His sleep-deprived state of mind, that is.
In the darkness, Gavin had stared at the ceiling as he held Emily. Listening to her soft breathing, wide awake with adrenaline pumping through his veins, Gavin attempted to purge visions of Dillon hurting her from his head. No matter how hard he tried, it didn’t work. His brain fucked with him. The insistent clatter of wanting to feel Dillon’s blood on his hands screamed loud in his ears. He had seethed until the sun rose. Gavin would’ve never thought it was possible that Emily’s soft body, intertwined with his, couldn’t bring him down from the cliff of murderous destruction from which he was so eagerly waiting to jump. Last night proved that even though holding her dampened some of the anger boiling under his skin, Emily couldn’t extinguish the flame fueling it.
Colton repeated his earlier request, yanking Gavin back to the present. He lifted his heavy head and settled his eyes on his brother. Colton stared at him with a look of confusion shadowing his face. Gavin rummaged through the paperwork in front of him. When he heard one of the four gentlemen seated across from him clear his throat, Gavin broke the silence.
He shook his head and glanced back at Colton. “No. I can’t answer his question.” He tossed the stack of papers onto the conference table. “Why don’t you go ahead and give them the information, Colton.” It wasn’t a polite question but more so a statement that said ‘now’s not the time to fuck with me.’ The eldest man’s face went gray, its color mimicking his hair. Once again, silence cloaked the room.
Brows cinched together in what Gavin easily recognized as aggravation, Colton cleared his throat. He dragged his stare away from Gavin and focused on the impatient executives. “I apologize, gentleman. It appears my brother woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” Colton gave a casual shrug, a smirk tipping the corner of his mouth. He shot Gavin a sideways glance, humor replacing his aggravation. “Clearly, he must not have gotten laid last night.”
Within a few seconds, the table erupted in an orchestra of chuckles, none of which included Gavin’s. Though he wanted to bitch-slap his brother for the catty remark, he was impressed by the asshole’s quick witted response. Colton had always had a knack for it, and Gavin had to admit it smoothed over the tension in the office. Gavin mirrored the stupid smirk on his brother’s face as he leaned back, rubbing a tired hand over his chin. He flicked his attention to the clock on the wall, ignoring the bullshit spiel Colton was working over the group in an attempt to gain one of the largest accounts Blake Industries could acquire. Money was the furthest thing from Gavin’s mind as he noted the time. Eleven fifteen. A little over an hour until he had to meet Emily. Before falling asleep last night, she’d sweetly suggested a quiet lunch at a small café in Battery Park since she was getting off of work early. Gavin knew she was trying to calm his nerves. That was one of the many things he loved about her—the way she evened him out. God, he fucking loved her. He’d give up everything for her. Travel across the world at the drop of a hat if she insisted. There wasn’t a limit he could reach or a line he wouldn’t cross in order to make her happy. Now, he just needed to convince her she was worth every bit of it.
A moment later, Gavin’s thoughts were interrupted again as the group of men rose from their seats, each sporting a satisfactory smile. Gavin stood and regarded Colton with amusement. He was looking at Gavin with a smug grin. Gavin knew that was his way of letting him know he’d landed the account without his help, and Gavin was pretty damn sure Colton was going to word vomit his displeasure with him once they all left. Gavin could give a flying fuck.
“Sounds like a game plan, Colton,” said Mr. Gray-Haired Executive as he shook Colton’s hand. “We’ll get the contracts sent over by the end of the business day tomorrow.”
Colton flashed his winning smile. “Excellent. We look forward to making this come together for you. You went with the right choice.”
“Let’s just hope your brother here is getting laid while you’re putting the campaign together,” the man said dryly, leaning in to shake Gavin’s hand. Again, the room burst into laughter. Again, Gavin didn’t. “I have a few connections in the city if you need some help in that department. They don’t come cheap, but they sure as hell are worth every penny.”