Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3)(51)

“Yeah, we know,” Gray told her as he went up to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Are you going to do anything about it?” Chloe asked.

Ro bent and kissed his girlfriend deeply before pulling back and saying, “We already have. Why do you think they’re out there in the parking lot and not in here?”

“Hi,” Morgan said, self-consciously trying to pull away from Arrow. He refused to let her go.

“Hey,” Allye said.

“Ready to kick some pool ass?” Chloe asked.

“Yeah, I think I am,” Morgan told her.

“Here,” Dave said, handing bottles of water to both Chloe and Allye. He carried a bright-blue drink over to Morgan. “And this is for you.”

“What is it? Do I want to know?”

“It’s called AMF. It has vodka, rum, tequila, gin, blue cura?ao liqueur, sweet-and-sour mix, and is topped off with 7UP.”

Morgan stared at him in disbelief. “Dave, I haven’t had any alcohol in a year.”

“All the more reason.”

“Um . . . okay,” she stammered. Dave nodded in satisfaction and turned on his heel and went back to the bar without another word.

Morgan looked up at Arrow. “I’m kinda scared to drink this,” she admitted.

Arrow smiled at her. “Don’t be. Dave is the best bartender I’ve ever met in my life. He’s also one of the most protective when it comes to the ladies. If he thinks you need that, you do.”

“What does AMF stand for?” Morgan asked as she took a sip of the blue drink.

“Adios, motherfucker,” Dave yelled from across the room.

Morgan choked on the sip she’d just taken and stared at him for a beat, then asked Arrow, “Did he really hear me from all the way over there?”

“Did I fail to mention that Dave has the hearing of a bat?” Arrow asked with another smile.

“Uh . . . yeah.” Then she raised her voice and asked Dave, “Are you bidding me adios, my parents, or telling me that I’m not going to remember anything after I drink this thing?”

“Yes,” the other man yelled back, and he turned his attention to wiping down the already clean bar top with a small grin.

“He’s never made me a drink,” Allye whispered when she got close.

Chloe also sauntered up and uncapped her water. “Me either. All we ever get is water. In a bottle, of course.”

Both women laughed and Morgan’s brow furrowed in question.

“He refuses to serve women water in glasses because he’s afraid they can be drugged too easily,” Arrow told her.

“Seriously?”

“Well, yeah. The likelihood of anyone daring to do that shit in here is extremely low, but Dave isn’t taking any chances.”

“Are you guys done with her?” Allye asked. “Can we steal her and play some pool?”

“We didn’t show up too early, did we?” Chloe added.

“No. Your timing was actually perfect,” Arrow told her, then turned to Morgan. “You want to stay . . . or have an early dinner?” A part of him wanted her to say she wanted to go home with him right this moment, but he also wanted her to loosen up and have some girl time. Allye and Chloe were amazing women, and if anyone could make Morgan feel better, it would be them.

“I’d like to stay and play some pool . . . if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Arrow told her immediately. “Take your time. Me and the guys will continue with our conversation we were having earlier.”

She looked relieved with his answer. “Okay.”

“Okay.” Then, without feeling an ounce of uneasiness or awkwardness, Arrow leaned down and kissed Morgan’s lips briefly. “Have fun.”

Then he strode away. But not before he heard Allye say, “Giiiiirl. Did I see right and Archer Kane just kissed you?”

Morgan grinned as she walked arm in arm with Allye, Chloe close on their heels, and said, “Yup.”

“High five!” Ally exclaimed as all three girls chuckled and disappeared into the back room.

Arrow felt the other five men on the Mountain Mercenary team walk up to him, but his attention was on the doorway Morgan had disappeared through.

“That’s a big list of names we need to investigate,” Black commented.

“Yeah,” Arrow agreed.

“There seem to be a lot of felons in the woodwork that could be connected to her,” Meat added.

“Yup,” Arrow said.

“It’s going to take a while to investigate them all,” Ball threw out.

“Uh-huh.”

“Maybe she had herself kidnapped and was having herself a yearlong vacation,” Ro said dryly.

“Maybe,” Arrow mumbled.

Gray smacked Arrow on the back of the head. He flinched and turned to glare at his friend. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Just trying to get you to pay attention,” his friend said. “Come on. She’s fine with Allye and Chloe. Dave will keep his eye on them. We have shit we need to discuss if we’re going to narrow down this list of suspects, and we need your head in the game.”

“You could’ve just said so,” Arrow complained as he rubbed his head.