“We should let him think we’re broken up,” Benji muttered.
Then sleep pulled him under.
CHAPTER 2
Tia opened the door in sunglasses and a headscarf. She leaned out of her apartment, scanning the hallway before jerking her head for them to come in.
Noah followed her, amused. “What are you doing?”
“You said we’re keeping him a secret!” Tia hissed.
She pointed at Benji, who looked disgruntled. Probably because Noah told him he didn’t need a disguise, and here Tia was with sunglasses on a smoggy spring morning.
“It’syourapartment,” Noah pointed out, closing the door behind them. “I texted Mikey last night. Told him I called things off. He has no reason to watch Benji anymore.”
Tia snorted, throwing her sunglasses down on her kitchen island and reaching for the fruit bowl. “Here’s hoping. He was always a suspicious little shit. Last night, I thoughtIwas being followed.”
“Why?” Benji asked, appalled.
Tia shrugged, biting into an apple. She looked tired. A stray sparkle gleamed on her cheek from last night’s dress.
“Because he always thought I was friends with Noah for the money, even in college. It’s probably nothing,” she said as Noah opened his mouth to ask whether she was sure. “Some guy keptlooking at me when I stopped for a burger on the way home. Thought I recognized him from somewhere. Anyway, tell me the plan.”
Benji leaned in, planting his hands on the counter. His hair was mussed, his cheek still creased from the pillow they’d shared last night, the two of them shoved into Benji’s single bed.
“We destroy his fuckinglife,” he hissed.
Tia’s eyes lit up. She bit into the apple, grinning as she chewed. “Ilikethis kid. You should’ve introduced me sooner.”
“I tried, but he was terrified of you,” Noah said.
Tia threw up her hands. “But I’m so friendly!”
“You kept saying you’d vet him,” Noah pointed out. “You can’t blame him for being nervous.”
Tia muttered something into her apple, chewing grudgingly. “Let’s get back to ruining your brother’s life. Do we get him fired? Please say we’re getting him fired. I justknowhe’s embezzling. Greedy asshole.”
Noah sighed. He didn’t relish the idea of “destroying his life,” as Benji had put it. But then again, Michael had threatened to do the same to him. And Benji had no safety nets without Noah around. Even if they got Michael kicked out of his own company, he’d still have money to fall back on. Assets, connections, a paid-off luxury apartment uptown, and several others around the world. He’d be back on his feet in no time.
“We don’t know that,” he said. “It could be a one-time thing. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“Okay,” Tia said, muffled through her mouthful. “But we’re getting him fired, right? If he’s stealing money from clients, that’s, like, a jailable offense.”
“We won’t take it that far,” Noah said.
Tia and Benji traded a look. Noah didn’t have to ask what they were thinking: neither of them would care much if he was sent to jail.
“He’s mybrother,” Noah tried. “He’s not a monster. He’s just protective, and… stupid.”
“And greedy,” Tia muttered.
Noah scratched his mouth. He knew a thing or two about greediness. It was just never about money. Noah’s greediness was always about people: when he got his heart set on someone, he grabbed them and didn’t let go until they told him to stop.
Which he did. He always did. But there was that part of him that wanted to squeeze harder, mark them permanently,keepthem. Noah wanted to keep Benji so bad he could taste it. He wanted to drown him in cologne and nice paints and fine clothes, keep him safe and warm and comfortable and well-fucked. To squirrel him away so no one could get to him. If he had to take his brother down to protect Benji, then so be it.
Tia sighed, crunching her apple. “Okay. So, what was so important about this plan that you needed to stop here before I had time to brush my teeth?”
Noah leaned in. “On Monday, when he comes in, I’m going to distract him. You’re going to go into his office and get into his server. He keeps it localized to his office, so his computer is the only one with access. If there’s any proof, it’ll be there.”
