Page 2 of Slow Burn

Josh downed half the glass, leaned back in his chair and managed a small smile. It seemed genuine enough. “You look good, Jake.”

“So do you.”

A few seconds of silence ticked by.

“This is weird.” Joshua raked a hand through his hair. He wore an expensive sport coat, dress pants and a crimson necktie. Jake, in jeans and a rugby shirt, felt scruffy in comparison. But that had always been the difference between them. Josh dressed the part of a wealthy man. Jake preferred to be unfettered by society’s dictates.

He straightened his spine as tension tightened his jaw. “Here’s the thing,” he said abruptly. “I might as well get this off my chest. I’m sorry, Josh. I’m sorry Dad screwed us over, and I’m sorry I let you do the heavy lifting. I abandoned you. But I’m here now. For what it’s worth.”

His brother’s smile was strained. Born first by three minutes, Josh had often taken the role of “older” brother seriously. He sighed, the sound a mix of resignation and something else. “I quit being mad at you a long time ago, Jake. We all choose our own path in life. Nobody made me stay and sort through Dad’s screwups.”

“But we both thought he was dead.” It was true. Their mother, Eve, had hired private detectives fifteen years ago. The feds had searched for months. No sign of Vernon Lowell anywhere.

Joshua’s gaze was bleak. “It would have been easier if he was dead, wouldn’t it?”

The harsh truth hung between them. Jake’s stomach clenched. Authorities had recently located Vernon Lowell on a remote Bahamian island and extradited him to the United States. Currently, the patriarch was languishing in federal custody. And he wanted to see his two oldest sons.

Oliver, their younger brother, had made the pilgrimage recently. It hadn’t gone well.

“We have to go, don’t we?” Jake said.

Josh shrugged. “He can’t make us.”

“On the other hand, telling him to go to hell might give us closure.”

His brother’s lips twitched. “You have a valid point.”

“I guess these last six months haven’t been easy for you after that damn reporter wrote an anniversary piece about the Black Crescent debacle. I didn’t see it until recently.”

Joshua’s smile broadened. “Actually, I have no complaints. I’m now engaged to that damn reporter.”

Jake’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? Why didn’t you tell me that when you called?”

“You and I hadn’t spoken in forever. I wanted to give you the news in person. We’re planning a wedding very soon. Sophie is great. You’ll like her. And you might as well know, she’s the one who encouraged me to resurrect my art career. That’s why I’m giving up the helm of Black Crescent.”

“That explains the CEO search. I was wondering why now.” If anybody deserved to follow his dreams, it was Josh. “I’m happy for you. What will happen to the company, though?”

Joshua didn’t answer immediately, because a waiter dropped off their appetizers. A few moments later, Josh drummed his fingers on the table, his unease palpable. “You’ve played the part of a dilettante well over the years. No one realized you were a financial wunderkind.” Joshua’s smile was wry.

Jake tried not to squirm. “Why would you say that?”

“I’ve been doing some digging, baby brother. You’re an uncannily successful day trader. Probably richer than I am. At the risk of insulting you, I’d say you’ve inherited some of Dad’s business savvy. But not his morals,” Josh said hastily.

Jake told himself not to overreact. “I’ve had some success,” he said mildly. “And I’m not your baby brother.”

Joshua stared at him, gaze clear, jaw firm. “I want you to take over Black Crescent.”

What? “Oh, no,” Jake said. “Oh, hell no.” His hand fisted on the table. “Surely, you have other possibilities.”

“We do, actually. I’ve been interviewing candidates for some time now. But I don’t know that any of them are exactly right.”

“Well, you’re dead wrong if you think I’m the man.”

“Maybe.” Joshua’s expression was hard to read.

“What about Oliver? I’m guessing he doesn’t want to give up his photography?” The youngest Lowell brother had been affected deeply by their father’s betrayal, perhaps even more than Josh and Jake. His anger and despair had led him into addiction. Fortunately, he’d been clean for a very long time now.

“Oliver is finally in a good place. Finding out Dad is alive has been hard for him. He’s dealing with a lot of the old anger. But he’s handling it well.”

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