25. Hartley
25
HARTLEY
My head was down, and I was working. Or I was trying to work and not actually accomplishing anything because my mind spun like I was on one of those crime dramas Jordan suddenly took an interest in. He liked to pick them apart and say all the things the criminals could have done differently so they weren’t caught. I was never a fan of them before him, but I had to admit his commentary made them much more interesting.
Reghan and Rory were my guards for the day. Jordan had errands to run, and I used the word errands loosely. It was most likely code for him having to torture or kill someone. There was also the possibility he was going to meet a client about a deal. Who the fuck knew? Either way, I was stuck with one of the big guns today. Not that Rory was a small guy who wasn’t as capable. Reghan and Raiden always seemed like the biggest of them all, due to their size and how they were the ones who protected Jordan.
Since Oleander and Sheldon were coming off their “we fucked-up” punishment, Jordan decided they were going with him today, along with Albert and Raiden, as they went to the grocery store and the pharmacy. If I didn’t know where he was going but knew it was illegal shit, I was making up stories about it. Enter the grocery store and pharmacy.
This was a perfect example of me being unfocused and bored at the same time. Not bored in the sense I had nothing to do. It was more like I had too much to do that required my whole brain and I couldn’t handle any of it right now.
“Hey, Reghan?” I asked.
“Yes?” He turned from where he stood near the front door.
“Have you ever gone grocery shopping with Jordan?”
“Is that code for something?” Maybe Jordan wasn’t the only mind reader.
“Not in this instance. Have you gone to a grocery store with him and watched as he picked out bananas?”
His eyebrow went up. It didn’t have the same effect Jordan’s did, but then again, no one’s did. “Bananas?”
“Any grocery item.”
“Not weekly but yes, he’s been in one before.”
I rolled my eyes. “I figured. He wasn’t always this big bad mafia boss. I mean, since you’ve been with him, has he gone into a store with the reputation he has and picked out his own cheese?”
“He likes brie.”
I rested my chin on my hand. “Fascinating. Did he pick it out himself or did he make one of the people who work in the store help him?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
“Would you like to help me solve why my grandfather owed the Everharts all that money?”
“No.”
“Then let’s talk about cheese. ”
I was certain if a particular car hadn’t just pulled up to the curb outside my store, Reghan would have rolled his eyes, something I’d never seen him do. But I was a master at it and knew it was coming. Stupid Barrett had to interrupt our stimulating conversation. Now I had to make up the scene in my head where Jordan stood in front of expensive cheeses in the store and decided which brand he wanted to purchase. I wondered if he’d buy crackers to pair with the brie or would he go for a tart apple.
The growl that worked its way up Reghan’s throat had me abandoning my imaginary grocery store fun for the excitement that was about to start outside. Reghan was hardly ever on my detail. It just so happened that on the day he was, Detective Barrett North decided to stroll his hot ass into my studio.
Too bad Rory stopped him before he could get to the door. Fucking Rory, ruining my fun.
Hazel pulled out a chair to sit next to me. My other employees were busy running errands. Real ones, not the made-up ones in my head. One was delivering finished clothing and the other was picking up supplies.
“You’re shameless,” I told her without looking away from the scene unfolding in front of us.
“Me? You’re no better.”
“Never said I was, but you’re smarter than me and don’t usually latch on to this stuff like I do. You’re all sophisticated and shit.”
“Ha! I’m Team Barrett.”
My head snapped around to face her. “You can’t be. We’re Team Reghan. Barrett’s a cop. We can’t root for him while we live a life of crime.”
“You don’t live a life of crime. Your mafia man does. ”
I waved her off. “I can’t believe you’re going against Reghan.”
“There are no teams,” Reghan growled before wrenching the door open. If he ripped it off its hinges, Jordan would buy me a new one. There were many perks to having a super wealthy lover.
“You’ve got this!” I yelled, causing Rory and Barrett to turn my way. I grinned. Just because I was on Reghan’s side didn’t mean I wanted one of them to necessarily lose. “What about Team Get It On?” I whispered.
“That’s not a thing,” Hazel said.
“It could be. I mean, we all want them to fuck, except maybe Jordan because it could create a mess for him, but if they fucked, it would be hot as hell. Although, then we wouldn’t need to pick sides because we’d be on both of theirs.”
“I see where you’re going with this, and you could be right. This way no one gets pissed at you for not cheering them on. But Get It On doesn’t sound right.”
“Team Angry Fuck? Team Pull My Hair and Tell Me How Tight My Ass Is? Team Choke Me with Your Dick?”
Hazel chuckled. “You have a vivid imagination.”
“You have no idea. I’ve already pictured Jordan grocery shopping, decided he has picked up his own dry cleaning, and pictured him taking Tahoe to the vet.”
“None of the things he would do himself now.”
“That’s why it’s an imagination. He would take Tahoe to the vet though. If that dog got sick, Vail would break. Jordan and I would do whatever we had to so that didn’t happen.”
“What the fuck, Bear?” Reghan growled, interrupting our conversation. I loved that Reghan had a nickname for Barrett. It was so cute.
“Reghan,” Barrett nodded. The only reason we could hear them over the street traffic was that they were right at the door and Hazel and I were being so quiet now, we could have heard their dicks shift behind their flies if we tried hard enough. “Can I come in or would you like me to talk about the Everharts on the sidewalk?”
“Fuck’s sake,” Reghan bit out and slid aside so Barrett could enter. Rory followed him in.
“That’s my cue,” Hazel said and stood. “I’m taking a long lunch.”
“Have fun,” I called without turning. I’d be damned if I missed a second of this. Plus, he said Everharts, and I really needed to hear whatever it was he had to say.
Barrett didn’t stop until he was near me and Reghan moved to stand in front of him. That wall of muscle wasn’t letting anyone past. I, however, peered around the muscle.
“Seriously, Reghan, if you’re going to keep me from Hartley, at least offer me a good time. I’m ready and willing.” He spread his arms, letting his wool coat open to reveal a gray button-down tucked into a pair of slacks. I wondered what kind of detective meetings he had today. Clearly, I was paying close attention during the crime shows if I had no clue what the fuck Barrett even did.
“You wish.”
The grin Barrett gave Reghan had dimples appearing on Barrett’s cleanly shaven cheeks. That upped his hot factor. He was already attractive. The dimples were a nice bonus. “All you have to do is say the word.”
Growling again, Reghan turned so he was still between Barrett and me, but also allowing Barrett to actually speak to me. “Talk.”
“Hi, Hartley,” Barrett said, his smile still in place.
“Is this a happy visit where you tell me the Everharts are dead, and all their money went to charity, or are you here to ruin my day and make my imagination run in overdrive?” I asked.
“They’re alive but not living in luxury. We can’t get a hold of them though. They don’t stay in one spot long enough. The guards are idiots, however. I guess when you don’t have much money left, your hired help turns to shit.” He side-eyed Reghan.
Reghan leaned close. “The only reason I don’t smack you upside your head right now is because I don’t want to spend the night in jail.”
“Call me later and I’ll bend over so you can smack my fine ass.”
“Do you wax?” I asked, because now I had to know. It wasn’t like I was interrupting some ritual they had before they fucked. They were still in the foreplay arena.
“If I have a reason to.” Barrett winked.
“I like you more every time I see you. Next time you visit, I’d like confirmation those assholes are dead.”
“Too bad I don’t answer to you. Anyway, you want to tell me why you have Lane Everhart in your building?” Oh, so he was getting right to the point.
“You want to tell me who you have on the inside who gave you that information?” I asked while standing. I was shorter than him, but then again, I was shorter than almost everyone who worked for and with Jordan. It was like those height requirements to get on rides at amusement parks. You must be this tall to work for or be bribed by Jordan Altair Sr.
“I don’t need anyone on the inside when he was seen walking around the back of the property today, out in the open. ”
“Ah, that must have been his sunshine privilege time. You know, where the inmates go outside and get some vitamin D.”
“That’s not what it’s called.”
“In my head it is.”
“Would one of you give Jordan a message for me?”
“Only if you say the magic words,” I told him.
“And they are…”
“Pull my hair and tell me how tight my ass is.”
Reghan growled again. “Ignore him.”
Barrett turned to face Reghan. “Why? You don’t want me to say those words?” He leaned close enough to where his lips were near Reghan’s jaw. In a raspy voice he said, “Pull my hair and tell me how tight my ass is.” Barrett leaned back in time to watch Reghan’s hands flex into fists a few times at his sides. Oh, that got the guard really worked up. Any moment now, his dick was going to bust through his jeans with how hard he was.
“Anywho,” Barrett said like that didn’t just happen. “Hartley, would you please tell Jordan that if he happens to swing by Warehouse Thirteen tomorrow at around ten, there might be a gift waiting for him?”
“Is this the kind of gift he can play with for a while before throwing to the side when he’s done?”
“Yes, and I’m not particular where he disposes of the garbage.”
I nodded. “Got it. Now, how are you at sucking dick? The other magic words were going to be ‘choke me with your big dick.’”
“And on that note…” Barrett spun on his heel and headed for the door. Rory didn’t even make a smart-ass comment to him on the way out. He was slipping .
“Really?” Reghan said to me once the door was shut, and Barrett was out of earshot.
“What good is having a detective on the payroll if we can’t have a little fun with him?”
“He’s not on your payroll.”
“Tomato, tomahto.”
“I’m taking the back,” Reghan said before stalking into the rear of the studio and outside with the banging of the door.
I smiled at Rory. “That was fun. What should we do for tomorrow’s entertainment?”
“Work.” He nodded toward my laptop.
“Fine, but when I start wondering where Jordan used to get his hair cut, you’ll be to blame.” He had a woman who came to our home to do it now.
“Somehow I’ll survive.”