Ajay pulled his fist back and plowed it into his brother’s face. Zail’s head snapped back, then he retaliated by getting in a quick jab. Ajay tasted the blood, even as he shoved Zail against the windows. They rattled as the two men rolled on the floor.

Then someone looped an arm around Ajay’s neck and yanked him back. Zail was pulled out of his hold at the same time.

“Knock it off!” Hem snapped.

“Everyone can hear you two at it,” Bhram said sharply. “You’re both being bloody idiots right now. We’re not twelve anymore, dammit. You can’t punch each other to solve your issues.”

Ajay shrugged off his cousin’s hold and backed up. He wiped at the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, just as Zail stumbled away from Hem, cradling his cheekbone.

The quiet was as sharp as the sound of a gunshot. Zail didn’t bother waiting to talk about what happened. He rounded the conference table, giving Ajay plenty of room, and stormed out.

“What happened?” Hem asked as the door slammed.

Ajay waited until he caught his breath. “Zail brought in Uncle Frankie to pressure me into stopping the acquisition. With the board, and his vote, I think Zail expected me to give up Raj’s company so I could be CEO. It didn’t happen that way. Frankie started talking about how I wasn’t fit for CEO regardless of the acquisition and that he’s going to try to bring someone else in for the job.”

“Bullshit,” Hem and Bhram said at the same time.

“Exactly.”

“You have to resolve this soon, Ajay,” Hem said. “Otherwise it’s going to get uglier than it already is.”

“Don’t I know it.” He wanted to go home, to go to Raj’s house. But after the scene he’d just caused, he’d only make things worse by leaving. He had an office to run and people who depended on him. He’d do what he had to so that Bharat continued to rise.

“I’ll see you two later,” he said. He straightened his sleeves and ran his fingers through his hair. “I have meetings.” He turned on his heel and strode back to his office.

Ajay buried himself in work, but nothing he did took the edge off. His cousin and brother gave him a wide berth, and Rafael kept people away. He made one appearance in the break room on his floor to get himself some coffee, but he left when someone asked him if he needed ice for his bruised lip.

When he received an email request from Frankie and a few of the other board members to move up the end-of-year meeting, he shut down his computer and texted Raj.

AJAY: Where are you?

RAJ: Just got home with Khunda. Why?

AJAY: Your schedule clear tonight?

RAJ: I’ve just cleared it. See you soon.