Thin Ice 7 - Echoes of Reckoning by KR BANKSTON Read Free Book Online

added resolutely and again Kim understood.
    “ So you forgive me, we good now,” he asked reaching across the table and touching her hand.
    The contact was electric and Kim’s mind immediately reminded her she had a husband now.
    “ We’re fine Ty,” she replied calmly removing her hand from his grasp.
    “ Good, so when can we spend some time,” he quickly returned.
    “ Ty, I’m married and I have a son,” she told him as his face fell slightly.
    “ OK, I can respect that, but Kim we’re still friends right,” he pleaded.
    He swore all he wanted was to renew their friendship and he would respect the boundaries of her marriage, only taking whatever time she chose to give him. Finally against her better judgment Kim acquiesced and agreed to have lunch with him tomorrow. You sure you wanna open this door, her mind charged as she watched him walk out of the wing place, once again admiring all the sexiness that was Tyshon.

5
     
    Ian met up with Ryan at Finnerans sports bar, taking the empty chair across from his brother and ordering a double vodka martini.
    “ Damn, who pissed you off today,” Ryan joked slightly.
    Ian smiled a bit before telling him he was simply restless.
    “ Hmph, well the trip should relax you a bit,” Ryan returned as Ian grunted and the server sat the double martini in front of him.
    “ You talked to Creeper and Pirate,” he asked as Ryan nodded telling him he had.
    “ Seems there’s a specter of the past visiting the Bayou these days,” he told Ian cryptically.
    His younger brother frowned marginally waiting on him to elaborate.
    “ Gabrielle,” he said simply as the frowned deepened.
    “ Really,” Ian replied asking if either man had spoken to her.
    “ Creeper says she’s very reclusive these days, only sees her out with a man who appears to be related,” he told Ian as he nodded knowingly.
    “ Probably her cousin Zeke,” he spoke, recalling the man.
    “ Her face is badly scarred,” Ryan again enlightened, passing on information he’d gotten from Creeper.
    Ian shook his head slowly. “She’s lucky to be alive honestly,” he told Ryan.
    The two talked about Gabrielle a few moments more before returning to their original conversation.
    “ So what do you want to do about the Bayou, are you permanently turning it over to them,” Ryan asked.
    Ian told him he didn’t see why not. The two men were doing an excellent job and they didn’t need the additional headache.
    “ As long as they send our percentage, I don’t have an issue,” he added.
    “ Me either, I was simply wondering,” Ryan returned. “We’re going to have to do a little housecleaning while we’re there,” he told Ian, piquing his interest.
    “ Seems there are some remnants from the DuBois brothers, and Kareem’s first lieutenant, some fool named Tagg of all things,” he finished as Ian nodded and sighed deeply.
    “ Yes, I need to kill a few people, relax some of this tension,” he replied.
    Ryan questioned him. “You and KiKi beefin’ again,” he asked, eyebrow raised.
    “ No,” Ian replied. “We’re actually good, she just won’t talk about having another child,” he told him as Ryan sighed this time.
    “ What’s up with you and Nikki,” he threw out picking up the sigh and recalling the argument Ryan told him about almost two weeks ago now.
    “ I don’t think being with me, or taking care of Rayne is a priority for her right now,” Ryan said calmly.
    His brother’s calmness unnerved him sometimes, almost as if their father was sitting across from him and not Ryan.
    “ Law school can be pretty taxing Ryan,” Ian tried to reason.
    “ Hmph, yeah that’s what I keep trying to tell myself, but I can’t help what my gut is saying,” he replied and Ian left it alone for a moment.
    “ What are you plotting,” he asked seeing the look in his brother’s eye.
    Ryan smiled faintly and Ian again had that Cartier moment.
    “ Don’t worry about it little brother, I got this,”