Page 57 of Blue-Eyed Jacks
Sue me, I kind of got stuck on her namesake.It was a hazard I should have been immune to by this point when dealing with her.
And for that, Wolf turned his vitriol on me.“Jackson, you’re going to take us down with this bullshit.”
“Trust me, I’m trying to avoid that.”
Tits broke in.“Has Kate contacted you?”
A great question.In fact, probably the best question anyone had asked so far.“No.”
She leaned back, putting a hand on Wolf’s arm as she did.The action turned him toward her and he deflated into his chair.Their hands stayed connected in the end.“You’re setting things into motion as a back-up, I take it?”
“Yes.In case she shows up here or calls or anything, I want a way out for her.”And Zoe.
Tits nodded slowly.“How far away should I reach?”
Another excellent question.One that Wolf pounced on.“Try Timbuktu?”
She shot a glance at him, quelling his joke.
“As far away as possible.Preferably somewhere Shock can’t find her, ever.”
Wolf didn’t hide his bitter head shake.
I addressed that.“I know it’s not going to be easy.”
“Why did you lie to Nonno?”He caught himself and corrected the statement with an addition, “Fuck, you lied to Big G, too.Christ!”
Yeah, he was a smart man.He was beginning to see the disaster looming.
Another thought dawned on him.“You’re going to have to step down.”
Right.And nope.No way in hell was I doing that until forced.“And what?Leave her swinging without an ace up the sleeve?No fucking way.Until I’m pushed out, I’m staying right here or climbing higher.”
He stared at me.“You have a fucking death wish, don’t you?”
“If it keeps her safe and the rest of you idiots out of the hot seat, yeah!”I pounded my finger on the desk, punctuating my words.“Think about this.If I’m out, and you’re still protecting me?You’re blamed.Any single one of you steps up for me, you’re a target.I’m doing you and all of them a favor by being glued to this chair.”
“He’s got a point,” Tits commented.Her eyes pleaded with Wolf to see reason.
“He’s an asshole who fucks a brother’s old lady.At least that’s how everyone else is going to see it.”
Tits indicated me with a toss of the hand as she spoke.“Everyoneknowshe’s an asshole.”
“Hey!”That was uncalled for.
“True.”Wolf tipped his head to concede.
“My own fucking VP.Cold, man.”
Their smiles mocked me.
A tap on the door interrupted my tirade before I could get it started.“What?”Fucking Sprout.
“Boss?I think you’re going to want to see this.”He held up the fancy smartphone he used for the multiple businesses he inherited with his wife’s money.The white screen wasn’t a message thread or anything on social media.I motioned for the device, resigned to whatever dumbass shit he’d drummed up to break the tension in the room.
His gift, my curse.
I stared at the short email.“Who the fuck sent this?”
