“Yes I do, Pixie,” Patrick said, a wide grin splitting his face as he looked down at her, the stress dropping away for just a moment.

Huh. The possibilities spun around Michael’s head. A second Stronghold location? A more private location. Probably something ritzy since the people looking for more privacy and security would also have more money. Something more dramatic than the comfortably elegant main floor of Stronghold. Not just dramatic in looks either; Michael felt the stage at Stronghold was severely underused.

“What if you had a partner?” Michael asked, the question popping out of his mouth before he had a chance to really think it through. He wasn’t often an impulsive person, but... it had just come out.

Patrick blinked in surprise. “A partner? To run the place?”

“Not just run it, but invest too,” Michael said, a thread of excitement started to curl through him. It was a spontaneous, almost silly, idea, that came out of nowhere and yet... he could picture it. Want it. Now all four of the others were staring at him in surprise. “I inherited some money a little while ago and, other than paying off my mom’s house, I haven’t done anything with it. I could live off of it, but...” He shrugged. He’d actually wanted to buy his mom a new house but she’d liked her neighborhood and her house, and insisted she didn’t want to bother with the care of a larger place. Which Michael could understand since he was still living in the same small one bedroom apartment he’d rented when he’d first returned to DC.

“I’m sorry,” Lexie said, her eyes filled with sympathy. “I didn’t realize you’d lost anyone.”

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, because he knew he was about to sound callous, Michael ran his hand through his hair and smiled a little sheepishly. “My great-uncle... I actually hadn’t seen him in years. He was kind of estranged from the family, but... I guess he didn’t have anyone else to leave it all to. It’s... well, let’s just say I have more than enough to invest in a business if that’s what I want to do.”

Leaning forward on the high table, one arm still looped around Lexie, Patrick’s gaze was entirely focused on Michael. “What would you want to do with it?”