Page 14 of Inked Obsession

I had lost Marshall long before war took him from me. I just hadn’t known.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know.

Chapter 5

Beckett

Itried to focus on the portfolio in front of me, but my eyes were crossing. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I didn’t need to think about my nightmares or the shooting that’d started it all. I was safe—as safe as I could be. I needed to remember to breathe. Something I wasn’t great at.

The family worked out of Fort Collins, and in the surrounding areas. One set of my cousins owned Montgomery Inc., another set of builders. However, we weren’t connected to them, other than being family.

My father and his family had begun Montgomery Builders, and my mother’s family, the Montgomerys down south, had begun theirs. Apparently, building homes and other things was in the blood—or at least the last name. My father had once had a feud with the other Montgomerys, but it was dying down now after a blowup that had nearly cost us our family. We were still figuring things out, though the Montgomerys down south didn’t really care about the feud. It had never been one on their end. They were nice, kind, and always helpful. In fact, all of us worked with them in terms of making our projects more economical and ecologically safe. Our goal was to build a better tomorrow and all that lovely rhetoric. Though we truly believed in it.

For now, I needed to focus on the set of homes we were building that would be a fully green community.

Clay knocked on the doorframe, and I looked up and grinned. “Is that coffee in your hand?” I asked.

“You know it. I don’t go anywhere without some form of caffeine. The kids kept me up all night.”

“Is everyone okay?” I asked.

Clay nodded. “Yeah, everyone’s fine. My cousins are just in a mood.”

Clay was only in his mid-twenties, and his cousins were either hitting their preteens or getting close.

I had met them a few times, but Clay was rather private when it came to them. I didn’t mind. I understood that he needed to remain sheltered. The kids had gone through hell, and so had Clay, but they were all finding their paths in their new city. Originally, they had been in Denver, down with my cousin Storm, who happened to be an architect like Annabelle. Storm had a complicated history with the family, as well. We were all friends and pretty damn close, so when a position opened up, and Storm had said that Clay needed a new job, I’d offered the position to him. And it was working out well.

I just wished that Clay got more sleep than I did. “By the way, a couple of nights ago, Riggs asked about you.”

I winked as I said it, and Clay rolled his eyes. “That’s not happening until the kids are at least in college. Of course, they’ll need to actually afford it first.”

“I thought there were college funds for that,” I said, treading carefully.

Clay shrugged. “There are. Who knows what the actual cost of college will be by the time the kids get there? It’s fine, we’re doing well. We have a nice home, thanks to the ones that you built,” he added, and I laughed. “They have food in their bellies, they have afterschool care, and we’re doing okay. It was just a long night, and I haven’t been sleeping well. Of course, from the bags under your eyes, it looks like you didn’t sleep well either.”

I shrugged. “Long night, I guess.”

“You want to talk about it?”

I froze and looked up at him. “What do you mean?” I asked carefully.

“You don’t have to tell me, but I know that you’ve had a rough go of it the past couple of months. And since I know Benjamin has been pestering you about what’s going on, as well—and Brenna now that I think about it—it seems you aren’t telling anyone.” He paused. “Maybe Lee. Though he seems to be keeping secrets, too.”

“It’s amazing how you become one of us once you started working with our family,” I said dryly.

Clay shrugged. “I care. I can’t help it. And this can be the last that we talk about personal shit for the day if you’d like.”

I shook my head. “I’m fine. Really. Just had a rough night, but I’m ready to go.”

“Drink your coffee, and then we can refrain from discussing our personal lives for the rest of the day. At least, between the two of us. However, you do work with your entire family, so who knows how long that’s going to last.”

I sighed. “You’re right. Thank you for that.”

As if on cue, the rest of my family arrived.

Annabelle walked in, decaf tea in her hand. I knew it was decaf because she was scowling at it, and she still had the teabag inside. Paige was right behind her, her planner, tablet, and a few notebooks in her hands. She was humming, and I had a feeling she had just gotten off the phone with Colton. She was always a little happier after she talked with her boyfriend.

Archer and Benjamin followed, Archer scowling at his phone, and Benjamin looking down at his notebook. They were both working given what I could tell from the expressions on their faces. Hopefully, this family meeting would go quickly.

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