town. Sounds perfect, huh?”
“Not really, no.”
Tyler’s good humor turned on a dime. “Fuck
you, man.”
“What is it you need? Just tell me.” He
wanted to mollify his friend, and get him gone. If Dani didn’t come
back soon, Kevin intended to go looking for her.
“I thought we were friends.”
“Of course we are. Just because I’m not
interested in going into business with you doesn’t mean we’re not
friends. Stop acting like we’re still in high school and tell me
what’s wrong.”
Tyler glared for a moment. “I had a press
release sent to the paper about the club opening. That bitch who
writes the society column talked about my old drug arrests. Now my
backers are worried all their money’s gonna go up my nose.”
“I don’t see how I can help with that.”
“I paid my fines and went to rehab for that
shit. Why the hell won’t people let it go?”
Kevin didn’t know how to answer that without
further angering his friend. “My family reminds me of my arrest
record every chance they get.”
“Yeah, but they’re just like everyone else.
They don’t think you’re an asshole, but people do think that of
me.”
“That’s because you are.” Kevin was rapidly
losing patience.
“You don’t have to say it too, man.”
“Have you tried not being an asshole?”
“You know what, fuck you.” Tyler stood.
Kevin followed suit. “What is it that you
need me to do? Come on, cut me some slack. It’s been a rough
week.”
Tyler blanched, as if just remembering that
his friend had been badly beaten and injured mere days ago. The way
he was, he probably had forgotten all about it. “I’m taking a lot
of grief from my investors. I’d like to buy them out but I
can’t.”
That rang alarm bells. “Did your father cut
you off again?”
Tyler said nothing, which told Kevin
everything. Kevin rubbed his jaw, trying to dig through his
impatience to find an ounce of diplomacy. “Look, neither one of us
knows the first thing about running a nightclub. And frankly, I’m
not interested.”
“I owe a lot of money, but I know if you help
me out with this, we can make it back and then some.”
Forget alarm bells, that set off red lights
and a bleating klaxon. “Wait, are you saying you owe these people
money? That’s why they’re you’re investors?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It sounds like a clusterfuck. Dude, you need
to talk to your old man. Apologize for whatever pissed him off this
time and get him to give you access to your accounts back.”
“I tried that! He won’t do it. Not unless I
come to work for him, and you know what that would mean. Under his
thumb twenty-four seven. I want my own business and I want it to be
a success.” Tyler shook his head. “Aren’t you tired of being the
family fuck up? I know I am.”
That hit Kevin like a physical blow. Yes.
Yes, he damn sure was tired of being the family fuck up, even if
they didn’t think he was an asshole. But going into business with
someone even more irresponsible than he was didn’t sound like the
way to make a change.
The door opened and Dani walked in, saving
Kevin from having to answer. Now he just had to come up with a
cover story for her presence that wouldn’t be insulting to her.
Damn, she looked good in his black leather
jacket.
Tyler turned his attention to the new
arrival. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” He looked her up and down and
gave her a smile that was more smarm than charm. Kevin curled his
lip in disgust.
Dani ignored Tyler and addressed Kevin. “We
need to talk.”
Kevin nodded, trying to suppress a little
thrill of gratification.
“I’m Tyler Kincaid.” Tyler stuck his hand
out. “Kevin’s oldest friend.”
“One of my oldest friends,” Kevin said.
“Tyler, this is Danielle Marquez.” It was the name she’d given him
for her new ID. “She’s a personal trainer and self-defense expert.
I’m going to be taking a few lessons from her.” Wary, he searched
her face for
“Not really, no.”
Tyler’s good humor turned on a dime. “Fuck
you, man.”
“What is it you need? Just tell me.” He
wanted to mollify his friend, and get him gone. If Dani didn’t come
back soon, Kevin intended to go looking for her.
“I thought we were friends.”
“Of course we are. Just because I’m not
interested in going into business with you doesn’t mean we’re not
friends. Stop acting like we’re still in high school and tell me
what’s wrong.”
Tyler glared for a moment. “I had a press
release sent to the paper about the club opening. That bitch who
writes the society column talked about my old drug arrests. Now my
backers are worried all their money’s gonna go up my nose.”
“I don’t see how I can help with that.”
“I paid my fines and went to rehab for that
shit. Why the hell won’t people let it go?”
Kevin didn’t know how to answer that without
further angering his friend. “My family reminds me of my arrest
record every chance they get.”
“Yeah, but they’re just like everyone else.
They don’t think you’re an asshole, but people do think that of
me.”
“That’s because you are.” Kevin was rapidly
losing patience.
“You don’t have to say it too, man.”
“Have you tried not being an asshole?”
“You know what, fuck you.” Tyler stood.
Kevin followed suit. “What is it that you
need me to do? Come on, cut me some slack. It’s been a rough
week.”
Tyler blanched, as if just remembering that
his friend had been badly beaten and injured mere days ago. The way
he was, he probably had forgotten all about it. “I’m taking a lot
of grief from my investors. I’d like to buy them out but I
can’t.”
That rang alarm bells. “Did your father cut
you off again?”
Tyler said nothing, which told Kevin
everything. Kevin rubbed his jaw, trying to dig through his
impatience to find an ounce of diplomacy. “Look, neither one of us
knows the first thing about running a nightclub. And frankly, I’m
not interested.”
“I owe a lot of money, but I know if you help
me out with this, we can make it back and then some.”
Forget alarm bells, that set off red lights
and a bleating klaxon. “Wait, are you saying you owe these people
money? That’s why they’re you’re investors?”
“It’s complicated.”
“It sounds like a clusterfuck. Dude, you need
to talk to your old man. Apologize for whatever pissed him off this
time and get him to give you access to your accounts back.”
“I tried that! He won’t do it. Not unless I
come to work for him, and you know what that would mean. Under his
thumb twenty-four seven. I want my own business and I want it to be
a success.” Tyler shook his head. “Aren’t you tired of being the
family fuck up? I know I am.”
That hit Kevin like a physical blow. Yes.
Yes, he damn sure was tired of being the family fuck up, even if
they didn’t think he was an asshole. But going into business with
someone even more irresponsible than he was didn’t sound like the
way to make a change.
The door opened and Dani walked in, saving
Kevin from having to answer. Now he just had to come up with a
cover story for her presence that wouldn’t be insulting to her.
Damn, she looked good in his black leather
jacket.
Tyler turned his attention to the new
arrival. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” He looked her up and down and
gave her a smile that was more smarm than charm. Kevin curled his
lip in disgust.
Dani ignored Tyler and addressed Kevin. “We
need to talk.”
Kevin nodded, trying to suppress a little
thrill of gratification.
“I’m Tyler Kincaid.” Tyler stuck his hand
out. “Kevin’s oldest friend.”
“One of my oldest friends,” Kevin said.
“Tyler, this is Danielle Marquez.” It was the name she’d given him
for her new ID. “She’s a personal trainer and self-defense expert.
I’m going to be taking a few lessons from her.” Wary, he searched
her face for
Similar Books
