Chapter 6
“I’m not jealous of my brother. I have indigestion is all.” ~ Eli
Eli
I glance up when Zane strolls into my office. “Pack it up. It’s time to party.”
I frown at him. “It’s four o’clock.”
“Exactly. We’re late.”
“Late? I don’t have anything on my agenda.” I reach for my phone but he snatches it away.
“Nope. No checking your phone. In fact,” he stuffs my phone in his back pocket, “let’s go without phones for an hour.”
I glare at him. “I need my phone.”
He rolls his eyes. “You don’t need your phone. What you need is a drink.”
I sigh. I’ll never admit it to my brother, but he’s not actually wrong. I could use a drink. It’s been a long week between fighting with my brothers about how to expand the distillery and arguing with Paisley at the meeting .
I can never say the right thing to her. Whatever I say she interprets as me shoving my wealth in her face. And then I open my mouth and snark at her. I can’t seem to help myself. She brings out the worst in me.
“You’re softening. Come on. Let’s go.” Zane dances to the hallway.
I switch off my computer and follow him. Rhett is already waiting there. The way he’s gazing at Dakota with longing in his eyes has my hackles rising. Those two are oil and water. Those two getting together will cause fireworks the distillery might not survive. I make a mental note to speak to Jennifer from Apparoo about writing up an anti-fraternization policy.
Jaxon rushes toward us. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Late? My brow furrows. “Why does everyone but me know what’s going on?”
Kai waves from the doorway. “Because you’re never here.”
Those words aren’t meant to hurt but they sting, nonetheless. I’ve missed way too much of their lives. Between college and growing Apparoo into the multi-national business it is , I’ve spent way too little time with my brothers over the past decade. But I’m here now. And I plan to stay.
“You’re never on time but suddenly we’re having drinks and you are?”
Kai shrugs. “I have my priorities straight.”
I approach Dakota. “If anyone calls—”
She shoos me away. “I’ll deal with it. Get out of here and have a good time.”
I want to invite her with us – she’s an integral part of our team – but I don’t dare. Alcohol and Dakota and Rhett is a combination I’m not ready for.
Zane urges me toward the exit. “Let’s go. Let’s go.”
I scan the group. “Where’s Miles?”
“He’s meeting us at the Rumrunner .”
“The Rumrunner ?” The Rumrunner is in downtown Smuggler’s Rest. I need to avoid the town and a certain inhabitant.
“Can’t we go have a drink at the bar at the Hideaway Haven Resort instead?”
Kai shakes his head. “No way. The drinks there are overpriced.”
“And it’s boring,” Zane adds.
My pulse quickens. It’s Friday afternoon and my brothers are insisting we go drinking. This will not end well. At least the police cells on Smuggler’s Hideaway have windows and proper beds. Ask me how I know.
“Boring’s good.”
Rhett nods in agreement. “Boring is safe.”
Jaxon removes his glasses to pinch his nose. “I can’t spend another night in jail. I have too much work to do.”
Zane scowls at him. “It was one night years ago.”
Kai bumps Jaxon’s shoulder. “You’re a workaholic. You need to have fun. Have a few drinks. Maybe get laid.”
Jaxon rears back. “I don’t… I mean… I could… But…”
Zane throws an arm over his shoulders. “Kai was joking.”
Kai glances at me and mouths No, I wasn’t .
I blow out a breath. Great. I’m going to spend the entire night trying to save Jaxon from his brothers.
“Welcome to the trenches,” Rhett mutters.
We turn into the alley where the bar is a few minutes later. Rumrunner is a speakeasy and is supposed to be difficult to find. In reality, their social media channels blare their location to one and all. However, visitors do need to solve a riddle to get the password to enter.
Kai skips to the door and knocks. A small window opens and he waves. “It’s us.”
The door opens and the doorman ushers us inside.
“Hey, Trent,” I greet.
“Good,” he grunts. “You’re here. Maybe you can keep your brothers in line.”
Rhett snorts. “Impossible.”
“Oh no.” Jaxon groans.
Crap. Have my brothers already caused chaos? “What?”
He gestures to the banner hanging above the bar. Find the Secrets of the Island Scavenger Hunt.
“What are the chances I can gather the family together and escape?” I ask Rhett.
He indicates Miles who’s sitting in a booth and waving a piece of paper at us. “None.”
“I entered us as the Whiskey Raiders,” Miles says when we join him.
I hold my hand out to Zane. “I need my phone back.”
“You can’t run away. We already paid our entry fee. ”
I wiggle my hand. “Someone needs to be able to transfer the money when it’s time to bail you out of jail.”
“Fair point.” He slaps the phone in my hand.
Damn. I would have felt better if he denied needing bail money.
“It’s better to let them loose for a while. We’ll rein them in before chaos descends,” Rhett says.
“Really? Before chaos descends?”
He shrugs. “I do my best.”
“We are going to win this!” A woman in the booth behind me declares and my muscles seize.
Shit. I know her voice. I glance behind me to check. Yep, it’s Chloe. And her entourage. My gaze catches Paisley’s and she snarls at me. I whirl around away from her and return my attention to my brothers. All of whom are smirking.
“Do you want to switch sides with me?” Miles asks. “You can’t gaze longingly at her all night long from your side.”
I flip him off and he dissolves into laughter. Asshole.
“What are the prizes anyway?” Sophia asks behind me. I strain to listen to their conversation.
“A gift basket with goodies from Buccaneer’s Whiskey. The basket includes bottles of whiskey, moonshine, and gin as well as a flask and mugs,” Chloe says.
“ Buccaneer’s Whiskey. The owner of the distillery just loves to flaunt his wealth in everyone’s face, doesn’t he?” Paisley says.
Kai jumps to his feet and points to me. “The owner of the distillery is right here if you want to lodge a complaint in person. ”
Is it wrong to punch my brother? Mom would totally understand. I know she’s wanted to punch Kai more than once. No one wants to wake up to a snake in your bed. Even if it is a rubber snake.
“All of us are shareholders in the business,” I grit out.
Kai rolls his eyes. “I’m not stupid. I can do math.”
“When I tutor him,” Jaxon mutters, and Kai slaps his shoulder.
“While all of us have shares,” Kai continues, “you’re the majority shareholder.”
“If I’m the majority shareholder, why didn’t I know the distillery is sponsoring this scavenger hunt?”
“You’re sponsoring this?” Paisley asks. She doesn’t wait for a response. “I should have known. Any excuse to show off how wealthy you are to everyone else.” She rolls her eyes. “We get it. You’re a billionaire. Big deal.”
Zane barks out a laugh. “I love you, Paisley.”
I know he’s joking but my body must not since my stomach dips as jealousy fills me and my fists clench with the desire to punch him.
While I’m wrestling with my control, a woman sashays to the booth. She bites her bottom lip and flutters her eyelashes at me. My body has no response. “Did I hear correctly? You’re the owner of the distillery?”
“I’m out,” Paisley says before shoving her friends out of the booth so she can stand. “CEO of Annoying,” she mutters as she stomps past me.
My eyes are glued to her ass as she moves. What a glorious ass it is. I’d love to watch it bounce up and down as I sink into her. But Paisley has made herself perfectly clear. She hates my guts. I need to forget about her and move on.
The bartender sets a beer down in front of me.
“Hey, Harper,” I greet. “How have you been?”
“I was much better before you lot showed up,” she mutters before walking off.
I lift my beer to have a drink but the glass dissolves in my hand, and I end up with beer all over my pants.
“You’re welcome,” Paisley shouts from across the room.
Zane whistles. “Note to self. Never piss off Paisley.”
I narrow my eyes on him. He needs to stop talking about her. He smirks as he holds up his hands.
“She’s all yours, bro. I don’t poach.”
I scowl. Paisley isn’t mine. As evidenced by my soaking wet pants.