They had a lot of useless rooms, in her opinion.

“Nice of you two to finally join me,” came Devlin’s voice from inside. “I was starting to think you ditched me.”

“We would never do that.” Lucian held the door open for her.

Julia walked in, and yep, the “rec room” was nothing like the one she grew up in. First off, the room was about half the size of the entire downstairs floor of her parents’ home and it was a legit recreational room.

A huge sectional couch in the center of the room, facing a TV that was about the size of a Hummer. There was an air hockey table, a pool table—one of those fancy, slate-looking ones—video arcade games, a fully stocked bar—and oh my God, it was ridiculous.

Dev was holding a pool cue. “Do you play pool, Julia?”

She laughed. “Not if I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

He inclined his head. “Smart.”

Unsure if that was a compliment or not, she sipped her wine as Lucian brushed past her. “I’ll play you a round.”

“Promise not to cheat?”

Grinning, Lucian walked over to the rack and grabbed a cue. “Now, Dev, how can one cheat at pool?”

His brother snorted. “If there’s a way, you’ll find it.”

Julia laughed as she sat on one of the tall bar stools. “That sounds about right.”

“I like her.” Devlin racked the balls, dragging them into position. “She’s smart.”

Lucian looked affronted. “You’re supposed to be on my side, Ms. Hughes.”

She raised her brows as she sipped her wine.

“And proving that she is as smart as I keep saying she is, she remains quiet.” He lifted the rack as he slid a look in Lucian’s direction. “Unlike some.”

And that was pretty much how the next hour or so went. Lucian would push what she assumed was every single button of Devlin’s while the older brother remained as calm as a spring morning, completely unflustered. Devlin’s ability to ignore just about every comment of Lucian’s was truly an impressive talent.

Which probably explained why he was winning the game.

Then again, Lucian wasn’t really paying attention. When he wasn’t annoying his brother, he was focused on Julia. She knew this because it was in every casual brush of his hand over her arm when he passed her by. And in the way he always came to where she sat when it was Devlin’s turn and how he held eye contact with her whenever he took the shot he called.

As the night progressed, it was easy to forget who they were—who she was and why she was here. It was easy to pretend that this . . . this was her life.

“I think he’s going to beat me.” Lucian leaned against the bar beside her as Devlin prowled around the pool table. Only the eight ball was left. “I may need a lot of comforting later.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “I think you need a lot of stuff.”

Interest sparked in his eyes. “Name a few?” he asked, but before she could answer, his phone rang. Setting the cue aside, he reached into his pocket. “Hold that thought—hey, Troy, what’s up?” Lucian’s grin faded. “What?” There was a pause. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Julia tensed and glanced over to Devlin. He didn’t appear to be paying attention.

Pivoting around, Lucian walked over to the bar and picked up a remote. He turned, aiming the remote at the large TV mounted on the wall above the air hockey table. A moment later, the TV turned on.

Lucian rapidly flipped through the channels, stopping on what appeared to be a news report. “Yeah, I have it on now. I’ll call you back.”

Julia focused on the TV. It was obviously a local channel on a split screen, reporters behind a desk and one outside, on a dark road. Blue-and-red lights flashed behind a pretty dark-skinned woman who stared earnestly into the camera.

Lucian turned up the volume as Dev glanced over at the TV.

“The single vehicle accident happened shortly after 9:00 p.m. From what I’ve been told, it appears he suffered a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle then collided with what appears to be a telephone pole, igniting on impact. It is believed that Lyon died on impact,” she reported. “Once again, it has been confirmed that the driver was Chief JB Lyon, a thirty-three-year veteran of the . . .”

Chief Lyon? She’d heard that name before. When Lucian and Devlin were talking about their father’s death. He was opening up an investigation, and Devlin had said . . .

Skin turning ice cold, she turned to Lucian.

Devlin had said that the chief wouldn’t pose a problem much longer, but he couldn’t have known. . . .

Julia’s gaze followed Lucian’s, and she moved closer to him, the act something she wasn’t even aware that she’d done until it had happened. He was staring at his brother, his lips pressed together and his jaw forming a hard line. The look on Lucian’s face caused tiny knots of dread to form in her belly. He was staring at Devlin like . . . like his brother possibly already knew what happened to the chief.

Like Devlin might’ve even expected it.

A shiver curled down Julia’s spine as she watched Dev walk around the pool table. “Right corner pocket.”

The corners of Devlin’s mouth tipped up in a faint smile as he lined up his next shot and bent over the pool table. He took it. The white ball shot across the table, cracking into the eight ball and sending it straight into the right corner pocket.

Chapter 29

Lucian turned off the TV, dropping the remote on the bar top. Taking Julia’s hand, he led her to the hall outside the billiards room.

Her hand tightened around his as she glanced back at the room. “Lucian, am I having a moment of overactive imagination or—”

“It’s nothing,” he interrupted, not wanting to hear her say what he was also thinking.

Julia tugged her hand free. “That is something.” She lowered her voice. “I heard you guys in the kitchen the other day. You do know how that sounds?”

He did. “I know, but it’s not what you think.”

“What do you think?” she demanded. “Obviously, you think something or you wouldn’t have dragged me out of the room.”

“I was actually bringing you out here to ask you to head upstairs and wait for me.” Which was part of the truth.

Her brows lifted. “You want me to go upstairs and wait for you?”

“Please?”

She crossed her arms.

“I don’t know what to say other than no matter what, you’re safe here.”

“I didn’t think I wasn’t,” she said, her gaze searching his. “I mean, I’m not suggesting that he somehow offed the chief of police and I now feel unsafe. It’s just that was . . . that was bizarre. And you guys are really bizarre on any normal day, but that—that was really strange.”

His lips twitched despite the subject. “We are . . . different. I know.” Dipping his head, he kissed her softly. “Wait for me upstairs? Please. It’ll only be a little bit. Then we can talk.”

“About?” She folded her arms.

He curled a hand around the nape of her neck as he rested his forehead against hers. “About where we go from here.”

She stiffened. “What do you mean?”

God, he wasn’t even exactly sure himself, but he did want to talk about the future with her, about what they were doing. He never wanted to do that in his life. “I want to talk about us—about what we’re doing.” He smiled faintly as he slid his hand around to her cheek. “It’s all good stuff. Well, I hope it’s all good stuff. Unless you’re just into the sex and nothing else, then I guess it will probably be bad.”

Julia drew back, her cheeks slightly flushed and a look surprise in her warm eyes. “I’m not . . . I’m not just into the sex. I mean, the sex is amazing—like whoa, but I’m not just—”

Lucian kissed her then. Couldn’t even stop himself if he wanted to, and when she parted those lips, letting him in, he took that kiss deeper. “I’ll be up in a little bit. Okay?”

“Okay,” she whispered, glancing at the door. “Even though I feel like you totally just purposely distracted me, but okay.”