Page 2 of Pretty Lies

Joe glared.

He didn’t get the chance to speak, though.

“Language,” came a quiet, feminine call from across the kitchen. Just as quickly, Liliana cooed to the baby, “How was that nap, bambino?”

Goddammit. He considered rolling his eyes. Except he liked his brother’s wife.

Cory grinned at Joe instead while saying to Liliana, “Sorry, Lil.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Give me the newspaper,” Joe muttered while holding out a hand, waiting.

He answered that with a shake of the newspaper, taunting his brother. “Talk to me first. I’ve got plans.”

“You always have some kind of fuc—”

Joe’s gaze cut to the side where Liliana watched them from behind the kitchen island like she was daring one of them to start up with their usual nonsense. Cory was being good; Scout’s fucking honor and all that shit. It was just Joe who seemed to forget where he was. Liliana’s new thing about correcting bad language in her house—although she’d never liked them swearing in the kitchen to begin with—made her seem more like Joe and Cory’s mother than she already did.

And that said something. Considering their mother’s name was Lily and all.

Cory had learned it was better to not point those things out to his brother. Despite what people liked to think and say about him, he wasn’t dumb. Foolish at times because often, that’s when he had the most fun. Not stupid, though. He didn’t like to wake up with aching bones, so he kept his mouth shut to his brother about how he’d basically married a woman who was a lot like their mother.

See?

Smart.

“You always have a plan, Cory. The problem is you rarely followsaid plans because apparently why bother and then you cause a bunch of shi—problems.” Joe let out a hard sigh with his gaze blazing when Cory laughed at his almost slip-up again. “Knock it off—Damian barely slept last night. He’s teething. I’m tired.”

“That’s a little early, yeah?”

Joe’s brow crinkled. “What?”

“Isn’t he young for teeth?”

“Apparently not,” Liliana answered for her husband.

Cory hadn’t taken his gaze off his brother. He decided to scale back his usual personality just a touch or two. At least for the moment. Sometimes, Joe was owed a break from his younger brother’s constant torment, regardless of how much personal enjoyment Cory gained from it.

Screw it, he thought.

Forget the new property he wanted to buy with his brother to add to their portfolio. They could get back to the legal side of their business on another day. Besides, they weren’t even supposed to be opening anything new for a while. He’d promised their mother to give Joe a break on any new real estate or other business ventures until they settled in with the new baby. It made sense, but this particular business that was up for sale had been too good to pass up. Except he would. He wanted to do something else for his brother instead. Joe could use some fun.

Right?

“You need a break,” he said to Joe, switching tactics and topics in his next breath. Now he had a better idea, and the follow-through to get it done would probably be a lot easier. “Let’s go to High Life tonight.”

“We opened that club months ago, and it’s still packed full every night.”

“Good business, right?” Cory pointed at his temple. “Told you that one would be a banger.”

And he was right, like with most of their business ventures.

“So, come and enjoy the place with me tonight,” Cory said. “You didn’t even open it with me.”

“My son was three days old.” Joe scoffed. “Are you serious? I’ve got a newborn here, man. I’m not going to party all night while my wife chills with a teething baby.”

“That would be a dick move.”