Code spun around. “You sure you want to take on the champ, honey? She’s never lost.”
“I’ve lost,” Alena contradicted immediately. “More than once. Just rarely, and never to an out—” She broke off, looking at her brother.
“A what?” Soleil prompted. “And how much money are we betting?”
Ice groaned, put down the drinks and circled his arm around her waist, pulling her back into him. Before she could stiffen, or protest, he put his lips against her ear. “Seriously, princess, Alena is amazing at darts. And pool. Don’t play her at pool.”
“You’re a disappointment, Mr. Ice.” Soleil sounded haughty, as only a princess could.
He wasn’t impressed. He stepped back. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Miss Confidence.”
She laughed and watched as Alena put a twenty on the table. Ice stepped forward to put up the money for Soleil, but she put a hand on his arm and shook her head.
“I don’t ever have someone else put up my gambling money. This is on me to win or lose. If you want to bet, that’s on you.”
Her hand went to the inside of her jacket and she pulled out a matching twenty and set it beside Alena’s.
“Girl’s got class,” Alena observed.
There was a murmur of approval from the other members of the club. Immediately, the real bets began, with Code collecting the money from club members betting on each of the women. Surprisingly, Savage bet on Soleil along with Ice. They stepped back and gave the women plenty of room to maneuver.
“You know the rules, honey?” Master asked Soleil.
“I think so,” she replied, using her sweet, not-too-sure bullshit tone. She batted her eyelashes at him. “I’ll catch on. I’m a fast learner.”
Ice wanted to kiss her. She didn’t have a chance in hell, but she didn’t back down from a fight either. Alena winked at him and then threw her first dart. Triple seventeen. Two went straight and one landed just outside it.
Soleil took her turn and managed to hit one triple seventeen and two just outside it. The match went that way, with Alena just ahead by a dart or two, but Soleil was always very close. Ice was impressed. It was clear Alena was equally impressed. She hadn’t gone easy on her, and the match was very close.
Soleil winced as her last dart was thrown. It was so close to the triple but missed by just a hair. A groan went up around the room, but Code immediately paid out.
“I guess I’ll need a rematch,” Soleil said. “It’s been a while since I played, and Ice is right, you’re very good.”
“I’m going to concede that you’re good as well,” Ice said, “but no one is in Alena’s league.”
“Double down?” Alena challenged.
Soleil hesitated. Ice put his arms around her again, his lips against her ear. “I’m serious, babe, she always wins, it’s like some kind of curse on the rest of us when we play her. I think you’re probably as good, but she’s got this luck on her side none of us can ignore.”
“I was so close.”
“That’s what she does to suck you in,” he cautioned.
“Hey.” Alena glared at him. “I’m not sucking her in. She played that brilliantly. Give her credit.”
He was, but he didn’t want her to lose a lot of money.
“I want to play again,” Soleil decided.
“Then let me put up the money,” Ice said. He glared right back at his sister. “I might have to take you out behind the barn,” he added.
Soleil laughed, the sound teasing every one of his senses. “I can tell you really are brother and sister. Aside from the fact that both of you have those beautiful eyes, your hair is nearly the exact same color. And you sound affectionate, even when you’re threatening her.”
“Pizza’s here,” Master announced.
Torpedo Ink members weren’t shy in the least about grabbing slices out of the box. There were no plates, but they stuffed food as fast as possible into their mouths. Ice had to grab a couple of slices nearly out of Absinthe’s hands in order to get any for his woman and himself.
“Do you all have to be fuckin’ morons all the time? Get some manners.”
Soleil laughed again as she took the slice and ate it just like the rest of them, hands, no plate, napkin barely there. Somehow, she managed to look much more refined than his brothers. That sound, her genuine laughter bubbling up, made his gut twist into a tight knot. He hadn’t known laughter. Not real. Not like that. Her laughter was infectious. Ice looked around him and found that all the others were just as affected by her laughter as he was. Maybe not in the same way. He had to adjust his jeans a little to give him some breathing room.
Alena leaned against the pool table, eating a slice as well, grinning at his girl. He couldn’t tell what was behind that smile. She gestured toward the dartboard, and to his consternation, Soleil nodded and put more money down. Immediately his brothers began the betting. As before, Savage and Ice bet against Alena. This time Storm and Absinthe did as well.