Page 27

Shilo tenses as KC’s lips roll inward, and I unloop my arm from his.

“No. KC’s just a friend who has no semblance of personal space.”

He smiles apologetically, twirling a strand of hair around his fingers while the cocktail waitress arrives with our orders. I turn back to Shilo, intending to ensure he eats, when he reaches across my lap and snags KC’s drink like a brat.

Bringing the straw to his mouth, he sucks on it with a glance at me from under his lashes, an innocent gesture that shouldn’t tempt me as much as it does. He drains the entire glass, licking his lips when he’s done, and I take it from him before replacing it with the basket of fries.

“I’m not hungry—“ he starts to complain, but I cut him off by shoving a fry between his teeth.

“I don’t care.”

Paige makes a noise as Shilo glares at me, chewing and swallowing with clear reluctance. I’m about to offer him another fry when he slaps my hand away and begins feeding himself, a flush creeping up his neck. I want to run my hand through his soft strands and praise him, but I hold back, not wanting to risk a kick in the balls from his older sister. Next time he refuses to eat, though, I’ll make sure he does, Paige be damned.

I’m not oblivious. I’ve noticed how he avoids food, skipping breakfast at work and guzzling water like his life depends on it. I don’t know if Paige has picked up on it, but I have—and I’m not letting it slide. He’s my employee, my responsibility.

“So, I hear you’re having troubles with AVA,” Paige says, smiling innocently as she bites into a burger, and I shift my gaze over to my brother’s very guilty-looking face.

“Now I wonder where you could have heard that.”

Declan groans, throwing his head back. “Can we not mix business and pleasure, please?”

“What’s AVA?” KC looks between us, and I glare at Dec as I steal one of Shilo’s fries.

“Something our developers are working on that we’re keeping under wraps for now.”

“Ah, top secret. Gotcha.”

Paige hums, giving her boyfriend a smirking sideways glance. “So the rumors that we’re unveiling a new product at IntelliCon in January aren’t true?”

“Fucking better be,” Declan mutters into his food. “All the overtime hours we’ve spent getting this shit ready—“

“Declan!” I snap, warning him with my eyes to keep his fucking mouth shut. He simply grins around his beer.

“What’s wrong with it?” Shilo’s quiet voice draws my attention, and I turn to see him chewing on a nail, food more than half-eaten.

“Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about,” I tell him, pressing my whiskey glass to his mouth.

He stiffens as he takes a sip, eyes darting up to mine, the color leeching from his lips as he dips his head. Mumbling something about needing to use the restroom, he slips from the booth, and I watch him go with a frown.

Have I said something?

KC continues to press about AVA, momentarily distracting me as Declan and I argue back and forth over what we can and cannot disclose. Paige finds it highly amusing, bouncing her brown eyes between us while her and KC giggle like teenagers.

It takes me far too long to realize that Shilo isn’t back yet. A heavy feeling settles in my gut as I make my way to the bathroom, chest tightening. As soon as I step inside, I’m hit with the smell of vomit, and boiling anger has me clenching my fists until my knuckles turn white.

There’s only one stall, which is shut tight, plus three other urinals, and two of them are occupied. I go about my business, taking a piss and washing my hands while I wait for the other men to leave.

When the bathroom is finally empty, I pound on the stall door, Shilo’s familiar yelp bouncing off the walls.

“H-hang on, I’m almost finished,” he chokes, a sniffle from his nose making me bite the inside of my cheek.

He barely has the door cracked before I shove it open, crowding into the stall before slamming it shut and throwing the lock.

“What are you doing?!” He shouts angrily, falling onto the toilet as my body takes up most of the space, and I lean back against the door with my arms folded.

“I think the question is, what are you doing?“ I glare at him, watching his frantic gaze bounce around the stall. “How long has this been going on?”

The bridge of his nose wrinkles, his hair a mess, far too cute for the discussion we’re about to have. “What do you mean?”