Free The Rogue Hunter by Lynsay Sands Page A

informed them, "She's being groomed for a senior partnership."
    "We hope," Sam insisted with embarrassment.
    "His last assistant was Bundy," Alex pointed out insistently. "And he's a full partner now."
    "Yes, but—" Sam cut herself off, knowing there was no sense arguing the point. Alex was sure she was brilliant and heading places and was proud enough of her to brag about it. There was only one way to shut her up, and that was to change the subject.
    Sam was trying to think of how to do that when Bricker helped her out by asking Jo, "And what do you do?"
    "Oh." Jo smiled wryly. "I'm the underachiever in the family. I work in a bar."
    Sam frowned at the self-deprecating claim and spoke up. "She's working her way through university getting a degree in marine biology. She's also just been promoted to manager of the bar, so she's no slouch either."
    "It's no big deal," Jo insisted. "It's a small bar, a hole in the wall really. I only have a dozen or so people under me."
    Sam wanted to argue the point with her, but could see she was embarrassed by the attention. Alex apparently wasn't as aware of it, however, and opened her mouth, no doubt to tell them that Jo was being self-deprecating, but Jo quickly asked the men, "What do you guys do?"
    Her question was followed by a sudden silence that was almost electrifying as the men again exchanged glances. It was Bricker who blurted, "We're in a rock band."
    Sam felt her jaw drop in surprise and then peered sharply at Mortimer as his fork slipped from his fingers and clanged on the side of his plate. If her mouth was hanging open, he was positively gaping at his friend. As was Decker, she noted, her eyebrows rising.
    Bricker noted it as well, cleared his throat, and explained apologetically, "I wasn't supposed to tell. We were going to keep a low profile this week. You know. Avoid the whole fan, groupie thing and jus—awkk!" His words ended on a startled squawk as Mortimer suddenly stood, jerking him up out of his seat by the collar.
    "Er…" Decker's gaze shifted from the women to Mortimer, who was marching Bricker across the deck. Setting his napkin on the table, he got up. "We'll just be a moment, ladies. Please go on with your meal."
    "Well," Alex murmured as they watched the men form a huddle at the far end of the deck and begin to speak in hushed tones. "I think Bricker just tried to feed us a line of bull."
    "I'm afraid I'd have to agree," Jo said on a disappointed little sigh. "I've heard a lot of guys spew bullshit lines at work trying to pick up girls and 'I'm in a rock-and-roll band' is definitely a bullshit line."
    Sam bit her lip on a laugh as she took in Jo's despondent expression. She hadn't missed the way her little sister and Bricker had seemed to be doing a bit of bonding over the potatoes. Jo was obviously disappointed that he had turned out to be just another guy on the make.
    "He could have at least come up with something a little more believable," Alex said with disgust, her gaze narrowing on the huddle of men. "I mean a rock-and-roll band? Like we'd believe that?"
    "What the hell are you doing?" Mortimer growled the minute he'd dragged Bricker to the end of the deck.
    "What?" Bricker asked, wide-eyed. "I was just—"
    "A rock-and-roll band?" Mortimer snarled. "Dear God! Are you mad? Why not just tell them you're Santa Claus?"
    "No, wait, listen," Bricker began, but Decker had joined them now and was no more impressed than Mortimer with the claim.
    "I'm afraid I have to concur with Mortimer," Decker said dryly. "That was just asinine."
    "No it's not," he argued quickly. "Chicks dig that sort of thing."
    "Stupid ones who are gullible enough to believe it, maybe," Mortimer snapped. "But these women are neither stupid nor gullible. Haven't you been paying attention? Sam is a lawyer, for God's sake! And Alex is a restaurateur and Jo is working on a degree in marine biology. These are not stupid women likely to fall for some I'm-a-rock-star line."
    "I'm afraid he's