Page 26 of Mine, Forever

“I hear Jenkins has a boner for me. Any idea why?”

He hesitated before lowering his voice. “Yeah, it’s strange, that’s for sure. All I figure is Giordy is pulling some string of his.”

“Have a word with him, will you?”

“He’s the goddamn Commissioner, Jett.”

“Yes, and you’re a goddamn Senator. Do your fucking job, or I’ll out you to everyone. You’ll never work in this city again.”

“Okay, okay… I’ll see what I can do.”

I hung up. Joe knew I knew his fetishes, and I knew his involvement. It was fucking disgusting, but he was entitled to his little fantasy—fuck, I had mine. This little secret of his could destroy him and that perfect family image he held so close.

I felt the cell buzz in my hand. I looked down at the text and cringed. It was from Maria.

“He’s demanding to see isolation.”

John was still legally the owner of Serenity now that he was miraculously still alive. If I didn’t get rid of him soon, he’d steal Ebony from me. I just couldn’t let that happen.

She was mine.

I had to protect her from him.

“Stall him. I’m on my way.”

“Boss?” I spun around, hung up the cell, and grabbed my gun. Without thinking, I shot before looking to see who it was. Ty went down quick, spilling blood out over the cement floor of the office. It wasn’t a mortal wound. I got him in the leg because I hadn’t been focussed.

Lucky for him.

“Don’t sneak up on me, kid. Now, go clean yourself up.”

Walking to my car, I left him there. I had better things to do than watch him bleed everywhere, probably crying while he mopped up the blood. He was young, and not used to so much bloodshed even though he bragged he had killed over a dozen people before coming into my fold.

Yeah, fucking right.

I jumped in my car and headed for Serenity Asylum for a long overdue catch up with daddy dearest.

???

By the time I got to the asylum, John was waiting for me. I’d almost forgotten what he looked like, but his dark eyes were the same as was his five o’clock shadow. His hair was graying at the sides, the only thing about him that told me he had aged.

“Son.”

“John,” I greeted him. “Thought you were dead.”

“It’s good to see the man you’ve become. I always knew you had it in you.”

“Where have you been?” I countered, not wanting to put stock into his words. I didn’t need his approval. I needed him dead. This city was only big enough for one of us.

“Busy building an empire, but I’m back now.”

Like hell he was.

“What empire?”

“Something tells me you already know.”

Of course, I did. He’d started an empire when I was a kid and after years of trying to crack the market, he almost achieved his goal. That was when I’d taken him out, or so I’d thought.

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