Breathless (The Breathe Series) Read Online Free Page B

arriving for my second shift of the day.
    “Didn’t you only finish a couple of hours ago, man?” Stevie, my long-time bouncer, asked, greeting me with a loopy grin.
    “I just can’t keep away from the place.” Shaking his hand, I shot him a smirk before pushing open the doors and weaving my way through the crowd. The loud bass thumped through my body as my attention was taken by the throaty voice of the female lead singer. She was undeniably someone who would have gotten my attention before. Wearing the tightest top that left little to the imagination and a skirt that barely covered her ass, she would definitely have been seeing the inside of my office...or the restaurant, the back alley, or the VIP section. Man-whore Tate would have destroyed her.
    “Weren’t you here earlier?”
    I removed my eyes from the singer on stage and turned to my left to find Ali standing with her hands on her hips and a knowing look spreading across her face.
    Leaning in, I kissed her on the cheek and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. “What?” I scoffed. “I can’t come and work with my favorite cousin?”
    She narrowed her eyes on me and shook her head slowly. “I know what you are doing.”
    “And what would that be, Ali?” I asked with a smirk. I loved how she thought she could read me. She had been like this ever since we were little.
    “You are distracting yourself because you are wallowing in self-pity because Sav isn’t here.”
    “Bingo.” I nudged her shoulder and took off towards my office. My distraction would be engrossing myself in my work, the one thing I had been doing since Sav had left. This no contact business with Sav was killing me. I collapsed into my highly overpriced office chair and fired up my laptop. If I couldn’t see her, I would work. I tapped away mindlessly on my laptop, working through figures, projections, and recruitment. I hated this side of the business, and I’d hired Jennie for this reason. I groaned loudly, stretching my arms over my head. The music was growing louder by the hour, and the cute singer was still distracting me through the walls. My eyes tried to concentrate on the screen in front of me but my mind was scattered elsewhere.
    The door of my office flew open, startling me from my work. My eyes flew towards the door and my ears were overcome by the loud music throbbing through my office. Jack and Tanzi stumbled in, drunk off their tits.
    “Tatey potaty!”
    I cringed at the sound of my childhood nickname. Tanzi was beyond drunk if she was using it. Closing my laptop, I knew that my ‘work’ day was over. I shifted in my seat, clasping my hands behind my head and groaning as a stretch soared through my body. The smell of booze oozing out of Tanzi’s and Jack’s bodies hit my nose and my stomach lurched. My laughter escaped deep within my chest as I looked at my highly intoxicated sister and best friend and couldn’t help but laugh. Today was their anniversary and I knew that Jack had made reservations at some fancy restaurant in the city so seeing them standing in my office was the last thing I’d been expecting to see.
    “Shouldn’t you be out celebrating?” I asked with raised brows. Standing from my desk, I walked through the office to close my door. When I turned around, my eyes hovered between them both and my senses were overcome by the alcohol seeping from their pores.
    “We should be home fucking each other’s brains out but your dear sister wanted to check in on you.”
    “Christ, Jack! Sister filter, remember?!” Smirking, I squinted trying to get the image of Tanzi and Jack having sex out of my head.
    “Yeah but I’m your best friend. Remember, bros before hoes.”
    “Touché, my friend. Touché.”
    “Who are you calling a ho, you asshole?” Tanzi slapped Jack hard across the chest before bursting into a fit of giggles, bending over, and slapping her thighs as if she had just said the funniest joke ever. Suddenly she stood, and after an uneasy