“It’s been one fucking day,” Jonas says, glaring at me. My mouth dries up again. The rest of my
brothers fall silent as Jonas’s words land like a bomb between us. It’s not the content of the words
that shock us silent, but the combination of the contractions in his speech and the f-bomb he just
dropped. Jonas rarely swears, and when he does, then you’d better take him really fucking seriously. I
grip the couch cushion tightly. I feel like I’m in a boat in raging waters, and one rogue wave will send
me crashing into the water.
“You barely know her. Why are you so bothered by the idea of her leaving?” I ask carefully.
His eyes close, and his shoulders slump forward in defeat. “What if it was me?” he says, his
voice a whisper. “What if I was out there, and I couldn’t wear a suit or talk to people the way the
company wanted? If my boss were anything like you, I would be out of a job before I ever had a
chance to prove myself.”
My eyes are burning. I hate I made him think of that. I hate that he’s got a point. “You’re right. I
know you’re right. I’ll figure my shit out.” I don’t know how, but I will. Because the idea of someone
just tossing out my amazing brother because he doesn’t fit some idea of perfection in their mind makes
me want to punch something.
And yet I was about to do the same thing to Maya. How big of an asshole am I?
Colossal, apparently.
“It’s a three-month contract,” Maverick says. “Let’s give this at least six weeks. And if you have
some concerns, try and figure them out within that time.” He turns to Jonas. “Can we agree that if Zach
still wants to let her go by then that we support his decision?” Jonas’s mouth tightens, but he drops his
chin in agreement.
I scan the room, catching the rest of my brother’s nods. They’ll call me on my shit, but I know at
the end of the day that they’re always going to have my back. It’s the only thing I know for sure, and I
won’t do anything to make them regret it. I don’t know how I’ll fix this or handle Maya, but I’ll figure
it out. Maybe I can fairy godmother that shit and get her looking more professional.
“Ok, now that we’ve handled that shit, can we talk about my brother?” Colton asks. Grateful for
the shift in topic, I lean back in my seat and brainstorm with my brothers. Colton’s biological brother
Johnny, Joker, as he’s known to most people, has been in prison for eighteen years. “I saw him again
yesterday, and he still doesn’t have any intention of applying for parole. He says he needs to stay in
there and keep an eye on Brent.”
