Page 17 of Blackstone's Heart
"That's all I get? Hi Jax? When did dad start getting letters too?"
"Who told you?" She groaned dropping her forehead into the palm of her hand.
"Dad did, or rather, he sent me and Hayden an email. I tried calling but it went to voicemail."Jax answered, his teeth grinding over the line.
Krista giggled at the tone of her oldest brother. "He's in court this morning Jax. But according to dad, the letters started a month ago."
"What is he doing for your protection? Have the Feds been notified?"
"Yes. Cain and Jimmy know. As for what's been done? Dad went to, are you ready for this? He went to Ethan."
There was a pause and what sounded like to her, as her brother dropping into his chair."Ethan? As in Ooh rah, jarhead Marine, your former boyfriend Ethan?"
Krista laughed hard at that. "Yes, the very same. You know he opened Blackout Security two years ago. Dad figured they would be a good choice. Plus, my research has pointed to that same conclusion. So far, they've replaced my security system with one of theirs and are planning on sending at least two of their guys with me and Jerry to New York. You and Hayden would love the new system by the way. Danny would probably cream himself at all that fancy tech shit."
Jax grunted."Well, if Dad thinks it's for the best, then they must be."He cleared his throat."You okay? I mean, with all this added stress."
"I'm good Jax. My latest book is ready to go. These next couple of weeks are just a prelude to the big launch in October. After the letters started coming weekly, Jerry and I agreed to host the release party here in Austin. I should have the final details by the end of the week."
"Good, good. Well, I gotta get going. You take care of yourself baby sister. Keep me posted. Oh, you might want to call Hayden. He was in some big merger meeting so I only got a text. "
"Great, Hayden's gonna be more of a worrywart than you." Krista snorted.
***
Ethan sat at his desk at Blackout reading over the final report from one of his other teams on a security detail. Liking what he read, he pulled up the casefile and began typing up the final notes and information for the client. Though a necessary evil, Ethan still hated this part about being the boss man. The dammed paperwork that was involved. He had just hit print and save when a knocked interrupted his mental grumbling about paperwork.
"Yeah?"
Grant walked in and sat a Starbucks coffee in front of Ethan. "Thought I'd bring ya something."
"Thanks. So, how was shopping?" Ethan asked with a teasing grin.
Grant groaned. "That Krista would put my girls to shame. Jerry was just as bad."
Ethan laughed. "Oh I remember how she was as a kid. Somehow she always managed to con me, Jax and usually Danny into taking her shopping. How Hayden always managed to escape bellboy duty still eludes me. Anyway, all she had to do was smile, bat her eyes and beg and we were done."
"She had you pussy whipped back then huh?" Grant smirked.
"Screw you." Ethan grumbled.
"Well, shopping was uneventful. She did get a call from her older brother Jax. Seems last night Counselor Jameson sent an email to him and Hayden filling them on his letters. Sounded like big brother was a bit pissed. When Krista told him you were involved he appeared to calm down." Grant reported.
Ethan nodded as he sipped his coffee. "Not surprising, Jackson Jameson was always the most protective of her three brothers. Hell, it came to a fist fight in their backyard when he found out me and Krista were dating. Krista had been the one to break it up."
Grant's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "How'd she do that?"
Ethan rubbed his jaw as if remembering. "Well, Jax and I had just stood up after we tried to body slam each other. I was getting ready to walk away; he was getting ready to throw another punch. Next thing we know, Krista is between us, spitting mad. She faced Jax, called him a jackass then knocked him on his ass with a left hook. She spun on me called me the same and dropped me with a right."
Grant stared at him in shock before doubling over in laughter. Ethan rolled his eyes and flipped off his weapons tech. Finally, the other man stopped laughing, but his lips still twitched. "She...um...she actually laid you out?"
"What the hell was I supposed to do? Hit her back? Yeah right. But Jax and I should have seen it coming. We, plus Hayden and Danny taught her to fight. When she was little she insisted on following us everywhere. When we realized we couldn't shake her, we taught her to be one of the guys. Plus, I suspect Nick helped a bit there too." Ethan nodded.
"She's a unique woman I will say that. She looks like some fussy pampered princess. Then she opens her mouth and she sounds like one of the guys. On the drive back to her place she called her other brother, the one in Houston. Whew, the words that flew out of her mouth would make most sailors blush." Grant whistled.
"Don't I know it. At any given point growing up, me or one of her brothers have been on the receiving end of that sharp tongue of hers. Yet in front of Debbie and Nick she was all sugar and spice." Ethan snorted.
"Any ideas on New York? We only have three weeks till she and Jerry leave." Grant inquired changing the subject.
