Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 123877 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123877 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 619(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Chapter 29
Luke Silva sat in an empty chair in Julian’s office. His complete attention focused solely on the new iPhone in his hands. Luke had shown up unexpectedly this afternoon, about fifteen minutes ago, looking for food while the resort had housekeeping cleaning Thane’s suite. The skinny kid had wolfed down the double-decker sandwich Julian had prepared and an entire midsize bag of potato chips in two minutes flat.
No matter how busy Julian was, he never minded Luke’s interruptions. Right after Julian had met the Silva brothers, Luke had boldly declared Julian the coolest guy he’d ever met. Since Luke wasn’t wrong, as Julian had tried to explain to an offended Thane, Julian had decided Luke was probably the coolest teenager he’d ever met before too.
That declaration also supported Julian’s goal of living a life designed to give Thane the utmost hell. When Luke had innocently made his pronouncement, and in turn wounded Thane deeply, Julian and Luke had become fast friends. Well, not “friendly” friends. Julian regularly had to watch his mouth whenever Luke pinned himself to his side. It was such a challenge to keep his ready arsenal of snarky comebacks to himself.
Speaking of Thane…
“You’re distracted and I have things to do. Can we end this call?” Julian had too much to do and didn’t have the extra second to spare to have this corded landline telephone stuck to his ear while Thane spoke to everyone around him but Julian.
“Did Thane tell you about the bar he wants to buy in Baltimore?” Luke asked absently, drawing Julian’s gaze to the dark-haired young man.
Julian continued to wait, now drumming the blunt tips of his freshly manicured fingernails on the desktop. “I think that might be what he’s talking about. What club is it?”
Luke never looked up or stopped the movement of his thumbs as he played his game on the small screen. “Not sure. He was telling Levi about it last night. I think the owners turned him down, which makes Thane more competitive. You know all that.”
Julian silently nodded. Thane had an enormous competitive drive, made far worse with words like no. Julian had to rack his brain, trying to understand why he might need to be involved in some random acquisition in the first place.
“Julian, listen to me. I’ve got to run.” Thane’s harsh tone insinuated Julian had somehow been the one creating the extended phone conversation. “Thomas Peterson’s a member of the club. He has a reservation for next Tuesday night. You know him, right?”
All Julian could do was give a humorless shrug as one brow lifted and a shit-eating grin spread over his face.
“Yes, I know him,” Julian finally replied, limiting his response. It seemed the simplest answer, especially with Luke in the room. Tom was a longtime client of Julian’s who had seriously been giving Julian the eye his last few visits to the bar.
Did he know Thomas? Pfft. Intimately. Even down to the small incision scar on his right ball sac. Julian also knew Thomas liked to bottom in public settings. Julian had had to fuck the shit out of the man at every gathering and gala they had ever attended together, while they both stayed utterly silent. If Thomas didn’t have trouble walking afterward, then Julian hadn’t done his job properly. Try being dominant while silence was paramount.
“Good. Peterson has a connection to Pat’s Pub here in Baltimore. I want to make an offer on the place, and I can’t get past the owner’s son. I need Peterson to help pave my way in. I’ll make it worth his while.”
“Sure.” Julian could most certainly make that happen for Thane. “What’s the place?” He couldn’t understand Thane’s interest in a random business. There had to be more to that story.
“Remember a few years ago, maybe four, when you were in town and we went out. Remember we went to Pat’s Pub?”
Julian had to squint under the strain he put his brain through while trying to remember one place through a sea of hot spots he had attended. “Maybe. Who owns it?”
“The Collins family. The patriarch, Pat, is retired, but he still holds court at the bar, and no one in the family will sell without his permission,” Thane confirmed. “He’s Irish through and through. It’s an Irish pub and the attached restaurant is called Sunday’s. I understand Peterson’s friendly with Pat. What else do you need?”
Julian pushed back in his seat at such a dumb question. He didn’t need anything. Thane had made the call and crashed Julian’s day, not the other way around. “You called me, Papi.”
A huff of breath hit the earpiece before Thane lectured, “I’ve asked you numerous times to stop calling me that, Julian. It’s unprofessional…”
Honestly, Julian used the old endearment just to get underneath Thane’s skin. If Thane would just realize Julian’s tactics instead of getting all riled up, it would take the fun out of it and he’d maybe quit using the name. But alas, Thane started on his angry roll, making Julian smile as he rose to his feet, extending the landline telephone across the desk to Luke.