“The fuck?” Trey steps into Nolan’s face so they’re toe to toe and jabs him in the chest.
A thin line of blood trickles out of Nolan’s nose, and his left eye is beginning to swell. Still, he doesn’t flinch.
“How long? How long have you been lying to my fucking face?”
It’s slight, but I see the fall of Nolan’s shoulders. “We bumped into each other at The Club.”
“Bumped?” Trey growls between clenched teeth.
“I had no idea who she was, and she had no idea who I was, until the next morning when she came into the conference room.”
I can see when Trey’s memory puts the pieces together. “Well, fuck you for sneaking around behind my back. But you know whose back you didn’t sneak behind? Fucking Micky Donahue, who is afteryoufor killing his son. It’s never been about me or even Avery. She’s in the middle of this because of her connection toyou.” Trey pushes Nolan with both hands and neither of them budge.
I drop to the couch and cover my face with my hands. It’s the same story as what happened to Nora and her roommate. Her dead roommate. Chills run through my body, and I start to shake.
“Jesus. What’s going on?” I hear Drake and then Ryder.
“Fuck. Jones. You’re bleeding. Oh.”
“Sweetie.” Nora sits next to me on the couch and puts her arm around my waist. “Come over to our place.”
I follow her blindly, not looking back at Nolan or Trey. The last words I hear are my brother’s orders.
“My office. Twenty minutes,” followed by the slamming of the door.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Idrop the folder ontothe coffee table and stare at the door Trey just slammed after he and Avery walked out on me.
“Hugh texted,” Drake says, picking up the folder. “Heard you made headway on the guys who broke into Avery’s apartment but also stirred the pot, pointing Donahue’s guys in your direction.”
I did what I had to do, and I don’t regret it. The fuckers who shish-ka-bobbed Avery’s pillow have been eliminated. Last night, I tossed around a few of his other men who I found snooping outside my place. I got one of the little shits to squeal, and what he revealed is basically what Trey just found out.
Avery’s been a target because of me. If we weren’t spotted kissing on her doorstep, getting handsy in front of my place, making out in my car at red lights, she’d be safe. The dicks who Trey kicked out of The Club were Donahue’s men, but they didn’t stalk Avery because of him.
They stalked her because of me.