Page 50 of Barrett

“What?” Vail yelled as stunned as I was. “You’re going to bring Barrett, a cop, onto your team? Who are you, and what have you done with my big bad mafia boss?”

“Honestly, Vail.” Jordan lifted his mug and took a sip before walking to the couch. He held his mug out of reach since Aspen was now awake and very interested in the scent Jordan brought with him. “If Barrett were to work for me in a more official role, it would be under the strictest of rules that he has no contact with the East Dremest PD.”

“And you’d trust him if he said he didn’t?” Vail wasn’t stupid. Hartley and he saw many sides of Jordan.

“I trust Reghan. If he were to bring Barrett here, if Barrett no longer worked in his current role, I would… accept it and see what I could do for him. Reghan wouldn’t endanger us.” His eyes met mine in a pointed glare.

I quickly said, “You’re right, sir. I wouldn’t do anything to cause harm to you or your family.”

“You’d probably make him work his way up,” Vail added.

“Maybe. Barrett has done a lot for me over the years. I don’t trust him fully, but a lot of that comes from the job he does. It’s also why he’s not allowed here unless he’s in trouble or has a warrant. I don’t want him coming into our home while being employed there.” I didn’t blame Jordan. If I’d been him, I would do everything in my power to protect my loved ones. I also knew Barrett had no plans to leave his current job, at least on his own accord.

Vail peered up at Jordan with so much love in his eyes. It made me wonder if I looked at Barrett similarly. Was it so obvious how much I cared about him? How deep I was already in this with him, and we’d hardly been dating? One night in bed with him changed a lot between us. The mask was gone. The walls were down. He couldn’t hide from me if he tried.

“You’re a good man,” Vail told Jordan.

“I’m not, but I appreciate that you see me that way.”

“You might do stuff I don’t like but you also do plenty to help others. By the way, how’s it going with the kidnappings?” Vail didn’t usually get involved in what Jordan did. With the kidnappings all over the news and another victim taken yesterday from a different neighboring county, there were a lot of eyes on the police and why they weren’t doing more.

“Nothing new. It’s hard for me to get a lot from local law enforcement. Lawson can hack into their systems, but they only have so much. He found video footage with a shoe in it at the last location a man was taken. Nothing solid.”

Neither Vail nor Hartley fit the profile of the men who were taken. They also both had two guards on them when they left the building now. Raiden and Rory were currently with Hartley at his studio.

“It’s also nothing for you to worry about,” he told Vail. Jordan leaned down to kiss him. “I’ll handle it.”

“I know. I just wish it wasn’t happening.”

A growl worked its way up Jordan’s throat. Vail was used to it though. “If I find who’s doing this, he’ll wish he never chose to do so in my city.”

The thought of Jordan torturing and killing people used to upset Vail. It still did, but there was a calmness about him now, an acceptance. They weren’t going to change who Jordan was or the things he did, but they could keep him grounded and remind him of what he had to come home to.

I encouraged Jordan to do what he did. I helped him more times than I could count. The police wouldn’t take care of business the way we did. They were also corrupt as hell. Capturing this guy was a show for the police department. Yes, Barrett took it seriously, but that was because he cared deeply. The others who worked there who were lower on the pay scale, I didn’t know.

Jordan looked my way, as if he could read my mind and understand I was thinking about Barrett. “Is he taking extra precautions?” He referred to Marshall. No one else here knew about him. As far as I was concerned, that was for Barrett to tell, not me.

“He is. Barrett wants to catch this person as much as you do. He’s scouring the city again today.” Barrett worried he missed something. That there was a clue he’d overlooked. He didn’t. One of us would have found it if he did, or Lawson, for that matter. Jordan’s guards were thorough.

Jordan’s phone must have vibrated in his pocket because he reached in to withdraw it and barked, “What?” when he answered. I watched his face and noticed the muscle tick in his jaw. His eyes narrowed. Even Aspen whimpered. Jordan was a force all on his own. “I want the photos sent to me.” He hung up. “Lawson caught the back of the guy, at least he thinks. He found more footage from the recent kidnapping. It happened right before the man disappeared.” Jordan glanced down at his phone, tapping on the screen. “It’s not much. Jeans, a hoodie again, medium build by the looks of it, and sneakers. It’s more than we had. I’m sending it to Barry for him to distribute. I want all of you on the lookout.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“Tell Barrett, but he can’t have the photos. You can show them to him when you see him next.”

I stood stunned for a moment. The words left him so easily, allowing me to share it with Barrett.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Jordan growled. I snapped my mouth closed. “Barrett is out there looking; he should know this. I don’t give a fuck who catches this asshole.”

“Yes, you do,” Vail stated.

“Fine, I do. I want it to be Barrett or one of us. He’ll bring him to me. I’ll torture this motherfucker until he tells me where the men are. I’ll sever appendages. I’ll make him bleed slowly to drag it out.”

I coughed, hoping to break Jordan’s spell.

“Fuck,” he whispered and turned to Vail. He rounded the couch, placing his mug on the coffee table before dropping to his knees in front of Vail and taking Vail’s face into his hands. “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have said that. I forgot who was here and only saw the need for answers and revenge.”

“It’s okay. I’ve been with you long enough. At least you didn’t go into more detail.”

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