In the estate, we had a club room, where we kept the alcohol. I rarely drank, preferring to keep a cool head. Penny was making me hot, and I didn't need to dump an accelerant on the fire.
I did like the room, though. It was wood paneled and had thick carpets that muted sound. I could think without distractions. I sat in a leather chair and stared at the fireplace. Penny would probably insist on having a fire going. I didn't have any wood, though.
Get yourself together.
I took out my tablet and started making notes. I read over my list. Penny seemed to have the profile of Sebastian under control. But there was the issue of space.
"I can't believe you didn't leave me anything to eat!" Archer said dramatically from the doorway.
"Go away. I'm thinking."
"You're thinking?" Archer held up his hands. "I'll think too."
"Spare me. You have one brain cell bouncing around in your skull like the Windows screensaver. You'll give yourself a stroke."
"I hope you're thinking about where to put the factory for Thalian Biotech," my older half brother Greg said, pushing past Archer. "And not Halloween parties."
Eli and Tristan crowded around him. They were our college-aged half brothers and Greyson Hotel Group's interns. While Archer was a marginally effective CEO on the days he decided to show up to work, he was, in my opinion, a terrible influence on Eli and Tristan. They had been cocky when they’d started working for him, and since starting their jobs, they had become much worse. I made a mental note to knock them down. A little humbling never did a man any harm.
On the weekends, my older brothers tended to come to Harrogate. Most of them, the ones I was still in contact with anyway, lived in Manhattan and were only slightly useful.
"I hope you brought food with you," Archer complained as Walker, another half brother, went to the liquor cabinet and started pouring drinks.
Josh came into the club room with a bucket of ice. It was getting too crowded for me.
"Garrett's cooking tomorrow," he said. "The kids were complaining. Apparently it's fish."
"Maybe we can order pizza," Parker suggested.
I picked up my stuff.
"You're leaving?" Josh said incredulously.
"We came all this way," Walker said, affecting a New York Jewish grandmother's accent. "We never see you, you don't call, you don't write…"
"Because I'm too busy making sure you all don't trip, fall, and drown in the Hudson River. Yes, Walker, I'm talking about you. You're the one who went on a date with a literal Russian spy last night."
"Wait, what?" Walker yelped.
"You did what?" Hunter snarled.
"She's under investigation by the FBI," I said. "I feed the bureau… information. In exchange, they slip me information. She bugged Walker's phone; fortunately I had the device taken into FBI custody. Within the week, she should be arrested and in jail. Whatever they found is enough to incriminate her."
"You were behind the bum who stole my phone this morning?" Walker yelled, eyes bugging out of his head.
"Your phone was stolen, and you didn't report it?" Hunter said with a frown.
Walker looked chagrined. "I was hoping I would be able to get it back," he mumbled.
I pulled a phone out of my pocket. "This is your new one."
"Garrett knows all," Josh said in awe. Eli and Tristan looked at me, wide-eyed.
"That's right." My brothers just needed to be put in their place and be reminded of who pulled the strings around here.
"Maybe you could do something about those traitors in Seattle," Hunter said.
"Salinger is going to get what's coming to him," I said sagely. "I have a plan."
