Page 58 of Up in a Blaze
The plan was that we’d head off a few days beforehand to scope out the areas. There’d be two teams. One for each ship since we needed to look at both.
“Brother, we’ll get them one way or another,” Tech said.
Grunting, I looked back to the monitors. Henri sat on the couch with Arlo. They were talking while watching a movie. I thought Henri was complaining about something, which was making Arlo laugh.
They already got along well. Arlo didn’t say much—not that I had audio on the camera—but I hadn’t seen his lips move as much as Henri’s did. Then again, I did tend to watch Henri more closely than Arlo.
Still, the kid seemed to enjoy everything Henri said; his smile told me that. It really hadn’t taken Henri long for Arlo to warm up to him. I think he started hanging off everything Henri said, while beaming, after they’d finished eating. It didn’t surprise me. The man was too damn charming. It was just lucky that this time it wouldn’t get Henri in trouble, and I wouldn’t have to warn anyone away from him.
They were fun to watch, though. Tech knew my attention wasn’t on work while I had my own show happening at home.
Hell, I could watch Henri all day, every day.
I only missed listening to all the things he was telling Arlo. I had to fix that problem. Especially if this was going to happen again with Henri at home and me here.
“Blaze, can I ask you somethin’?” When I grunted, Tech went on, “Would you be pissed with a brother if he was seein’ your sister behind your back?”
Shit.
Slowly, I turned to him and raised my brow.
He nodded. “They think I’m fuckin’ stupid. But it’s goddamn obvious Quake and Eve have somethin’ goin’ on. I see their looks. It fuckin’ pisses me off. He was supposed to be a brother and look out for my sister, not do shit with her.” He cringed. “I don’t want to know what the fuck they get up to, but I know it’s somethin’ they’re hidin’ from me. So, would you be pissed at them?”
Christ. I didn’t want to get involved, but Henri did tell me shit, and I didn’t want to hold it back from the one man in the club I’d call a close friend. Not that I’d admit it.
Fuck me.
I was going to have to share and talk.
Sighing, I glanced to the monitors, wishing I could go back to watching Henri with Arlo, but I’d be a dick if I ignored Tech.
He groaned, palming his face. “Sorry. I shouldn’t’ve even said anythin’. I guess I just wanted to rant. Don’t worry about it.”
Grunting, I scratched at my thigh. “Say whatever you want. I listen more than talk.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I can tell.”
“Henri talks. A lot.”
He smirked. “I’ve heard.”
“He’s told me some shit, and I’ll share as long as it doesn’t bite me on the ass with Henri.” Not that I thought it would, since it wasn’t bad. But if Henri found out I talked to Tech about this, he’d relentlessly tease me about gossiping.
And I wasn’t.
I just wanted to help the guy out, since he’d never been a dick to me.
“Brother, I won’t say shit to anyone,” he said.
I nodded once.
All right. Here the fuck I went.
“Henri’s mentioned that the only reason they haven’t said shit to you is because Eve refuses to call what she and Quake have a relationship. She gets pissy when anyone suggests she’s dating Quake. Eve’s probably threatened Quake to keep his mouth shut or else whatever they have will end.”
Tech’s jaw clenched as he stared down at the floor.
With a sigh, I continued, “I get why you’d be cut that Quake didn’t say anything, but in a way, he’s doing what Eve wants. If you’ve seen them look at each other, you’d have noticed how damn taken Quake is with Eve. He wants her as his old lady, so he’d do just about anything she asks him to, and that’d include him not saying anything to you. Maybe your sister has commitment issues, which is why she won’t say anything to you too.”
