TROPIC ENVY: A Luke Angel Mystery (Archangel Aviation Thrillers Book 4) by NATE VAN COOPS

Author:NATE VAN COOPS [COOPS, NATE VAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skylighter Press
Published: 2026-02-10T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-FOUR

THE IRISH

It’s an awkward feeling losing your date in the middle of a night out. Doing it around people you know makes it even more embarrassing.

Standing on the sidewalk out front of Ferg’s sports bar, I was suddenly conscious of my age. A man in his mid-thirties hanging out with a bunch of twenty-somethings and now looking a fool in front of them. Diana had been my connecting link to the group. Youthful in appearance and attitude but closer to me in age and life experience, she’d easily bridged the gap between me and this younger crowd. Now I felt her absence.

“Want to head to another spot?” Sierra asked. “Plenty of options around here.” Her smile was still there, if slightly dimmed.

Enrique eyed me cautiously. As if after my recent violence, I might still be a hazard. We still had Chase and Nina in tow as well.

Chase had come in handy. He’d stepped up in the fight.

“Thanks for having my back in there,” I said.

He shrugged. “How often do you get a chance to lay some dude out? Gotta take your shots when you can.”

Nina gave a disapproving frown.

But I knew what he meant. Fights were almost universally a bad idea. Hardly anyone ever “won” a fight. You just bruised your knuckles and frightened people. Got yourself thrown out of wherever you were. Maybe even arrested. But there was an undeniable camaraderie that came from it among men. I’d seen it plenty in the Army. Even the guys who were the ones fighting would leave with a grudging respect for one another after a fight. Something primal. Even necessary. I doubted sporting competitions would have ever existed otherwise. We all needed to prove something. Especially young men.

But I wasn’t that young anymore, and I wasn’t sure what I’d proved tonight.

“My Jeep’s still parked here,” I said. “I’ll probably just sober up and take it home.”

“Why don’t I drive it?” Sierra offered. “I’m fine to drive. We can even drop it off for you and Uber back. Don’t you want to stay out a little longer?” There was a look in her eyes. A question inside the question. I realized she was talking about Chase. My request of her to get him out, get him talking.

She was right, of course. I hadn’t had much of a chance to get anything out of Chase, and this was the best opportunity I was going to get.

“We could always go to the Irish bar,” Nina offered. “Right by your marina. I think Brooks is there tonight. Maybe we'll meet up with him.”

Chase frowned at that but said nothing.

The Irish pub was right in the base of Bayfront Tower, a stone’s throw from the marina entrance.

“Fine by me,” Sierra said.

“You can invite your mother down,” Enrique joked.

“Let’s not,” Sierra said. “Unless we all want our night ruined.” She put her hand out to me. “Keys?”

I handed them over. The group split, Nina and Chase heading for their own ride. Enrique came with us.

As I walked

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