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“Well, since I’m finally in the know now,” Brick started, rolling his eyes over the fact that he hadn’t been in the know before. “We can try again today if you want. I’ll make sure I hold my temper with her long enough to—”
“No.” Hayden shook his head. “I already pulled you into this once; I don’t want to again. She might realize something’s up and figure out you were involved in helping me. Then she’ll go after you, and—”
Brick snorted and waved a hand, unconcerned. “You think I care what she might dish out against me? Think again, bro. I say bring it on, bitch.”
Hayden glanced my way, his stare hard and worried. Then he turned back to Brick. “Maybe you wouldn’t say that if you knew—”
“You know what your problem is?” Brick asked, cutting Hayden off. “You expect too much from her.”
Hayden furrowed his brows in confusion. “I expect too much?” Then he glanced at me, his expression asking if I knew what that meant. I could only shrug, so he turned back to Brick who was nodding.
“Yes. You expect Mother to be good and honest and pure. I mean, look at you. You’re still holding out all these years later, just hoping she isn’t the evil person she actually is. But newsflash, bud, she’s fucking rotten to the core. There is no hope for her.”
Hayden glanced my way again, probably remembering how I’d also told him he was full of too much hope.
Then he turned back to Brick and mumbled a petulant, “Whatever. I don’t expect shit from her.”
“Hell, yes, you do,” his brother argued on a snort.
“I gave up on her years ago,” Hayden insisted, even as he sent me a warning glance, asking me to stay silent about the subject.
“No, I gave up on her years ago, and look.” Brick spread his arms wide and smiled big. “Here I am, happier than I’ve ever been.” He paused, frowning slightly. “Well, mostly happier, anyway.” Then he winked my way. “I’d be much happier if this pretty thing tossed you aside and tried me on for size, instead.”
I paused in the middle of smearing my bagel with garlic spread to eye him up and down. Then I turned my attention to Hayden so I could give him the same perusal. After checking them both over thoroughly, I returned my gaze to Brick and answered, “I’m good, thanks.”
He didn’t seem offended by the rejection. Actually, he smiled as if charmed by it before shaking a finger my way and telling Hayden, “You really should marry her.”
Hayden sighed. “I’ll take your suggestion into consideration.”
“You do that.” Brick hummed as if satisfied and dumped the rest of his coffee down
the drain. “And remember: try to be more like me. I never expect anything but the worst from Mother. Ergo, nothing she does can disappoint or hurt me. See, I just don’t care what she dishes out. And in return, life is so much better. You worry less that way. And avoid premature wrinkles.”
“Except it’s not me I’m worried about her disappointing or hurting,” Hayden shot back, shaking his head at Brick as if he couldn’t believe his brother could have such a screwed-up theology. “It pissed you off when she messed with your portfolio, right?”
Brick narrowed his eyes before gritting out, “Yes. What’s your point?”
Hayden splaying out a hand. “My point is that it didn’t just affect you; it affected your entire department. The people you do care about.”
Brick glanced toward me, before turning back to his brother. “I might be beginning to see your point.”
“Right?” Hayden murmured softly. “I could stop caring about her completely, sure. No problem. But I’d have to stop caring about everyone and everything to truly stop worrying about her.” His shoulders sagged as he exhaled a long, exhausted sigh. “And I’ve tried that path, thanks. But it sucked. So I guess I’ll just keep expecting her to straighten her shit out until someone can truly stop her.”
“Stop her?” Brick blurted out with an incredulous laugh. “The only way to stop Lana Judge from being Lana Judge is either death or, like, sending her to jail forever, and good luck accomplishing that, brother.” Shaking his head, he patted Hayden sympathetically on the shoulder as he moved past him to set his empty mug on the countertop. Then he pointed my way. “See you around, Gabby. And try to lay off so many clothes, all right? Naked’s a good look on you.”
After he walked out, Hayden turned to me, looking more determined than ever. “I’m calling the detective,” he announced.
I nodded, beginning to realize just how important this mission was to him. He couldn’t stop worrying so much about his loved ones and just be free to be himself until he was free of Lana.
Remaining in the kitchen to finish my bagel, I tried to think of ways to help him, concocting only crazy, risky, totally over-the-top plans, until he returned.
“Well…” He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair before he finally poured himself his own coffee. “Gutierrez seemed awfully interested in obtaining Manuel Bruzón’s personal phone number. I guess the guy really is a notorious hitman. And he’s going to check into the bank account transaction I gave him. So, I don’t know. This might lead to something.” He shrugged and glanced at me with a wince. “Or it might be a dead end.”
I nodded. “Did he have any updates about the non-dead lawyer?”
“He said he’d contacted Mexican authorities about Finley. They were going to see if they could apprehend him today or tomorrow and get some questions in about Lana, and Arthur, and his faked death.”
“Awesome.” I smiled and nodded. “Well, that’s progress, right?”
