Page 19 of The Fake Husband Deal

He scratched his clean-shaven chin. “I knocked, but you seemed really engrossed. New client?”

“Yeah, potential big new client. Van Stern Enterprises.”

He gasped. “You’re shitting me.”

“Shit you not.”

“Whatever they want, we’ll do it. Can you imagine the business we could do with them on our books? Not to mention how it would help with our mission statement.”

“I know. Leave it with me. Did you want something?”

He looked around and came inside, closing the door. “About Lex?—”

“Is he okay?” I stood, ready to run over to his office.

Adam raised his hand for me to sit back down as he took the seat across from my desk. “He’s fine. That’s the problem. How can he be fine? At my engagement party, he was crumbling, and then?—”

“Adam, you held your engagement party in the same place he proposed to his boyfriend, who then disappeared without a trace. How did you expect him to be?”

To give Adam credit, he sank a little in his chair.

“I know. I should have pressed Victoria harder to have the party somewhere else.”

I’d already shared my thoughts with Adam at length so there was no point going over it again. “It’s in the past now, and Emery is back.”

“That’s the thing. Lex is determined to get to know Emery again, find out what happened, and how he lost his memory. What if this all ends wrong? We need to help him before he gets hurt again.”

I rubbed my temples with both hands. A week ago, Lex had called a Code Red—our brotherly bat signal. When we’d arrived at his place, he’d been on the verge of a panic attack because he’d bumped into his ex-boyfriend at the farmers’ market.

Emery, whom I’d always loved like a brother and had thought was the best thing to happen to Lex, told him he’d had a car accident and lost his memory. Their meeting at the markethad been purely by chance, and Lex was convinced Emery was being genuine. That was all we knew.

I’d admit my suggestions to get the truth out of Emery weren’t the most helpful because while most people think I’m great under pressure, I’m really not. My default is slutty assassin. Kill ‘em or fuck ‘em. And if you can’t decide, then fuck them to death.

“He said he was going to take it slowly,” I said.

“I know, but I’m not sure he can. He never stopped loving Emery. How would you be if the lost love of your life appeared in front of you?”

I’d kill her. See? Default.

“I don’t know, Adam, but it’s up to Lex to figure out if Emery is telling the truth and if there’s still anything between them.”

He sighed.

“I know this is hard for you with your weird twin connection, but…I don’t know. Maybe show your support so he knows he has somewhere to land if it all falls apart.”

He stood and held out his hand in a fist. I bumped it.

“And that’s why you’re the older one,” he said. “Maybe not the prettiest, but you’re wise.”

“Fuck you, I’m gorgeous.”

I liked the sound of his laughter as he left the office.

On my way out, I called Jax to meet me at Tanner’s. I needed someone to talk to, and for this, it couldn’t be my brothers.

“Hot damn, Doctor. Can I tell you where it hurts?” Jax was one good-looking motherfucker. He was smart as fuck, having completed his medical degree while in the military, which required a level of fitness I could never aspire to have. The guy was ripped.

“You’re not good-looking enough for me to get my stethoscope out.”