61 — JULIAN ADAMS (POV)

“There's something going on, isn't there?” Mike asks, looking directly into my eyes.

“What do you mean?” I clear my throat, taking a sip of the drink the bartender has just placed on the bar, already ordering another.

“I know you well enough, and even if I didn't, I'd still know there's something going on with you.” He sighs and shakes his head. “You can tell me.”

So this is a new way of torturing me…? Of punishing me for sleeping with your little girl? Well, I have to admit… It's really effective.

I open my lips because I need to say it, but those words are stuck in my throat. Even though I sigh deeply and am convinced that I have to tell him, no sound rolls off my tongue. In fact, my mouth is so dry that I hasten the bartender to give me another shot.

“Is it about your family?” He asks, looking down at the bar. “About your brother?”

I roll my eyes, annoyance settling