Page 90 of A Matter of Fact

“Our father, obviously.”

Callahan sighed, his shoulders visibly deflating at the path the conversation was taking. Beckett could see him softening to the idea, even if his heart didn’t want to help, and Beckett couldn’t blame him. Rhys was a hurricane, and you didn’t go back to a category five storm and ask for another landfall.

“So what’s his plan then?”

“He wantshismoney. He wants out,” Beckett said.

“Actually, he wants to dismantle the whole thing,” Sebastian whispered.

“What do you think about that?” Callahan asked.

Sebastian shrugged. “My feelings about it are complicated.”

“Why?” Callahan arched a doubtful brow.

“That’s between you and him.”

Beckett bristled at the idea of anything existing between Rhys and Callahan, but he knew it was the truth. He knew why Rhys had started the account, and he knew when. Callahan obviously did not.

“What?” Callahan balked, and Jace’s expression turned as dubious as Beckett’s own.

“Take it up with Rhys when this is all said and done,” Sebastian said, his tone unequivocally ending that fork of the conversation. “I trust that he’s sorting out securing his own funds. I want your help. He…We want your help with the last part.”

“The dismantling,” Callahan repeated. “But you’re not 100% on that part, are you?”

“It’s what needs to happen.”

Beckett’s phone vibrated in his pocket, the telltale heartbeat pattern he’d set to let him know Rhys was calling and not a telemarketer.

“Excuse me.” He jumped off the couch at the same time he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He jogged to the front door and slipped out into the hallway, answering the call.

“Hey,” he greeted, a little breathless and a lot happy.

“Beckett.”

“How are you?”

“Better than I’ve been all week.” Rhys’s voice was quiet as it was on all of these secret phone calls. “Even better now that I’m talking to you.”

“The distance is turning you romantic.”

“You are,” Rhys corrected. “Being away from you makes me appreciate how special you are. How lucky I am.”

“I don’t think any of your friends would believe you said that to me.”

“What friends?”

“I’m with Remington and Sebastian right now,” he said.

Rhys chuckled. “Sebastian is my brother and Remington is stuck with me by default of the bloodline.”

“And Jace and Callahan,” he added.

Rhys fell quiet. “What?”

“Jace isn’t a fan of yours, but I knew that.”

“What are you doing with them?” Rhys asked.