All my brothers are staring at me now, so I think I’ve remained in my head far longer than is socially acceptable. We’re in the conference room in our penthouse, where we conduct our most confidential meetings with each other. They have various levels of amusement and irritation painted on their faces, so there are several ways I could play this.
I settle on squinting my eyes with a contemplative chin stroke, like one of those old guys who can only think if he’s rubbing his overgrown goatee. “I’m on top of it.”
“On top of who?” Cash quips. His blond hair is effortlessly tousled, and he’s sporting a cocky grin, always ready to stir shit up.
Jackass.He is both my best friend and a thorn in my side.
Axel adjusts his reading glasses, scrutinizing me for a beat. He’s wondering if I’m full of shit and if the insinuation that I was fantasizing about being on top of a woman is accurate. As the oldest, he’s always shouldered the most. How the man isn’t flattened by all life has flung at him, I’ll never know.
He finally nods with approval, pouring me a midday whiskey and sliding it down the mahogany table, like I’m a cowboy at an old saloon. “Good. This call is important and just one of the responsibilities I need you to step up for. Ryker deserves more time with his family.”
A subtle pang of panic assaults me because I truly have no fucking clue what I agreed to, and relying on Cash for the CliffsNotes is dangerous at best. But I summon my go-with-the-flow mentality and let it roll off me.
My gaze snaps to Ryker’s icy blues. “You do need more time with your family. Does that mean you’ll actually be using the house you bought, bro?”
He grins like a giddy teenager at the mere thought of his wife and son. “Only when Mercy and I can both be off for at least thirty-six hours. Otherwise, we miss too much time with each other and Remy with the added commute.”
“Which is why you stepping up will make a huge difference,” Axel adds.
We all rooted for Ryker and Mercy to find their way to each other. Having our own families might not be an aspiration for the rest of us, but it was inevitable for them. Ryker works weird hours, so staying here makes sense. Not that any of us mind. Mercy and Remy bring a lot of life into the penthouse.
“Happy to do it,” I assure Axel, swirling my whiskey. “Could you have your assistant email me the details I need for the call so nothing gets missed?”
“Of course.” He makes a note. “Moving on.”
I roll my shoulders back with a hint of pride. That was an incredibly smooth cover.
Jax smirks at me, swiping his pale blue hair away from his forehead. He bluffs fucking everything. He’s far smarter than people give him credit for and stoned less than people believe. He learned a long time ago that the illusion of incapacitation could work to his advantage, so he uses it. He’s also actually stoned a fair amount of the time. The guy’s fucked up. It’s just less than what others assume.
My mind drifts back to Tessa. She thinks I’m an asshole on a power trip, which is way off base. I have more power than I care to possess on most days.
I’d rather her believe that than the truth because the reality of our situation would terrify her. So, I’ve let her hate me for the last two and a half years. She’s sexy when she’s seething. And at least I know she’s safe.
Or did.
The memory of that fucked-up night swarms me.
York answers the phone on the second ring. “Go.”
“I need your services.”
“I was expecting you. Go,” he orders again.
“Only cleanup and a cover story,” I begin.
His shock is audible before he replies, “No disposal?”
I’m so fucked.
“I’m handling disposal myself.” I glance at the bag of sawed limbs. The stench is so oppressive. Doesn’t matter that I’ve been acclimated to the putrid odor my whole adult life. It still makes me nauseous.
He doesn’t answer for a stretched-out beat. Not asking him to handle disposal can only mean a few things. Cleaners generally take care of the body. Not this time. He’s patently curious, but he’s not my usual cleaner, so maybe he’ll let it go. There are certain kills you need to keep quiet. Even from the connected. This is one I’ll be hiding from everyone.
Especially her.
Impatience swells inside me. I’ve got to get this and myself cleaned up before I see her. The clock is ticking. She’ll be looking for me soon.
“Are we good?” I ask.
