“Bro, you’ve been an honorary Steel from day one,” Joe said. “Plus, you’re the one Ted Morse has reached out to. Of course you get a vote.”
“Do you people even hear me when I speak?” Marj said.
God, she was beautiful when her temper flared. Her cheeks and lips had darkened to a light crimson. Her hands were balled into fists.
Visions of our night together speared into my mind. Her lips and cheeks had been that same color. And her body…
“Well, Bryce?” Joe said.
“Marjorie is right,” I said.
“Thank you. At least someone else in this room has some sense.” She didn’t meet my gaze, though.
“If your wife was in the middle of a difficult pregnancy—” Talon began.
“I don’t have a wife.”
“If you did, you’d be as protective as I’m being.”
“Maybe so. But she’s her own person, and so far she hasn’t had a word of say in this.”
“She doesn’t even know,” Marj said. “I agreed with you, Tal, at first. Best not to rock the boat where Jade’s pregnancy is concerned. But if Ted Morse is up to something, Colin might know what it is. Right now, he’s vulnerable and will be especially so around Jade. We could learn something.”
“But…”
“She’s strong, Talon,” Marjorie said.
“I know that.”
“We all understand your need to protect her,” Joe said. “Ry and I feel the same way about our wives, right?”
“Of course,” Ryan agreed.
“Christ. Fine.” Talon relented. “But it’s up to her. If she says no, the answer is no.”
“Of course,” Ryan said. “No one wants to force her to do anything.”
“She’ll be up for it,” Marj said. “I know her. Especially if we let her in on what’s going on.”
“I don’t want her worrying,” Talon said.
“She’s—”
Talon interrupted Marjorie. “Yes, I know she’s strong. I’ll talk to her.”
I jerked slightly when my phone buzzed in my pocket. My mother. “Sorry. I have to take this.” I left the office and answered the call.
“Yeah, Mom?”
“Honey, Ted Morse just showed up at our house.”
Adrenaline spiked in my gut. I didn’t think Ted Morse was a danger to anyone, but I needed to get my son and mother out of that house as soon as possible. “What did he want?”
“You. He said he needed to talk to you about something important. I told him he’d have to come back another time. Henry was crying, and I didn’t know what to do.”
“And he left?”
“Yes. He said he was sorry to bother me and wanted you to get in touch with him.”