I put my ear buds back in my ears, turned up my new favorite Katy Perry song and ran to the beat of her latest hit, Dark Horse. I was coming after Kace and there was no going back.
Chapter Twenty
“Hysteria”
Jett
There was a definite change in Goldie and I noticed it after the morning I left her a note on her night stand. It was risky, dropping off the letter myself, but I wanted to be near her. I wanted her to be able to feel my heat and know that I was there for her, even though I had yet to truly meet her. It just wasn’t time yet. I wanted her to build herself first, become her own person. I wanted her to want to be a Jett Girl and not because she could be invited up to the Bourbon Room. I wanted her to want to change and it seemed like she did.
She was spunkier, sassier and sexier. Watching her practice with the girls was sweet torture. At first, she looked like she had two left feet as she tried to learn the steps to some of Pepper’s most complicated presentations, but she started to get it and when she did, fuck, I was sweating just watching her.
She wasn’t tall like the other girls, but she was curvy and in all the right places and she knew exactly how to show off all her assets. She was going to be trouble with the members and I was prepared to throw out every member of the club who even tried to touch her. She was only there for them to look at and, if I were honest, I didn’t even want that.
“I thought this meeting was at one,” Kace said as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat next to me. He was wearing a suit and tie and was basically with me for intimidation factor. Two strong, tall and powerful men against one always carried the advantage, and that was what I needed, an advantage.
“Patience, Kace.”
“Fuck patience. I have shit to do today.”
“Like what?”
“I have practices to watch. I don’t spend my days watching over people on security cameras. I actually have to interact with them.”
I leaned back in my chair and swished the bourbon around in my glass as I studied my friend for too many years. He was always a moody little bitch, but even more now than before and I knew the reason why.
“Interesting little spat you had with Goldie in the hallway.”
“Lo,” Kace corrected me.
I leaned forward and looked him directly in the eyes. “I can call her whatever the fuck I want, so correct me one more time and you won’t like what happens.” I took a sip of my drink and continued, “It seemed like you and Goldie were getting intimate.”
I never brought up the other night to Kace because I thought he handled it well, besides what he said to her. That was why I wrote that note to Goldie; I didn’t want her taking off because of Kace taking his anger out on her.
“She’s horny as hell and persistent. You’re going to have to do something about that.”
“She’s fine. What I’m worried about is you and the way you look at her.”
“Nothing is going on.”
“I know nothing is going on, but that doesn’t mean nothing is going on in your head.”
Kace was about to answer when we were interrupted by the clearing of a man’s throat. I looked up and made eye contact with the same color eyes as mine.
I stood up and held out my hand, “Dad. Please have a seat.”
“I didn’t expect to be invited to lunch by you Jett. I was rather shocked when I saw the appointment on my calendar.”
He looked over at Kace and nodded his head. “I see you are still choosing to hang out with the bottom dwellers.”
My dad was never a fan of the Haywoods; he always thought they were below us, since they were a blue collar family, making it through life paycheck to paycheck. I knew better than to judge people by the amount of money in their wallets, but to judge them by the convictions they hold in their hearts.
“Nice to see you too, Leo,” Kace responded while taking a longer sip of his beer than normal.
The waitress brought over a scotch for my dad and I watched as he routinely stirred the drink three times before putting it up to his lips and taking a sip. Anger rolled through my body as my dad admired his beloved scotch. The man would choose his scotch over his own flesh and blood any day.
“So, tell me what the hell I’m doing here,” Leo said, while leaning back in his chair with his leg crossed over his knee, eying me with that “no bullshit” look.
“I wanted to talk to you in person about the Lot 17 property we both seem to be going after.”
A small glimpse of surprise spread across Leo’s face, but he quickly tamped it down.
“I was unaware you knew of my interest.”
“Well, I do and I know how you’re trying to grab the property, so I suggest you let it go or I have no problem turning in you and your friends from city planning to the officials.”
A sardonic laugh escaped Leo’s mouth. “You have no clue who I know. Go ahead, try to turn me in.”
I leaned forward and said, “You have no fucking clue who I know and you can bet your sorry ass, they’re a lot higher than your people.”
Leo set his glass down and said, “You think you own this city, don’t you? I taught you everything you know.”
“Yeah, and instead of trying to put all my knowledge to financial gain, I try to put it to good use, to help people.”
“You really think you’re helping people?” He laughed again, “People are only using you. Don’t you get that? They are all using you. You have money and money is what they want; they don’t care about you, no one ever has. Not even your whore of a mother, who used you too.”
I slammed my fist on the table, silencing all conversations around us. I leaned forward, ignoring the onlookers and said, “Don’t you dare talk about my mother.”
Leo just laughed again and looked at Kace. “What is a little fuck like you doing here?”
The look on Kace’s face spoke murder. He knew of the shitty family past I had, so it was understandable that he was on the verge of taking my dad out with one swift uppercut.
“Trying not to beat you to a bloody pulp,” Kace said, while placing his fists on the table.
Visibly, my dad recoiled, knowing the true potential Kace had of hurting a man and my ability to cover it up.
“What do you want from me?”
“I want you to back off. That property is supposed to be earmarked for the Boys and Girls Clubs. Be a decent human for once in your life and back off.”
Leo shook his head and stood up while buttoning his suit jacket.
“Not going to happen. That’s prime property and I have plans for it. Sorry, son.” The way he said son made my skin crawl. “Go play games with someone else because I am way out of your league. Don’t fuck with what I want because, if you do, I’ll make sure to ruin everything and everyone in your life, even your precious new girl, Goldie.”
He smiled and turned on his heels right out the door. I sat there in shock as I tried to wrap my head around what he said. How did he know about Goldie? I did everything in my power to protect my girls and keep them completely anonymous.
“Fuck,” I said into my hands, as I placed my elbows on the table.
“How does…?”
“I don’t even know,” I said, before Kace could finish his question. “But we need to make sure my dad never goes near Goldie, because he is ruthless. You know what he did to my mom. Make sure you know where she is at all times when she leaves the house, even if you need to have Reggie follow her.”
“Not sure how much longer she’s going to stay.”
“She’s fucking staying, so you need to get over your playground crush and move the fuck along.”
I wasn’t very eloquent when I was angry, but I didn’t care. What I did care about was keeping my girls safe and if that meant I had to be a controlling prick, then that was what I was going to be.
Anger was seething through my veins, sending me into a dark place and there was only one way to get out of it.