“Dakota and I didn’t grow up together. I was adopted.”
Silence.
She set her fork down. “I feel like a total insensitive idiot. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all good,” he said.
“I’m not following. When were you separated?”
“I was put up for adoption at birth, but he wasn’t. Our parents kept him, but not me.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “Oh, wow. I’ve never heard of that before. How did you guys find each other?”
“Our paths crossed when we both ended up at Harvard. We met freshman year.”
“That must’ve been a shock.” She resumed eating her salad.
“It was. I was stoked, but Dakota struggled with it.” He forked a cherry tomato into his mouth.
“Because your birth parents had separated you?”
He nodded before sipping his wine. “We couldn’t ask them why because his mom had passed years before and his dad had died that year. That’s how we met. I was mistaken for him. But that’s a story for another day.”
“So, you were adopted by the Hott family?”
The waiter returned with their dinners, filled their water goblets, and left.
“I don’t want to bore you,” Sin said to her. He rarely talked about himself and he never spoke of his past, but he wanted her to know the truth…some of it, anyway.
Beneath the table, she stroked his leg and his thigh warmed from her sensual touch. “I’m not asking just to make conversation. I want to know about you.”
Again, they paused to eat. A moment later, he spoke.
“I was adopted by a couple in Delaware when I was an infant. My dad was a police officer. My mom clerked in a department store. I found out I was adopted after my dad was killed in the line of duty.”
Sad eyes met his. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you. He died when I was in middle school. My dad and I were close. After that happened, my mom got mixed up with the wrong crowd.” A chill whipped down his spine. “Things got bad, so I took off.”
She stilled, fork in midair. “As in, ran away?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s serious.”
“I hopped a bus heading south, but didn’t make it past Northern Virginia because I didn’t have much money. I ended up living on the streets for three weeks. It was rough, but I got by. When Social Services picked me up, I lied about my name, so they wouldn’t take me back to her. I got fostered out twice, but ran away both times. After that, I was sent to live with a family in Maverick’s neighborhood. His mom had just died and he was a mess. We were both so fucked up. We taunted each other at school, got into some brutal fights. I was headed for a night in juvie when Maverick asked his dad to bring me home with them.”
The gut-wrenching emotions from his childhood came rushing back. Fighting against the lump in his throat, he drank down half his water.
When he set the glass down, she dropped a soft kiss on his cheek. “My God, you’ve been through a lot.”
After clearing his throat, he continued. “A year later, Warren Hott adopted me, though I kept my last name to honor my dad.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me.” Her sweet smile helped alleviate the anxiety coursing through him. Talking about the past jacked him up in the worst way.
When the waiter delivered the check, Evangeline snatched it up.
“Let me pay,” he insisted.
“Hell, no.”
“Thank you for dinner.” Every fiber of his being compelled him to touch her, so he clasped her hand and kissed her silky soft skin.
She shuddered in a breath. “My pleasure. Now, let’s go find Birdie’s lover.”
As soon as they parked at Rico’s, they tied on their masks. Seeing Evangeline in that simple disguise reminded him of the night they met. Like then, arousal burned a trail to his groin.
On the way to the entrance, he murmured, “You look so damn hot.” Unable to resist, he slipped his arm around her waist and led her to the front of the line.
Sin spoke with the line manager and they were escorted to a booth in the VIP lounge. Instead of sitting across from Evan, he slipped in beside her as the server brought them a large bottle of sparkling water. Moments later, Rico joined them. Rising, Sin pulled him in for a bro-hug and introduced Evangeline.
“Why are you selling your club?” Rico asked after the men sat back down.
“I’m too busy to run it,” Sin replied. “Unfortunately, it got torched since we talked.”
“That’s a bitch, man,” Rico said, shaking his head. “Kitchen fire, right? I can’t sleep wondering if my club is burning down because some douchebag left a dish towel on a hot burner.”
Rather than get into it about his club, Sin pulled out his phone. “Can you ID this woman?” He showed Rico the video.
After watching, Rico glanced at Evangeline. “Looks like the stunning lady you brought with you.”
“It’s not. Do you recognize her?”
“Sure don’t, but I can tell ya that hookup didn’t happen here.” Rico caught the eye of one of his waitresses and she hurried over. “Bring me another scotch, will ya, honey. You want something besides that bubbly water crap?” he asked Sin.
Leaning into the back of the booth, Sin shot Rico a cool smile. “Whiskey, neat.” He slid his gaze to Evangeline.
“Vodka chilled, please.”
With a nod, the waitress bustled toward the bar.
“Isn’t that your logo?” Sin asked.
“That orange Bengal used to be my logo, but I got me a new one.” Rico held up a cocktail napkin with a white tiger on it. “Used to be my club, too, but I sold it for a song.”
“Where’s it located?” Sin asked.
“Up in Delaware. Dewey Beach. Bought by a dude named Eckert. I’ll make the introductions.” He pushed out of his seat. “Take a look around. I poured a mil into this joint. It’s the place to play in Miami. Stay as long as you like.” He flicked his gaze from one to the other. “I can read people pretty good. You two gotta stop fighting whatever’s got you by the balls. Shake off those good manners and spice things up with some wild fun. I’ll book you my best private room.”
The waitress delivered their drinks. Rico snatched his scotch off the tray, told her to book The Executive, and left.
“That deserved a mic drop.” Evangeline raised her lowball glass, tapped Sin’s, and tossed back a mouthful. “I’m ready to get out of here.”
“What’s wrong?”
“You have a busy life and a full schedule of clients. This video has derailed mine. It’s going to be months before I’m able to return to work…if ever. There might not be a way to prove it isn’t me.”
He drained his glass. “There’s always a way. As an agent, you know things take longer than you’d like.”
“Your club burned to the ground, but you haven’t said a word about it. Aren’t you wrecked by that?”
He slipped his hand beneath her tousled hair and massaged her upper back. My God, she’s tense. “We got out. That’s what matters. It’s just a building. Another one will take its place.”