Chapter Thirty-One
Thirty-One
Forge
Swimming. We can go swimming. Yeah, real fucking smart, Forge.
I blamed Wayon. He was making me do and say things that I shouldn’t.
Walking into the kitchen to find them once again together had pissed me off.
His leaving was the only reason I hadn’t acted like a enraged idiot.
I didn’t want him near her. He was a psycho, and she was too damn sweet and innocent for his wacked-up shit.
It had taken all the willpower I hadn’t known I had to get out of her bed and leave this morning.
She looked so damn confused too. That alone just about kept me there.
But I’d been sane. Chosen the right thing for her and me.
Keep it friendly. Sure, I’d had my face between her legs last night—NO!
I couldn’t think about that. I would crack.
Mess up. She didn’t deserve to be played with.
Oz turned the corner, coming the opposite way as me, although we were both headed to Bane’s office. There had been a meeting called with the Davidsons to finalize the details that had been started last night. They were leaving today, and for that, I was fucking thankful.
“After this, you need to tell me what is going on between you and Elsie,” he said, narrowing his gaze at me.
I had expected this.
“You want details of what happened in her room last night?” I asked with a smirk. “That’s a bit kinky for you, ain’t it, bro?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” he retorted. “Do you need a reminder why she is here? What she has been through? She’s not some chick you picked up at a club and can send home after a fuck.”
No shit.
“I’m aware. We’re friends.”
Oz let out a hard, humorless laugh. “Yeah. Sure you are. And I’m a damn priest.”
“No, that would be Jude,” I replied.
The door to the office opened as we both reached it.
Kash saw us and moved back so we could pass. “Found ’em,” he announced.
We weren’t late. The text had said ten thirty. It was ten twenty-eight.
I scanned the room as I entered behind Oz. Linc was standing in front of Bane’s desk with his arms crossed, an impatient glint in his expression. He must be ready to get rid of the Davidsons too.
Bane stood over by the window with a cup of coffee in his hand, but he was looking at Oz. They had some silent-communication thing that they did. They’d been best friends their entire lives. It could be annoying at times, watching them and having no fucking clue what they were planning.
Wayon and his father were in the leather high-back chairs while Hal sat across from them on the sofa with Locke at the other end. Ransom stood, leaning a shoulder against the far-right wall, appearing bored. We weren’t all here, but there was enough to discuss things.
“Has anyone heard from Gathe?” Linc asked, looking at Locke for the answer.
He shrugged. “No. He wasn’t awake when I left this morning, but he had come in late.”
Linc’s jaw tightened, and then he nodded. “Fine. We will start without him.”
He cut his eyes to the Davidsons. “Thaddeus is sending three of his men, along with Wayon, to meet with Telos’s men.
They are going to explain that Elsie is family and that she is to be left alone.
She’s under our protection, and we don’t want a war with them, but we will keep her safe.
After they’ve heard back from Telos, we will know how to move forward.
“The fact that it has been over two weeks now, and there have been no more murders of DEA agents it sounds like they made their point and aren’t looking to continue it.
Killing Elsie won’t be a warning to whatever agents they have placed on finding Telos now, and we believe it will be their families at risk. Leaving Elsie alone isn’t asking a lot.
“But Telos is a narcissist who thrives off his power and threats. He likes causing fear, and he may see this differently. Thaddeus and I agree that he has made it this far because he’s not been stupid enough to fuck with Blaise or Garrett.”
Linc picked up the mug beside him and took a drink.
“Until then, Lula Mae will stay at my house, under our protection,” he continued. “While the Louisiana men are dealing with Telos, it’s best if she is not there.”
Fuck. Shit! I hadn’t seen that coming. At least she wasn’t staying in this house, but she’d be around. And I was one of the few single guys available for them to send to entertain her.
“Forge, she seems to enjoy your company,” Linc said. “You’ll make yourself available to come get her and keep her from getting bored.”
Dammit! Why me? I’d left her with Locke last night. Had he not been charming?
“What about Elsie?” I blurted out without thinking it through.
Linc cocked an eyebrow. “What about her?”
“They’ve become friends.” Oz spoke up. “She’s a finance major. She helps with the games, and she’s real fucking good at working the live spread. He’s worried about not spending his free time with her. She seems to gravitate to him, and with what she is going through, she needs a friend.”
Thank you, Oz.
My eyes shot from him back to Linc.
“Are you fucking her?” Linc asked me, scowling.
“No! It’s not like that.” Liar. It was like that. You didn’t want to wash her cunt off your cock this morning in the shower. Sure, it hadn’t been inside her, but we’d still messed around.
Linc cocked an eyebrow at me. “Forge, the only girl you’ve ever been just friends with is Saylor.”
We were family. Not friends. But I didn’t point that out.
“They’ve bonded over grief,” Kash said.
I turned my head to look at him. What the hell was with my brothers coming in for the defense? Not that I was complaining. I just hadn’t expected it.
“Oz has Winslet at the end of the day. I have Cressida. And when I didn’t have her, life and reality was a real fucking dark place to navigate alone. They ease it for us. Forge has something similar with Elsie. She’s suffered pain and loss. She understands him.”
This was starting to sound like a goddamn counseling session where I was the focus, and I didn’t like it.
“I wouldn’t compare it to Winslet and Cressida,” I drawled.
These fuckers didn’t all need to think I was in love or some shit. That was not it.
“As touching as all this is,” Wayon said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “we need to get back to New Orleans.”
Dipshit. I wanted his ass back in New Orleans more than he wanted to be.
“I’ll help,” Locke said, sounding as if he was agreeing to walk the plank. “I can’t be her only escort and companion or whatever, but I can step in some.”
“I can keep her busy at the distillery. Teach her some things about the business,” Hale said, causing every eye in the room to shift to him.
“I’m not sure that’s going to be the kind of thing Lula Mae will want to do.” Linc’s tone was a mix of surprise and amusement.
“It’ll be good for her.” Thaddeus spoke up.
“Teach her something. Fuck knows she’s spoiled as shit.
Give her a job.” He stood up then. “I trust y’all to take care of her, and I’m not against her getting her hands dirty.
” He glanced down at Wayon, who was staring up at him like he’d lost his mind.
“You ready? Plane is waiting, and they have things under control here.”
Wayon stood slowly. “Are you serious?”
His father nodded. “Sure as shit.”
Wayon let out a disbelieving laugh. “All right then, good luck with all that,” he said to Hale.
Hale smirked. “She’ll be just fine.”
Wayon was clearly amused. “I wish I could stay and watch this.”