Aiden
BENTLEY ARRIVED AT the office, striding in dressed in one of his dark suits. His tie today was gray, and I was certain his socks were the same black they usually were. No happy Emmy socks today.
I had come in hours earlier, busy at my desk working through the documents. After dropping Cami at home, I couldn’t concentrate and instead tried to sleep, which was an epic failure. The nightmares had been stronger than ever, and I was more exhausted than I could remember feeling in my entire life.
Bent had refused to let me come get him with Frank, insisting it was unnecessary, and I was too tired to argue with him. He sat down in front of me, frowning.
“You look like I feel.”
“Awesome, you mean?”
“Like shit.”
I waved my hand. “How’s Emmy’s ankle?”
He rolled his eyes at my deflection.
“A little tender, but fine.”
“Good. We’ll try again next week. Maybe you can convince her to stop self-teaching shit off the internet.”
He shrugged. “I highly doubt it, but I’ll try.” He narrowed his eyes. “We picked Cami up a couple of blocks from her place this morning. She looked remarkably similar to how you look today. Is that a coincidence?”
Cami looked tired? I felt a spark of concern in my chest at his words.
Was she unwell? Had I upset her last night, and she couldn’t sleep?
I cleared my throat. “I have no idea. We had some tacos, and I drove her home.”
“You had dinner together?”
“We had tacos. Just a couple of friends having tacos on a Tuesday. No big deal. We were already there when you texted. It seemed stupid not to eat.”
Before Bentley could respond, Reid sauntered in, a huge grin on his face. He flung himself in the chair beside Bentley. “Hey, morning.”
Bentley eyed him with disdain. “Don’t I pay you enough for you to come into the office not looking like an unmade bed?”
I snickered. Reid was a good-looking kid, but he didn’t seem to care about his appearance. He was tall and lanky, almost as if he hadn’t grown into his body, his thick, dark hair too long and in constant disarray. He brushed it off his face, a constant habit I was sure he was unaware he had. He wore thick, black glasses, which highlighted his hazel eyes and heavy brows. His normal state of dress included torn jeans and a vintage rock band T-shirt, a total deviation from the normal dress code of the office, but for Reid, Bentley allowed it. Today, though, his hair was wilder than normal, there was stubble on his chin, and his clothes looked as though he had slept in them. He was a mess, but his expression was filled with excitement.
“I didn’t come into work, Bent. I never left. I was up all night talking to one of the guys over at Unwired about the cool stuff we’re working on for the condo towers. This is gonna be epic shit, man. These places are gonna be sick with the things they can do once we’re done. Security, music, lighting, even which shower heads you want to use, everything at the touch of a button. No wires, no shit to deal with. We started talking about a new idea, and I had to start writing the code for the programs.” He shook his head. “Epic shit.”
Bentley and I shared an amused glance.
Reid was an untapped genius I had been lucky enough to stumble across. Because of his criminal record, no one would touch him, but there was something about him that made me want to have him on our side. He had been forthcoming, open, and honest in his initial interview and even more so in his second. He impressed both Maddox and me, even with his oversharing of some personal details, and we had been correct in our instinct he would be a good fit here. We had grown closer, and I knew his entire history now, which only made me more protective of him as I would be with a younger brother. He had proven himself invaluable to us, to Bentley, especially, and he had secured a lifelong contract with our company. Reid, the little shit, took full advantage of it.
“Glad to hear my money is being well spent,” Bentley stated dryly.
Reid stood and scratched his stomach, not remotely concerned about Bentley’s tone of voice.
“Yep. In fact, I’m gonna go to my office and take a shower in that private bathroom you made sure I had. Damn thing is bigger than my apartment, I swear. I’ll even change into clean clothes. I think Sandy brought my laundry back yesterday, so there must be some stuff in the closet.”
“Sandy does your laundry?” I sputtered. “That’s not her job.”
He shrugged. “I didn’t ask her to, but she said something about boys being boys and me needing looking after.” He grinned. “Who am I to argue with her?”
“Do not take advantage of her kindness,” I warned. “Sandy deserves our respect.”
He became serious. “Those flowers on her desk are my thanks every week. I bring her coffee, and also upgraded every computer in her house and installed some wicked speakers in her kitchen. For an old broad she has awesome taste in music.”
Then he turned and left, waving over his shoulder.
I looked at Bentley. “The kid has no boundaries.”
He smirked. “The kid is twenty-five. Same age as Cami. Do you think of her as a kid?”
I shook my head. “She’s way ahead of him. I guess he’s still growing up. I wonder if his time in jail figures into that.”
“I think women are always ahead of us, maturity wise. As for the jail time, I imagine it does. It must affect a person in some profound way.” He paused. “You were right, though. He’s a great hire. Despite his casualness, he’s a good addition.” He tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “The two of you are similar in some ways.”
“Yeah, we are.”
“You like him.”
“I do. He’s had it rough, and I understand that.”
“A common bond.”
“Yes.”
“I think he’s here for the long haul.”
“He is. Did you know about the laundry?”
“Yes. Sandy told me he was helpless, and she is very fond of him. She says he reminds her of us at that age, except he’s worse. I think she likes to mother him a little since he is on his own. She uses the machines downstairs and leaves the clothes in his closet once a week. She thinks she gets the better deal. Apparently, the speakers rock the old broad’s world.”
I started to laugh. The kid had no filter.
“What would we do without her?”
“No idea.”
Maddox walked in, laptop in hand.
“Do without whom?”
“Sandy.”
He sat, crossing his legs. “I don’t even want to think about that happening.”
“Neither does Reid.”
He grinned. “Our resident troublemaker. I saw some of the code he was writing earlier. He explained the concept. The kid is brilliant. Fucking brilliant.” He chuckled. “Even if he looks like a monkey’s ass most of the time. He’ll grow into himself. We all did.”
He was right; we did. Each in our own way.
Bentley rapped on the desk. “Okay. Enough of boy wonder. Back to the business at hand.”
I flipped open the folder. “Everything looks good. Did you get my email, Maddox?”
“I did. At four in the morning,” he added. “Ever heard of sleep?”
“I was in bed early,” I lied. “I woke up and sent this out. Do you have numbers?”
He rolled his eyes, opening his laptop. “We can afford to buy all three pieces of property. Even if we carry them for a few years, we’re fine. We’ll make money, no matter what we decide to do. We barely have to dip into our holdings for it, actually—which is good, considering the money we’re soaking into Ridge Towers.”
“Are we over on the project?”
“Nothing out of hand. I always pad the numbers, expecting some unforeseen issues.”
Bentley looked over the documents I handed him. “Should we offer this as an investment-potential project?”
“I know a few people who would jump at the chance,” Maddox stated. “Some calls and I could secure financing so none of our money is tied up.”
“No,” I exclaimed. “I want this to be ours. In fact . . .” I drew in a sharp breath. “I want to buy one of the pieces myself.”
“What are you talking about?” Maddox demanded.
“I’ve been thinking about it all night. I liked it there. I’d like to keep a small piece and build something for myself.”
Bentley closed the file and set it on the desk. He crossed his leg, swinging his foot as he stared at me. I prepared myself for his refusal. Instead, he shocked me.
“I said the same thing to Emmy last night. What piece were you interested in buying?”
Maddox gaped at us. “What the effing hell?”
I ignored him. “Mrs. C’s property. It’s the smallest and it’s all I’d need.”
“I was thinking about Mr. Wilcox’s place.”
“So, what, leave the middle piece—the most valuable—and do what with it?” Maddox interrupted, his voice hard. “Leave it to rot so you two have some sort of weekend getaway? BAM isn’t going to invest in worthless land.”
Bentley frowned. “Relax, Maddox. I still plan to develop it. A small, exclusive resort or maybe some high-end rental cottages.”
“We could fit in six, plus a main building,” I said matter-of-factly.
“We can double or triple that with the other properties,” Maddox snapped. “It’s crazy to use that for personal shit. Find another piece of property if you have to, and leave this one like we discussed.”
Bentley’s voice was deceptively soft. “Let me remind you, I have the final say on what BAM does or does not do, Maddox. We went in thinking we were only going to buy the one piece. If I decide to purchase one piece and Aiden the other, then nothing is lost here. Our original idea is intact—or BAM could buy it all and lease the parcels to Aiden and me. There are lots of ways we could work this concept.”
Maddox didn’t back down. “What if I want a piece? Did you ever think of that?”
“Is that what’s upsetting you? Then we can buy it all, rezone, and rethink. Build to a smaller scale. BAM will own what we don’t want personally.” Bentley met my confused gaze.
The outburst was out of character for Maddox. “I suppose I didn’t think you were interested in a cottage by the water, given how much you love urban living,” Bentley said.
Maddox stood, snapping his laptop shut. “It wasn’t something I thought you’d be interested in either, so I guess we’re both surprised.”
“Is that what you want?”
“It’s not the point. I don’t like being out of the loop on plans.”
I spoke up, hating the tension that had descended on the room. “There are no plans, Mad Dog. We’re discussing an idea. There was something about that view yesterday. It made me question if it was something I would like for the future, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I did want it. If it’s an issue, I’ll find somewhere else. I’m not sure I’m even ready for a cottage or what I’d do with one, to be honest. It’s just . . .”
Bentley finished my thought. “That view. The peacefulness of the place.”
“Yeah.”
Maddox shook his head, his annoyance obvious. “You two let me know when you decide. We can take it on fully or the one piece only. Either way, we’re good.”
Bentley stood as well. “Where are you going?”
“Back to my office.”
“We’re not finished here.”
“I am. You two let me know what you want.” He strode out, shutting the door behind him with a firm thud.
Bentley sat down heavily. “What was that all about?”
“I have no idea. I’ve never seen or heard him so defensive.” I snorted. “Maybe over me teasing him about what he’s wearing, but not over a piece of property.”
“I should go talk to him.”
“No. Leave him. He’ll come to us when he’s ready.”
“What do we do in the meantime?”
“Make an offer, but for all three parcels now. We can decide later on what to do with them.” I chuckled. “He can upsell to me if that’s what he wants. Make us a profit.”
“We’re solid. I saw our month-end numbers. We made a record profit last year, and we’re on track to beat it this year, even with the expenditures for Ridge Towers.”
“I know. It’s not money worrying him.”
“What is it, then?”
I shrugged. That was the mystery. One we would have to figure out.
I entered Bentley’s office, my arms full of blueprints. He was on the phone but waved me in. He scowled into the receiver.
“Really? Are you sure that’s what you want, Emmy? You know we could go—”
Emmy had obviously cut him off. Resting his head on his hand, he listened to whatever she was saying then nodded.
“Okay, baby. I’ll pick you up in forty-five minutes.”
She responded, and her words made him smile.
“I love you too.”
He hung up, tossed his phone on the desk with a groan, and leaned his head back.
“Problem?”
“Emmy wants to go out for dinner.”
“You love taking her out.”
He cracked one eye open. “To Swiss Chalet.”
I tried not to laugh. Swiss Chalet was one of my favorites too, but it didn’t rank up there for Bentley.
“I could afford to fly her to Paris, have dinner, and be back in time for school tomorrow, and she wants Swiss Chalet.” He paused, rubbing his temple. “Plus, she has a coupon that expires today. She insists we use it.”
“Nothing wrong with a coupon.”
“That’s what she says. ‘Just because you have a lot of money, Bentley, doesn’t mean you should waste it,’” he quoted. “As if a dollar fifty is going to break me.”
I sat down, unable to stop my laughter. “She keeps you on your toes.”
“That she does. Constantly challenging me. Speaking of which . . .” He indicated the door with a tilt of his head. “Has Maddox been out of his office all day?”
“Nope.”
“What should we do? Send Sandy in to talk to him? He always listens to her.”
Sandy walked in, carrying a six-pack of Guinness and a pizza box. “Do not even try, young man. I brought this for you, Aiden. You, Bentley, have a date with your girl, and Aiden, you are marching yourself into that office and talking to Maddox. How the two of you haven’t figured this out yet is a mystery. For such smart men, you are exceedingly obtuse.” She placed the pizza and beer on the desk. “Frank is waiting for you, Bentley.” She pointed at me. “You have a job to do. Now fix this, Aiden.”
After glaring at us, she marched out.
Bent and I exchanged glances. He stood, adjusting his sleeves. “We have our instructions. Although I think I’d take Maddox over Swiss Chalet.”
“Not a chance.”
He picked up his phone, tucking it into his pocket. “Once you figure this out, let me know what’s going on.”
I picked up the beer and pizza, with no clue as to what I needed to do. “Okay.”
We separated in the hallway. Outside Maddox’s door, I paused. I couldn’t remember the last time it was shut, and I wasn’t sure if I should knock or just go in. The problem was solved when the door swung open and Maddox froze, clearly surprised to see me. He had on his coat, messenger bag in hand, and he was obviously planning to leave.
“Hey.”
“What’s up?” he asked.
“I was hungry. Thought I’d share.”
“I was heading home.”
I held up the beer. “I have Guinness.”
He pursed his lips. “Sandy sent you, didn’t she?”
“What makes you say that?”
“She always orders from DelVecchio’s. When you get pizza, it’s from Santora’s.”
“I have beer,” I repeated.
“Fine.” He huffed. “I skipped lunch, so I’m hungry. Is Bent joining us?”
“No. Emmy had a coupon for Swiss Chalet. It expires today, and she told him they had to use it. He was thrilled.”
He blinked, then started to laugh. “That girl is fucking priceless.” He shrugged off his coat. “Give me a beer.”
We devoured the pizza in silence. It wasn’t until we sat back and opened a second beer that I spoke. I kept it simple, because that was how we did things.
“What the fuck was that earlier?”
He reclined back, sipping his beer. “Anyone ever tell you you’re like a bulldozer? No tact.”
“I don’t need tact. I need an answer. What’s going on? Neither Bent nor I understand.” I leaned forward. “We want to understand, so talk to me.”
“Can we chalk it up to a bad day and leave it at that?”
“No. We’re not leaving here until you talk.” I took a long drink, then set down the bottle. “It’s a piece of property I want to buy. It’s not the first and won’t be the last. Bentley bought his property from the company. You bought one of our condos. Why is this different?”
He sighed and scrubbed his face. “It’s not, not really. It just hit me.”
“What did?”
“What it represents.” He stood and paced the room. “Fuck, Aiden. So many things have changed in the past few months. Six months ago, we were focused entirely on the business. All of us. It’s all we had. It was ours. Now Bentley spends most of his free time with Emmy, you’re looking at a piece of property miles outside the city—where the fuck does that leave me?”
“What are you talking about?”
He sat down, grabbed his beer, and took a long pull. “Bentley’s building a life with Emmy. It’s great and how it should be. I’m happy for him. You’re gonna build some cottage and be gone on weekends, and in the summer, probably some nights. Less time here. Once Bentley builds a place, you two will be there, and I’ll be here. We hardly see each other anymore outside the office now. It’ll be even less then.” He laughed without humor. “Wow, saying it out loud, I sound like a whiny little bitch.”
He was correct. Our lives had changed, and we didn’t see each other as much. Bent was busy, and I seemed to spend most of my time alone. Still, his confession surprised me. “You think we’re leaving you behind or something?”
He drained his beer. “I suppose. It’s stupid, but I feel left out.”
“Buy a piece and join us, then.”
He shook his head. “Bentley was right. I’m not a cottage guy. I’d buy another condo at Ridge Towers before a cottage.”
“Then you can visit whenever you want. Mad Dog, we’re family. Whether I live one mile or twenty miles away, nothing changes. I don’t plan to live there full time. I just want a place to go to sometimes, somewhere open and peaceful. I remember the odd time my parents would take us to the lake. I loved going—the sounds, the smell of the water, the feel of the sand under my feet. The blue sky and the openness. It was one of the rare times I felt happy as a kid. Something felt right when we were there.”
I held out my hands, unsure how to explain. “We aren’t leaving you out, Mad. We’re just adding another place to get together.”
His shoulders slouched. “I know. I fucking know that, but for some reason, it upset me. I can’t explain it.” He leaned back, rubbing his temple. “But I get it. You should have a place you love. Bentley deserves it as well. I’m sorry for my outburst. I’ll call Bent later and apologize.”
“We don’t need an apology. We need to know you’re okay. Is there, ah, anything you want to talk about?”
He snorted. “You want me to kick off my shoes, lie back on the sofa, and spill my guts?”
“I’d rather you didn’t. Your socks freak me out a little.”
We laughed, and I spoke seriously. “Really, do you need to talk?”
“About?”
I bit the bullet. “Is there something going on between you and Dee?”
“What makes you ask that?”
“Curious. The two of you seem pretty tight when we’re all together. It made me wonder.”
“Wonder? How? What are you wondering?”
I relaxed back, draping my arm over the edge of the chair. “That’s a lot of deflection for a simple question.”
“Let me ask you something, then. What’s the deal with you and Cami? You spend a lot of time together.”
“We’re friends,” I replied promptly. “I’m helping her learn self-defense with Emmy because Bent asked me to do a favor for him.”
“And that’s all?”
I shot him a look. “That’s all it will ever be.”
He met my gaze. “Yes. That is all it will ever be.”
“So you and Dee are just friends?”
A look of sadness and longing passed over his face, then he cleared his throat. “Yes. She’s helped me with some legal stuff, and I gave her some accounting advice. We enjoy each other’s company on occasion. We’re just like you and Cami. Friends.”
Our gazes locked. We were both lying, and neither of us would give an inch.
“Okay, then. Nothing else you want to talk about?”
“No, nothing.” He was silent for several seconds, then sighed. “I can’t, Aiden. I just can’t.”
His quiet words said it all. Neither of us could say it out loud.
I cleared my throat. “Okay. But we’re good?”
He nodded, looking grateful I didn’t push it. “Yeah. Honestly, I was just in a bad mood, and it caught me off guard. All the changes and unexpected things happening lately. Deals, moves, new people.” He paused and shrugged, appearing sheepish. “You know I need time to adjust.”
I knew that about him. Maddox needed order, even more than Bentley did. I glanced around his office. Everything was in its place. There were no papers scattered about, no unwashed mugs, and no files waiting to be put away. The exact opposite of my area.
“Nothing is going to happen right away. We’ll proceed however you think is best.”
“I drafted up two plans. I think what’s best is to have BAM buy the land, and then we decide. You and Bent can buy or lease what you want, and we can develop the rest once a decision has been made.”
“Sounds good.” I drained my bottle. “You okay now, Mad Dog?”
He glanced over my shoulder. “Yeah. It’s all good.”
Once again, I knew he was lying.