Page 115 of The Penalty

People often mistook us for brothers by birth. Physically, I could sort of see why. We’re both tall with dark hair and light eyes.

But he lacked the one trait that made me an actual Maddox, and him just Adam Bourne.

Arrogance.

He oozed charisma without the sharp edge I inherited.

Spending Sunday evening hanging out with my stepbrother wasn’t high on my list of things to do. But he’d insisted.

“What do you want?” I asked, pulling my phone out of my pocket when it vibrated.

Tori: Tell me your day is way more interesting than mine

I smiled, typing a reply.

“I think I know what Jordan is up to,” he told me just as I sent it’s terribly boring to Victoria.

Not so boring anymore. “Explain.”

Adam tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch before sitting. “Remember Philip?”

I groaned in frustration. “Yes. We had this conversation already. What’s—”

“He’s working on a new project for one of their clients. It’s a start-up tech company that specializes in creating computer generated content. Images, videos, that sort of thing.”

“I thought he was just the security guy.”

I was subjected to one of Adam’s dramatic eye rolls. “For fuck’s sake, Xavier, you never listen to me. Tech lead. He’s the tech lead for the security team.”

“Meaning?”

A blank stare preceded his answer. “Meaning he detects and responds to cyberthreats, and he makes sure the clients’ networks are safe. It also means he could cause those cyberthreats. Should I simplify or did you grasp all that?”

Tori: Want me to make it not boring?

I squeezed the phone, wishing Adam would go away. “Why are you telling me this?”

A tense silence vibrated between us.

“The new client is based in Manhattan,” he finally said.

I dropped my phone. Adam flicked his eyes down and back up.

“Philip is working out of that office until the end of the year.”

The muscles in my jaw twitched. “What does any of this have to do with Jordan?”

“I don’t know. But Philip told me Jordan also has an office in the same building. It’s not related to the tech company stuff but…it’s weird. Jordan mainly focuses his attention on London, Paris, and Frankfurt, vying for business on the political and financial stages in Europe, not in the States.” Adam held my laser stare. “I told you he has it out for you. What happened?”

That’s a fucking loaded question.

“It’s a long story,” I admitted, sitting on the arm of the chair. “You know how he can be.”

“Yeah.” Adam examined me with empathy. Not something I’ve seen from him in a long time. “I’ve been thinking a lot about back then. I was friends with that prick. I saw what he did to people and I stayed friends with him.” He hung his head, shoulders slumping. “I was so blinded by trying to be like you that I couldn’t see what was really going on.”

Wait one fucking second. “Repeat that last part.”

Regret flooded my stepbrother’s demeanor when he stood up and walked to the door. “You heard what I said, asshole. We’ll get into all that another time. I just thought you needed to know about Jordan.”

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