Page 144 of Ethan

“It’s him,” Hank guessed.

Avery nodded. “You see it.”

Hank thought that he’d have to be a lot fucking dumber not to, but he didn’t say that.

“We’ll clear out, I promise,” Avery said, and before Hank could even parse that meaning and blush about it, he was already walking off.

“What did he have to say?” Danny caught his arm as he was heading into the showers and he was coming out.

“What did who say?” Hank asked. Surely Danny wasn’t interested in whatAveryhad said? Other than being a nosy gossip, Danny couldn’t possibly care about Avery’s opinion on Charlie and his hissy fit.

“Avery, of fucking course,” Danny said.

Hank shot him a look full of disbelief. “Really?”

“He just wants to run shit,” Danny muttered. “Max is our captain. Did you see how he undermined him in there?”

Hank hadn’t seen that at all. He’d seen Max have a rather . . .well, slippery grasp of the situation, which was par for the coursewhen it came to Charlie, and then Avery step in and deal with his brother because he was hisbrother.

“Uh no?”

Danny rolled his eyes. “I don’t know where he comes off waltzing in like he’s God’s fucking gift to the blue line.”

Avery hadn’t really done that at all. In fact, he kept to himself and was generally pretty self-deprecating.

“First,” Hank said, trying for reason and to defuse the drama that was possibly brewing, “I kinda think heis. He’s really fucking good. Like Norris Trophy good. And, second, I don’t think he was really doing any of that. He’s kind of quiet, honestly.”

The look Danny shot him was knowing. “I get it, man, and I respect it. Defending your future brother-in-law.”

“What?” Hank spluttered. This was more ridiculous than anything Danny had spouted yet and that wassayingsomething.

“Oh come on, you’re cozying up to all of them, and frankly, I can respect that. Knowing which side your bread is buttered on.”

Hank just stared at him. “My bread isn’t buttered.”

“No, it’s not,” Danny said, shooting him a sly smile and waggling his eyebrows. He looked really stupid, but Hank wasn’t about to meet him there andsaythat.

Ethan poked his head into the shower room then. “What are you doing, Tuck? I thought we were taking off.”

Laughing, like he wasn’t the one who’d cornered him in the first freaking place, Danny just poked him in the side. “Better get a move on it, lover boy.”

Hank refused to take Danny’s bait, and just told Ethan he’d be ready in a few.

Ethan took Charlie’s car back, Hank in the passenger seat. “I need to get my truck here,” Hank muttered to himself. “Now that I’m probably staying up.”

“Why? We should put the miles on Charlie’s car. He can afford it,” Ethan said, sliding a look sideways. “Are you still worried about him not approving?”

“After today? Maybe a little,” Hank admitted.

“Dude, you know that was only him. Him being dumb as fuck. Him denying himself something he wants and pretending like somehow that’s noble and self-sacrificing. He just doesn’t like seeing it when someone makes moves he won’t, and then they’re happy about it.”

Ethan didn’t say what Charlie was denying himself, but it was obvious, anyway. The thing was Max.

“You think he knows?” Hank asked. He hadn’t been sure.Waspretty sure Max was aware, because it was Max, and he was an unusually self-aware person.

“Charlie? Oh my God,yes.” Ethan barked out a laugh as he pulled into the parking garage. “Have I never told you about the video?”

“What video?”