Page 15 of Take the Blame (Seaside Mergers #3)

Chapter Nine

ALTA

“You’re smiling,” Ox said even as he tapped away on his phone while following me down the street. I was taking my sisters’ advice and going for it again. The first step of which was getting my older brother’s approval. If I could just get his attention first.

He was working as he always was, but he’d agreed to meet me out for lunch so I could show him my ventures in person. And that was a start, so I would roll with it.

“I smile a lot, Ox!” I said distractedly. We hadn’t eaten yet because I couldn’t choose where I wanted to take him. And now that we were in the main area I worked, I wondered if I should just show him a few stores first and then stop to get food later.

The possibilities were endless. I couldn’t remember the last time I got his attention like this, he was always so busy these days. But I was sure going to take advantage of it and maybe even leave with his support on my projects this time.

So yeah, I was smiling pretty big.

“Just an observation since the last time I saw you, you were crying,” he said. I’m not sure how he made one sentence sound like a full interrogation, but he did it well. Somehow pinning me with the expectation to explain myself without demanding it aloud.

A niggling voice in the back of my mind teased that this was the only reason he’d agreed to follow me out, because he knew I’d been about to cry in the office, not because he wanted to listen to my pitch. But I pushed that voice aside and doubled back on Ox.

I expected to see him still tapping away on his phone, but instead I found him watching me. Glaring at me through those black eyes that he shared only with Melissa. The rest of us had lighter browns, Ceci’s bordering another color entirely. But his and the other golden child’s gazes were black.

I swallowed. His glares didn’t scare me.

My brother only knew how to glare. The way he was studying me, however, did scare me.

Ox was not the ‘do whatever you want’ type of brother.

He was more the ‘do what I tell you’ type, which for the most part I didn’t mind.

But in this sense, his calculating gaze made me nervous because in this sense he still had me wrong like everyone else.

And if he didn’t like what I showed him today, I wasn’t sure what I’d do.

“Not sure what you’re talking about,” I lied, walking to him hastily and looping my arm through his. Now that he was done with his phone, I think I would show him some of my businesses along the way. Since we were already here and all. “Anyway, let’s go!”

He grunted, not believing my crap, but followed me anyway, even letting me pull him around. “Where exactly are we going?”

“Did you get my email?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s how we made it here, remember? You invited me to lunch, yet I see no food,” he said .

I worried my lip. “You have time, right?”

He sighed. “Very little, but yes. I’d just like to know what we’re doing.”

“Did you get my other email?” I asked.

“ Alta ,” he deadpanned.

Okay, he was getting agitated. “Just pull it up. It has to do with what I’m going to show you.”

“Why? Does it have something to do with work?”

“Sort of.”

“ Someone at work? Is someone bothering you?” he asked.

I felt my blood run cold. “No. Why? Did someone say something?”

Black eyes cut to me as he spoke slowly, feeling out the situation. “Not exactly… but if there’s something you need to talk to me about —”

“There’s not!” I cut him off. Forget the email, this was going south quick.

I’d just have to show him right now. Pulling on his arm again, I continued to drag him along the street.

To be honest, he looked more wary with every step.

As wary as my stoic businessman of a brother could look, at least. “Have you been down here recently?”

“To shop sometimes with Clem,” he said, his face going softer as he mentioned his wife. “And most recently to visit Ceci at that wine shop.”

I nodded. Okay! I could work with this. “You know how I have that hybrid schedule? Most of my clients are right on this street.”

He hummed, his eyebrows raising just slightly as he took another look around, interested! “Where?”

Okay, I could do this.

“Well, we passed a coffee shop and bakery a little bit ago. And there’s a boutique along the way. And I also work with Paulo’s wine shop too,” I said, pointing as we went. “There’s a list in the email, I won’t say them all, but it’s a really good group of people and places.”

“Ah,” is all he said, obviously not completely sure how he was supposed to react to that. “Good job, Al. Do you… PA for them?”

I winced, the question sounding like an insult in my ears. A brand.

PA. Personal Assistant .

“No,” I said, my heartbeat getting faster as I got closer to telling him. This was it. “I do their marketing.”

“Marketing?” he asked, his eyebrows immediately pulling together in confusion.

I shouldn’t have blamed him for looking so surprised. I mean, I kept it a secret because I wanted to prove success before coming to him with results. Unsurprisingly, the shock on his face still stung.

“Explain—” he started, but just as he did he paused, a buzzing sound catching his attention.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he quickly scanned the words on the screen before a cloudy look crossed over his face and he cursed under his breath.

He stopped walking and pulled free of the vice grip I had on him for this very reason. “Give me a sec, Al.”

I tried to wait patiently, looking around us and tapping my foot as I did. But when I realized we were very close to the tattoo shop, possibly even right in front of it, I started to get antsy.

I’d acted out of emotion when I sent that email to Gus about not being in for the rest of the month, but truthfully as the events of my sister’s festival and the block party got closer, it was true that I needed to cut down some of my commitments at least until this rush was over.

Still, I couldn’t help but remember with a pit in my stomach the way Harper’s words and his lack of belief in me made me feel.

Raw and new to the world. Empty. Alone.

Like the only person who’d had my back for so long suddenly just didn’t .

No matter, I was watching my own back now. I was going for it. I would show my family what I could do today. Right now .

“Ox,” I said softly. “You said you had time.”

“One moment Al, please,” he said. Clipped and short. I bit my lip and swallowed my annoyance. He caught onto it and doubled a short look at me, adding, “I’m sorry, just let me finish this.”

“Fine,” I sighed. I knew he had things to do. Important things. Family business things and married person things and just all the things. But for once I just wanted something of mine to be important too.

“A moment” was actually several moments, so I pulled out my phone to pass the time.

Going over my typical checklist, I got to work.

First making sure all my scheduled social posts made it out successfully, then checking my email, and lastly glancing over the most recent sales report for a particular campaign.

Between each task I found myself guiltily looking at my message screen for a certain someone’s name.

I think the fact that we were so close to the shop was messing with my head.

Inserting thoughts of him into my mind that wouldn’t normally be there.

I was just in the middle of scolding myself for even giving him a second thought (or a one hundredth) when Ox pocketed his phone and said suddenly, “We’ll have to cut this short. I need to go.”

Have you ever felt your heart plummet? It sort of feels like how your stomach feels on a rollercoaster, but in your chest. It was the same feeling I got when I heard my brother say that.

I pulled away from his leading hand on my shoulder and shook my head. “No! You said you had time.”

“Something came up, Al, I’m sorry,” he said, voice a little sterner.

“But you said?—”

“ Alta . I don’t understand why you’re acting like this. You know when I say something is important, it is. Do not act like a child,” he scolded .

In all honesty, it was some of the nicer things Ox could say, yet somehow it felt like a whip lashing across my skin. My pride .

“I’m not a kid, Ox,” I said, voice croaking.

“I know you’re not,” he said. “And that’s why I’m asking you to stop acting like one—” He stopped, his words cutting off abruptly as his eyes flew over my head. His gaze was not a nice one as he took quick steps around me, no longer paying me or our conversation any attention. “Can I help you?”

“Not sure.” Deep baritone cut through the air and straight to my ears. Whipping around, I leaned around my brother’s shoulder to see the last person I expected to see at that moment.

Harper stood large and intimidating in front of us.

Tattooed arms on display as they crossed over his chest. When I popped my head around Ox, his eyes locked on mine.

And what a look that was. Normally tame and jesting, his eyes looked fiery, his jaw so tight I could see his pulse in his temple. “Problem here, Boss?”

“There’s no problem, sir—” Ox started.

“Wasn’t talking to you,” Harper retorted.

Ox’s shoulders seemed to broaden, his stance getting wider as he took in the situation in a new light. “Excuse me?”

Oh my God .

Springing into action I rushed around my brother and in between the two of them. Ox immediately tried to grab for my elbow, but I shook him off, facing my client first.

“Harper,” I said.

His eyes were lasered in on my brother, glaring like I’d never seen him glare before.

I snapped, my voice more authoritative this time. “Harper!” He looked at me. “There’s no problem here. Go back inside.”

His eyes went from me to my brother who must have been seeing fire by now—Oaxaca did not take threats lightly. Apparently Harper didn’t either as he simply said, “No.”

“ Augustus— ”

“You’re out here arguing on the street, Boss. I won’t leave if you aren’t safe,” he said. Stubborn man .

Turning quickly, I looked to my brother, my eyes pleading. “Ox, tell him I’m safe.”

Ox looked at me like I was crazy. “ Who is this? ”

“He’s a client, Oaxaca, and he’s concerned. So please be nice and tell him I’m safe so he’ll go back inside,” I said.

“A client?” Ox’s tone was disbelieving as he took in the guy over my shoulder. He seemed to make a decision about him as his eyes hardened. “ Alta, vámonos. Ahorita. ”

“You go. I’ll stay here,” I said.

He shook his head. “No way in hell.”

“Ox,” I whined.

“ No way in hell ,” he reiterated. “Explain. And make it fast.”

I huffed, turning sideways so that I was split between the two of them. Two men not listening to a thing I was saying. One who had told me my ideas were shit, in not so many words of course. And the other who was too busy helping everyone else to even listen to me.

I was fed up with both of them.

I turned to the one I didn’t share blood with first.

“Augustus. Please go back inside. Ox is leaving in a second and I can be in there shortly.” He looked warily from me to my brother and I could tell he was going to protest. So I beat him to it, saying, “ Please .”

He opened his mouth but caught sight of my eyes and stopped. I was saying please but so help me if he didn’t get his butt in that tattoo shop I was going to wring his neck this time, not the potted plant’s.

I think my gaze portrayed that. Which must be why he finally grunted, “Five minutes, Boss. Or I’m coming out to get you.”

I turned to Ox next, not even bothering to watch Gus as he walked away. I’d deal with him later. My brother, on the other hand, stared at him. His eyes slitted, following his large form all the way until it disappeared.

“I thought you had to leave,” I said.

“I do, and you’re coming too.”

“I’m not,” I said. And then I looked at him. “And how could you act like that in front of him! I told you he was my client. You of all people should know not to be rude.”

“ Me ?” His eyes widened. “He ordered you around like he owned you. Not to mention disappearing into a tattoo shop. Alta, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that you are a pot calling the kettle black, Oaxaca,” I hissed. “Because instead of listening, you are the one trying to order me around despite having just insulted me by calling me a child. At least he didn’t do that.”

He paused, his dark eyes surveying me closely before he sighed regretfully. “Alta?—”

I held my hand up, stopping him.

“I’m going to need to smooth this over with my client, Ox.

I can’t go with you now. If you would read my email you’d see that I also work with every other business on this block.

I’m safe here. You can call off the big brother police.

” I sighed too, suddenly feeling guilty for being so hard on him.

He was just worried, after all. Harper was the one who had come in hot.

Also worried. Jesus . “You have to go, remember? What is it? Clem? Or Ceci’s festival? ”

He pressed his lips together, his eyes suddenly cautious. Not used to me putting him in his place, not used to anyone doing so. He cleared his throat. “Melissa. She needs help with the acquisition case.”

And the lashes just kept coming.

I nodded, taking another step away from him. I smiled. Weak and fake, but at least I smiled. “Go, then. It’s important.”

“Rain check?” he asked. If my brother was one thing it was astute. He probably knew what I was thinking before I thought it .

But it was too late. He’d spoken the words I already knew. In matters of importance in this family, I was last. I was just the silly little child everyone expected nothing from. I was nothing.

She was something.

I turned away from him, hurt but more so numb. “If you can find the time, then, sure.”