Page 14 of One Weekend in Boston

It killed me to say that to Shannon. I wanted to be the only one who helped her and it sucked that asking Matthew for help was the best choice. I loved my brother, but I would never live this down.

"He's not wrong," Matthew said with a shrug.

I bit my tongue to stop a smart-ass remark from falling from my lips. I needed his help. Pissing him off wasn't a good idea, even if that was my role as a little brother.

Shannon looked like she wanted to disagree but, in the end, nodded her head yes. I reminded myself again it was the best thing for her.

SEVEN

Shannon

Why did something so right feel so wrong?

I knew letting Matthew help was for the best. Jack didn't tell me exactly what his brother did but based on the fact that he was able to get Jack's documents so Davis couldn't find us was a clear indication that whatever Matthew did had enough power to help my situation.

That didn't mean I had to like it. Relying on people in general was a quality I didn't possess on a good day.

And today wasn't a good day.

"Okay," I sighed. "I appreciate the help."

"Excellent!" Matthew clapped his hand on Jack's back. "I'll be in touch. In the meantime, try to stay out of trouble. I've got bail money set aside but I would prefer not to use it. Oh, and if you do happen to do something, like say, off someone, call me first. There are better ways to get rid of a body than calling the police."

That seemed to be Matthew's version of a goodbye because he winked at me and then walked out of the hotel room, leaving me confused. I couldn't tell if he was serious or not.

"Don't listen to him," Jack told me, but at no point did he explain Matthew’s cryptic suggestion. So of course, I asked.

"Care to explain what he meant by that?"

Jack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Whether it was to stall or gather his thoughts was anyone's guess.

"Not really." He held up his hand when I started to interrupt. "But only because my brother has never told me what he does for the company he works for. Matthew and I were both special ops. I know for a fact he continued a similar line of work when he joined the security company. We have a ‘don't ask don't tell’ policy and it works for us. I don't want to know, and he doesn't want me to know."

It was more than I expected to get from him, so I’d take it. I didn't need specifics. Plausible deniability and all that. It was better I didn't know what was going to happen. For my sanity.

I looked around the room again. Everything about it touted money and prestige, neither of which I expected from Jack considering he was an electrician.

"Nice place."

Jack sat down on the king-sized bed. Although the couch looked big enough for me to sleep on if I wanted to but I doubt it would be necessary. The bed was plenty large enough for the two of us.

"It wouldn't have been my first pick but maybe that's why Matthew chose it. Even without knowing who was after you, this made sense. I don’t have a history of staying at places like this and I doubt Davis would look here for you."

I chuckled at the thought. "Definitely not. Money was one of the things we fought a lot about. Davis liked to flaunt his, whereas I preferred the simple life. My father did well forhimself, but it was because he chose to live simply and to pay his workers better. That was one of the first suggestions Davis made about my father's business. Stop paying my people so much."

Even if my father never taught me a single thing about the business side of things, I would've known Davis' logic was flawed. People tended to work harder and to be more loyal if you paid them accordingly. It was certainly true in my father's case. Most of his employees had been with him for ten-plus years, and the ones who weren't, came on as apprentices and stayed after their time was done.

"Shows what a greedy fucker he is. Anyone who cares about their employees is going to treat them with respect and pay them accordingly."

"See, you get it." I smiled at him. "Do you work for yourself or for someone?"

Jack looked uncomfortable again. He cleared his throat before answering. "I work for myself but have a few employees."

Something didn't add up. I squinted my eyes at him. "A few? Define a few."

Jack looked defeated when he finally answered. "I own JM Electrical Services."

That got my attention. “Wait, I know that name. I’ve used that company. My father used that company all the time for the shop and his personal needs because they are the best in the region. Great service. Great prices. The reviews are fantastic with offices up and down the East Coast.” A “few” was a vast understatement.

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