Page 67 of Pretty Lies

That made sense.

And it was kind of ingenious.

All of it.

“Just because I’m making sure shit gets done with this job,” J said, “doesn’t mean I make the rules. When we’re told to keep it quiet, that’s what we do. It’s for the good of everybody to do it—none of us want to go to jail for twenty-five plus years, you know?”

Della suddenly had an understanding about why her brother wasn’t telling her a lot about his work whenever she tried to ask—he couldn’t. That was just the reality of the matter. It didn’t make a difference that she and J had worked together for … well, the entire time Della had been involved in the business, really. That didn’t factor into what was going on here at all.

All at once, she felt selfish.

A little stupid, too.

She hadn’t even attempted to make sure her brother could sit down and chat—she didn’t give him the option at all. No doubt, J was taking a serious risk by allowing her to come there. No one was around, sure, but she bet someone could show up.

That’s how work went.

Even she knew it.

Damn.

“You needed to talk, right?” he asked. “Talk, before the crew gets in this morning or the Capo decides to make an appearance.”

Della gave her brother an apologetic smile. “Sorry—I wasn’t thinking, but definitely not about anything that wasn’t myself.”

J chuckled, grinning. “I mean, you get like that sometimes.”

“Thanks.”

Her sarcasm wasn’t missed.

J smiled wider when he replied, “I do what I can.”

Even so …

Della gave the sparsely decorated office a second glance, and her brother dressed in his slacks with his pressed dress shirt rolled up to the elbows. She thought about the scene out on the floor of the warehouse, and the man who was probably still angry out there and waiting for her. Yes, she wanted five minutes to talk to her brother so that J could set her straight, like he always did, but Della had to realize not everything was about her.

The world didn’t revolve around her.

Everybody’s time wasn’t her own.

“It can wait,” she told her brother, “I just …”

She hesitated, considering how to pose part of her problem.

J seemed to already know when he cocked a brow and asked, “Is it Cory?”

She gave her brother a look.

He stared right back, unconcerned.

All these men were the same.

Arrogant.

Difficult.

Too quick for their own good.