I had gotten done at five and come straight here. The lot was over half empty. All but the inner office got to work their eight hours and go home.

I got out and gave the familiar pickup another look. The one parked next to it looked like Xander’s. That was too much of a coincidence.

I scanned the lot for Gentry’s pickup. Yep, in the farthest corner. Gentry probably parked there to leave open closer spots for the rest of his employees, but Kendall likely reinforced it to add more steps into their day.

Was Beck here too? If all three brothers were at King Oil, and Aiden wanted me here, what did that mean?

I was about to walk in when Lauren breezed out. “Oh! Kate!” She threw her arms open, then froze. “I never hugged you at the library. Am I allowed to hug the boss’s wife here?”

I grinned and stepped into her firm embrace. “You can hug me anywhere. I’ve missed you, but I’m so glad I don’t see you for all the right reasons.”

“This job is the best.” She nodded toward the door, then tucked her chin into the collar of her black dress jacket. “Was that the rest of the family I saw walk in earlier? Talk about a serious case of the nerves. All the Kings are in the castle.”

I didn’t mention that I had no clue why they were there. “Nothing to be nervous about. You do good work.”

Lauren’s nod was solemn. “I’ll continue to be the best assistant they ever hired. Frigid days like this, I’m grateful for a job with a roof over my head and heat pumping through the vents.” She squeezed my arm. “I’d better let you go. Something important’s going on and I’m not going to be the one holding you up.”

Something important. I rushed to the elevator and hit the button. On the ride up, I took my coat off. The doors opened and I frowned. The floor was quiet. Gentry’s office door was open but the lights were off, same with Kendall’s office, and Phillip wasn’t at his desk.

Aiden’s door was open and his light was on, but I didn’t hear voices. Where were the others?

My husband was at his desk, but he wasn’t working. He was doing the slouchy thing that made him look so damn good. His suit coat hung on the chair behind him and he was missing his tie. The top buttons of his mauve shirt were undone, his cowlick was sticking up, and he was contemplating the top of his desk. As for the desk, it was empty. There was no tablet. His phone was nowhere to be seen and he wasn’t looking at his computer screen. Was it even on?