When Beacon is not around, my brothers are the ones making it hard on my dates. They’re younger, but they can be scary looking, like my father. Six foot five, dark hair, and their pale gray eyes are so freaking devoid. Sometimes guys swear they’re possessed.
Seth and Nathan are a couple of kittens.
“How did you do it?” I ask Mom. “Uncle Jacob and Uncle Mattie can be scary too.”
She grins. “My brothers were scared of your dad. Plus, your father is a friend of the family. It makes all the difference.”
So, I need to date a friend of the family?
No thank you, Mom. I’ve been there, done that, and—you told me to end it. Well, he ended it first. I don’t think about the subject or I’m going to start sulking.
“Let me call, Beacon,” I say, pulling out my phone.
“Yo, G?” he answers right away.
“We have a meeting. Are you ready?”
“Always. Just give me a minute,” he answers, and I hear the roar of a car engine.
“Did you steal one of your brother’s cars again?”
He laughs, and there’s some clicking over the phone—the call drops. Well, I hope he arrives at his house in time so he can video chat. Dad hates to wait.
I kiss Mom. “I’m heading back home after this.”
“Don’t stay up too late,” she warns me.
“I love you, Mom.”
I wave at her, walking toward Dad’s office. I feel someone watching me. When I look up, I find Beacon leaning against the wall.
“You’re here,” I whisper.
His smirk widens as we run toward each other like a couple of kids who haven’t seen their best friend in years, which is partially true. He’s been busy dealing with the family that has never acknowledged him until now.
“Hey, G!” he says, lifting me from the floor and twirling me around.
I hold his face, looking into his deep dark green eyes. He seems happy.
“It’s good to see you,” I say, but the reminder of why he shouldn’t be here makes me gasp, jump out of his embrace, and strike him on the chest. “You idiot!”
The passing of his father leaving a ridiculous will behind changed his life drastically. He and his brothers have to live together in Baker’s Creek for the next eighteen months. He’s not allowed to leave the town during the first six months.
There are so many ridiculous stipulations, and all of them are just so they can claim the inheritance, which none of the brothers want. It’d be easy to walk away, except William Aldridge will destroy—from the grave—the livelihoods of many if they don’t do as he says.
Chapter Seven
Grace
“Ouch!” He flinches. “This is your new way to welcome your best friend?”
“What the hell are you doing in Seattle, Beacon Kirk Aldridge?”
“Technically, it’s Mercer Island. We have a meeting,” he reminds me, tilting his head toward Dad’s office.
“You are supposed to be in Baker’s Creek!”
“I am,” he assures me with a grin. “Didn’t you hear? The guys came to practice. We are in my studio.”
“God, you’re impossible!”
“You keep saying that, but am I?”
No, but if his brothers knew where he was, they’d kill him.
I glare at him.
“You’re mad at me?” That sheepish, innocent look erases my anger.
“I wish I could be upset.” I poke him in the chest. “You’re jeopardizing the lives of a lot of people.”
“You know that if I fuck everything up, I’ll fix it.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask how. It’d be impossible to fix anything if they sell the properties and tear down the buildings, wouldn’t it? But I don’t say a word because if I challenge him, he might do something stupid to prove that he’s right. Then he’ll be complaining that I don’t have enough faith in him.
“So, how’s Howie?”
“Hardy,” I correct him.
“Whatever,” he says with disregard. “He’s a loser, and you should break up with him.”
I cross my arms. “Let me guess. He’s not good enough for me?”
Beacon grins. “You know that, but you like to keep dating guys who don’t deserve you.”
We open Dad’s office, and my brothers are already with him. Nathan and Beacon do their weird hugging, hand shaking ritual that’s just stupid.
Seth glares at the screen and says, “Let’s get this over with. We have to be back in a few hours before anyone notices Beacon is missing.”
I roll my eyes. Of course, Seth helped him. These two are each other’s accomplices.
Dad leans back, grabs the remote, and turns on the big screen where everyone in The Organization is ready for the video chat.
Dad created a high intelligence secret agency in his early twenties. He never thought it’d grow to be one of the most important companies in the world, or that it’d be a family business.
He tried to keep us away from it, but we all showed potential and the talent to work with him. One day he and his partners will retire, and we’ll be in charge.
“First order of business is Bryant, LLP,” Dad says and focuses his attention on Beacon. The law firm is based in Colorado. His brother, Pierce Aldridge, used to work there. He’s also the founder’s grandson. “We just started the investigation. It’s supposed to be simple. You said there was some discrepancy with one adoption, but there’s a lot more to it than losing some application. My gut tells me there’s a lot more happening there. I want to remind you that our company isn’t a cheap PI service. We’re highly trained to take down criminals. This law firm seems to have some of those. You want us to stop?”
Beacon arches an eyebrow and shrugs one shoulder. “Keep going. If there’s more than what we bargain for, I’ll talk to my brother.”
“Talk to your brother,” Dad orders.
“At least, give me something to show him. I’m not disclosing anything about this company, but I want him to see why he has to either stop us or live with the consequences.”
Dad looks at Seth. “Give him what you’ve gathered. This is yours. Assemble your team, wait for Beacon to give you the green light, and…don’t underestimate them.”
“The second item circles back to our absent musician.” He grunts. “We need to speak to your former Delta Force brother in person. I understand he’s highly trained. He could be a great asset, but I need to interview him and test his skills.”
“Vance can’t leave Baker’s Creek,” he pleads his case. “Can you just take my word and videoconference him?”
I don’t know much about Vance Aldridge. Beacon keeps the little he knows to himself. Not because he doesn’t trust me, but because he keeps Vance’s privacy just like he does ours. Beacon believes he’d be a good fit for our company.
Dad gives him an outraged glare. “Yet, you’re here, Aldridge. Make it happen, or we won’t consider him.”
“You’re considering him, or you wouldn’t bring up the subject,” Beacon challenges him. “We can meet halfway. We need him as much as he needs us.”