His sister’s head snapped around, her eyes sparking with fury. She did not like to be told what to do. None of his siblings did, but Max didn’t much care about that either.
Thankfully, Rock returned, drawing Madison’s attention away from the man making a hasty retreat from the house.
Not that this situation was any more comfortable since now Max was forced to watch as Rock and Madison squared off, their eyes speaking far more than their mouths as they stared at one another. He didn’t know what, exactly, was going on between them, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t like it either way.
“Get her some coffee,” Courtney instructed him, her soft, cool fingers brushing his forearm.
His wife was good at providing a distraction, he would give her that. If it weren’t for the fact she was supposed to be on bed rest, he would’ve rolled his eyes and left the task to her. Okay, that was a lie, but still.
With a heavy sigh, Max got to his feet and headed for the coffeepot. He grabbed a mug from the cabinet above it, then returned to the table, setting the carafe and mug down. If Madison wanted coffee, she could pour it herself.
“What did you find out?” Max asked Rock.
Rock’s eyes shifted away from Madison briefly, his expression masked as he morphed back into the professional he was rather than the lovesick fool who thought he could hide his feelings for Max’s sister.
“Was Tobias Land workin’ for Hartwood?” Courtney asked, her tone reflecting her curiosity.
“Yes, but not willingly,” Rock answered her quickly, urging Madison to move into the kitchen as he took a step forward.
Max watched the interactions, noticed the way Madison’s eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Clearly, she didn’t like taking orders from Rock, and she wanted to ensure he knew that.
The smile that tugged at his mouth said he was amused by her reaction.
Max shook his head, wondering when the fuck these two were going to get with the program. They’d been doing this dance for years, pretending they didn’t have feelings for one another. Even when Madison had been dating Reese, Max had known she was secretly in love with Rock. Hell, he suspected that was why she’d taken a different path. But when Reese had proposed, she’d been shocked back to reality, deciding it was time to give up the ruse rather than risk hurting Reese any more than she had.
Or so Courtney had told him.
“From what little I could get, Tobias Land was pressured into doing business with Hartwood.”
“It was the travel agency,” Max mused. “They were usin’ it as a front for somethin’.”
“That’s my guess,” Rock agreed. “I’m just not sure how.”
Laundering money was Max’s guess, but it could’ve had something to do with travel to Mexico. He’d heard Patrick O’Brien was inadvertently working with the cartels, attempting to move more weapons through the state. Then again, it could also be drugs since they went through the same pipeline. The problem was, Patrick O’Brien appeared to be a ghost. Every time Max thought they had a bead on the guy, that they might learn who he was or where he came from, the guy disappeared into the ether. Almost as though he didn’t exist, just a figment of everyone’s overactive imagination.
“You find out where he is?” Max inquired, refilling his own coffee mug as Madison pulled out a chair at the table.
“No.”
Max nodded in understanding. He didn’t figure he’d been much help to Brantley and Reese; however, he had gleaned some valuable information for himself.
Information that was going to help him fortify his stronghold and ultimately eliminate Sabrina Moroso once and for all.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rather than return to the S1S office, Brantley drove straight to the hotel.
“Maybe we should talk about it,” Reese said from the passenger seat.
“Nothin’ to talk about.” There really wasn’t. Brantley wasn’t upset about the encounter with Madison Adorite. Not even a little. And fine, his stern tone of voice probably didn’t relay his true emotions all that well, but at the moment, he was feeling a tad fragile after what he’d just witnessed. Fragile enough to know he needed to be alone for a few minutes—just a few—with the man he loved.
“I’m sorry,” Reese muttered as they were pulling into the hotel lot.
Brantley didn’t say a word. He parked the truck and got out. Reese wasn’t far behind him, following him through the lobby. Brantley opted for stairs because he didn’t have the patience for the elevator.
By the time he opened the door to their room, his heart was pounding, and it had nothing to do with the exercise they’d gotten going up four flights.
No sooner did the door close behind Reese than Brantley pounced on him, shoving him up against the door and slamming his mouth over his.
