Ifhe ever made it home.
He crammed the invitation in his laptop bag and headed across the street. They’d never done a post-merger meeting before, so the request reeked of another ambush.
Sure enough, all three of his brothers were already waiting.
Avery slid into the empty seat between Marcus and Spencer. “If this is another meeting just to bust my balls, fuck y’all. I’m out.”
He almost hoped it was, so he’d have an excuse to bounce.
“Just the opposite, in fact.” Nick pushed a glass of whiskey across the table toward Avery. “I wanted to congratulate everyone on another job well done.” He lifted his glass. “To Spencer for laying the foundation, Marcus for keeping morale high with a positive campaign, and Avery for figuring out how to provide a better salary for Whitaker’s staff at the eleventh hour. Thank you for working your asses off on this one.”
Slow to raise his glass, Avery waited for the “but” to drop, but glasses clinked, and Nick sank deeper into his chair. He looked tired, the faint lines around his eyes deeper. He hadn’t included himself in the toast, but he’d been on the front line, taking the brunt of Whitaker’s demands and shoving back when necessary. They could all use a diversion, and Avery was ready to get home to his.
Poised to push out of his chair, muscles tight, Avery slugged back the whiskey.
“I’ve missed this.” Nick caught a server’s attention and indicated another round. “It’s been a while since it was just the four of us without some agenda to discuss.” Nick glanced at Avery. “Or someone’s balls to bust.”
Avery’s ass melted onto the hard wooden seat as if it knew he wasn’t going anywhere.
Fuck.
Marcus and Spencer chuckled as the server set four tumblers on the table.
Avery sipped at this one. He had to drive home. “At least I’ve got balls to bust.” He inclined his chin at Spencer. “Melody has yours in her purse, and Charlotte…” He turned to Marcus. “She’s had yours in a vise for years.”
Marcus grinned. “Yeah, well, my balls are—”
“Hey, Avery.” The familiar voice slithered down his spine, and a hand trailed from one shoulder to another, the touch intimate and fucking irritating. “I thought it was you.”
Pivoting in his chair to dislodge her grip on his shoulder, he came face to tits with Tits.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I haven’t seen you around lately,” she said, a pout on her unnaturally oversized red lips.
“I’ve been busy.” He didn’t want to, but courtesy demanded he introduce her. “Hilary Brant. My brothers—Spencer, Marcus, and Nick. We’re waiting for a client.”
“Then I won’t keep you.” She shifted closer. “I’ll be here a while if you want to join me when you’re done.”
A cloud of perfume and the repercussion of a bad decision lingered in her wake, and he stifled a groan as he faced three sets of questioning gazes.
Nick grunted. “A client, huh?”
Avery rubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, sorry, but fuck, she’s everywhere. I can’t shake her.”
Marcus frowned. “I thought Jo was the one with the stalker.”
Stretching out his legs, Avery waved a dismissive hand. “She’s got hers. I’ve got mine. Maybe we should introduce them.”
“I talked to Hardy last night.” Elbows on the arms of his chair, Nick steepled spread fingers over his stomach. “He’s got someone on his team watching her ex and a lead on the tweaker, but the guy’s all over the place. Probably thinks Hardy’s man is a cop.” He tapped his steepled fingers. “I also called Commissioner Harris this morning to see if he could get the police to take this more seriously.”
“And?”
“He called me back this afternoon. Said the apartment manager let them in, but the place had been cleaned out. Know anything about that?”
Avery winced. “Jo didn’t think anything would come of the investigation, and frankly neither did I. We cleaned up yesterday.”
Nick sighed. “So, no hope of fingerprints.”
