Page 64 of Jordan

“How have they not connected you with Mr. Altair before?” Reghan asked. He didn’t know the story.

Barrett faced him. “Three years ago, when I was a new detective, I stumbled upon a scene I shouldn’t have. Jordan was mid-kill of a drug dealer whose case I was working. The dealer had sold bad drugs, leading to the deaths of two teens. Needless to say, I wasn’t a bit broken up about watching him die. Jordan and I got to talking?—”

“I threatened to kill Barrett and his entire family if he talked,” I cut in.

“Which, while I love some of them, I have an uncle I wouldn’t mind seeing in the ground. Anyway, we struck a deal. I said I found a guy—not Jordan—attacking the dealer and fired at him as he fled. Jordan didn’t kill me, or anyone linked to me. My hands are as bloody as his, even if I wasn’t the one committing the crime. I’ve done some things I won’t get into.”

“I trust you to a point,” I said.

“The feeling’s mutual. I won’t rat out your boss, Reghan. I have too much to lose. With him alive and working, my job is easier. I prefer going to sleep at night instead of pouring through stacks of investigations.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Reghan said with barely controlled anger. God, he hated Barrett, and the cop knew it.

“Oh, right. The dealer who was selling bad drugs in the city was caught on camera during an altercation with Jordan prior to that night. They wanted Jordan brought in, but I told them it wasn’t Jordan who committed the crime. That had them suspicious of me, so I knew I needed to prove I wasn’t working with Jordan.”

“He came to me with a plan,” I stated. “We staged a nonexistent crime. Barrett walked around a corner and found me choking someone in an alley.”

“He wasn’t actually hurting her. I knew that, but I needed a reason to bring him in and show I wasn’t on his side. I put in my report I thought he was trying to kill a woman.”

“The woman was Kayli.”

“They staged it and she arrived at the station soon after I brought Jordan in to say she was into that kind of thing and wanted him to do it.”

Reghan chuckled. “Kayli wouldn’t care if she told the world she liked it rough.”

Smiling, Barrett said, “She declared to everyone in earshot that she enjoyed breath play and got off on it. The looks on their faces.” Barrett shook his head while smiling.

“And I was free to go,” I stated. “They had nothing to hold me on or charge me with.”

“And while I was teased by the others at the station, a week later, I busted a small prostitution ring thanks to Jordan, so I redeemed myself and looked like a hero.”

“What will you say when they ask why you were here today?” Reghan asked, genuinely curious and not trying to piss Barrett off.

“We heard about Vail and Hartley. I came here to check them out and make sure they weren’t being held against their will. Hartley is squeaky clean in our system. Vail has his asshole ex, but Vail’s never done anything. There’s no reason to check into them further. And before you ask, Jordan, they’re not being investigated. We expect you to have guards on them.”

“I will.”

“About Leeland’s ex…”

“I’ll send a message when I have information.” I didn’t call or text Barrett or any of the cops I paid. Everything was done in person with one of my guards or by me directly. There weren’t a lot of times I needed the cops to do something for me, but when I did, they followed through because of the money I paid them and the secrets I kept. Barrett was in deeper than most. I still didn’t trust him fully though.

29

VAIL

I had a sleeping baby in my arms and couldn’t be happier. My niece was seven months old and the sweetest little girl to ever be born. Cat kept trying to take her from me to put her down, but I wouldn’t release her. I needed the calm in my life. Having Ivy here soothed me.

Ever since that amazing night with Jordan and Hartley, life rushed by in the blink of an eye. It had only been a week since then, but in that week, I’d moved in with them. I still had my home, not willing to give it up. If our relationship fell apart, I had somewhere to go. It was a safety net. One I desperately needed after everything with Gil.

That brought me to another issue. Jordan had a man following Gil, and I did as well. Jordan didn’t like to discuss my ex, which was fine. He wasn’t my favorite topic either. I was afraid he was going to hurt Jordan. Yes, it was laughable that he could get anywhere near Jordan to injure him. Jordan was still human, after all. He could be cut, shot, and die.

Gil had been spending more time in his condo in West Dremest. Unease skittered through me like he was planning something, which was why I sought my sister today and her two kids.

I loved them but didn’t want children of my own. It was nice to spoil my niece and nephew, then leave them with their parents while I enjoyed peace and quiet. My nephew was napping, so the house was blissfully silent.

Cat walked into the living room, where I sat. Long, pink hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. Cat was tall and lean, not the same height as me, but she was five foot ten. If I put Hartley next to her, she’d be taller than him.

She kept her voice down as she settled into the oversized chair, curling her legs under herself while she held a mug of coffee close. “Okay, let me get this straight. You moved in with Jordan Altair, the mafia boss. The man no one in the entire city wants anything to do with.”

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