Mr. Mitchell Billionaires' Club Book 2 - Raylin Marks Page 0,134

the ocean currents. “They’re breaking nicely. I never thought Malibu got this kind of action.”

“You’d be surprised,” Jake said as everyone kept their eyes on the currents. “It was that storm over the Pacific that went south this week. We’re pretty much on the last of the good tidings that it brought the coastline.” He smiled at me. “You know I lost a bet over you today?”

“What, that I wouldn’t show?” I asked, hands in the water, keeping the board in place.

“No, that my brother wouldn’t get his ass back up on the board.”

“He looked badass out here.” I smiled.

“Yeah, it’s nice to have him out again,” Jake said, then splashed water over at Alex. “Your two dumbasses left the therapeutics of the water for far too long.”

Alex nodded in my direction. “We’ve got this one to thank,” he said with a laugh. “I swear to God, you’ve changed my best friend entirely.”

I shook my head. “I’m glad he’s enjoying life. Guess he and that phone finally broke up.”

“Not just that.” Alex grinned over at Jake and me. “Remember how he was going to rip into that entire team on Monday for fucking up Palm Springs?”

“Did he fire them?” Collin laughed.

“He showed a fucking thirty-minute cartoon instructional video about doing your job and doing it right.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Jake laughed and arched an eyebrow at me. “Avery Gilbert, saving jobs and CEOs’ overworked lives.”

I laughed and looked at Alex in disbelief. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Nope. I expected an hour of Jim chewing asses out, and if anyone dared to speak up? Fired. All that shit. Instead, he brings in all of them and then makes everyone watch that stupid thing.”

“What did he tell them afterward?” Collin asked while laughing.

“That he hoped it wasted their time as much as they wasted his time when he was doing their jobs on Saturday. Then he chewed into them a bit but ended it on some sweet note about appreciating everything they do. It was pretty good, tactic-wise, but it wasn’t typical Jim.”

“Well, then.” I laughed. “Maybe I’ll make a few friends at the office from the upper floors.”

Alex smirked. “Nah.” He shook his head. “The only friends you need on those floors—the only two who are worth a damn—are Jimmy and me.”

“All right, enough bullshitting. We’re wasting Avery’s waves,” Jake said. “Are you waiting on it to die down some?”

“Just trying to pick the one that’s not going to kill me. It’s been ten years.”

“Ten years is nothing,” Collin said. “You’ve got this. Pick your wave, and we’ll watch for anyone trying to drop in on you.”

“All right,” I said, watching the sets that were rolling in.

I laid on the board and started paddling with the water rolling nicely with me. The wave was setting up, and as it began to crest, I forced everything from my arms and was half-thrilled and half-surprised when I hopped directly onto my feet. The shorter the board, the more the work, so I had to be quick to get my feet settled and balanced as I dropped down onto the wave. The drop was a good six feet, and my stomach felt it.

I lost focus with the excitement of getting up on the board for the first time in years and getting it right. The curl was on my ass now, and I was about to get rolled. Fuck! I bailed before I got buried, diving off the board and going with the undercurrent.

I popped up as soon as another wave broke right behind the one that almost kicked my ass. I started aggressively paddling out, knowing I was in what I called the fucked zone and instantly ducked another breaking wave. Thank God I was a runner because otherwise, there’s no way in hell I would’ve had the stamina for this.

“Almost!” Jake called out. “Going for more?”

I smiled, sitting on the board. “This feels like reuniting with an old friend. Can’t leave her just yet.”

Collin laughed. “Flex would marry you here and now after saying that shit.”

“Flex?”

“Our Tahitian surfer buddy. The dude is badass. He surfs all over the world.”

“Got it,” I said. “Yeah, don’t fuck with the Polynesian surfers. They are seriously one with the water.”

“Speaking of which…” Alex looked back. “Setting up well again for you. Better take it before Jakey or Coll start getting greedy.”

“Good point,” I said.

I turned, feeling the exhilarating sensation of the board being pushed by the water. This one was more aggressive, and I had to kick up