Page 45 of Possessing Eden

“I gotta get dressed and shit?” James asks, and I can hear Sophia grumping loudly in the background.

“No. I need you to start the eviction process on one of your tenets.”

He blurts out, “What?”

And I can tell that was not what he expected me to ask.

“They’re residing in one of the units in your Princeton Park community.”

“One, I don’t do evictions, that’s for the property managers to do. Two, those are my halfway houses. I don’t allow evictions there,” James says with a growl.

Hmm, I didn’t know that.

“What do you mean halfway house?”

“That’s where I allow people to move in so they can find a better life, asshole,” James snaps. “We don’t evict the moms and shit from there. They need the help.”

“Well, I’ll be,” I say and look down at the photo in my hands. “You have a heart after all, James.”

The phone disconnects before I can say anything else.

Shit.

I really don’t want to play the ace card that’s up my sleeve right now. Simon will ask too many damn questions.

Dialing Johnathan, I wait through three rings before he picks it up.

“Jude,” he says.

“Johnathan, I have a favor to ask,” I say and wince at the wording I just used.

Favors are dangerous things that should never be used lightly.

There’s a long pause and I can hear him moving around in the background before he asks, “What is it?”

“Well, it’s more of a favor I need to ask of your lovely wife,” I say then wince again.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Lovely wife?

He’s going to shoot me.

“My wife?” Johnathan asks, and I can almost hear the gears in his head grinding to a halt.

“Yes,” I say and wait.

I can hear him moving around again. “Does it involve danger, guns, or her leaving the house right now?”

“No, no, and perhaps tomorrow.”

“Beth, baby, Jude needs a favor from us. I’m putting you on speakerphone.”

“Of her, Johnathan.Of her.” I try to cover my ass.

A favor owed to Johnathan is an easy opening for trouble.

Johnathan laughs. “We’ll see, asshole.”

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