Page 12 of Rebellious Hearts

I was happy for him. I really was. Tommy was the cutest kid. Just starting to walk now, and he babbled all the time with words he made up himself. He was a handful but Alex, who’d been terrified of being a father before, doted on him.

The whole happy-families spiel was good for Alex, but that wasn’t my deal.

I thrived on one-night stands or nights where I got so drunk I forgot who I was. Easy-peasy with no emotions involved. I couldn’t evendreamof having a child, taking care of diapers and bottles, and putting safety shit on all my cabinets.

“Yeah, I went out to celebrate the deal this weekend.”

And met someone fucking incredible.

That would put anyone in a good mood.

“Well, good. That will make what I’m about to tell you easier.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?” My good mood was already fading. Alex the CEO could be such a pain in the ass when he was my boss and not my brother. He flipped that switch sometimes, and honestly, it pissed me off when he did.

“You’re not headed out to Harborview alone.”

“Why not?”

“It’s always good to have backup, and if you’re talking to the investor, I want you to seal the deal from the start. We don’t need back and forth on this, it has to happen right away. One and done.”

I shook my head. “You’re giving me a babysitter? Fuck, Alex, don’t you trust me? I know what I’m doing.”

“You really do, but lately you’ve been…”

“What?” I asked when Alex’s voice trailed off. “What have I been?”

“A bit of a loose cannon.”

I bristled, the last of my good mood trickling away.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re just all over the place. Your head’s not in the game, and I don’t want that to sabotage this for us.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is that why you gave me this contract to begin with?”

“What are you talking about?” Alex shifted in his seat, leaning his elbows on his desk. He steepled his fingers—a subtle change but I knew the body language cues well enough. He thought he was better than me and fuck him for that.

“You’re sending me away because you don’t think I’m good for the company, here.”

“Don’t be an idiot, Ben,” Alex scoffed and swiveled his chair away from me and his desk and toward the large windows thatoverlooked Newport and the ocean. “Starting a second factory is a big deal. I wouldn’t just send anyone there. I know you can do it, which is why I picked you.”

“But you won’t let me go without a babysitter. You would have let Chris go alone.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “But you need him here for the designs. And Daniel is God-knows-where right now… that’s why you picked me. I get it now.” I scowled. “I was a fool to celebrate the fucking contract like it was some kind of feat.”

Alex groaned and stood, walking to the windows. “You’re making a big deal out of this when it doesn’t need to be.”

“No, I’m making this just as big as it needs to be.”

Alex and I had never really gotten along. We took “sibling rivalry” to the next level. I wouldn’t say we hated each other—we were still brothers and if someone fucked with one of us, the other would be there, no questions asked. But when it came down to measuring dicks, he always wanted to come out on top, and since he was the favorite, the fucking CEO, he usually won.

That just pissed me off.

“So, who are you sending with me?” I asked bitterly. “Is it Dad? That would be the fucking cherry on top.”

“Stop being such a baby,” Alex said. “And you don’t have to cuss so much, either. I’d prefer you watch your mouth when I call her in, too.”

“Her? You’re sending awomanwith me?”