Todd laughed. “More than a bit. It’s legendary.”
He shouldn’t have cared, but heat rose in Jason’s face anyway. He removed the lid from his coffee and doctored it up with a little cream and plenty of sugar before taking a sip.Mmm. Far better than the instant crap sitting next to the little coffee maker on the table. “How’d the morning meeting go?” Reluctant as he was to face the topic, he couldn’t avoid it any longer.
“Byron either has no idea what’s going on, or he played along with the lie. Seemed genuinely distressed about Viktor.” Todd took a slug of his coffee. “The rest of our team is still tailing potential turncoats. Your brother sends his well-wishes and asked you to call him, by the way. I told him you lost your phone.”
If only. “He’s probably wondering why I didn’t call from my hotel room.” Or not, if he was in on the whole thing. Jason took a bite of a croissant, and it was probably delicious, but he hardly noticed. Releasing a long breath, he said, “I think I need to confront him.”
“What will that accomplish?” Emma asked with a frown that he wanted to kiss from her beautiful face.
“I believe you about Warner, but I need to give Byron a chance to tell me how he fits into all of this. And I need to look him in the eye when I do it.”
“That could be dangerous,” Todd said. “It’s not good to poke the bear. Between her team and ours, we can get the evidence without a face-to-face.”
She looked at Todd with surprise. “You’re helping?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Look,” Jason said, “I know it’s not the smartest move, I get that, but this is my brother.” Byron wasn’t necessarily a great one, but he was still family. “No matter what happens, I have to be able to tell my parents that I gave him the benefit of the doubt.”
Todd rubbed his forehead wearily. “I get it. I’d probably feel the same if it were one of my brothers.”
Jason relaxed just a fraction, reassured that Todd always had his back no matter what.
“You okay with that?” Todd asked Emma, apparently as much on her side now as Jason’s. “Warner may know you guys are hiding out together. If Jason tells Byron what he knows, it’ll confirm that you’re investigating his company.”
“I think that ship has sailed.” Emma met Jason’s gaze and nodded. “Do what you have to do. I just have one request.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
WHEN DALLAS ARRIVED at Parley a little after seven, he spotted Nolan immediately. The man sat on a stool at a curved bamboo bar, his fingers pinching the delicate stem of a wine glass. He’d removed his tie and rolled up his sleeves, and still looked like he was in the middle of a photo shoot.
Feeling self-conscious in his regular work uniform of a T-shirt and jeans, Dallas hesitated. What was he doing here?
Before he could leave, Nolan turned and spotted him lingering in the doorway and waved him over with a friendly smile that made his knees wobbly.
“Hey, man.” Nolan stood and clapped him on the back and said, “I wasn’t sure you’d show.”
Dallas shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets, feeling like a bigger loser by the minute. “Here I am.”
The other man chuckled. “What’re you having? First round’s on me.”
Dallas opened his mouth to protest.
“No argument,” Nolan said. “We’re celebrating.”
“That I didn’t have a plumbing disaster?” Dallas tried to block out the noise of the shiny, smiling people and the loud jazzy music that made it feel more like a coffee house.
Nolan nodded. “And that you actually left your computer. That’s twice in one day. Surely worth a toast.”
Dallas could feel his face heating. “I’m notthatbad.” Although, if he were honest, the last few years he’d let work become his life.
“No, sorry. I’m just teasing,” Nolan said, his dark brown eyes warm and friendly. “I’m glad you’re here.”
God, this man was going to be the death of him. Dallas ignored his cartwheeling stomach and ordered a gin and tonic. A minute later they were seated at a bench that spanned the length of the exposed brick wall, in front of a tiny table.
The bar’s vibe was very modern-cozy—was that a thing?—with bamboo mats on the ceiling, colorful cushions on the benches, and rattan light fixtures. Not exactly his scene, but then most social venues weren’t anymore. Especially not since Dallas’s asshole ex had posted private photos of him to Remy Blaze’s revenge porn website.
Worse, they were photos Dallas hadn’t even known existed, taken without his knowledge and uploaded for all the world to see, alongside his name, address, and phone number.
