Liam went through the filing cabinet in the office searching for another maintenance agreement. Who the hell knew that everything in a damn bar broke all the time? And going through these filing cabinets was ridiculous. Why hadn’t Mark put any of this online? It didn’t make any sense. That’s something he’d work on getting done tomorrow. Plus, with everything saved electronically, they could get rid of these monstrous filing cabinets and make more space in the office. With some rearranging, this could be a cozy home away from home with as much time as he and Rox spent there. An actual bed might get her to take more breaks and he could certainly think of a thing or two he could do to convince her to take some time off up there with him.

He’d dropped Rox off at the kitchen and she was prepping for the afternoon service. Someone let him know that the walk-in fridge was on the fritz last night, so he needed to schedule getting that fixed and head off to a meeting with his brother. He always made sure someone was there with Rox for morning prep, especially if he wasn’t going to be in the bar all day. He hated the idea of her being there all alone, especially with her psycho ex out there somewhere. His fists clenched at the thought of him harming a hair on her head.

The meeting with his brother would be interesting. Luc had laid off the guilt trips about him leaving, but hadn’t given up on trying to get him to come back. Honestly, the idea of going back to work in the office did not appeal to him one bit, especially when he got to spend his days and nights with a certain motorcycle riding chef. Rox brightened his days in a way he hadn’t thought possible. Going to bed dead tired, waking up next to her and coming to the restaurant everyday were some of the best times he’d had in a while and he wasn’t giving it up for anyone.

He’d at least been able to convince Luc to meet at a restaurant. This way he wouldn’t be wrangled into meeting at the Doppel offices again. And short of Luc inviting their entire office out to lunch to corner him, he expected it to be a quiet morning meeting where he kept telling Luc he wasn’t coming back.

He looked around Mark’s office and was struck by how quickly this place had grown on him. It was less like he was treading on Mark’s territory and more like it was a place he could call his own. With almost ten hours a day spent there, it was no wonder. His fingers ran over the files until he found the one he was looking for, ‘Rogue Refrigeration.’ First the freezer, then the refrigerator. It was all probably in need of replacing. When the renovations had been done, a lot of it had been aesthetics, so maybe a major appliance overhaul was due. He’d have to check the investment fund to see how they were doing. He knew that the revenue was far outpacing what was going out, so maybe they could go top of the line with everything.

He smiled, imagining Rox would freak over the surprise of commercial Viking appliances for the kitchen. Still smiling, he grabbed the folder. He was sure she would be incredibly grateful and repay him handsomely for his thoughtfulness. Pulling out his phone, he made a note to order those tomorrow. As he pulled out the Rogue folder there was another one stuck to it. It had Rox’s name on it. Why did Mark have a file on Rox? He’d seen the payroll files and they were in a separate cabinet.

Curious, he pulled it out and went to sit down at the desk with it. There staring up at him was a file complete with a mugshot of her. And a totally different name. The list next to her name was impressive, theft, burglary, shoplifting, and on and on for what seemed like years and then stopped. She’d never mentioned anything about being arrested before. They’d talked about a lot in their time together, but she hadn’t said anything to him. After everything they’d shared, she still didn’t trust him. It hit him like a gut punch. Did she think he wouldn’t understand? Or was she hiding more from him? Why hadn’t she told him? Let him know about her criminal past, like she had about her past with Jon?

Grabbing the folder, he checked his phone and saw he was late to the meeting with Luc. He crammed the folder into his bag and stormed out of the office. Making it to the meeting fifteen minutes late would agitate Luc more. He hated it when people were late and part of Liam wondered if he was late to things with Luc just to piss him off. Yeah, it was probably that. He walked into the restaurant, trying to stop the troubling thoughts about Rox that raced through his mind on the way over here. They’d talk about it later. He’d get the answers from her then.

Luc stood up from his table and waved him over from the hostess station. Here we go. He let out a deep breath.

“No problem, I see him over there,” he said to the hostess as he walked to the table. He gave his brother a hug and dropped his bag on the floor.

“So, little brother, how’s the bar business?” It took everything in his being not to roll his eyes. Being the barely older twin, Luc acted like he’d taught Liam how to tie his shoes and ride a bike.

“You know you’re only six minutes older.”

“Six minutes is six minutes,” he said, looking over the menu. The waiter came over to the table and read them the breakfast specials. Luc put in his order for pancakes with extra whipped cream like a kid and Liam ordered an omelet. Handing back the menus, he turned back to his brother.

“So, why the meeting? What’s going on?”

“We have a buyer,” Luc said, his eyes practically flashing dollar signs.

“You do?” he said, stunned. He hadn’t thought they’d find someone so soon. Selling had never really been on his radar, but he knew Luc was chomping at the bit to sell. As much as running Doppel didn’t interest him anymore, he didn’t know if he was ready to let it go and have someone else run the place.

“Yes.” Luc clapped his hands together. “They sent over the paperwork yesterday evening.”

“It’s really happening.”

“It is.” Luc’s lips were in a tight line and he shook his head. “Why do you look like someone just shot your dog?”

“There’s always acquisition talk. For some reason, I thought this would fall through like so many other deals with other projects we’ve heard about over the years.”

“There’s a difference between all those other deals and our deal,” Luc said, smiling wide.

“What’s that?” he said, his eyebrows furrowed.

“We’ve got a kickass project making serious money,” Luc said, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest.

“If that’s the case, then why sell at all?”

“Why do you even care? You don’t even want to be at the company anymore. And the reason we should sell… it’s a shit load of money.”

“We’re already making good money.”

“What the fuck, man!” Luc ground out. “I thought you would be happy,” he said, throwing his hands up. “This seems like the perfect solution to your sabbatical. Now, you don’t have to work at Doppel anymore. It won’t even belong to us. No more stress, no more decisions, no more Doppel,” he said, mockingly.

“That’s kind of the problem. I wanted to step back and not be involved in the day to day. I didn’t just want to give it over completely.” Why couldn’t his twin understand that?

Luc threw down his napkin. “First, you don’t want anything to do with the company and now you’re moaning because someone wants to spend a ridiculous, and I do mean ridiculous, amount of money to buy it from us.”

“What about everyone who’s working now?”

“Most will get to stay on, especially technical positions. Some of the administrative positions will be nixed.” He waved his hand like it was no big deal.

“That’s no good, man.” Everyone that worked there had put in so much hard work to get the company where it was today. From the receptionist to the tech leads under him, everyone had worked extra hours to give it their all. And to just drop them now? He shook his head and peered up at his brother. What the hell had gotten into him?

“Are you serious? You don’t want to do this because twenty administrative positions might lose their jobs?” he said through gritted teeth.

“It’s not ‘administrative positions.’ They're people.” Since when had his brother become so cold-blooded?

“Liam, you’re being unreasonable. We can give them very generous severance packages.”

“No deal unless everyone gets to come with us.”

“What do you care?! You’re not even there anymore,” Luc shouted, leaning over the table.

“I care, okay? I care,” he shouted back. Luc glanced around and saw the other people in the restaurant staring at them. He plopped back down in his chair.

“Fine, great. I’ll go back to them and tell them that. What other stipulations would you like to add? Unlimited vacation and free housing for all employees?” he said, mockingly.

“Stop being a dick, Luc.”

“Stop being an obstructionist, Liam.”

The waiter came back with their food and drinks, which they ate in tense silence.

“How’s Anna?”

“She’s fine. She’s enjoying work, and refusing to consider leaving so we can travel once the acquisition is finished.”

“If the acquisition is finished,” he corrected.

“Yes, if,” Luc said, taking a sharp bite of his food.

“Be patient. You only have to wait for summer and then you guys can travel until September.”

“If the acquisition goes through,” he said, giving him a pointed glare. “I’d prefer that she not work.”

“Do you think she’ll go for it?” Anna would not. She absolutely loved teaching and there wasn’t anything that would get her to give that up, not even for Luc. Luc shrugged.

“It’s not like you’ll be able to stay out of the business world. I say you’ll be back to work within two months of the acquisition, if it goes through.”

“I need to take a piss, I’ll be right back,” Liam said, pushing his chair back from the table and stomping his way to the bathroom. What a jackass his brother had become. Not caring about people losing their jobs? He didn’t know what was going on, but he was going to figure it out and be sure to let Anna know.

He made his way back to the table, his bag laid open on the floor.

“Look at you, in love with a jailbird,” he said, looking up from the folder spread out on the table.

“What the hell are you doing going through my stuff, Luc?!” He ripped the folder that he hadn’t even been able to go through out of his brother’s hand.

“You’re always so secretive about everything. I wanted to see what you have going on.”

“What I have going on is none of your damn business! I thought we sorted all this out at dinner. You promised to ease up on Rox.”

“So, this is the chick you left Yvonne for? An ex-con who works in a kitchen.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about this and I didn’t leave Yvonne for her. I broke up with Yvonne before I started anything with Rox because she was a manipulative liar. Rox is not an ex-con.”

“According to that,” he said, pointing at the folder. “She is.”

“So, what if she is? She’s doing well for herself now. She’s working at the bar in the kitchen, making spectacular food.” A pang hit him in the chest. Her past wasn’t something they’d gone into, as much as he tried. He’d been patient, but he needed to hear all of this from her. He needed her to tell him everything.

“And found herself a nice, juicy meal ticket.”

“She knew nothing about me or the business before I started working there.”

“Yeah, sure…there is such a thing as Google.”

“She’s not like that.” She wasn’t. This couldn’t be a set up. He could not have something like this happen again. He shook his head, trying to clear it. She’d never do anything like Yvonne had done to him.

“Liam, when are you going to learn that you’re a target now?”

“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know that women are only into me now because of the way I look or the money I have? You of all people are talking to me about that? If anything, I’m way more aware of it than you are. You’ve always had no issues attracting women way before this. I know that it’s all only because I lost weight and now because I’m successful and have money. Do you think someone like Yvonne would have been with me if I was Lumpy Liam?”

“Liam, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You may not have, but I know it’s the truth. Do I think Rox is with me because of how I look or the money I have? No. Do I think she’s trying to play me? Hell no. Don’t think that just because I’m the tech guy, I don’t know what the hell living in the real world means. I have a hell of a lot more experience with that than you do.”

Grabbing the folder off the table, Liam picked up his bag off the floor and pulled out his wallet.

“I’ll see you later, Luc. I’ve got to go.” He threw down a couple of twenties on the table and walked away

“Liam, don’t be like this,” Luc called after him.

“I’ll see you later. Send me the papers when you get them. I’ll sign whatever you want.” He just needed to get out of there. Needed to figure things out and find out who Rox really was.