administrative work. In return, his brother
had already bought her a new top-of-the-line SUV.
“Javier?” She glanced up from the fussing baby in her lap and whispered, “Maybe a
little. He didn’t break out a bottle until eleven this morning. It’s progress.”
Was it really? Javier would still be sauced by the end of the lunch hour. Fuck. His
brother slaved over his desk nearly every day until the wee hours of the morning.
In fairness, he’d greeted Tyler every morning for a run and some weight lifting, then
met with Morgan for yoga before coming here. Between nine and ten in the morning,
everyone said that Javier looked really centered. Functional. By noon, he was stressed,
wasted, and lashing out.
Xander clawed a hand through his hair, trying to smile. “Thanks. And your son?”
Morgan shook her head as the baby started to fuss. “I hate to do this, but I need
to take Brice home. His fever has returned.”
That wasn’t good news. The baby needed care, but having no administrative support/babysitter,
even for a few days, would put Javier further behind, send him deeper into stress—and
a bottle. Xander wished like hell Javier would accept his help but . . . he knew he
couldn’t push his brother anymore or he’d snap.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he assured Morgan. “Do what you need to do. Family first.”
With an apologetic smile, she rose and gathered her things. “I’ll call around and
see if I can find someone who can be here for your brother. I’m not going to let him
drown.”
It wasn’t Morgan’s problem, and she didn’t have to care, but Xander was grateful that
she did. “Thank you.”
At the door, she cradled the baby against her and paused. “I know you’re worried and
things between you two haven’t been easy, but give Javier time. He’s got some demons
and he won’t let them loose. He’ll have to eventually. Maybe he’s just not ready yet.”
S.I. Industries didn’t have months for Javier to “find himself” again. He’d been reading
business blogs and the
Wall Street Journal
. Scuttlebutt was that unless its research and development teams started showing Uncle
Sam something new and snazzy soon, the government would start doing all its business
with other manufacturers, like current darling United Velocity. And if it didn’t have
the cash flow to prototype and build cool new military gadgets, S.I. Industries would
be history.
Xander chomped at the bit to jump in, his brother’s wishes be damned, and help out.
But it would only drive a bigger wedge between them. Javier was more important to
him than the business. But if Javier lost his birthright, it would devastate him and
probably put the final nail in his coffin. Even as a kid, his brother hadn’t taken
failure well. Javier was a born leader, and his desire and aptitude to engage in teamwork
had never been stellar. As an adult, nothing had changed.
“I’ve been trying to find the crash method to get him back into his head and caring
about his life. We’re running out of time.”
“You’ve done a lot of the right things, even if it’s tough love.” She cocked her head
as she gently bounced the whimpering baby. “Jack thinks he needs something to focus
on or something to care about besides business.”
“That bottle of Cîroc isn’t going to do it,” he snapped.
“But the bottle doesn’t have expectations or judge him. He doesn’t have to feel guilt
or anger or whatever’s eating him up with vodka. Did he grieve for his wife?”
Xander didn’t have the answer to that question. Francesca’s body had been found while
he’d been ass deep in the sting that he’d helped Tyler orchestrate to bring down Los
Angeles’ crooked assistant district attorney. The press had been swarming. Xander
had done his best to leave his brother alone and draw the pesky reporters, along with
the limelight, away from Javier. The brother he’d known
had already bought her a new top-of-the-line SUV.
“Javier?” She glanced up from the fussing baby in her lap and whispered, “Maybe a
little. He didn’t break out a bottle until eleven this morning. It’s progress.”
Was it really? Javier would still be sauced by the end of the lunch hour. Fuck. His
brother slaved over his desk nearly every day until the wee hours of the morning.
In fairness, he’d greeted Tyler every morning for a run and some weight lifting, then
met with Morgan for yoga before coming here. Between nine and ten in the morning,
everyone said that Javier looked really centered. Functional. By noon, he was stressed,
wasted, and lashing out.
Xander clawed a hand through his hair, trying to smile. “Thanks. And your son?”
Morgan shook her head as the baby started to fuss. “I hate to do this, but I need
to take Brice home. His fever has returned.”
That wasn’t good news. The baby needed care, but having no administrative support/babysitter,
even for a few days, would put Javier further behind, send him deeper into stress—and
a bottle. Xander wished like hell Javier would accept his help but . . . he knew he
couldn’t push his brother anymore or he’d snap.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he assured Morgan. “Do what you need to do. Family first.”
With an apologetic smile, she rose and gathered her things. “I’ll call around and
see if I can find someone who can be here for your brother. I’m not going to let him
drown.”
It wasn’t Morgan’s problem, and she didn’t have to care, but Xander was grateful that
she did. “Thank you.”
At the door, she cradled the baby against her and paused. “I know you’re worried and
things between you two haven’t been easy, but give Javier time. He’s got some demons
and he won’t let them loose. He’ll have to eventually. Maybe he’s just not ready yet.”
S.I. Industries didn’t have months for Javier to “find himself” again. He’d been reading
business blogs and the
Wall Street Journal
. Scuttlebutt was that unless its research and development teams started showing Uncle
Sam something new and snazzy soon, the government would start doing all its business
with other manufacturers, like current darling United Velocity. And if it didn’t have
the cash flow to prototype and build cool new military gadgets, S.I. Industries would
be history.
Xander chomped at the bit to jump in, his brother’s wishes be damned, and help out.
But it would only drive a bigger wedge between them. Javier was more important to
him than the business. But if Javier lost his birthright, it would devastate him and
probably put the final nail in his coffin. Even as a kid, his brother hadn’t taken
failure well. Javier was a born leader, and his desire and aptitude to engage in teamwork
had never been stellar. As an adult, nothing had changed.
“I’ve been trying to find the crash method to get him back into his head and caring
about his life. We’re running out of time.”
“You’ve done a lot of the right things, even if it’s tough love.” She cocked her head
as she gently bounced the whimpering baby. “Jack thinks he needs something to focus
on or something to care about besides business.”
“That bottle of Cîroc isn’t going to do it,” he snapped.
“But the bottle doesn’t have expectations or judge him. He doesn’t have to feel guilt
or anger or whatever’s eating him up with vodka. Did he grieve for his wife?”
Xander didn’t have the answer to that question. Francesca’s body had been found while
he’d been ass deep in the sting that he’d helped Tyler orchestrate to bring down Los
Angeles’ crooked assistant district attorney. The press had been swarming. Xander
had done his best to leave his brother alone and draw the pesky reporters, along with
the limelight, away from Javier. The brother he’d known
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