6. Hartley
6
HARTLEY
Three days later, I was working in my studio with Forest kicked back at a table while on his laptop. He wasn’t in the way and while some might think he’d be a distraction; I found comfort in having my brother around. When Forest didn’t have meetings to attend, he drifted downstairs to socialize for a bit. Forest loved having his space here, but I thought he missed being near people sometimes.
And it just so happened Sheldon Copeland was on my guard detail today because Rory had the day off. I didn’t miss the way Sheldon’s eyes would track my brother when he got up for a drink or ran upstairs to his apartment if he needed something. My brother didn’t seem to notice.
The bell above the door rang, drawing my attention. Sheldon watched the person enter, but didn’t move, which meant he didn’t deem them a threat. Once I recognized who it was, I understood.
Xaiden Dremest walked into my studio for the very first time with a relaxed gait. I never thought I’d see Dexen’s brother in here. He didn’t like Jordan. More than that, one of his partners absolutely hated him. Val was JJ’s best friend, more like a brother to him. Since JJ had despised his father, it made sense Val did too. I had to wonder if Val knew about what happened to JJ as a child now. If JJ told him what he knew. They were close, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he did.
Tall with copper hair and eyes that matched his brother’s, Xaiden wasn’t dressed in a suit like Dexen often was. Xaiden wore jeans, a Henley, and a pair of sneakers. He had the sleeves pushed up, a tattoo partially showing on his arm. Not a small man, but not as muscular as his brother. Xaiden was dangerous, even if no part of him said he was here for a fight.
Since we’d never formally met, I smiled and asked, “How can I help you?”
“Hartley Weathers?”
“That’s me.”
Sheldon pushed off the wall and came closer.
Xaiden watched him from the corner of his eye. He held out his hand to me. “I’m Xaiden Dremest. You know my brother, Dexen.”
I shook his hand. “I do. It’s nice to meet you. Are you looking for new clothes?”
“No. I’m here about the recent addition to your family.” That got Forest to put his computer down and stand. “I’m not a threat,” Xaiden said.
“You’ll have to excuse us for being on alert,” Forest stated, stepping up to my side. “After the shit my brother and his partners have been through, it isn’t easy to let guards down.”
Sheldon casually walked around Xaiden until he was on my other side, where he stopped, not saying a word.
“I understand, believe me. Nothing is more important to me than my family. When I heard about Ava, it made me think of my daughter, Olivia. I’m not sure if you’ve heard what she and her brother, Cody, have been through, but they lost their parents too. Not in the same way. Olivia overheard the conversation I had with my brother, JJ, and Greer about Ava. She wanted me to visit and offer her support. You have all of ours. We’re here for whatever you need. Going through losing a parent is nothing I’d wish on anyone. Olivia remembers what she dealt with after the loss of her parents.”
My eyebrows lifted. Sure, Greer mentioned Olivia possibly meeting Ava, but I didn’t think it would happen. I certainly didn’t expect Xaiden to drive into East Dremest to talk to me.
“You could have contacted Vail through Cody or Dexen,” I said, curiosity getting the better of me. Vail was friends with Cody and worked part time for Dexen. He would be the obvious one to speak to. “Why visit me?”
“Sending a text or placing a call doesn’t feel right in a situation like this. It doesn’t express the sincerity of the offer. I didn’t want you to think it was done as a throwaway comment. You’re more accessible than Vail. He’s been in the club less and less. And as far as Jordan goes…” He shook his head. “I’m not seeking him out. I might offer to help and understand what he did for his son, but I have no interest in forming a friendship with him.” So, Xaiden was aware of what happened.
“You know we’re a package deal, right? I get how Jordan has a bad reputation, but if Olivia spends time with Ava, it will most likely be in our home until they get to know each other, if Ava wants to talk to her.”
Xaiden sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Val didn’t want me to come here. Even after knowing…” He looked around. “Anyway, we let Olivia decide. She said anyone who would take in a child who didn’t have anywhere el se to go, with no motive other than to provide them with a home and care, they’re okay with her. That doesn’t mean I won’t be there with her or Dex or JJ. They’d die for my daughter, but they have a relationship with Jordan. As much as it pains me to see her leave when I might not be with her, I wouldn’t want to make the situation more uncomfortable. I fear that’s what my presence would do.”
“Wow,” I said in surprise. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. Good for you for recognizing it might go sideways if you tried to go toe to toe with Jordan.”
“We’d fight very differently. I’d use my body, and he’d use weapons.”
“Don’t be so sure of that,” I heard from behind me. I was usually pretty good at sensing him or even hearing him, but nope. Jordan popped up like us talking about him drew him to my studio.
Xaiden stiffened, his hands pulling from his pockets and forming fists by his side.
“I’m not here to get into it with you, Xaiden,” Jordan said. Sheldon slipped from my side and Jordan took his place. “I was already on my way to visit Hartley when I was alerted to your arrival. Since you’re Dexen’s brother, I don’t deem you a threat, but don’t test me. There is no length I won’t go to for my family.”
“The same as I will for mine.”
Before things got heated, I interjected, “Xaiden came to talk about Ava. His daughter would like to meet her, if Ava wants to, when she’s ready.”
Jordan nodded. I could see the wheels turning of all the ways this could be a setup or if Xaiden was genuine. Jordan rocked back on his heels. “That’s kind of you. The choice will be up to Ava. You’re welcome in my home with her, as is your partner, Corbin. As for Val?—”
Xaiden put up his hand. “I know. He stays home.”
Jordan hummed. “He caused problems for Malik.”
“I think the problems were on Malik’s end, but I’m not here to discuss that.”
“Smart man,” I heard Jordan mutter.
I cleared my throat. Loudly. Although, it didn’t fool Xaiden. His eyes narrowed.
“We’ve got a few busy weekends coming up. How about we get together once it calms down?” I asked, needing to get back on track. Xaiden came here when he didn’t have to. To a place he knew Jordan could be.
“I’d like that. I meant it when I said we’re here for the three of you and Ava. If it’s anything like Livy went through, it won’t be an easy road. With love and support, she’ll get through it.”
“We’re keeping her in the same school, so she has her friends, but I’m not sure how feasible that will be for the next school year. We’ll have to see how everything goes.”
“You’ll figure it out. Just be there for her. Listen or keep your space. She’ll let you know what she needs. It will feel like the world is falling down sometimes, but others you’ll get these moments that solidify you’re in the right place at the right time. Bringing a child into your lives is a magical thing, whether or not you expected them.”
“Thank you, Xaiden,” Jordan said before I could. I glanced at him, seeing the sincerity on his face. He really surprised me sometimes.
“You’re welcome. Well, I should go before Val drives down here and starts threatening lives. He told me if I didn’t check in at the ten-minute mark, he was leaving work. ”
I chuckled. “You shouldn’t have told him you were coming.”
“Yeah? How easy is it for you to keep things from your men?”
“Fair. I can’t at all. But I also don’t try.” I grinned.
Jordan’s hand lightly gripped the back of my neck in a possessive way that had me nearly melting onto the floor. “Hartley knows I find out everything.”
“That’s because you always have Rory on my ass and if not him, Sheldon, or one of the others.”
“And what a fun day this turned into,” Sheldon quipped from somewhere behind me.
“Please,” Forest scoffed. “Like your job is hard.”
That had Jordan turning and cocking an eyebrow. Only his eyebrow didn’t work well on my brother.
“You think it’s easy doing what I do?” Sheldon asked, a sliver of anger slipping into his voice. I almost gasped. “Did you forget what I did to get your ass out of a dangerous situation? Remember being in the SUV with Vail?”
“Okay, you have a point. I was just thinking about how you stand around while you’re with my brother.”
“That’s exactly what I do.” Sheldon rolled his eyes. “I stand around. I’ll get back to it. The next asshole who shoots at us, I’ll let them through since I’ll just be standing here.” Sheldon stalked off to the front of the store, where he pushed the door open to step onto the sidewalk.
“All right then,” Xaiden said. “I’ll go now.”
“Thank you for coming,” I told him and waved.
Jordan and I stayed where we were until Xaiden was gone. That was when I turned and found my brother watching the front of the store. Not after Xaiden. No, his eyes were on Sheldon .
“I fucked up,” Forest muttered.
“You think?” I asked. “Jesus, For, what were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t.”
“You should apologize.”
“Not right now. He’s still angry, or as angry as he can get.”
Jordan walked toward the front of the studio, then stopped before he reached the door. “Sheldon can be a complicated man, but don’t mistake his calm demeanor for him being heartless. He feels everything. He just does a better job of hiding it than most. It serves him well when he works for me. Sheldon is solid in his skills, will fight to the death—if need be—and will do anything I ask of him, which is why I don’t ask all I can. I won’t abuse the relationship we have. Men like him aren’t easy to come by.”
He turned to face Forest. “You might see me and the people I employ and think they’re cold, heartless killers. While they can be, because that’s what’s required at times, they’re people who have homes, places they find comfort. They have friends. Some even have families. I worry one day they won’t go home to them. But that’s the choice they made when they agreed to work for me. Sheldon’s been through hell and back, Forest. You’d do well to remember that.”