CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jarod leaned back in his plush leather chair. His fingers were steepled as he watched Ezekiel pace across the polished floor of his office. The courthouse buzzed faintly outside the closed doors, a constant reminder of the delicate balance Jarod maintained between his public persona and his shadowed alliances.
Ezekiel stopped near the window, his gaze fixed on the cityscape outside. “The kids,” he began, his voice smooth yet laced with authority. “How are we doing there?”
Jarod smirked, a hint of pride seeping into his tone. “Handled. The ones that got picked up? I saw to their cases personally. They were given a slap on the wrist, a few lectures, and then sent back to their foster homes. Most of those parents don’t give a shit what they’re up to, anyway.”
Ezekiel chuckled darkly, turning to face Jarod. “Good. The last thing we need is any of them running their mouths. These kids may be useful, but they’re still kids. We don’t need them putting the rest of us at risk.”
Jarod nodded, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk. “They’re scared enough of you to stay quiet. Besides, the system doesn’t exactly make it easy for anyone to dig too deep. No one’s going to care if a couple of foster kids mess up and get sent back to their so-called homes.”
Ezekiel studied him for a moment, then shifted topics so abruptly that it caught Jarod off guard.
“The woman that you introduced me to at the gala, Ava Morgan.”
The mention of her name made Jarod sit up a little straighter, and his jaw tighten. “What about her? he said flatly.
Ezekiel grinned, a predatory edge to his expression. “She is one gorgeous woman.”
The flare of anger that rose in Jarod was immediate, hot, and unbidden. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he fought to keep his composure. “Ava’s business isn’t relevant to what we’re doing.”
Ezekiel raised a brow, clearly enjoying the reaction he’d provoked. “Are you sure about that?”
Jarod’s hands curled into fists under the desk. “She’s not a problem,” he said, his voice cold. “She doesn’t know anything.”
Ezekiel’s smirk faded, replaced by a calculating look. “When were you going to tell me that Christian was living with her?”
Jarod froze, his mind scrambling to assess how much Ezekiel already knew. “How do you know that?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Ezekiel said dismissively. “What does matter is that I assigned Chase and Barrett to recruit the kid.”
“So, tell them to back off,” Jarod suggested.
Ezekiel shot him a cold glare. “It’s not that easy. They’ve already made contact with him. This complicates things. You know how clean I like my operations, Jarod.”
Jarod nodded, though a small, vindictive part of him relished seeing Ezekiel rattled.
Ezekiel’s voice turned sharper. “I’ve got enough on my plate steering the FBI away from me. They’ve been sniffing around, but so far, they’ve got nothing. I don’t need any hiccups because some snot-nosed kid goes running to Ava and opens his mouth. I would hate for something to happen to Ms. Morgan.”
“I get it,” Jarod said smoothly, masking his irritation. “Just tell Barrett and Chase to back off.”
Ezekiel studied him for a moment longer before nodding. “I plan to. In the meantime, I’d like you to find out if she knows anything.”
“How in the hell do I do that when she won’t speak to me?”
Ezekiel grinned wickedly. “You’re a smart man. Figure it out. And do it quickly.”
With that, he turned and strode out of the office, leaving Jarod alone with his thoughts.
The silence in the room felt heavy, the earlier conversation playing on a loop in his mind. Ava. Christian. Ezekiel’s veiled threats.
Jarod stood, walking to the window and staring out at the city below. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about her—how she was doing, if she was still angry at him for everything that had happened between them. His thoughts drifted to the night of the gala when she announced that she was seeing someone. Hearing that had not only shocked him, but it enraged him. The idea of her being with someone else made his stomach churn, though he couldn’t decide if it was jealousy or something darker.
After a moment of internal debate, he made a decision. Grabbing his coat, he headed for the door.
He’d take a break from the chaos Ezekiel had stirred up and focus on something else. He’d find Ava, take her to lunch, and see if he could figure out where her head and her heart were.