“I’m taking her to her high school reunion, but she doesn’t want me to be me. She wants me to be some dockworker because she thinks no one would believe I would want to date her,” Ryker whispered.
Olivia yanked her napkin up to cover her laugh. “That’s priceless, but totally respectable. I had already liked her, but this makes me like her more.”
“You’d like anyone if it meant keeping your brothers out of your personal life,” Ryker said with a roll of his eyes.
“True. How are you going to handle it?”
Ryker clapped along with the others as Drake said something. “I told her I wouldn’t lie, but would be vague.”
“So, is this real or not?” Olivia asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
“It feels very real to me.”
Olivia clapped excitedly and everyone turned to stare at her. She ignored them all as she leaned forward so they couldn’t be overheard. “I can’t wait to tell my brothers.”
Ryker’s phone vibrated and he looked down at it. “I have a meeting with Fat Joey tomorrow.”
Instantly the smile fell from Olivia’s face. “I don’t like these mafia guys moving in on your business.”
“You and me both.”
Ryker’s pleasant thoughts of sharing kisses and more with Kenzie were pushed aside. It was time to plan how he was going to handle the threats to his company.
Mary Alice closed the door to the office. She stood by the door tapping her ruler against her palm as Fat Joey took a seat across from Ryker. Ryker leaned back and placed his elbows on his chair arms before steepling his hands together.
“Mr. Faulkner, I want to once again apologize for my rudeness the other night. Thank you for meeting with me today,” Fat Joey said even though Ryker could tell he hated saying every word. Especially since he knew Fat Joey probably got in big trouble with his great-uncle after Ryker had all their Charleston bank assets frozen pending an investigation.
“We need to discuss your actions in Charleston,” Ryker said, cutting to the chase. “Someone bombed my dock. Was it you?”
Fat Joey gulped but shook his head. “That wasn’t us.”
“I’ve talked to other port owners. You know what’s going on. The Porzio family is also making a play for the area. I’m going to be honest with you. No one wants to work with you. You haven’t made any friends . . .”
“Little Joey . . .” Fat Joey said with anger, but then caught himself.
“Go on,” Ryker instructed. This was time to learn.
“…is a pompous little prick. They’d choose to work with him over us?”
“How is he a pompous little prick?” Ryker asked, not answering the question.
“He’s always smacking around those girls he’s with. He’s loud, shouting our business all over town. He doesn’t know the old ways. He has no respect. I think he had someone kill my cousin. I can’t prove it, but that’s Little Joey’s way. He’s a snake in the grass.”
“What about Nico?”
“He’s different. He respects the old ways and traditions. He comes and meets with me face to face. I have no problem with Nico, but I also know he wants to go legit. He’s no competition for us. What I need to know is if you’ll work with us, Mr. Faulkner?”
Ryker sat back and shook his head. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Nico. I, and I alone, run Faulkner Shipping. Now, if you don’t mind me giving you some advice—leave Charleston. When too much trouble comes to town, that upsets the port owners and puts our workers in danger. We pull rank and close the circle. That’s why you haven’t found anyone to work with you. I’m going to go after the people causing trouble. You don’t want your name among those.”
“My uncle—”
“I’m happy to meet with him to discuss the matter. Mary Alice can make the appointment.”
Fat Joey looked behind him and swallowed hard. “I’ll have a word with him. I’ve heard Savannah’s port is growing.”
Ryker nodded and Fat Joey knew he was dismissed. A couple of minutes later, Mary Alice was back in his office. “We’re in the middle of a turf war they don’t realize isn’t theirs. This is your turf, Mr. Faulkner.”
“I think it’s time we remind them of that. I want Little Joseph Palmero and Nico Saccone in my office tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir,” Mary Alice said with a little smile.
Ryker smiled back with suspicion. “Why do I get the feeling you have something planned?”
“Who, me?” Mary Alice smiled before sauntering out. His executive assistant was full of surprises. “But you’d better get going or you’ll be late for your date with Miss Carys.”
Ryker shook his head at Mary Alice. She’d tell him in her own time. “Good night, Mary Alice,” he called out as he grabbed his briefcase and headed out for the night.
Kenzie had told him to dress casually and she’d pick him up. He drove home and changed into a pair of slacks and a clean button-up shirt. Ryker had just made it down the front stairs when the gate buzzed his phone.
“Hi, Ryker!” Kenzie smiled into the camera as he opened the gate remotely.
He headed for the back door and met her the second she parked her car. The car door opened and the happy smile he was expecting wasn’t there. Instead, she wore a frown.
“What is it? What happened?”
“I thought I told you casual,” Kenzie said, looking him over.
“I didn’t wear a tie or a sports coat.”
Kenzie rolled her eyes and laughed. At him. Someone was laughing at him. “Jeans, T-shirt, and for heaven’s sake, find a pair of boots. Now, go. Change. I’ll wait.”
Five minutes later, Ryker walked back outside in the most casual outfit he’d worn in the past fifteen years.
“You need to wear jeans and T-shirts more often,” Kenzie said, and Ryker enjoyed hearing her slightly breathless. Maybe he would if this was the reaction he got.
“For you I will.” Ryker bent down and kissed her. Finally. It felt as if a lifetime had passed since he’d kissed her. Her kiss breathed light into his soul and made him feel a rightness he’d never known before. With her, he was home.
“My car is right over there. Where are we going?” Ryker asked when he ended the kiss.
Kenzie scrunched her nose. “Not to sound rude, but your car really won’t fit in where we are going.”
Ryker walked over to the multicar garage and punched in a code. The doors opened and he held out his hand. “Pick one.”
“The pickup. The pickup is perfect!”
Ryker’s jaw tightened and sweat broke out across his forehead. “That’s my truck from high school.”
“This is the laid-back Ryker I want to see tonight. Come on,” Kenzie said as she opened the passenger door and climbed in.
Ryker hadn’t driven this truck a moment longer than he’d had to. He’d scraped together enough to buy a crappy, elderly sedan as quickly as possible. This truck hung like a millstone around his neck. It was a symbol of his past that he bore every day. To get rid of the truck would be to pretend that night hadn’t happened and he couldn’t do that. Tinsley told him he was only holding on to it to punish himself further. Maybe that was true. He hadn’t gone to jail when he felt like he should have, and maybe this was his burden to bear.