Shameless (Made For Them #3)

10. At A Stand Still

Jules

I can’t believe this.

If I have to be honest, I didn’t expect anything from Eddie. Certainly not a racing company, a valuable patent, cash and a bike I should race Crew for.

Truth be told, I don’t care much about the bike. Three years ago, I would have been all over it, but since I had Jenna, I avoid taking unnecessary risks.

I know this might sound crazy since I decided to race powerboats for a living and I didn’t hesitate to jump into the stormy sea for Lula. But the racing was a means to an end if I wanted to settle with Jasmine’s outlandish financial demands, and I would do anything for Jenna, Lula and my mom.

This could be good.

We could keep the company going and I wouldn’t need to worry about honoring my agreement with Jasmine.

Even more so, if Eddie left me a decent amount of cash, I could just pay her off and tell her to go fuck herself.

The elation that’s bubbling in the pit of my stomach is short lived though.

This is Eddie we’re talking about. What if this is a trap and he left more debt than assets?

The worry is at the forefront of my mind when the attorney asks us if we wish to accept our father’s inheritance.

I voice my concerns and the answer surprises me.

“Mr. Branagh made sure that all his assets were in order. The house is mortgage free and the racing company’s existing loans are negligible and mostly covered by the sponsorship contracts currently in place.”

Fuck.

It’s unbelievable that Eddie, of all people, would solve my biggest problem by kicking the bucket.

“How much is the cash the first clause was talking about?” Crew asks.

I hate to admit it, but good question.

The lawyer has the best poker face I’ve ever seen, he would have a great career in gambling if he ever got bored practicing law. “Each share of the liquid assets in Mr. Branagh’s bank account as of today amounts to ten million US dollars each.”

The words slip out of my mouth before I can think any better of it. “Ten million dollars? Each? Like, our father had forty fucking millions in the bank when he died?”

I almost expect Mr. Spencer to start laughing and telling us that this is all a big joke, or one of Eddie’s scams.

He doesn’t.

“That’s correct.” He’s as serious as a heart attack. This guy oozes professionalism from every pore.

“Fuck,” Crew runs a hand over his face. “I never thought I would say that, but thank you, Eddie. This solves a lot of my problems.”

He can say that out loud.

“I accept the inheritance.” I say, feeling the same elation that’s etched all over Crew’s face but trying to play it a little cooler.

“Me too.” He nods.

The lawyer looks at Stefan, but my little brother is sitting next to Crew with a stony expression on his face.

“I don’t know. This isn’t as simple as it looks.”

What the fuck is he on about? “Stef, don’t be an idiot.” I chastise him. “I know Eddie was an asshole to us his entire life, but at least in death, he did good. I would say he fucking owes us.”

To my surprise, Crew agrees with me. “That’s right. Mr. Spencer just told us that there’s actually real money there, not a pile of debt. So take it and use it to live your best life as a giant fuck you to our deadbeat father. He even said it in his letter that he would rather have taken it all with him. He would hate seeing us enjoy it and I’m going to take great joy in that fact.”

Jeez, when did James become so fucking wise?

My brother has always been a stubborn little shit and that hasn’t changed now that he’s an adult. “Yeah but first off, Eddie didn’t have a heart attack or went out in a blaze of glory racing his boats like he said. He was murdered. Brutally murdered. Can’t y’all see that this gives the three of us a fucking motive?”

Holy shit.

I’ve always thought Stef was the smart one and I guess I wasn’t wrong. “I hadn’t thought about that.”

The lawyer explains that Stefan has a valid point. “I’ve been in touch with the sheriff in charge of the murder investigation,” he informs us. “Mr. Branagh’s assets have been frozen effective immediately until the police have exonerated the beneficiaries of this will from the murder.”

Crew sighs. “Shit. That could take weeks. Or even years.”

Mr. Spencer agrees. “Indeed. We can only hope the investigation comes to a swift conclusion.”

It’s hard to tell if Mr. Spencer’s tight smile means that he finds just the idea of one of us being a murderer ridiculous or if he thinks that he might be sitting at the same table as someone who unloaded a shotgun in his client’s face.

“In the meantime,” I bite out, frustrated. “We can go back to work. Maybe see if we can still pursue the world record with the electric boat? That would generate more sponsorships that wouldn’t be frozen. We can cooperate with the sheriff too, the sooner this mess is solved, the better for all of us.” I say. I definitely have my differences with Stefan and Crew, but I don’t really think they shot those three people at the stables.

“Can we work and race while Eddie’s assets are frozen?” I ask.

Mr. Spencer nods. “You can. Technically in Mr. Branagh’s absence, his deputy Mr. Braverman would take charge of Star Thunders. Since he’s also deceased, the helm passes to the new owners. While you can’t make use of any liquid assets, you can continue to work while the police investigation is ongoing.”

I’m relieved to hear that, if we can continue to work, we can get paid and that means I can keep Jasmine happy.

“Right.” Stefan doesn’t look convinced. “Is everything else in order with the company? Aside from what happened in Twinberry Cove? Nothing irregular or that we should be concerned about?”

The lawyer reassures Stefan that, as far as he’s aware, everything is fine.

As the meeting comes to an end, we get encouraged to call should we have any questions and we leave with the promise that everything will happen very quickly once the police investigation is completed.

“Hey James,” I call out to Crew, who’s parked in the spot right next to mine. “Are you going to take your mutt back?” I nod down to Napoleon, who must have found the meeting boring and fell asleep in my arms. He’s been sleeping with his head in the crook of my elbow this entire time, not waking even when we walked out of the law firm offices into the warm summer evening.

He comes to take his dog back and I deposit Naps into Crew’s arms being extremely careful not to wake him.

A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. This reminds me of the zillion times I pulled a sleeping Jenna out of her car seat after a day out. Whoever said that having a dog isn’t extremely similar to having a kid is an idiot.

“Thanks,” Crew mutters, obviously annoyed that Napoleon and I are becoming friends. “Don’t look so smug that Naps isn’t trying to maul you anymore. Anyone can buy a dog’s loyalty with treats.”

I don’t know if he really believes that, but I chuckle to piss him off. “Whatever you need to tell yourself, Crew. Your dog has better taste than you when it comes to people obviously.”

He looks ready to punch me in the face, which makes the whole situation more amusing. “Only an asshole would befriend my dog just to annoy me.”

He’s right. “Hey give Napoleon some credit,” I smirk. “He’s really grown on me. It’s you who gets more annoying with every passing day.”

My verbal barb hits the intended target. “You’re such a dipshit.” Crew snarls.

“Takes one to know one,” I chide him the same way I used to chide Stefan when we were kids. Who says that being a father means you have to lose your playful side?

Crew flips me off and that doesn’t surprise me.

What I didn’t expect is Stefan taking Crew’s side.

“Don’t you think we have enough fucking problems without this constant feud between you two?”

Ok maybe he doesn’t exactly take his side, but he doesn’t take mine either.

“What’s crawled up your ass?” I provoke my little brother.

Stefan

Dealing with these two is getting tiring, especially when I feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders.

“We need to talk,” I say to both of them.

“Then talk.” Jules shrugs, his tone annoyed.

I bet he’s mad because I didn’t take his side just now. It’s sad to think that Jules and I grew up together but I feel much closer to Crew.

My half-brother and I have the experience of living in Jules’s shadow in common and of course our feelings for Lula.

Maybe that last part is something Jules could relate to, if he got his head out of his own ass long enough to care about anyone other than himself.

I feel immediately guilty for that last thought. Jules might be an insufferable asshole most of the time, but I know he cares about his daughter more than anything in the world; and I would be unfair if I didn’t recognize the fact that he has been there for me a lot more than the average big brother after Eddie skipped town ten years ago.

He did what a pre-teen and teen could, but he had my back whenever it mattered.

This isn’t the time for them to squabble though. We have bigger fish to fry.

“There are some developments you might not know.” I say, looking around to make sure that there isn’t anyone listening. I know it’s stupid, we’re in Shell Cove, no one even knows us here. After the last two days however, I can’t help but feel paranoid.

“Get in the car,” I open Mom’s Lexus SUV and climb in the driver’s seat. “Guys, today please.” I bark when they both go for shotgun and scowl at each other rather than getting their asses in the vehicle.

When finally Jules is in the passenger seat and Crew in the back, I scoot sideways so I can look at the both of them.

“There are two situations that you should be aware of. I don’t know what kind of connection there is between the two, but we need to be extremely careful for all of our sakes.”

I explain what transpired this morning on the beach when I bumped into Lula and Mason.

“What the fuck?” Jules covers his face with his hands. “I should have known. I should have fucking known that this whole thing couldn’t be kosher. That man, our fucking father, didn’t have an honest bone in his body.”

For once, Crew agrees with him. “You’re right. I was suspicious at first when I found out that Trevor was Eddie’s right hand man. I mean fuck, we’ve all bought pot or the occasional pill from him.”

Jules exhales. “I haven’t touched anything since Jenna was born, but I knew where the good stuff came from at parties. My ex bought from him too. I just thought he was a small time dealer though. Not a fucking drug lord kingpin.”

I know what Jules means. I’ve always considered Trevor harmless enough. A little thuggish maybe but I never thought he was really dangerous. “Yeah, I guess at some point he started dealing for the Morelli family and he hit the big time.” I reason.

“So do you think this is where all Eddie’s money comes from?” Crew asks.

Jules pinches the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around our father’s company covering up a huge drug smuggling operation for the mafia. I don’t know if Eddie had any legit source of income. I mean, there are other sponsors aside from Morelli.”

Crew explains his train of thought. “I meant because your grandfather paid him off to leave.”

I shrug, overwhelmed by the whole situation. “I don’t think it matters, guys. Eddie didn’t just leave us his company and a potentially valuable boat. He left us a deal with the mafia. If we decide to take over and keep running Star Thunders, there are gonna be expectations that we continue to help.”

Crew understands my concern. “Fuck. Drug smuggling and money laundering are no joke. If we got caught, we would do serious time.”

Jules turns, sitting sideways like I am, to glare at Crew in the backseat. “No shit, Sherlock. But what are we supposed to do? Are you suggesting we don’t accept the inheritance? It isn’t just the company and the patent. Did you hear how much money there is in our father’s bank account? You might have no problem with taking the high road, but I have a daughter to think about. I fought tooth and nail to convince my ex to accept a payment plan and I need Star Thunders, or my share of Eddie’s cash, to keep my end of the deal. If I stop paying her, Jasmine will fight me for custody. I haven’t seen Jenna in weeks and my daughter needs me. I wish I could take that money from my trust fund, but I have to thank Eddie’s gold digging for the airtight clause Grandpa put on it. I have no fucking choice.”

Crew doesn’t look impressed or moved by Jules’s reasoning. “Give me a fucking break, Cutler! Do you think you’re the only one who desperately needs Eddie’s money? I was on a yacht with this girl and when she crashed it, I got blamed for it. Ironically, it belonged to that creep, Evan. He’s suing for damages and he threatened to press charges. Before the shit hit the fan at Twinberry Cove, he agreed to let me off the hook if I let him drive the electric boat.”

Jules blows a gasket at the news. “Are you insane? That boat is worth millions. What if Evan damages it? No fucking way.”

Crew flips him off again. “I thought about it. If we accept the inheritance, I can either let him drive the boat or pay off the damages. Either way, I need that fucking money just as much as you do.”

Jules rolls his eyes. “Then I suppose we’ve got our answer. We can’t afford to refuse.”

Crew shakes his head. “It’s not that easy. Stefan is right that if we take the money and the company, we’re in the same boat as Eddie.”

It isn’t funny, but a snort escapes my lips. “Ha, good pun.”

There’s no mirth in Crew’s grin. “Thanks. But I mean it. Either way, we’re fucked.”

I know what he means. “You’re right. If only there was a way to terminate the whole deal with Morelli, we’d be ok.”

“Not to burst your bubble, brother,” Jules says darkly. “But I bet the only way to walk away from a deal with the mafia is in a pair of concrete boots.”

Crew sighs. “I hate to say it, but Cutler is right. The mafia won’t let us go easily. Not unless we get some leverage or we can find something they want more than to continue with the status quo at Star Thunders.”

They’re both right, it’s an impossible situation. “It doesn’t help that Mason Morelli is taking over Trevor’s business. He obviously has a problem with us. He used us to threaten Lula when he thought she betrayed him.”

Jules frowns. “But you said they settled that and Morelli knows that Lula had nothing to do with his arrest and with his drugs going missing.”

“Yeah, but he likes her. Mason wants Lula, especially now that he knows that she was always loyal to him. It isn’t just about her selling his drugs in return for his protection. The way he was looking at her… man, I was about to kick his ass.”

Crew slams his fist on the palm of his hand. “That motherfucker! He’s the one who got Lula addicted. I can’t believe he blackmailed her.”

I share his same anger. “If I think about the trouble Lula could have gotten into if she got caught stealing…”

“Stealing?” Crew asks.

“What do you think she was doing in the club’s parking lot the night of the gala, when we saw her by Eddie’s limo? I overheard their conversation and I think she was stealing cash and other valuables to try and repay Mason.”

Crew runs a hand through his hair. “Fuck. You just ruined one of my hottest memories, man. Thank you.”

“Hottest memories? What the fuck are you talking about, James?”

Crew and I exchange a sheepish look.

“Guys,” Jules scowls. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“We ended up fooling around with Lula in Eddie’s limo.”

Jules’s eyes narrow into two suspicious slits. “Define fooling around?”

Crew and I look at each other but neither of us elaborates; not when Jules looks ready to commit a murder of his own.

“What the fuck is going on with the two of you and my girl?” he snarls, frustrated.

As predictable, Crew reacts to Jules’s tone. “First off, Lula isn’t your girl. Second of all, we don’t owe you an explanation. We were just drinking Eddie’s champagne in the limo and things got… hot.”

“If you don’t tell me what you did to Lula, I?—”

I cut Jules off. “We didn’t do anything to Lula. You and I have never been close since you started high school and you thought you were better than me,” I tell my older brother. “But you should know me better than that. At least enough to know that I would never do anything to hurt Lula or anything she wasn’t totally into.”

My rebuff has the desired effect. At least partially because Jules is one stubborn motherfucker and his curiosity has been peaked. “Define what Lula is into then, please.”

I could sugar coat it, but the arrogant look on his face has the best of me and I snap. “I fucked her from behind while she was going down on Crew.”

Well, fuck.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jules shocked into silence before today.

Of course that saving grace is short lived and my brother finds his ability to talk again. “You fucking tag teamed her?”

“Fuck off,” Crew’s hand is on the door, probably ready to be done with this conversation. “It was so much more than that. Lula means a lot to both me and Stefan. We’re in love with her and she’s in love with us, so that felt more right than anything I’ve ever done in my entire life.”

I smile. “Did you finally tell her how you feel?”

Crew nods. “Last night. I told her that I love her and she said it back.”

We high five. “Fuck, yeah. I’m so happy for you, man.”

Maybe I should be jealous but I’m not. I’m absolutely sure that Lula loves me just as much as I love her. Crew is one of the best guys in the world and my brother. I don’t blame her for falling for him and God knows I don’t feel threatened by Crew. How could I after that night in the limo?

Jules however is a completely different matter.

He’s looking at us with shock and hurt in his eyes. “Can anyone explain to me what the fuck is going on? How can you both admit that you’re in love with her and be cool with each other?”

“As long as Lula loves me,” I shrug “I don’t care if she loves Crew too. I’m not gonna ask her to choose between us. Not when she can have twice the love.”

Yeah.

That doesn’t go down well with Jules.

“What the fuck are you even talking about?” he raises his voice. “You say you love her and yet you’re happy to share her? With him? If you really loved Lula, you’d want a future with her. Both of you. Or do you plan on having threesomes on the regular?”

I’ve been giving this more thought than Jules will ever know. “If that’s what Lula wants, sure.”

Jules’s voice goes up a few more decibels. “Can you even hear yourself? Are you going to make a schedule? Solo nights and group nights?”

He’s pissing me off now and I can’t help but provoke him. “We’ll make the rules as we go along. All Crew and I care about is to get to be with Lula and to make her happy. We don’t care how that looks like.”

Thank fuck Crew backs me up. “Exactly.”

Jules looks more vexed with every word we utter and I understand why when he finally snaps. “What about me?”

Oh, this should be fun. “What about you?” I ask.

His scowl deepens. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m in love with Lula too. I told her the night of the storm and she said it back to me too. So what the fuck are we going to do about it, huh? Are you going to pencil me into your schedule?”

A part of me wants to have fun and keep ribbing him, but Jules isn’t totally wrong that we have a problem. “If that’s what Lula?—”

“Say if that’s what Lula wants one more time and I swear to fucking Jesus.”

I grip the steering wheel to have something to do with my hands. The alternative would be sinking my fists into Jules’s face but I know what good that would do, other than making me feel better for a few seconds. “What the fuck do you expect, Jules? I’ve known how I felt about Lula for fucking ever. And I knew that we would have to have this conversation one day. So, let’s fucking have it.”

Jules’s jaw is tight, his eyes blazing with fury. I hate the realization that we have the same expression when we’re pissed off.

“I knew one day we would get to this point too,” he bites out. “What I didn’t know is that he would be a part of this talk.” He points at Crew.

“Well fuck you too, Cutler. If you’re thinking about calling dibs, or anything equally moronic, save your breath. I’m not going anywhere.”

I love and hate Crew’s commitment to pushing Jules’s buttons at the same time. “I don’t have a problem with Crew’s feelings for Lula,” I admit. “You on the other hand? I don’t think you even know how to love someone, Jules. You’re too selfish and I don’t think I could put up with your need to always be number one. This isn’t what love is about anyway. If you love someone, you fucking put them first.”

My brother’s reaction surprises me.

“You are the reason why I talked myself into staying away from Lula for years,” Jules counters. “I’ve always known that you were in love with her and I thought you deserved Lula more than I ever could. That’s why three years ago, I tried to distract myself with hookups. Then I met Jasmine, and Mom and Tom got together and it looked like the universe was trying to push me away from my girl. But I’ve never stopped loving her. So before you open your big mouth and call me selfish, just know that I already walked away from her once to give you space. I’m not going to do that again. Especially not when he is in the picture too.”