from the pair of red straws. Smooth whiskey brushed over her tongue with sweet melon and cherry hints. “Holy heck. You weren’t lying about making a mean old-fashioned.”

“I’m glad you like it.” He leaned against the counter behind him, arms folded with bands of muscle flexing. Her spirit prickled with a weird awareness. Dragon. A similar tattoo to Raz’s marked his upper left arm. He was attractive, and his baldness added a clean appearance to his serious-set face. “So, did you really spike the vending machine?”

She chuckled and took another sip. “Am I being recorded?”

He lifted his hands. “This is a safe place.”

“If I did, it wouldn’t have been my proudest moment, but Raz did have that place locked up tighter than Aunt Petunia’s vibrator.”

Lewis laughed. “And your whole stealing scheme was to get on our radar and meet Raz?”

“He told you that?”

“You’ll have to get used to him telling us everything.”

These guys really are close. Family. Her throat tightened. She’d once had a relationship like that, and she’d ruined it. But she was trying to make up for her flaws…save Naomi. “What else has he told you?”

“You need our help with Matsuda.”