alone in the bathroom. I like my personal time, motherfucker. The only time I get it is here. Have you ever had to take a piss with not one but two babies in your arms?”
“It sounds terrible, sir. I would want to piss in peace, too,” Squirrel managed.
“Ian, he’s turning blue.” More logic. He hoped it got through.
Ian’s hand released and Squirrel hit the floor. “Go away.”
Squirrel dragged air into his lungs. “That dude is crazy.”
Jared reached out a hand and helped his friend up. “I’ll take him out. Sorry for the disruption, Mr. Taggart. It won’t happen again.”
Jared held Squirrel up and helped him stumble out. The door closed with a thud and he was left with Ian, who walked to the big floor-to-ceiling windows that marked his corner office. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out over the Dallas skyline.
“Ian, are you all right?” It was a stupid question. He was obviously not all right, but this was a way Kai could allow Ian to control the conversation. He could say yes. He could say no. This wasn’t a therapy session and Kai wouldn’t press the issue.
A long silence followed. Kai let it lengthen, the quiet not bothering him at all. Sometimes these things took time.
“He was taking fucking notes. I hate that. Why the hell was he taking notes? Does he think he’s going to learn something? I get that the film is about a security company but that asshole was acting like it was all about me. Dumbass.”
They were right back to Ian’s self-awareness issues. “I think he was trying to help out Jared. You know the character he’s playing has a lot in common with you.”
“Fine, but that kid is annoying as fuck. And he talks about your brother like he walks on water. I swear the kid has a crush on him. I know I agreed to do this, but it’s too many fucking people. There’s Death in a Dress who complains about everything and wanted to know if the water in the coffee had been blessed by holistic monks. Then there’s that smiley, happy fuck who seems to have worked out so much he’s OD’d on endorphins. I want to kill the guy who told me I need a stylist. I don’t need a fucking stylist. I don’t even know what they’re supposed to fucking style.”
“I’ll get rid of them.” Ian deserved some peace. “I’ll take care of this. From now on it’s going to be Jared alone and he’ll simply observe.”
Somehow he knew Jared would keep that promise.
Ian ran a hand over his head, a long sigh coming from his chest. “I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. Do you have any idea how shitty I feel about bringing this down on us?”
It was a good bet Ian wasn’t simply talking about the film crew. He was talking about the investigation. “It’s all right. We’ll keep everyone safe.”
“I have my reasons.”
“I know you do.”
Ian’s head turned, eyes narrowing. “Do you?”
Kai merely smiled. “I know that you would never endanger anyone here or at the club without a good reason.”
“You know.”
He wasn’t going to lie to the guy. “There’s only one thing you could possibly want from the feds.”
“Shit.” Ian moved from the window, pacing like an angry, caged lion. “I don’t want Erin to know.”
He understood that. He’d considered it after finding out about Theo and he agreed with Ian’s decision. “You don’t want to give Erin false hope.”
Ian had turned a nice shade of red. “Shit and fucking shit, you really do know. Goddamn it. I always said you were too smart for your own good.”
It was definitely time to stop playing games. “Just so you’ll stop testing me, I know you have reason to think that Theo’s alive and you have the feds working on it. I suspect Liam’s sudden desire to take a family vacation to South America has something to do with it, too. And I agree with you on keeping it from Erin. She needs to concentrate on the baby and having a healthy pregnancy.”
“Erin’s too reckless. If she thought for a second there was the slightest possibility that he was out there, she would go off alone. She asks me every single day if I’ve found Hope McDonald. Erin would go after her, too. So I lie to my sister-in-law. I know they weren’t married, but it’s how I have to think of her. I swear to god if it