Losing Control - By Robyn Grady Page 0,55

A rush of heat filled his neck, his head, his chest. Two deep breaths and he connected. His brother's smooth baritone echoed down the line.

"Hope I didn't wake you," Dex said.

"I don't get the luxury of much sleep these days."

"In a happy mood as usual, I see."

Cole bit down. What must it be like to go through life pretending you had nothing more to worry about than which starlet you were going to sleep with next?

He ground out, "What do you want?"

"To brighten your day. The revenue figures are in on our latest release. After a huge opening weekend, we're solid, sitting well on top of the black."

Cole let the line hang.

"Cole, you there?"

"Uh-huh."

"Aren't you even slightly pleased?"

"I'm waiting."

"What for?"

"The bad news."

Dex laughed, a deep and carefree sound. He'd been the same since they were kids. Dex was the charmer, who managed to wiggle in and out of trouble without getting so much as a scratch, while Cole was busy learning the business, making sure someone of integrity would one day take over what their grandfather and father had worked so hard to build. Dex didn't seem to worry too much about any of that.

Eyeing Brandon and Jeremy Judge's latest report lying read twice on his desk, Cole asked, "Want the latest on Dad?"

"What's happening there? Tate all right now?"

"He's fine."

Cole gave a rundown on security measures and the fact Brandon was working hard with Judge to uncover new leads.

Dex got back to Tate. "Well, if the little guy wants to come over for a visit..."

"That's funny. Take a five-year-old away from kidnapping troubles to put him with a man who is the target of a blackmail campaign."

"I told you not to worry about that." Dex grunted. "I must have been raving mad letting that slip in the first place."

"If I don't worry, who will?"

Dex pushed out a breath. "All I'm saying is that Tate is welcome anytime."

"Who have you got lined up to babysit? Some Hollywood starlet you're screwing?"

The line went deathly quiet. "Be careful, bro. You might find reward in your near monklike lifestyle, the fact you get off on telling everyone how hard you work and how no one appreciates what you do, but I intend to go on enjoying what a man is meant to enjoy."

"That would be an endless string of empty affairs."

"You're a sanctimonious son of a - "

The conversation went downhill from there.

Cole was still fuming when he left the building an hour later. How could two brothers be so different? Birth order? A swap at the hospital the day Dex was born? Although, Cole could admit, Dex had got the tail end of his latest foul mood. At least that new release was doing well. There was still the problem of Tate. Hopefully his little brother wouldn't be involved in any future incidents, but should Tate happen to get hurt in any way because of this murder attempt mess, Cole would feel directly responsible. He didn't want Tate to get mixed up in Dex's blackmail business, if it came to anything. Then again, what could be worse than living with Eloise as a mother? The answer was the possibility of being shoved in a van never to be seen or heard from again.

Cole was driving on autopilot when he noticed the sign announcing the arterial route to Taryn's neighborhood. She might think he hadn't thought much about her lately. Truth was he'd thought about her a great deal. Way too much. Another reason he wasn't getting much sleep.

This past week he'd had to put up a barrier between them. Not that he'd wanted to, but, frankly, she'd been interfering with his responsibilities. And, to be fair, he'd let himself get sidetracked. Taryn's company was always preferable to flogging himself with budget and technical reports, proposals and financial crises. But if he didn't cover all the bases, who would? Admittedly, Roman Lyons was proving to be a big ongoing help. His father, however, barely came into the office anymore, which, Cole supposed, meant less likelihood of decisions needing to be reversed.

That brought him back to Taryn.

He couldn't risk distractions. While she was employed by Hunter Broadcasting, he would know little relief. He'd okayed her show out of obligation more than anything. A sense of loyalty, or maybe expectation. And while that may be understandable, given the nature of the time they'd spent together, he wasn't looking forward to the anticipated hit to the company. Hell, he'd just chastised Dex for not thinking with