So, they were choosing good people to lease the businesses—and renovating a lot of the buildings first. For his part of the tasks, Hawk supervised the carpenters, because no way would he deal with the showing and leasing shit. His brothers liked people; he didn’t.

He could manage the repair people, electricians, and plumbers, though. And, at the moment, he had the time. With a sigh, he hefted Aric to a better position. With the kid attached to him like this, Hawk wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Near the end of downtown, he entered a small building to check on Milo and Orion, his most recent hires.

With a full brown beard and long hair in a bun, Orion was as laid-back as he looked. He was laying down new flooring in the main space.

Clean-shaven with a shaved scalp, Milo was tall and lanky—the opposite of Orion in looks and personality. But he had decent skills and was doing finish work on the built-in cabinetry.

After nodding at their greetings, Hawk set Aric down. “Don’t touch the tools, right?”

Aric nodded solemnly. He was so obedient it was worrisome, but there was hope. Three weeks ago, he wouldn’t’ve let Hawk get more than a couple of feet away. Now, as long as Hawk was somewhere in sight, the kid was comfortable.

“Any problems?” Hawk asked the two men.

“Floor in the bathroom has some dry rot,” Orion reported. “The boards need replacing.”

“Give me numbers. I’ll get an order in.”

Milo walked over, watching as Aric trotted to a pile of sawdust. “I heard his mother’s getting out today.”

Nosy bastard. “Yeah.”

“I guess she’ll be looking for work. Good timing what with it being tourist season.”

Orion shook his head. “I doubt she’ll be working anytime soon. There was a reason she was in rehab—those PZ bastards busted her up pretty bad.”

“Shut it.” Hawk checked where the kid was. Thankfully, Aric was across the room, poking his finger in a hole in the flooring, and probably hadn’t heard.

Orion winced. “Sorry, Hawk. I got a big mouth.”

Hawk shrugged. Orion was right; the PZs were bastards. And Kit’s asshole husband had been trying to kick her to death when Hawk killed him.

“Yeah, you do.” Milo shot Orion a cold look and stalked back to the cabinets.

Frowning, Hawk asked Orion, “You two okay?” He’d hired them separately and put them together.

Easy-going Orion shrugged. “Yeah, we’re good. He pulls his weight. Just sometimes gets a hair up his ass.”

Hawk nodded and took a minute to check over their work, pleased to find it up to his standards.

Across the room, Aric was drawing pictures in the sawdust.

Frowning, Milo was watching him. Seeing Hawk had noticed, he muttered, “Cute boy,” and got back to work.

“Let’s go, kid.” Hawk scooped Aric up.