“How are things?” he asked his brother.

“Busy.”

Easton sat behind his desk, while Vander strode to the windows. His brother had always been intense, even as a boy.

Vander had joined the Army, and soon ended up leading a Ghost Ops team. A covert special forces team made up of the best of the best across all the special forces in the military. Their younger brother Rhys had also been Ghost Ops. They’d all fought for their country. Seen too much. Done too much.

“We have loads of work going on,” Vander said.

“That’s good.”

“Not making billions like my big brother, though.” Vander’s lips moved into a grin.

Easton rolled his eyes. “Don’t start. I cop enough smart-ass sass from my assistant.”

“Your sexy new assistant who you watch like she’s your favorite candy.”

Easton felt an instant jerk of annoyance. He didn’t need Vander noticing that Harlow was sexy.

Vander’s dark gaze was on him and his grin widened. “You got a thing for tight skirts and sexy heels?”

Easton made an annoyed noise. “No.”

“No? I suspect for you those are just icing on the sharp mind, and the fact that she’s a woman who doesn’t bend under the force of Easton Norcross.”

“Did you make time out of your busy day just to come here and give me shit?”

“No.” Vander moved over to Easton’s desk. “You asked Saxon to run a background check on Harlow.”

Easton straightened. “You found something.”

“You sure you want to wade into this?”

Easton growled.

Vander nodded. “You want to wade in. Don’t blame you.”

“Vander, get to the point.”

His brother pulled an envelope out from the inside pocket of his jacket. He dropped it on Easton’s desk.

“Her father’s in debt. Big time.”

“Shit.”

Vander sat in one of the guest chairs. “You know her dad?”

“Not personally. Charles Carlson. Local businessman.”

Vander nodded. “He had some deals go bad. He got desperate.”

Easton met Vander’s dark blue gaze. “And?”

“He got really desperate. Made some shady deals with some shady people.”

Easton clenched his teeth. “Who?”

“Antoine Armand.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah, fuck,” Vander agreed.

Armand was bad news.

“Armand has some semi-legit businesses, but he’s got his fingers in a lot of ugly spaces.”

“Not legal ones, I assume?”

“Right,” Vander said. “Drugs, laundering, prostitution.”

Easton leaned back in his chair. “Charming.”

“Carlson invested in some real estate deals. Anyway, things went bad. He took loans from Armand.”

“Shit.” And Carlson was dumping this on his daughter?

“Armand isn’t known for being generous. He has a cousin who likes to use a knife. If Carlson doesn’t pay up, he’ll end up dead with his throat slit.”

Easton leaned forward, pulse pounding. “Someone tried to snatch Harlow off the street last night.”