Page 41 of A Game-Changing Christmas

“I chose to talk it over with Claudia. I just hadn’t got around to doing so yet.”

He exhaled and removed his duffle bag, then side-stepped Jonas again, headed for the shower.

“Rose,” Jonas said, and Jaden paused, his back still to his brother, “if we need to reschedule this meeting, we can. I think it’s important for you to go in with your head clear, and if that means speaking to Claudia first, that’s fine by me. The others won’t mind, you know that.”

Jaden nodded. “It’s all good,” he said. “I’ll be fine. My mind has never been sharper,” he said, resuming his stroll and disappearing as he entered the shower room.

Two hours later

Jaden liftedthe short glass of scotch to his lips and drank it halfway with one swallow. His gaze carried across Jordan’s hardwood floors, massive architectural fireplace, and modern furnishings to Jonas who stood in front of the wall of windows. He’d casually thrown on a pair of gray sweatpants and a long sleeve fleece that gripped his muscular torso and revealed the thick line of his neck, then stepped into a pair of Nikes to polish off his casual look. Jaden, however, wore a casual black long sleeve T-shirt underneath a black leather zipper jacket that outlined the powerful strength of his arms; black wash jeans that kissed the tone in his thighs, and black suede boots. Without actually riding a bike, Jaden had pulled off the biker look with precision, even complementing his style with a pair of aviator shades. After leaving the gym, they’d driven separately to Jordan’s high-rise condo for a meeting that Jordan requested they attend.

As they entered his pad, so did Julian, and Jacob. They strolled inside and grabbed a seat in high back chairs; Julian with his leg propped up, with an ankle meeting his knee in Ferragamo leather loafers and a suit that fit each edge of his masculine structure. Jacob’s appearance was almost identical, except instead of Ferragamo he’d opted for a custom Tom Ford suit, with a blue and white vest underneath and white oxford shoes. The room was quiet as they waited for Jordan to enter. When he did trail from the back, Jordan’s six-foot-three physique was comfortable in a gray and black crew neck sweater that powered over his strapping build and settled off with dark blue denim and black Timberland boots. It was Jordan’s thing to transform his suit and tie combination that he wore daily as an attorney to his signature after hours attire.

“Where’s Josiah,” Jordan asked, glancing from brother to brother.

“He had an emergency at Gemz, so he’ll either be late or absent,” Jacob said.

“And Jonathon?” Jordan asked.

They all gave him a look that said he knew damn well Jonathon wouldn’t show. Jordan sighed and made a mental note to reach out to Jonathon after the meeting was over.

“We’re all you got, big brother,” Jacob said.

Jordan nodded. “Okay. I know we’re all busy, so I’ll get straight to the point,” he said folding his arms. “We’ve got to take this partnership into consideration.”

“No, we don’t,” Jonas said, straight-laced, looking at his brother direct.

“Jonas—”

“Listen Jordan, I get it. Truly, I do. But this is a fact. We can’t trust the Valentines.”

“In a million years,” Jaden added stoically. He pulled another long swallow from his glass then headed to the bar to pour more, and Jonas’s gaze trailed him as he went.

“That’s because of what you think transpired between Jonathon and Lance long ago, but it’s not the case.”

Jordan had all of their attention now, more so than initially.

“What the hell are you talking about Rose?” Jonas barked.

“I’ve reached out to Lance after finding out through my fiancé that Jonathon and Lance were in a heated exchange when they bumped into each other at the mall earlier today. Apparently, Selena seems to think this is all a misunderstanding, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it. Lance is adamant that he never offered his father guidance on how to bid, and he’s set to rectify it once and for all.”

Jaden pulled his gaze from the clear liquor to stare at Jordan. “And how exactly does he plan to do that?”

“I don’t have all the answers,” Jordan said, “I’m just relaying the message.”

“So, what do you propose?”

It was Julian who’d spoken.

“The benefits of a partnership like this outweigh a feud if it’s something we can bring to a rest. King Winthrope’s arguments ring true. We are powerful separately, but together we can bring an end to the hunger crisis in our city and expand our endeavors to Africa. This isn’t something to toss without giving a solution a try.”

The room became quiet as the men processed Jordan’s words.

“We stand behind Jonathon,” Jaden said, “if what Lance says is true, then whichever direction Jonathon is willing to take is the one we should also.”

“Agreed,” Jonas, Jacob, and Julian said.

Jordan nodded. “I’ll reach out to Jonathon, and the next time we meet, we’ll be in the presence of the king and the Valentines with our final decision.”

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