Page 68 of Jordan

Reed and Casper Ashford, two members of the band and partners, lived in a house on their family farm. I’d never been there, though I had driven past it. If Romeo and Tristan were going to visit the farm with Dash, I had to make sure it was safe. For all the bullshit Dash gave me and I certainly lobbed back, there was one thing I knew for certain. He wouldn’t allow anything to happen to Tristan and Romeo. Neither would I, thanks to the men I had with them.

Romeo ended his game and put the controller down. He turned, looking me up and down. “What’s that?”

“I brought this for your mother.” I unrolled the banner, careful to grasp the pamphlets inside so they didn’t spill to the floor.

Tristan moved so he could see it. “Congratulations on the move… I don’t get it.”

I handed Tristan the pamphlets.

“Oh my god,” he chuckled. “This is new.” I liked to keep my ideas fresh when I expressed my hatred of Pepper Emerson.

“What is it?” Romeo asked and stood. He took a pamphlet from Tristan. “These are for senior living sites with a minimum age requirement of sixty. In Florida.”

“Yes, and after she selects which one she prefers, I’ll pay for the trip to boot her bitter ass all the way to the tip of fucking Florida.”

Tristan’s eyes met mine. “She’s not sixty.”

“Money talks.” I didn’t care what I had to pay to keep that woman out of my city and my life. “Now, I need a step stool so Raiden can hang the banner over the kitchen.”

“In the hall closet,” Romeo muttered. “Before you tack this up, go look at what she left you in the bathroom.”

I really didn’t want to look. Knowing Pepper, it could be a myriad of things. I didn’t notice anything until I pushed farther into the room and saw something in the toilet. It was a piece of plastic shit floating in the water with my name on it in white print. Then I glimpsed at the sign on the lid.

I’m going to flush you into the sewers like the piece of shit you are. Make sure you pack light. We’ll be lucky if your enormous head fits down the pipe.

Not as clever as mine. Someone would have to reach in there and remove it. That was their problem.

Romeo and Tristan were waiting for me when I emerged.

“So?” Tristan asked.

“Amateurish.”

That got a laugh out of him.

Raiden hung the banner with a little help from Tristan while I fanned out the brochures on the kitchen counter. I attached a sticky note to the top one that let her know all expenses would be paid if she fucking left.

Movement outside caught my gaze. A car pulled up to the curb. Caius immediately went to it.

“Raiden.” I motioned toward the front. “Tell him I’ll meet him at the Race Street location in fifteen minutes.”

“Yes, sir.” Raiden went outside and stood beside Caius while Barrett exited his car.

“Who’s that?” Romeo asked.

“A cop I pay.”

Raiden talked to Barrett for a few seconds before Barrett drove away. Barrett always knew where to find me. All he had to do was speak to one of my men and they would get word to me. And it would look like he was doing his job, following up on whatever shit excuse he used to get in touch with me.

“Tristan, do you have a moment before I go?” I asked. Tristan and I were going to have an overdue talk about his position with me. Being my personal stylist wasn’t his life goal. And now that I had Hartley, I didn’t want anyone else designing clothes for me, making Tristan’s job obsolete.

“Sure.”

Romeo thumbed over his shoulder. “I’m going upstairs to shower.”

When we were alone, I asked, “How is your prep for college coming along?”

“Good. I’m still not sure what the end career goal is, but I’m going to enjoy learning. That doesn’t take away from the work I do for you,” he rushed to say. In truth, Tristan had been doing less for me while traveling. A fact I didn’t mind. I cared about him and wanted him happy. That meant being with his partners and enjoying his life.

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