Chapter 3
Three
Briar
My eyes are burning.
Then again, not sleeping after finding out my dead lover is actually alive after all these years will do that to a girl.
I’m so glad Royal and Jade promised to spend the day with Frankie today.
I don’t think I would have had it in me to keep up the charade all day.
We’re all a little subdued after Colt’s birthday, so the dark circles upon dark circles beneath my eyes can definitely be explained away by the heavy emotions and killer hangover.
But that fades as the day goes on.
Because life goes on.
Trying to hide the fact that Colt is alive and I didn’t immediately tell everyone…well, that’s not going to be a fun conversation.
I sigh.
I don’t even know why I didn’t immediately call Dash.
Yes, he’s injured. Yes, I was shocked.
But…I sigh again as I pull into the parking lot.
I wanted just a little bit of time with Colt that wasn’t taken up by everyone else, that didn’t leave me on the sidelines with a complicated knot of feelings, a heavy dose of uncertainty (and insecurity) as I watched.
Because I’ve spent a lot of my time watching my life go by.
Back then.
And now.
So, maybe it was wrong, likely it was wrong. But Colt and I need to talk. I have things I need to explain—so many things—and he needs to heal. Because he’s in absolutely no shape to face the Gamebreakers.
They’ll chew him up and spit him out.
He needs time to rest up, for those bruises to fade.
We need time to talk.
Then he can tackle handling the guys.
That’s not what they would want, but they’re just going to have to deal.
I park in my spot—one of the perks of working for the big man is that I have a designated parking space (it even has a sign with my name on it) right by the entrance of the building.
Initially, this was because I was hauling Frankie into the office with me and those car seats are no joke when it comes to loading and unloading from the back of a beat-up sedan and hauling them up to the top floor of a skyscraper—especially when a woman makes chonky babies.
Back then my arm muscles were on point.
As was my cardio.
And eventually, the spot became something I’ve earned.
Something I’ve worked hard for.
Something that’s landed me in the office on a Saturday.
Sighing—because that seems to be my M.O. for the day—I snag my purse and haul my butt out of my midsized SUV (all the better for hauling Frankie and her friends, and all the gear kids require, around), and badge into the building.
Badging again to get up to the executive floor.
Fancy, huh?
One would think so…except circling back to the whole working on a Saturday thing.
Atlas is already there by the time the elevator doors open up and spit me out in front of the glass-enclosed offices.
He’s in a white button down and slacks, the only accommodation to being here to put out corporate fires on a Saturday the fact that his sleeves are rolled up and he’s not wearing a suit jacket.
The jacket is likely tossed over the back of his chair.
The sleeves are either Lily’s doing…
Or because he’s frustrated and ready to kick some ass.
Maybe both.
“That good, huh?” I ask as he storms toward me, scowl upon scowl marring his handsome face.
Said scowl deepens. “I don’t get enough time with Lily as it is, and now I have to come in on one of the few fucking days I have with her, and all because of a fucking container ship going awry and shareholders getting antsy.”
I step close to him, loop my arm through his, and start guiding him back to his office where I know the team from all over the globe is on video call as we all frantically work to fix this…and settle the tetchy shareholder. “You know I can handle this.”
He keeps scowling—and this time it’s directed down at me. “I know you can. But if we both tackle this shit, we’ll figure it out and both be home sooner.”
He’s not wrong.
However, I also know that Lily is flying out tomorrow.
And that he’s right—he and Lily don’t get enough time together as it is.
“True,” I say as we walk.
But I don’t get more than that out because he’s drawing me to a halt, reaching out his free, and turning my face up to his.
He swipes his thumb beneath each of my eyes. “You’re tired.”
I shrug, try to make light of what last night was and what it meant…and what it turned into, even though Atlas doesn’t know it yet.
“Too many Gamebreakers and too late of a night for this mama.” I start forward again. “I’m better when I’m in bed by nine with the latest serial killer documentary.”
And not tending the wounds of the man I fell in love with as a teenager who mysteriously reappeared from the dead.
Thankfully, my reply has the intended effect, and he chuckles.
We’ve made it into the office and my lips twitch when I see I called it. His suit jacket is hanging on the back of his chair…and all the monitors are on with the team working from multiple locations around the world.
I unloop my arm, move to the chair, and snag the coat.
Then as much as I want to take him up on his offer of finishing this shit sooner so I can finish dealing with my shit, I move back to him and snag his arm again, shove the coat into his arms. “Go home to Lily. Soak in your time with her while I handle this.”
He starts shaking his head, but I see how torn he is, know I’ll be able to nudge him back to his woman. “You need to get back to Frankie, too. I’ll stay.”
Now it’s my turn to scowl. “Royal and Jade have her. I’m sure they’ll be happy to keep her overnight too.” I pull out my cell, intending to ask them to do just that. “And if not, Dash and Willow have been asking for Frankie time.”
He exhales, considering. “Are you sure?” he asks.
“Well, if it goes really long, I may ask you for Monday off and I know how much you hate Mondays.”
“Thorny,” he warns.
Which reminds me of Colt, of the slightly raspy way he teased me with the nickname.
I shove that down, focus.
Both because I don’t need Atlas to know something this big is up, and also because…because at some point, I’ll need to get back to Colt, so I need to get this shit done.
“Go,” I order, shooing him out the door, walking him back to the elevator, making sure he doesn’t change his mind on the journey.
He’s stubborn, this man.
And he’s protective.
And he would put me first in an instant—not that I’m going to let him.
The elevator door opens with a ding, and he steps on. “Don’t forget to call West. Maybe he can bring you dinner here if you’re still working and you guys miss your reservation.”
Reservation.
Dinner.
West.
I still, horror slicing through me as I remember.
I’m supposed to have a date tonight.
“Briar?” Atlas calls, worry creeping into his expression.
I slap a smile on my face. “If we miss our reservation, then I’m calling you and you can have dinner delivered for us.”
The doors close, but not before I see him shake his head, lips curving up.
I know he’ll do it.
Because he’s Atlas.
But I can’t sit in the blip of amusement at whatever meal my over-the-top, secret-romantic-at-heart big brother would cook up for West and me if I had to work late.
Because I’m too busy feeling guilty.
Because…West.
I’d forgotten all about West.