He wrapped a hand around my jaw, tipped my head back and moved in, giving me a soft, sweet morning kiss.
Oh yeah. This together togetherness rocked.
And did in a way that would last forever.
So that rocked a helluva lot more.
He disengaged and said in his sweet voice, “Mornin’, baby.”
“Mornin’,” I replied, snuggling deeper into his warm, hard body. Then I declared, “I have to apologize.”
He did a slow blink and asked, “For what?”
“For going back on the promise I made myself last Sunday that I’d make you breakfast in bed every Sunday morning until the day my arthritic hands couldn’t crack open an egg.” I watched his face get soft(er) and thus hot(ter) and kept talking. “But I have to talk with Lee, and I have to get to Fortnum’s to check in.” I snuggled even closer and finished on a whisper, “But you pick a day this week, I’ll make up for it.”
“You don’t have to make up for it, Ally,” he replied.
“Yes, I do.”
“Babe, you don’t.”
“Babe, you liked it,” I stated. “And I liked that you liked it. And I like doing things for you that you like. So give that to me and think on a day when you’ll take my rain check.”
It was him that pulled me closer when he said, “All right, honey.”
I kept snuggled close as I moved on to the hard part. “There’s something else I need to tell you when you’re in a sweet, waking up Sunday morning mood.”
His eyes came alert and his lips muttered, “Oh shit.”
Oh yeah, oh shit.
“Okay, there hasn’t been a good time to tell you this because there is no good time to tell you this, but also things have been kinda busy, so I’m picking now because you need to know,” I explained.
“Just tell me, Ally,” Ren demanded.
“I know who wrote that book. She’s a member of the Fortnum’s family. Her name is Jane,” I said quickly.
“Fuck,” he growled, “Seriously?”
“I don’t know if you’ve met her but—”
“Does your brother know?” he cut me off to ask.
“Which one?” I asked back.
“Either one, Ally,” he clipped, impatient.
“Um… well, yeah. Both of them do.”
“And what’re they doin’ about this shit?”
“Nothing.”
Ren stared at me a beat before he asked, “Nothing?”
“She’s a member of the family, honey,” I said quietly.
“Who’s tradin’ on the private lives of that family,” Ren returned.
“Who’s weaving fairytales,” I countered and slid up so we were eye to eye. “She’s wanted this her whole life.”
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“It’s beautiful, Ren. All of it. Why shouldn’t the world know?”
His head jerked against the pillow and he clamped his mouth shut.
“I’m not mad,” I told him. “None of the girls are mad. Neither Hank nor Lee freaked about it. And I want you to try to dig deep in you to find that to give to Jane because I care about her. And I believe in what she’s doing.” I shot him a smile. “Everyone should know how righteous we are.”
“Does it matter to you that I don’t want everyone to know how righteous I am?” he asked.
“Yes,” I answered. “And if you dig deep and find that you can’t get there, you tell me. I’ll do what I can. In the meantime, I think we both need to read Indy and Lee’s book so we know exactly what we’re dealing with.”
He drew in a breath before he murmured, “That I can do.” My lips started turning up again, but his arms gave me a squeeze. “I don’t wanna do it, babe. That kind of book is not my thing and there are things about your brother and his woman I do not want to know…” He paused. “Like everything.”
I again had to fight my lips turning up as he carried on.
“But I should know how bad it is before I make a decision.”
“Or how good it is.” I gave him an alternate option.
“Whatever,” he mumbled.
I let loose my grin.
Ren caught it. The irritation leaked out of his eyes and he sighed.
Loved my man.
“I need to call, Lee, baby,” I reminded him.
“Right,” he replied and rolled to his back, taking me with him. He let me go to reach to my jeans on the floor where he pulled out my phone, settled back in bed and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I muttered and went about engaging Lee.
After two rings, my brother answered with an, “Ally.”
“Yo, bro,” I replied. “Do you have some time for me this morning? It’s important.”
“Need to talk to you, too,” he stated.
Interesting.
My curiosity peaked, I asked, “About what?”
“About Indy,” he answered. “Last few days, morning sickness hit. It’s not good. It’s gonna be tough for her to be at the store. I know you’re workin’ a case, but with Indy in this state and Jet gettin’ to the point where she shouldn’t be on her feet for hours, she needs you. Indy feels shit she can’t take Jet’s back, but when she’s pukin’ half the time, she can’t do it. She won’t ask, but I will. She needs you.”
“Of course,” I said instantly. “I’m going to the store anyway. But need to talk to you.”
“About what?” he asked my question.
“Face to face, bro.”
“Shit,” he muttered.
“It’s not bad.” I thought on that statement and changed my tune. “Well, it’s not good. Actually it is bad, but I’m hoping it can be fixed.”
A pause before he asked, “You want me to come to you or you to me?’
“You’re close to the store, and I’m going there anyway so I’ll come to you.”
“Text me when you’re on your way and I’ll meet you at the store.”
“Copy that.”
“Later, Ally.”
“Right back at ‘cha, Lee.”
We disconnected and I looked to Ren. “Indy got hit by morning sickness, so I’m gonna be needed more at the store.”
“I take it that means there’s no time for a quickie,” Ren remarked.
Alas, that was what it meant.
I frowned at him in disappointment.
He grinned at me, curled up and gave me a light kiss.
When he was done, he whispered, “Go get ‘em, baby.”
I bent my neck, kissed his throat, gave him a smile then jumped out of bed in order to do what I did.
That was go and get ‘em.
* * * * *
Lee studied the note from Meena.
We were at Fortnum’s standing way at the back in the religion section. We were there because we needed optimum Fortnum’s privacy and this was the best there was. The religion section, right or wrong, didn’t see a lot of action.
Lee looked from the note to me.
“This is not good,” he stated.
“I know,” I replied.
“Ally—”
I leaned into him. “I need your help.”
He stared at me.
I kept talking. “It’s bad there, Lee. The vibe is total shit. The girls are scared out of their minds. Roam has seen Steiner take money from dancers and waitresses. I haven’t seen anyone else in the club who was giving me the willies, but my guess is that when Meena said there were eyes all around, she didn’t just mean Steiner and his partner. Something has to be done about that, and soon. Smithie’s in danger and, bottom line, this is bigger than me.”
Lee just kept staring at me.
So I kept talking.
“If you don’t want to take the case, then I need some of your guys. I need more of Brody’s time. I’ll pay them and—”
Lee cut me off. “It’s not about the case.”
“Then why are you hesitating?” I asked. “This is Smithie.”
He stared at me another beat and right before
I lost my patience, he stated, “We’ll get into the why later. Right now, I’m gonna make some calls and get some boys in the field, focus Brody. I’ll call you when we got something and we’ll have a meeting. Yeah?”
We’d have a meeting?
We?
Me, my brother, and his team?
I didn’t ask. I didn’t do cartwheels. I didn’t grab him and do a girlie hug.
I just nodded and said, “Yeah.”
“Roam and Sniff off this thing?” he asked.
“Darius called them down when Gibbons entered the picture,” I answered.
“Good,” he muttered, looked at the note again and back at me. “Got shit to do. Keep your phone on you.”
I nodded.
He gave me nothing; not a look, not a smile, not a thing, and he was gone.
I wandered out of the books, got to the front and saw Daisy with her Juicy Couture covered ass in a couch with a laptop on her lap surrounded by Jet, Roxie, Stella and Sadie (not in Juicy Couture, and Stella’s awesome rock tee was making me nostalgic for my collection that was destroyed by an explosion).
Time to hit some concerts. Then again, it was always time to hit some concerts.
Daisy looked up and spied me.
“Sugar, get over here!” she called excitedly. “Roxie’s put some website ideas together and brought them in.”
“They’re all the bomb,” Stella said as I moved that way, curious to see and also feeling that feeling I was getting to know and oh-so-definitely loved flowing through me.
“I don’t know how you’re gonna pick,” Jet told me.
Sadie moved to an armchair so I could squish between Daisy and Stella.
“Here’s one,” Daisy stated then clicked. “And the next.” Another click. “And the third,” she said. “Aren’t they amazing?”
They were.
Every one.
Totally.
I looked across Daisy to Roxie. “They’re righteous.”
Roxie grinned. “I’m pretty pleased with them.” Her eyes moved to the screen. “Though, you need a name. It’s hard for Ava and me to come up with looks and color schemes if you don’t have a company title.”
“Rock Chick Investigations,” I announced and felt all eyes on me. “Colors, hot pink and black.”
“Aces,” Sadie breathed.
I looked at her and grinned. “I know, right?”
“That’s perfect,” Jet said.
“Hot pink and black, like the book,” Roxie pointed out.
I moved my eyes to her and nodded.
As if on cue, Tex boomed from behind the espresso counter, “Loopy Loo! B.A.! You feel like workin’ or you gonna hen peck all day?” He looked to Duke who was beside him. “And where’s Jane? Indy’s at home hurlin’. Loopy Loo’s in the bathroom all the time. We need fuckin’ help.”
He stopped booming long enough to point at me before he started up again.
“You! B.A.! You got a man in your bed now, you get pregnant, I’m quittin’.”
The customer waiting at the end of the counter for her coffee turned to me and immediately begged, “Please don’t get pregnant. My life sucks. All I have to look forward to every day is this crazy guy’s coffee. If he quits, what will I do?”
“I’m not getting pregnant,” I assured her and she looked visibly relieved. I then turned my attention to Tex. “And you’ve only got two customers. You and Duke can handle it.”
“I got two customers, but I’m low on mugs. You want me to fill ‘em, you wash ‘em. I don’t wash. I fill. That’s the deal,” Tex shot back (loudly). “So get to clearin’ and cleanin’.”
This was true.
Still, I was doing something.
I was also curious.
“What’s with the B.A. shit?” I asked.
“Bad,” Tex pointed at me, “Ass.”
Holy crap!
I loved that!
I was Fortnum’s own Mr. T, except white, female and without the Mohawk.
Righteous!
“You know,” Jet put in. “Because Indy’s not here doesn’t make you the boss. If anyone’s the boss, it’s Duke.”
Tex turned to Duke and declared (again loudly), “I don’t wash.”
“Man, been workin’ beside you two years. I know you don’t wash. I don’t care that you don’t wash. What I do care about is you shoutin’ at me when I’m two feet away. And don’t shout at the girls either. They’ll get to the empties.” Duke shook his head. “Jesus. You just got married a few days ago. You’d think connin’ a good woman into takin’ your name would get you to cool it.”
“You got married?” the customer Duke was handing coffee asked Tex and didn’t wait for an answer before she said, “Congratulations.”
“Shut it,” Tex boomed.
“Tex!” Jet snapped.
“What?” he snapped back.
Jet gave up on Tex and looked at the customer. “I’m sorry.”
“He’s told me to shut it three times this week,” the woman replied then took a sip of coffee, lifted her paper cup and let that say what she needed it to say (and it said it) before she wandered out of the store.
Tex piped down and I turned my attention to Sadie when she asked, “Where is Jane anyway?”
There were some looks and no one said anything so I waded in. “Do you all know?”
“About the book?” Jet asked and I nodded.
“Yep,” Stella said.
“Mm-hmm,” Roxie mumbled.
“Hector told me this morning,” Sadie added.
“Marcus told me last night. Shocked the shit outta me at first, then I got it,” Daisy said.
I tested the waters. “Are any of you angry?”
“Hell no,” Stella answered right away. “My record company is beside themselves. They say those books are gonna sell a shit ton of records. Mace is still pissed though. First he was pissed because the books existed. Now he’s pissed because he can’t say anything. Then again, Mace has a short fuse and he gets pissed a lot.”
This was true, but the sultry grin on her face said, at least for her, this wasn’t a bad thing.
“I know,” Jet put in. “Anyone but Jane, those guys would lose their minds. Jane, though, she wouldn’t hurt a fly. So what do you do?”
“Hector doesn’t care,” Sadie added. “Then again, he was more worried about me.” Her eyes wandered the room and she continued quietly as they did, “But this place, it’s where dreams come true.” She looked to us. “So why shouldn’t Jane’s come true, too?”
“You got that right, sister,” I replied and Sadie smiled.
The bell over the door went and a couple of customers walked in.
Tex took this as his prompt to shout, “Hello! Empties?”
Jet jumped up.
I reached in, commandeered the laptop touchpad, clicked and looked to Roxie. “Can we work with that one?”
She smiled. “Absolutely.”
I smiled back, got up and got to work.
In order not to set Tex off, I bided my time and corralled Duke when Tex had plenty of clean mugs to fill, Jet was not in the bathroom and we were in a rare lull.
I approached Duke behind the book counter.
“Two shakes?” I asked.
“Got as many shakes as you need, darlin’,” he answered.
I grinned, got close and put my back to the room. “Don’t wanna take you out of this space and make anyone curious by going into the books but I need your wisdom. I also need your promise you won’t share anything I say until we decide it needs to be shared.”
“Won’t say a word, Ally.”
I nodded and got a little closer. Then, as quietly as I could, as fast as I could but as thorough as I could, I shared the situation with Darius, Malia and Liam Edward Clark.
When I stopped talking, his eyes were wide and his lips formed the gravelly words, “Fuckin’ hell.”
“I know,” I agreed.
“Fuckin’ hell,” he repeated.
&
nbsp; “I know, Duke,” I replied. “Now what do we do?”
For some reason, he turned his head and looked to the front door. What he did not do was look back at me.
“Duke?” I called.
That was when he looked back at me to say, “It’s worse than I thought.”
“Mm-hmm,” I mumbled.
“I need time with this,” he told me.
I got that, so I nodded.
“Fuckin’ hell,” Duke repeated.
“Duke—”
He interrupted me. “Would sell my soul to have Joshua back. He’s got a boy in this town he don’t see?”
Uh-oh.
I got closer. “Duke—”
“No, Ally,” he shook his head, “not angry. Just thinkin’. And I need time to think more.”
“Okay, I feel you,” I said. “But can I ask you don’t take too much of it? We’re already way out of the zone where a successful reunion would be anything but difficult for them. We don’t need to be so out of that zone it’s an impossibility.”
His gaze grew intense. “No way I’m gonna fuck around thinkin’ on this, Ally. There are many things in life that are precious. Your child is the top of that list.”
I pressed my lips together and nodded.
Duke started to walk away, but before he could pass me, I reached out, grabbed his hand and squeezed.
I let him go just as quickly as I grabbed him and he kept going.
I got back to work, but I found the time to hit the shelves again to make a call to Jane to let her know at least the girls were cool so she could come out of hiding. But I got her voicemail so I left a message.
As I was walking out, while I was shoving my phone back in my pocket, it binged.
I looked at it and saw a text from Lee. I didn’t need to open it as it was short and the entirety of it fit on the notification.
Team meeting. Office. Two hours.
He had something.
Already.
God, my brother was good.
Team meeting.
That feeling stole through me again.
Therefore, I was grinning when I went about yet again collecting empties.
Chapter Thirty
For Me
Ren
Ren Zano hiked the strap of his workout bag more firmly on his shoulder as he walked from the gym to his Jag while pulling out his ringing phone.