AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Saint Zack speaks,” Neil sneered.
I sighed again. I was getting nowhere. I had spoiled my brothers for too long. They weren't going to give in without a fight.
“Enough. While I was at the bank this morning I spoke with Matt about a loan to buy you both out. He said I won't have any trouble getting one. He is sending his loans officer and valuer to go over the books with Natalie. I put two-thirds of the money in so once I have the valuation, I'll take a loan for a third, divide it in half and give it to each of you.”
“What? You can't be serious. What are we supposed to do? I have a car and house to pay off and so does Lance.” Neil paced angrily.
Our youngest brother had been spoilt all his life and wouldn’t take kindly to having his access to funds restricted. He was also the most volatile and irresponsible of the three of us.
“It's either that or wealltake Natalie's advice to get the business back on track. If you agree to stay on, there will be no negotiation. We will be doing as she says. I'll leave you to talk about what you want, and I expect an answer in two days.” I stood, tossed the remainder of the coffee down the nearby sink and left.
~*~
I took the frustration with my brothers out on the nails I was hammering into the plasterboard. My day had gone from bad to worse. The nail gun I'd been using had shit itself, so I was forced to finish the tedious job in the old fashion way—with brute strength and a hammer. My brothers still refused to speak to me after our angry discussion. The two days I'd given them to make a decision had come and gone without any response from either. Rather than provoke them further, I’d decided to wait them out. I was dreading confronting them after work, but if they intended to remain as partners in the business, I needed to know before we met with Natalie the following evening. Every time I thought about her, my cock rose to attention. I hadn't had a decent night's sleep since having dinner with the gorgeous woman almost a week earlier.
Why couldn't I get her out of my head and why was I excited about seeing her again? After our meeting, I was hoping she'd allow me to take her out for dinner once more. If my feelings, in my heart and cock, remained the same, I was planning to ask if she would permit me to date her. There would never be anything serious, but it would be nice to have someone I could call, share a meal with or take to bed.
If not, I wondered if she might be interested in a casual fling. Hell, I'd even take a one-night stand—a quickie in the back seat of my car, if that was all I could get. One way or another, I had to get her out of my system. I couldn't continue with next to no sleep and a perpetual hard-on.
The front door of the new home I was working on creaked as it opened, and I left the bedroom to check who had arrived. As I exited the hallway, my brothers crossed into the living room. I groaned. I still had half a day's work and really didn't want to confront them right at that moment.
“Bro,” Lance said when he noticed me.
“Lance, Neil. Have you finished on the Atkins place?”
“Yes, and we thought it was time we talked,” Lance answered.
“Grab a water from the cooler while I wash up. We'll sit out on the back steps.”
I started for the bathroom while my brothers grabbed drinks and headed out back. Within a few minutes, I joined them. Lance handed me a bottle of water, and everyone stayed quiet while I unscrewed the lid, took a large gulp, and sat down. “Okay, out with it.” I waited for the inevitable explosion culminating in us going our separate ways.
Lance, being older, spoke on their behalf. The words from his mouth shocked me. “We've been doing a lot of talking and you're right, we have been acting like spoilt brats. We want to apologize. Neither of us wants to split from you but it's hard knowing she might want us to give everything up so we're asking for you to be patient.”
I sighed with relief. I didn't want to lose my brothers as partners, to push them from my life. “Sheis Natalie and I'm sure the lady won't want you to give everything up, but if this business is to survive, we have to make changes. I know it will be hard for all of us but in the long run, we'll be better off.”
“Yeah, we know,” Neil grumbled.
“So, you're coming with me tomorrow to see Natalie and hear what she has to say?”
“Yep,” my brothers said in unison.
I stood up. “Thanks. I have to get back to work. The nail gun decided to shit itself and now I have to finish the plastering by hand.”
“Want some help?” Neil asked.
“Grab a hammer.” I didn’t need to be asked twice.
I returned to the bedroom where I'd been working while Lance and Neil began plastering in two other rooms. I felt happier knowing my brothers would remain by my side, but I knew there would be further battles before the business was back on track.
Would we emerge from this crisis unified?
Chapter Four
Natalie
A client had called to reschedule their appointment, so I grabbed the opportunity to go over the Hogan brothers' books. I sipped at a coffee while perusing the figures. The business was an absolute mess.
I examined the list of personal assets and liabilities which Zack had given me. I was pleasantly surprised with how frugal he was. His two-bedroom apartment in town was almost mortgage free and it didn't appear a cent of business money had been used. His Ford Utility was owned outright, and from what I could tell, everything he needed was paid from a reasonable weekly allowance.
