Fuck, she was gone for him too.
Deep.
He had her heart, he knew it in that instant and he also knew one other thing.
He sure as fuck was never giving it back.
“Jake?” she called when he said nothing.
“Right here,” he pushed out.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
Fuck yeah, he was.
“Yep,” he answered.
Her head tipped to the side and she opened her mouth but Ethan took that moment to walk in.
“So, who’s takin’ me to school?” he asked but didn’t wait for an answer, he kept jabbering. “I cannot freakin’ wait to tell everyone I met Lavon freaking Burkett! They’re gonna spaz!”
Jake pushed away from his spot at the counter, putting down his mug, saying, “I’m takin’ you, bud. You’re ready, grab your bag and out to the truck.”
“Right,” Ethan muttered and looked to Josie. “Later, Josie.”
“Have a good day at school, honey,” she replied.
He took off.
Jake went to her, got close and put both hands to either side of her neck.
“Come nine o’clock, babe, you call the firm and find out what gives with Terry and who they got to represent you.”
She put her hands to his waist and nodded.
He kept at her.
“You get a call to arrange a meeting, don’t agree to anything until you ask me. I’m coming with.”
She nodded again.
“Now, kiss me,” he ordered.
Without delay, she rolled up on her toes and gave him her mouth.
He took it and drank deep, but not long before he broke their connection, shifted to give her nose a kiss and he did this giving her neck a squeeze.
When he caught her eyes, he said, “Tonight we’re here again. Until I get a lock on what your uncle is up to, we’re staking claim to Lavender House.”
She pressed closer and said, “Agreed.”
“Kids dealt with last night no problems and we didn’t have a meeting but I got the chance to talk to each of them and they’re good with all of us having more of you.”
At that, she melted into him and whispered, “Good.”
“I get the good parts,” he told her.
And at that, she smiled at him.
Getting that from her, knowing he was leaving her good, Jake bent again and brushed his mouth against hers.
“Later, Slick,” he said when he lifted his head.
“Later, darling,” she replied.
He gave her neck another squeeze, let her go and walked out so he could take his son to school.
* * * * *
Jake was up on a stepladder at the side of the front door to Lavender House that afternoon when Josie drove up in her Cayenne, Ethan in the passenger seat.
Ethan got out, dashed into the house and did this saying, “Yo, Dad!”
He didn’t miss a step or slow. He had a fridge to raid.
Josie got out and walked slowly up to the front door on her high heels, her hips in her jeans swaying in a way he liked a fuckuva lot.
She stopped, looked at the lamp he was installing then down to the boxes of lamps piled on the ground.
“Motion sensors. Every outside light. You got about a million of them,” he explained and regained her eyes.
Soft eyes. Sweet eyes. Eyes that said a fuckuva lot.
Then she smiled a soft smile. A sweet smile. A smile that said a fuckuva lot.
After that, she said quietly, “Be careful, darling,” and walked into the house.
That was when Jake smiled.
* * * * *
Josie slid in bed beside him after going to the bathroom and cleaning up.
When she did, Jake curled an arm around her, rolled to his back taking her with him and stretched out an arm to turn out the light.
When he settled them in, her mostly on him, partly on his side but still pressed deep, their legs tangled, she said into the dark, “I like ungloved.”
He’d had his checkup and the results were in. They were good to give up the condoms, thank Christ.
“I like it too, baby,” he replied, knowing he liked it a whole lot more than she did.
She was silent as she cuddled closer and he thought she was sorting herself to go to sleep when she called hesitantly, “Jake?”
“Right here,” he said on a squeeze of his arm around her.
“I, well…have something to tell you.”
Shit, the way she said that didn’t sound good.
Even so, he encouraged, “Tell me.”
“Um…well, you know, Amond is coming tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
“And you know he’s a friend of mine,” she went on.
“Yeah, Slick.”
She took in a deep breath and gave it to him.
“What you don’t know is that we had a night together some time ago.”
Shit.
Jake said nothing.
She lifted her head and he felt her eyes through the dark.
“You said not to keep anything from you,” she reminded him, her voice soft and cautious.
He did say that, fuck him.
“I said that, Josie,” he confirmed.
She didn’t go on nor did she move and he felt her vibe, her body beginning to get stiff. No longer cautious, she was getting scared. So he lifted his hand and wrapped it around her jaw, using his thumb to stroke her cheek.
“He’s gonna be here with you, I gotta know this. I can tell you know I don’t like having that history but I gotta have it. You gave it to me. I appreciate that. But more, baby, I know you didn’t live in a nunnery the last twenty years and you know I was no monk. It’s gonna come out because it has to, like me havin’ to share about Terry. So don’t be afraid of letting it out. It’s life and we share our lives, yeah?”
“Yes, Jake.”
“Now settle in and sleep.”
“Okay, darling,” she said right before she settled back in.
He gave her another squeeze when she did.
“Thanks for the honesty,” he whispered.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered back and he felt her relax against him.
She fell asleep before him.
But in her bed, in her house with his kids close and Josie tucked tight, he wasn’t far behind.
* * * * *
“Ohmigod, holy crap, ohmigod, this is gonna be epic,” boy Taylor breathed and he did this because Ethan just ran into the room and announced loudly that, “About fifty thousand Escalades are pulling up the drive!”
This meant rap star Dee-Amond had arrived.
It was the next afternoon and not surprisingly, after hearing the news he was coming, Amber showed up after school with both Taylors in tow and Conner had switched his shift with a bud so he could be there.
As for Jake, no way in fuck he wasn’t going to be around when Josie’s friend who also was her ex-lover showed. Mostly because he was male, rich, famous, good-looking and an ex-lover.
Actually, totally because of that.
At Ethan’s shout, Josie shot from her chair at the kitchen table and walked quickly on her heels out of the room.
The kids followed her, Jake coming up the rear.
When he got outside, he saw his son was exaggerating but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a cavalcade of flash Escalades in the drive.
Five of them.
The middle one closest to the house had its back door opening and Josie was rushing to it.
Jake stopped, crossed his arms on his chest and watched as Dee-Amond hefted his bulk out of the SUV, flashed a smile at Jake’s woman and folded her in his arms when she threw hers around him.
Shit.
“So…totally…epic,” boy Taylor declared.
“I can’t believe this,” girl Taylor whispered.
“I thought I was freaking out with Lavon Burkett but now I’m really freaking out,” his daughter announced in a breathy voice. “
I mean, he’s right here, in Magdalene at Josie’s house.”
“Come.” Jake heard Josie order and his eyes went from his girl to his woman to see she was thankfully no longer in Amond’s arms but had her hand in his and was guiding him their way.
His eyes were lifted to take in Lavender House and his mouth was moving, “Jesus, beautiful, I’m gettin’ it now why you’d wanna stay. This crib is tight.”
She grinned at him before she stopped him in front of his audience and threw out her hand.
“This is my posse,” she stated, words that, if anything else was happening at that moment, would make Jake smile.
He didn’t smile.
“Conner, Jake’s oldest.” She pointed to him and Conner stuck a hand out that Amond took and shook. “Amber, Jake’s daughter.” She motioned to Amber and his daughter clapped once before she stuck her hand out and Amond grinned at her and took it. “The Taylors, Amber’s personal posse, boy Taylor and girl Taylor,” Josie went on and Amond was obviously holding back laughter as he shook their hands in turn. “Ethan, Jake’s youngest,” she continued.
Amond spoke to Eath, saying, “Yo, little man,” as he stuck out his hand.
Ethan grabbed it and whispered, “Awesome.”
“And last, Jake,” Josie finished, her smiling eyes coming to him.
Jake looked from her to Amond to see the man had his gaze on Jake.
“Holy shit,” Amond said when Jake caught his eyes.
Even with this bizarre remark, Jake moved through the Taylors and extended a hand, muttering, “Pleasure.”
Amond took his hand and told him something he knew but was shocked as shit the rap star knew it.
“You’re The Truck.”
“Whoa! Dad! He knows you!” Ethan cried.
“Yep,” Jake answered Amond.
Amond let his hand go and turned to Josie. “Josephine, girl, you didn’t tell me your fighter was The Truck.” Before she could say anything, he looked back at Jake. “Caught your fight in Vegas against De Matteo. You fucked him up. Judges were jacked. He could barely stand and you were still dancing.”
Jake remembered that but he didn’t share with Amond that he was moving so he wouldn’t pass out.
“Fight fan?” Jake asked.
“Fu…hell yeah,” he answered.
“We’re even then seein’ as your music’s the shit,” Jake replied.
Amond grinned, the diamonds in his ears twinkling in the sun, his teeth so white, Jake was almost blinded.
“Everyone inside,” Josie ordered and he looked to her to see her grinning big, pleased Jake had passed preliminary inspection or pleased her friend was there. Or both.
It was Jake who was pleased when she moved to him, clasped hold of his arm in one hand, pressing to his side, and she turned back to Amond to extend a hand, noting, “I’m sorry, Amond. Circumstances have changed. We have a full house. But it’s a big house so we have your room covered. Though, I’m not sure where your crew is going to stay.”
“They got rooms in town,” Amond noted and Jake looked to the lane to see that his “crew” was already rolling out, leaving an Escalade behind for the boss. Jake looked back at the man when he went on, “I can stay there if you’re full.”
But Amond was watching her closely, probably wondering why the house was full.
“The kids would be disappointed if they didn’t get to brag at school that Dee-Amond was hanging with them tonight,” Josie told him the truth.
Amond looked from her to Jake, back to her and murmured, “Can’t disappoint the kids.”
“Absolutely not,” Josie agreed, dragging Jake in after latching on to Amond’s hand and doing the same with him.
Jake detached to close the door but Josie kept dragging Amond toward the kitchen, saying, “Let’s get you a drink before I start dinner.”
Before she disappeared into the kitchen, she threw a smile over her shoulder at Jake.
This meant Amond threw a look over his shoulder at Jake.
He was not smiling.
Then they disappeared.
Jake sighed, locked the door and followed them.
* * * * *
His cell on his desk at the club rang. Jake looked from the booze inventory to the phone and took the call.
“Yo,” he greeted.
“You are not gonna believe this shit, but fuckin’ Dee-Amond just walked in the door and asked to see you,” one of his bouncers said in his ear.
Not unexpected.
But still unwanted.
Earlier, drinks had gone well.
Dinner had gone well.
After the kids went to bed and they were sitting around talking, Jake eventually saying he had to get to the club had gone okay, but only okay because he wasn’t big on leaving Josie with Amond.
This was because it was clear Josie thought the world of Amond in a way he could accept but Amond thought the world of Josie in a way he didn’t like all that much.
He had no idea how what was about to go down would go.
Since the man got there, conversation had been surface. Josie led it, Jake followed. He thought at first it was because the kids were around, excited and what was hanging over her head was not something she wanted to get into when they were there.
But even after the Taylors took off and the kids had called it a night, Josie kept it surface. She wasn’t nervous. She didn’t give the vibe she was trying to hide something. And in the end, Jake took it as her wanting to enjoy her time with her friend and not have that shit fuck it up.
However, he’d not shared the particulars about anything but his gym. Jake had no clue how Amond would react to his club being a strip club. The man had an interesting past so he might be cool. He also might not like what Jake had being linked to Josie.
“Bring him to my door,” Jake said into the phone. “I’ll meet you there.”
“Gotcha,” was the reply.
He dropped his phone to the desk, got up and moved to the door.
He had it opened when Amond, not surprisingly garnering a shitload of attention, was ten feet away.
But Amond’s attention was centered on Jake.
“Totally cool to meet you,” his bouncer said when they stopped at the door, extending his hand to Amond.
“Yeah, brother,” Amond muttered over the music, taking his hand, gripping it, letting it go and turning right back to Jake.
Jake gave his boy a chin lift then turned to the side to let Amond in. Amond took the invitation and Jake followed him up the stairs, the door drowning out the music as it closed behind him.
Jake let Amond set the scene. The only thing he took was moving to the front of his desk, sitting his ass on the edge of it and crossing his arms.
Amond stood in the center of the room, leveled his eyes on Jake and opened with, “Got yourself a titty bar.”
Not starting great.
“Yep,” was Jake’s one-syllable reply.
Amond studied him.
Then he quit doing that and stated, “We’ll get this out there seein’ as I’m gettin’ the feeling it’s not lost on you. I’ve had Josephine.”
And not getting any better.
“She told me,” Jake shared.
Amond nodded and went on. “Wanted to keep her, she was not hip on that, so I kept her the only way she’d let me do it. I’m unattached but this is not about that. This is just about her bein’ a good woman that means somethin’ to me.”
Jake did nothing but nod.
Amond kept going.
“That’s outta the way, she’s dancin’ around shit and I’m guessin’ that you and your kids got a place seein’ as you live here but you’re in her house. And her house is a fuckin’ nice house. What I wanna know is, what is she dancin’ around and why the fuck you got you and your kids in my girl’s house?”
“I want her safe,” Jake replied.
“From what?” Amond fired his question back instantly.
“Her uncle is contesting the will. Since
this news came down on her, we’ve not heard anything. The firm her grandmother has used for years for counsel is not returning her calls. Her uncle is old but he’s got a history of bein’ a supreme asshole. That house means a lot to her, I’m not lettin’ her alone in it or takin’ her away from it to keep her at my place when he’s out there and I don’t know what he’s up to. But more, she doesn’t know what he’s up to and I know she feels safe there so that’s where she’s stayin’. Since she is, to keep her feelin’ that way, so am I. And I come with my kids.”
Amond moved to one of the chairs in front of his desk and leaned his weight into a hand at the back of it before asking, “What’s the story on this uncle?”
“I was close to her grandmother and she told me she’s not talked to her son for twenty-eight years, this bein’ when she got custody of Josie when her other son beat the shit outta her, put her in the hospital and she was not down with that. Her older boy was not big on her gettin’ involved. Bad blood turned acid and that was the last she ever heard from her boys. Seein’ as they were hanging tight after Josie’s dad knocked the crap outta her, I see where Lydie was comin’ from, cuttin’ those ties. Now, he’s in it for the money and maybe to jack Josie. I’m gonna see that doesn’t happen.”
He kept talking even when Amond’s eyes narrowed and his pissed off energy filled the room. When he was done talking, the man’s demeanor didn’t change even a little bit.
“Put her in the hospital?” he whispered.
“Yep. But he’s dead. His brother unfortunately isn’t. They were bad seeds from the beginning and grew that way, taught by a dad who by Lydie’s account was even fuckin’ worse.”
“Jesus, fuck.” Amond was still whispering.
“That’s about it,” Jake agreed.
“I didn’t know any of this shit,” Amond told him.
“If Lydie didn’t share, I’d still be trying to crack that nut. Josie didn’t give it to anyone. Not even Gagnon, until recently,” Jake replied.
“This guy have a name?” Amond asked.
Now, thank fuck, their conversation was getting better.
“You wading in?” Jake asked back.
“Fuck yeah,” Amond said.
“Davis Malone, the uncle,” Jake shared immediately. “Think he’s bankrolled by Boston Stone, a local big man who has a small dick, Josie wasn’t interested in it, made that clear and he wants to make her pay by gettin’ Lavender House. They got counsel by the name of Terry Baginski whose ass I unfortunately tapped a long time ago, didn’t enjoy it, didn’t call, and I don’t know if she’s just a bitch or a bitch with a grudge. But she’s waded in too.”