Page 15 of Jake

“Quincey Anderson?” Jenna nodded. “Oh my, you do have some pretty powerful friends, don’t you? And you didn’t have to have him step in on my account, Jenna. I’m sure that Thomas will back off when he realizes that I’m not going to take his shit.”

“Do you think? I don’t. Quincey said that Thomas believes that he’s killed you. I’m pretty sure that you know it was him that shot you. His plan was to kill you, then move into your home.” Forrest leaned back on the sofa and tried to wrap his mind around that. “Quincey said that the man is a fool, and he will gladly take him out for you. I have it on good authority that not only will Thomas continue on as he has in the past, but that he’ll not leave here as he’d been warned to do. The man is a fool.”

“Yes, he is at that. And I figured he shot at me, but not that he intended to kill me. Why does he think that was the plan?” Jenna told him that he’d had a little taste of the man, then raped his small mind. “Christ. Remind me never to piss you off.”

“Deal.” She stood up and he started to as well. “Don’t do that. I know that you’re not hurt, not too badly anyway, but there is no reason for us to play this game any longer, Forrest. I think we’re friends enough that we can skip the ceremony, don’t you? Also, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to consider you family now. Jake is for the most part my only relative that I love and care for, and as his mate, I think of you as my grandson as well. What do you think?”

“Yes, I’d like that very much. And no, I’m not hurt too badly. Mostly it’s just a little pain, but if I can shift, I’ll be as good as new.” She nodded. “Jenna, what about his parents? How do you think they’re going to react to finding out that we’re lovers?”

She started to answer him, but paused when Jake appeared in the doorway. He was pale and a little sweaty looking as he made his way to the chair, but otherwise fine as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Forrest felt his cat move along his skin, the need to protect him was so profound, and he was surprised by that. Jake looked at him then.

“I felt that.” Forrest nodded. “Will he, I don’t know, shift now? I’m not sure just how all that works. I’m pretty sure that the crap I read on the Internet is just that, crap. You’ll have to explain a few things to me.”

“I’d be glad to. And no, he’s not going to take me. He only does that when there is danger that he feels that I can’t handle. But he is pretty antsy about getting me healed up. Danger could come to us at any time, and he wants things just right.” Jake nodded and Forrest had to smile. “Are you afraid of him?”

“No. I haven’t any idea why, but no, I’m not afraid of either of you.” Forrest nodded, then Jenna cleared her throat. “Grandma, I’m sorry that you had to witness that with Dad. He’s usually so discreet when he tells me what a failure I am.”

“He’s an ass.” Jake nodded and Forrest laughed. “I had no idea that he’d become such a snob either. To hear him tell it, he’s the first and only Winslow ever born. What an idiot. And that wife of his.... Jake, I just don’t know how you stayed there for the first eighteen years of your life. I surely don’t. I certainly didn’t raise him that way. To think that he wants you to live with that monster. And after all the information I sent him about her too. You’d think that your happiness would be much more important to him than what a few of their so called friends care about.” Grandma shivered, and Forrest thought he could have easily gone out and killed the man for her.

“Father has always been one to make sure that we kept up appearances. I think that is the only reason that he let me go to college to become a lawyer. Because it was a good job with status.” Jake turned to Forrest as he continued talking to his grandma. “I don’t think he’s going to be very happy about a lot of things in the future where I’m concerned. Especially when it comes out about Forrest and me.”

“Sadly, no he will not. But I’d not let it worry you overly much. You’re my grandson, and that’s all you should think about. All I care about is that you’re going to be happy.” She made her way to the door and Forrest wanted to call her back. If she left then he’d be alone with Jake, and that made him a little nervous. “I should be going now. Oh, before I forget, you have a housekeeper now. She starts tomorrow. Her name is Mary. She’s a wolf, so don’t let her eat your father if he should come back and piss her off. Mary is going to keep an eye on the two of you. I don’t want anyone shooting my two favorite boys.”

Neither of them moved when the door closed. Forrest didn’t have any idea what he was supposed to do now. He’d not been alone like this with Jake since he’d met him. And even in the hospital, there had been staff just on the other side of the door.

“We could order in.” Forrest nodded. “You have to say something. I can’t stand the thought of what you might be thinking right now.”

“I’m thinking I’m terrified out of my mind.” Jake nodded. “I’d very much like to shift. I have a pounding headache, and that’ll take care of any of the last of the pains I have as well.”

“All right.” When he stood up, so did Forrest. “I’m assuming that you’ll need to be outside to make it easier on you. Like I said before, I don’t know how any of this works.”

“I have to be naked.” Jake just stood there. “I’ll go out on the deck and strip down. Then you can either wait in here or out there. I just want to run for a bit. I have a lot of nervous energy.”

“I’d like to watch you, if you don’t mind.” Forrest said he didn’t as he made his way to the deck. “Does it hurt? I mean, like a lot of pain?”

“None, as a matter of fact. I just let the cat consume me and it’s fine. It does hurt when he has to do it quickly, like from man to cat in a matter of seconds. But that only happens when, as I said before, he feels that he can handle something better than I can. If you watch me do it now, you’ll see that it’s not as quick as some of the books make it out to be.” Jake followed him out and Forrest could only stare. “Christ, this is all yours?”

The yard was massive, and well maintained. He looked at the beautiful trees that lined a garden like area at the very back of the property, to the pool that looked so inviting that he wanted to swim despite the fact that it was cold out. A pool house as well as another smaller version of the main house sat in the back too. It was nestled deep in the woods like a faerie grove, with plants and trees surrounding it.

“Yes. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Carol never appreciated this part of the house and land. When I first got out of college, back when my grandda was still alive, he said that a man who had a nice degree like I had deserved a good home. He never cared for Carol, but he loved me. When she was looking for an address, the only thing that mattered to her, Grandda was finding me a home. One that I could grow old in. And land. He told me once that there wasn’t anyone out making more of that, so I should have as much as I could put my hands on.” Forrest asked him how much he owned. “There is just under four hundred acres here. When he bought this for me there was less than fifty. I have been buying up what I could surrounding this place. I also own a few thousand acres out west, and a couple of homes in Europe. Like I said, no one is making any more, so I wanted to keep as much as I could for myself.”

“Christ, Jake. That’s wonderful. And your grandfather must be laughing his ass off about now. But I’m assuming that Carol hasn’t any idea how much you’re really worth.” He said that it never came up. “You sly devil, you. How did I not know you were so smart?”

“People underestimate me because I’m so quiet. My father included. He has it in his head that I’m struggling. But in fact, if I never worked another day in my life, I’d still have more than he ever will.” Forrest laughed. “My grandma and I, we own a lot of other things too. We formed this partnership about the time I married Carol. Everything we have is in this corporation. And since Carol signed a pre-nup when we were engaged, she can’t touch any of it, not even if I pass away before her.”

“How much are you worth? And so you know, I come from money too. My mother’s parents left me a nice nest egg, as they called it. This was, of course, before anyone knew I was gay. But I’ve been able to invest wisely and to get a nice return on some stocks that I have.” Jake told him how much he was worth. Forrest could only stare. “Are you fucking me? Forty billion? As in billions?”

“Yes. I told you, I’ve done well.” He was embarrassed. Jake’s face was red and getting hotter as they stood there. He could almost smell it. “You should shift now. I’d very much like to see your cat. Please?”

He was stalling. Forrest wanted to ask him what firms he invested in. How much of a return did he have, and if he would help him. Forrest’s money, all three million of it, seemed like a drop in the bucket alongside of Jake’s. But he was right, it was well past time for him to show him his other half.

Taking off his shirt, he opted to leave his pants on. They were the kind that would tear away if he didn’t remove them, and he thought for now it might be easier to shift with them on. Forrest wasn’t sure why, but he thought that if he were naked right now, here on the deck where no one could see them, that he’d never shift. He wanted his mate right now.

Chapter 7

Carol let the phone ring and ring. Her daddy was pissed at her. Mother was having a fit because of the mess on the front lawn, and the staff wasn’t giving her anything that she demanded. What were servants for, she thought, if not to abuse and take advantage of? Carol didn’t understand why the moving company hadn’t done as she wanted and left it all on Jake’s grass, but here it was. All seventy-four pieces of it, set up like it was sitting in her house right there on the front lawn. She wanted to murder someone, and if someone didn’t answer the phone soon, it was going to be the stupid moving company owner. She picked up the chips she’d stolen from the pantry an hour ago when she couldn’t get anyone to make her a sandwich.

“Harvard Moving. How may I help you?” Carol had to chew faster when the woman finally answered the phone. “Hello? This is Harvard Moving.”

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