“I can’t believe you’re ready.”
“Whatever, man. Doesn’t take me long to look this good.”
Barrett rolled his eyes.
Drake grabbed his keys. “Come on. Got an errand to run, then we’ll go grab something to eat.”
“Sounds good. All that kid play made me hungry.”
Drake headed downtown, which was strange, because they never went downtown to eat. But he was game for whatever Drake had in mind. Maybe he had a meeting with someone and he had to do it downtown.
Drake pulled into a parking garage in some upscale building. He parked and shut off the engine, then turned to Barrett. “You should come upstairs with me.”
Barrett shrugged. “Sure.”
He wondered who would meet with Drake after five p.m., but it wasn’t his gig. He was just along for the ride—and the food that was going to come after.
They rode the elevator to the fifteenth floor to the law firm of somebody somebody and somebody whose names Barrett immediately forgot.
“Got a meeting with your lawyer?” Barrett asked.
“Not exactly.”
The receptionist was gone for the day, and Drake seemed to know where he was going, since he turned left down the hall and went right to the door of— Uh-oh. That name on the door looked familiar.
Levon Powell.
A very good-looking man dressed in a very expensive suit sat at a very expensive desk. He was on the phone, and when he saw Drake, he said, “Let me call you back.”
Levon stood, then smiled. “Drake. What brings you here?”
“You know why I’m here. It’s about Harmony.”
“What about her?”
This was so not a good idea. Barrett wanted to be anywhere but here right now.
“You broke up with her.”
“Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
Levon tilted his head to the side. “I think that’s between Harmony and me.”
Barrett could feel the tension emanating off Drake. “You messed with my sister’s feelings. You hurt her.”
Drake advanced, and Levon held up his hands. “It wasn’t like that. It was a mutual breakup.”
Barrett needed to put a stop to this. He grasped Drake’s arm. “Drake. Let’s go.”
“You stay away from her,” Drake said.
“Hey, I intend to. We’re finished.”
“Hell yes, you are. And if you ever speak to her or come near her again, we’re going to have a problem.”
“Man, we don’t have a problem. It’s over. Mutual, remember?”
Barrett could tell Drake was pissed at Levon and wanted to get physical with him. He felt the need to step in, so he laid a gentle hand on Drake’s chest.
“Like Levon said, it’s over, right?”
Drake nodded. “Yeah.”
Barrett sent an apologetic look Levon’s way, then waited for Drake to walk out the door before expelling the breath he was holding. When they got into the elevator, he turned to Drake. “What the hell was that all about?”
“That was about my sister. I needed to make it clear to Levon that I had my eye on him, that no one messes with Harmony.”
“From what I gathered, they were over and it was a clean break. No harm no foul, ya know?”
“Whatever. It pisses me off when men think they can fuck over a woman and there are no consequences.”
He had no idea what to make of this. “I think Harmony is fine about the breakup.”
Drake turned to him as the elevator doors opened. “He dumped her, man. What kind of asshole does that?”
Barrett resisted the urge to laugh, knowing the level of anger his best friend had. “Honestly? Lots of guys.”
They walked out to Drake’s car. “Well, that’s not cool. And now he knows to stay away from her.”
Barrett got the idea that Levon wouldn’t be going anywhere near Harmony ever again. Not that he ever planned to anyway.
He loved Drake like a brother, and had for a lot of years. But sometimes he didn’t understand his best friend. He was so overprotective of his sister. As far as he understood, Levon might be a jerk, but he hadn’t hurt Harmony physically.
He’d never go after some guy who had broken up with his sister, Mia. Not unless the guy got physical with her or hurt her in some way.
At least he didn’t think he would. Then again, Mia had never talked about anyone she dated.
Maybe this was why. He had no idea what kind of reaction he would have if he knew anything about his little sister’s dating life. But he didn’t believe he’d be over the top like Drake. Sometimes relationships broke up. That’s just the way it went. And you got over it.
Harmony seemed okay about it.
Drake’s phone rang and he picked it up on his car speaker.
“Yo.”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Harmony’s voice. And she didn’t sound very happy with her brother.
“Dunno what you’re talking about,” Drake said.
“I just got a call from Levon, and he said you came to his office and threatened him.”
“Not true,” Drake said. “I had a chat with him.”
“Drake. Seriously. What the hell did you say to him?”
“Hey, I’m near your place. We’ll stop by.”
“Drake.”
He hung up on her, then turned to Barrett and grinned. “She loves me.”
“I don’t think she loves you very much right now, man.”