“Brother-in-law to you, asshole,” Jack corrected with a grunt.
James turned to him, looking surprised. “You marrying her?”
“Damn right I am. Why? Didn’t you think I would?”
“What do I think? That you’re so far gone for her you can’t see which way is up. Another thing is, how the hell are you going to get her to agree to marry you?”
True. He wasn’t that big of a prize. Still, he wasn’t letting go of her. Couldn’t.
“Although you’ve been shacking up for a while now and so far you aren’t missing important body parts,” James continued. “None that I can see, anyways. You might have a shot there.”
They’d been living together for a couple of months, moving back and forth from his place to hers, mainly because they couldn’t decide where to settle. That is, she couldn’t decide where to settle. He’d live in a fucking cardboard box as long as she was with him.
“Did you give any thought to my offer?” James asked.
“I’m not the easiest of employees.”
James snorted. “Hell of an understatement. Besides, your calendar is wide open, right?”
Jack nodded.
“I heard Exxum had a mishap,” James added. “Had a weird allergic reaction to some exotic berry and kicked the bucket.”
“Yeah, I heard that too.” The police had gotten involved with the kidnapping, but it had looked like he was going to get away with it. After all, he hadn’t been at the club and he’d made sure his bodyguard lawyered up right away.
“I thought you wanted to send him to jail,” James reprimanded him. “Do it the standard way.”
“That was before he dared to go after Elle. I gave the police a shot. It didn’t work.”
“Any news about Nico?”
Jack shook his head. “Last I heard, Mullen had been told by his superior that Nico had interceded for us, showing proof of Maldonado’s involvement in Aalto’s death and the trail of murders after his.” According to his contacts, Nico was running the Cali cartel.
“Who is he working for?”
“I don’t know,” Jack admitted, and then changed the subject, handing his friend an envelope. “Got something for you.”
“What is it?”
“Your sister.”
James froze. “Fuck, man. You found her?”
Jack nodded. Unsealing closed adoption records was a bit tricky, what with having to go to court and all that shit. Not to mention that the judges tended to agree only if the adopted child made the petition; so he’d gone another route and now owed Mullen and his contacts a huge debt, but whatever.
James was still, staring at the envelope.
“Aren’t you going to open it?”
“I’ll get Cole and Max first. Thank you,” he said.
“Don’t mention it. Just keep it in mind when I’m being difficult on the job.”
James clapped him on his back, and taking the envelope, headed to where Cole and Max were sitting.
Leaning on the counter, Jack watched as Elle navigated her way through the crowd toward him and was intercepted by a guy who had been looking at her while she was dancing.
He came closer to say something in her ear, placing his hand on her arm. She smiled but took a step back, pulling herself away from his touch, shaking her head, keeping her distance.
Jack felt like rushing to her and flooring the mofo, but he forced himself to remain still.
Soon enough Elle got rid of the asshole and approached, hooking her finger through his belt loop and pulling. “Come dance with me, Borg.”
The music had changed into a ballad. He didn’t budge and she frowned, turning back to him. Fuck, she was so cute. And he loved her so much. Jack cupped her neck and brought her to him for a long, wet kiss.
“Please?” she whispered against his lips.
This time, when she pulled the belt loop, he trailed after her to the dance floor. There was nothing he could deny her. Absolutely nothing. Whatever she wanted, he’d give it to her. Fucking horrifying, yet he couldn’t stop smiling. Nuts.
He engulfed her in his arms, her body melting into his.
“Having fun?” he asked into her ear as they danced.
“I’ll still party with the girls and go out occasionally.”
He knew. But he could take it.
Elle cupped his face and looked him straight in the eye. “I will always come home to you and I will never cheat on you.”
“I know. I trust you.”
And he did. Totally.
The music stopped and Jack looked at his watch: 00:00
“Happy birthday, pet,” he whispered into her ear. “Enjoy your present.”
THE PLACE WASN’T too full, but she didn’t realize a group of people dressed in long trench coats and covering their faces with hats had appeared until they were all over the place. What the hell?
Suddenly she heard “Well, this car could be systematic.” Boom and the bunch that had situated themselves around the dance floor shucked off their coats.
“Hydromatic,” came from the speakers. Boom and the hats went flying, their faces down.
“Automatic.”
Boom, and the group lifted their arms and their heads.
Oh God, it was her flash mob. Dressed in black and leather. Her breath caught in her throat.