Shock rocketed through Atticus’s whole body. “What? No. Are you even old enough to drink?”
Felix pressed his lips into a thin line, giving Atticus a flat stare. “I’m old enough for a lot of things. What do you want?”
The crowd on the couch erupted into shouts of excitement until Atticus could barely hear himself think. “Can we talk somewhere quieter?”
Felix once more gave him a suspicious look, finally nodding his head towards Jericho’s office. A safe choice considering there were windows to both the street and the inside of the garage.
The smell of motor oil assaulted Atticus the moment he crossed the threshold. How was the scent stronger there than in the work bay? Probably Jericho doing paperwork in a confined space. He was never quite able to get his hands completely clean. Atticus had always found the smell unappealing until it was on Jericho.
Once inside, Atticus took a seat in one of the chairs opposite what he assumed was Jericho’s chair. Felix perched on the edge of the desk, just as he had the sofa. “So, what do you want?”
Atticus tried to think of how to start the conversation. “I know you don’t like me.”
Felix shrugged. “Okay, and?”
Atticus would have laughed if the stakes weren’t so high. “Look, I like your brother—I…I think I even love him. I’m not going anywhere. I know you hate that, but it’s a fact. You’re territorial. I get that. I respect it. But you need to accept that I’m here to stay.”
Felix sucked his teeth, making a face, then shifted to stand. “Great talk, thanks.”
Atticus held up a hand. “I’m not done yet.”
“Well, I am,” Felix said, nose in the air.
Atticus sighed. “You have a huge advantage right now. You are in a position to negotiate, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you stop treating me like a pariah. It’s important to Jericho.”
“You think you can bribe me into liking you?”
Atticus snorted. “I think I can bribe you into tolerating me. I know an opportunist when I see one.”
Felix looked at him appraisingly before settling gently into the chair across from him, crossing his legs at the knee and leaning forward so his elbow rested on his thigh. “I’m listening.”
“I get that you don’t want to lose your brother’s time or attention. I know that won’t happen. Your brother loves you too much. But I thought maybe we could work out a deal. Hash some things out.”
“Like?”
“Like he and I can’t live here. This place is too small for all of us to live in. I would offer for you to come stay with us in my penthouse, but you would just refuse. So, here’s my proposal. One day a week, Jericho is all yours. The two of you can hang out without me to distract him—”
Felix’s nostrils flared and he sat up straighter, leveling those deep brown eyes—Jericho’s eyes—at him. “You’re giving me one whole day with my own brother. How generous,” Felix said bitterly.
Atticus smirked. “You’ll be too busy to see him most other days.”
Felix’s guarded expression slipped into confusion. “Why’s that?”
“Because I’ve arranged for my brother to give you an internship atGemini.”
Felix had to know his brother was Avi Mulvaney, the owner and designer of the Gemini athletic brand. Felix went from anger to confusion to understanding in five seconds flat. “So you are bribing me?”
There was no real heat to his words, only a sudden dawning of the power he now wielded. “If this is a negotiation, allow me to counter. I get my brother three days a week and two weekends a month and the internship needs to be paid.”
It wasn’t bad as far as counter offers went, but he wasn’t willing to concede two weekends a month without Jericho. “Two days a week, one weekend a month, and I’ll make sure you’re well compensated both in your internship and for whatever else might come up.”
“Like what, exactly?”
Atticus shrugged. “A car? College tuition? A trip to Costa Rica? Whatever you want.”
Felix eased back in his chair, pulling his sweater around him, a somewhat dreamy expression crossing his face. Atticus imagined he was now deeply entrenched in thoughts of what he might want to do with that level of funds at his disposal.
“You really love my brother?” he finally asked. His heart squeezed at the thought of Jericho. Before he could answer, the boy rolled his eyes. “Ugh, never mind. The dopey look on your face tells me enough. If you hurt him, I will literally take a butterfly knife to your testicles.”
