“Places.”
“With Ziggy?”
“Maybe.”
He swears and kicks at the dirt. “So I’ve lost you too?”
I turn his way, hand frozen on the car door that I haven’t pushed closed yet. “What?”
“First, Hudson ran off with Wilde, and now you’re all up in Zig-zag.”
Of course he’d know exactly what I was doing. I’m not a good liar, but Hart would let me get away with it if I tried, so I consider actually doing it.
But I don’t want to lie.
Lying isn’t going to help me get my brothers back.
I push the door closed with athupand approach Hart slowly. He looks resigned to dealing with another one of myrelationships, and I don’t want it to be that way this time. “I really like him.”
Hart doesn’t outwardly react, and I can’t blame him. Hehasheard all this before. So many goddamn times he could probably set a watch to my relationships.
“You couldn’t at least wait until he finished working for us? When shit blows up, who’s going to do our electricals then?”
“If,” I correct him. “If we break up.”
“Oh, come on, Kenny. You know how this goes.”
Yeah, and I’m terrified. Instead of arguing with him like I normally would, I bite that impulse back and admit it. “I do. Which is why I want your help.”
That takes some of the bite out of his bark. Hart looks me over, arms crossing tighter like he refuses to let down his guard. “With?”
“Where’s Hudson?”
“Inside.”
“Okay.” I can’t believe I’m going to do this. “Then let’s go. I need relationship advice from my brothers.”
For the first time ever.
Hart doesn’t respond, but I hear him on the stairs behind me as I head into house three. It’s in a similar state to two, but without any of the wiring done.
“You’re back,” Hudson says, theziiipof the tape measure returning to its roll filling the room.
“Yup.”
“Where were you?”
“With Ziggy.”
“Right.” He tugs on the tape again. “Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Good. And we’re sorry. We should have passed on your message. I just didn’t realize it would cause issues.”
Before I can answer, Hart cuts in.
“That’s because neither of us knew they’re fucking.”
