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Prologue

Eli

“You work too hard” The voice co out over the French Quarter and the Mississippi River from my fifty-fourth floor office s in New Orleans The sun is blazing already It’s only eight in the rees out there, much hotter than the cool comfort of my office

It seems all I do is watch the world from this office

And where the fuck did that thought come from?

“Earth to Eli,” Savannah says dryly from behind me

“I heard you” I shovethe silver half-dollar that ave me when I took this position, and turn to findbefore my desk in her usual crisp suit, blue today, her thick dark hair pinned up and worry in her hazel gaze “And, hello, pot, I’m kettle”

“You’re tired”

“I’m fine” She narrows her eyes ather riled up

It’s ridiculously easy

“Did you even go hoht?”

“I don’t have time for this, Van” I lower into my chair anda banana under my nose

“But you have time to stare out the ?”

“Are you trying to pick a fight today? Because I’ll oblige you, but first tellabout” I peel the banana and take a bite, realizing that I’

Savannah blows out a deep breath and shakes her head, while headed men

I shtly now

“Lance giving you problems?” My hands flex in and out of fists at the idea of finally laying that fucker flat Savannah’s husband is not one of my favorite people

“No” Her cheeks redden, but she won’t look me in the eye

“Van”

“Oh, good, you’re both here,” Beau says, as he marches into my office, shuts the door behind him, takes the seat next to Savannah, steals my half-eaten banana out of my hand, and proceeds to eat the rest of it in two bites

“That was rowl, not satisfied in the least, and I give a brief thought to asking nets

“God, you’re a baby,” Beau replies, and tosses the peel in the garbage My older brother is taller than h school But I can still take him

“Why the fuck are you two in my office?” I sit back and run my hand over my mouth “I’m quite sure you both have plenty to do”

“Maybe we rin and bats her eyelashes at me

“You’re a smart ass”

She just nods knowingly, but then she and Beau exchange a look that has the hairs on the back ofup

“What’s going on?”

“So from us” Beau tosses a file full of spreadsheets in my direction His jaw ticks as I open it and see columns of numbers

“Where?”