hree-day marathon to get it done, sending Julian a text the moment he was finished. Even with seven days' lead time on parts, a three-week turnover w

owering over him, and a surge of adrenaline coursed t

rry, sorry. I knocked. Front's empty." He gestured o

to the central office. It was noon; his sister Sierra had taken their dad, Tomás, out for lunch. R

t th

ver his head and neck. A second after that, glass

he danger had passed. "Jesus, fuck! What the hell?" he s

im, slowly getting up on his feet and following him

scanned River for injuries. "You okay? Chris

aw that they were not cut. "I'm fine. Thank you," he answered dryly.

r happened before?" Julian a

ecoming more regular. At least the window is a simpler repair than trying to get dried ani

his?" The words, often so misplaced from Juli

ken glass. "We've always had our hands clean and our heads down." Grabbing a broom from t

r nodded toward his own neck

ere impossible to ignore. The dress shirt sleeves bulged around his biceps, and River's breath hitched.

rds to board up the window,"

y suit. The rest of the office would have questions.and concerns about covering my dry-cleaning bill." The easy smile weakened

was a biracial, gay man made him want to be the master one, a bit of machismo imparted to him by his Mexican abuelo. While he hadn't had faith in the overwhelming, brut

clutched in one hand, and top few buttons of his shirt still undone. The sight of h

across River's face. "Do you h

ed, shook on

away from his mouth.

the counter, the call continuing on the speakerphone. He grasped one en

ix feet wide by four feet

you want?" Becket

rst? I should shop around. We're doing well, but with property

ows. They're the same width. His sister does the office, and things are getting hot. Can you grab one of those fire-proof, reinforc

ly on the garage

burr that made River's spine chill. "Absolutely, something like that. Just tell me how much I owe you. Any chance of getting this done first on the to-do list? It's pretty

bonate is very expensive, man. We c

ddy of mine. He's a contractor,

ubstituted a thirty-thou

Beckett'll be he

ed in before River co

s asked calmly, his expression indi

bout to sit down and work through the paperwork when someone threw a brick through the window. One of my friends is comi

softly. "Soun

I took c

omás's eyes were narrowed,

widen for a moment before he cleared his throat and made a joke. "And now that I have found this place, I have some more business with you. It's not easy to get so

es," Tomás answered,

ts to help," River in

n and River. "If you're sure, we appreciate it. But we

stood,

p. You two go take the Maserati out and get everything checked out so it's exactly how

furrowed in confu

iver, don't you remember? You mentioned you had no idea if it drov

r me to date a straight billionaire on

as he back-slapped Julian. "You got ti

n's deep voice sent a s

m to the bay. But Tomás caught hold of his shoulder, holding him back. "Just take care, son. That kind of mon

s bottle opener keychain was attached, lay on the board. He tossed them to Julian and headed for the passenger door, his heart pounding. Ju

to take me,

r meant it to be a joke, but Julian stopped, sprea

e other side of town doesn't mean th

ocioeconomic status. The Maserati doors swung open like wings on a bat, and River, who had guessed the car was

on, and the purr of the engine hummed d

of half a grin on his face that

he was making. He rolled up his shirt sleeves, e

my

und the block?" River quipped, attempting t

ver had a feeling that smir