Page 24 of JoJo

“I was just wondering why none of you girls have been there for JoJo through this whole thing. That lawyer’s visit was brutal. I can’t imagine what the rest have been like for her, going through it all alone, especially when she was still dealing with her father dying. I know what it takes to watch someone die of cancer, and it’s hard enough from the outside looking in, but to be the caretaker, moneymaker, and everything in between too…” He shook his head.

“Steel!” I reprimanded him, not wanting him talking to Keys like that. Of all the girls at the club she had helped me the most while my dad was sick. It was the reason we’d grown so close.

“I did help some,” Keys offered meekly.

“Yeah well, after dealing with that shit today, and the bullshit he and Sweet tried to pull where I’m concerned, I’m not feeling too generous where people and their intentions are concerned.”

“Speaking of, that’s why we’re here.” Quickshot stood up then and moved closer. “What Sweet asked me to do, hell, the way I went at you on his behalf…” Quickshot shook his head. “I just wanted to apologize. Some things JoJo said yesterday sunk in, and then talking it out with Keys too,” he offered as he squeezed her thigh reassuringly. “We just wanted to make sure you knew that we had your back now, and I’m sorry for not seeing the need to make sure we had it from the beginning.”

“How’s Angel Girl?” Even though I was mad at her, my worry outweighed everything else.

“I think that’s a tough question to answer right now.” Keys confirmed. “Leanne is with her and so is her dad. From what Leanne passed on to Tash, she and Sweet are working things out, but I think that Becca chick is going to give up the baby since she can’t have the man that goes with it.”

“Who the fuck does that?” Steel snapped. I just smiled at him.

“I’m sure she has more reasons than just that one. That has to be a tough decision to make after carrying a baby all that time,” I reminded him. I don’t want anyone thinking the worst of the woman who may have just made Angel Girl’s dreams of being a mom one day come true. Especially since doing so probably broke her heart all over again. First, the girl lost a man she thought she had - one she thought she loved. Then, she lost a baby too, and no matter how it played out, Angel Girl seems to be the person responsible for those losses in her eyes. I imagine it’s hard for them both for different reasons.”

Keys nodded her head. “That’s what I love about you, JoJo. You look for the best in people, even when others can’t seem to find it.” She smiled at me and then glanced down at her cell phone. “Angel is upset with herself too though. After seeing what was really motivating Sweet to interfere with you two, she was able to see how siding with him blindly and not stopping him from attempting to sabotage y’all’s brand new marriage was wrong of her.”

“I should hope she’d feel bad,” Steel gritted out.

I placed my hand on his arm, a gentle touch that he seemed to respond to, as he glanced down into my eyes. “She has a lot on her plate right now and a whole lot of heartache to contend with. I don’t want her to feel worse on top of that because her head wasn’t in the game where I was concerned. Sweet can take accountability for the shit he tried to pull all by himself. I’m even willing to give him a pass considering what he has going on in his own head. It’s easy to make mistakes when everything is all jumbled up in there. I think we should be the better people here and just let things simmer for now. Chances are, the heat will die instead of boiling over, because it sounds like they’re both going to have their hands full when they get back.”

Steel stood there just taking me in and then nodded his head before pulling me closer to him and giving me a gentle squeeze. “I agree with Keys. I love that sweetness about you too.” I knew he didn’t mean he loved me, because honestly I’d be worried if he professed strong feelings like that for me already. That didn’t stop my belly from clenching and butterflies from taking flight up into my chest when he said he loved my sweetness though. Most men never even noticed my sweet side for all the motor oil and grease my hands were caked with every day.

“I still don’t understand why the women of S.H.E. didn’t put in an offer to buy the garage though,” Steel finally vocalized the question I’d been wondering myself. They had talked about it, but up until the moment I married Steel nothing had been done, and we were in Vegas celebrating my last two weeks as the official owner.

“Wait, I thought Jamie put in an offer,” Keys said as she turned the question to me.

“No offers were made. They would have had to go through Mr. Alexander and he didn’t make any mention of it.”

“That’s not right. We all talked it over and decided it was what would have to be done since it looked like your brother was going to inherit and sell it. That’s actually why I took you to Vegas in the first place. I figured we could enjoy our night and then give you the good news that the garage would still be yours,” Keys informed me.

“Sounds like someone dropped the ball there,” Steel cut in as he rubbed his hand up and down my arm. I wasn’t sure if the gesture was meant to comfort me or calm him, but either way it was sort of working.

It was working until Quickshot spoke up anyway. “You’re new here, and you missed everything these girls have been through as a club over the past year or two.” He went on to tell Steel all about our defeat of Winter’s Renegades – twice. Kidnapped dancers, missing family members, and the like were discussed. “They’re not all just sitting around binge-watching Netflix. They’ve been swamped up to their ears with shit, and all that on top of running the normal club businesses.” Quickshot turned to go inside then. “We need to finish this talk inside. You have eyes on your house.” There was no need to scan the area for who he was talking about as he added in a final note. “On my six.”

None of us turned to look right away. Instead, we all went inside and as I turned to shut the door, I saw the distinct glint of sunlight reflecting on glass. I wasn’t able to make out if it were a scope, binoculars, a camera lens, or what.

“What in the hell?” I questioned.

“Your brother, maybe?” Steel asked.

“I can’t see Mr. Prissy Pants crawling around in the trees and bushes this time of year. He’s too afraid of snakes, bugs, and well, nature to attempt it.”

“We need to put both clubs on alert,” Steel said. “You guys have anyone out there still pissed off at your MC after the Winter’s Renegades mess?”

“We still don’t fully know who was backing them,” I confirmed. Steel glanced over at Quickshot and nodded his head. “We literally only have the one guy we were focused on. Reardon is the one that took off with one of our dancers when the other one was left dead and discarded.

“I’ll put some calls in, and see if anyone’s heard any chatter about the girls lately,” Quick offered before speaking directly to Keys. “Better let Angel know. She may want to call for a lock down. Hell, they might want to hold off on coming home too soon since they’ll have a baby with them.”

“Aren’t we jumping the gun a bit here? I didn’t think it was my brother out there, that doesn’t mean he didn’t hire a private investigator or something. He specifically mentioned how he had other lawyers trying to find a way around my father’s Will. Maybe they’re trying to prove we’re not really living as a married couple or some shit.”

“I’d rather not take any chances, especially after your brother was asking questions about what happens if you die.” Steel told me.

“He’s been a complete pain in my ass the past two and a half years, but I can’t see him trying to off me or something. That’s just nuts.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

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