Going Down Fast (Billionaire Bad Boys 2)

So Maxie had stayed in a miserable, emotionally abusive marriage because she’d been protecting him.

And didn’t that make him feel good.

* * *

Lucas arrived at the office bleary-eyed and exhausted, something that was obvious when Tessa, his assistant, walked into the room and handed him a cup of steaming-hot black coffee.

“Drink it,” she said. “It might help get rid of those dark circles under your eyes.” Her whole tone and demeanor were too perky for this hour of the morning.

Smartly, she read his mood and disappeared, leaving him alone. But she had a point. It was after nine a.m., and he should be more alert and functioning.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before. Not after learning his brother had emotionally stripped Maxie bare and blamed her for the tragic loss of their baby. Not after he’d discovered Keith’s threat to ruin Lucas if Maxie left him.

Lucas stared at the wall across from his desk, to the large photo on the wall of Lucas, Derek, and Kade, ringing the bell on the New York Stock Exchange. A crowning achievement for three nerdy kids who’d never fit in until they found each other. It wasn’t bad enough that Lucas had been bullied and picked on by other kids, he hadn’t even had home as an escape. No, he had Keith waiting to do more damage. Was it any wonder he lost himself in computer games where he could vanquish the bad guys and come out on top?

He wished he could focus on the positive today and not things he couldn’t change. But he was preoccupied with the past. And it killed Lucas that his brother had manipulated and hurt Maxie. That he and Maxie had lost years of friendship, if not the chance for something more, due to Keith’s blatant lies. But it was more than lost time that bothered Lucas now. It was the way his older sibling had played them. And he was continuing to play Lucas from the grave.

And he was allowing it. As long as he didn’t take what he wanted with Maxie, Keith was still getting what he wanted.

Frustrated his brother was gone and he had nobody to confront, Lucas shoved everything off his desk with a furious roar.

“If it wasn’t nine in the morning, I’d have a fucking drink,” he said out loud in the empty room.

“And I’d pour you one.” Derek stepped inside the office and closed the door behind him. “At least you didn’t hit a wall like Kade did when he was having issues. What’s going on? Problems with Maxie?”

“Problems with my dead bastard brother. How’s that for a heap of guilt and anger I can’t get rid of?”

“Guilt?” Derek asked, sounding incredulous. “Why? Because you hate the bastard? Look, I understand it isn’t easy to hate a sibling, let alone one who died young, but Keith made your life a living hell often and for no reason other than jealousy. I’d let the guilt go.”

Lucas braced his hand on the back of his neck and stretched from side to side. “It’s hard when my mother’s still crying over her son.”

They both remained silent for a moment while that sobering thought sank in.

“Maybe you do need a drink,” Derek said. “What happened to bring all this up again?”

He gave his friend a quick summary of last night’s conversation.

“What the fuck are you waiting for?” Derek asked. “You feel something for this woman, still. After all these years.”

“I can’t deny that.” And that was part of what had kept Lucas up all night—his pulling back from that kiss when he’d wanted so much more.

When she’d wanted more.

“So do something about it.” Derek leaned down and picked up some of the books Lucas had shoved to the floor, tossing them onto the desk.

“I intend to. I just can’t overwhelm her. I can’t move in like my brother did and take over.”

“Which I know you want to do. Did you put a word in with that law firm?”

Lucas had confided in Derek about his intention to ask them to move Maxie’s resume to the top of the heap. “I did.”

Derek laughed and slapped him on the back. “Way not to take over, man.”

Lucas picked up the stray papers he’d tossed, grateful for something to do to keep busy. “I just made it possible for her to be interviewed. Her resume won’t get lost in the shuffle. That’s all.”

Derek nodded. “I hear you. I’d have done the same thing in your shoes.”

It had taken all Lucas’ self-control not to remind the head partner of the law firm just how much money Blink had made them and demand they hire her. He was proud of himself for his restraint.