AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Enough.”
We paused when a server I hadn’t seen before delivered our burgers. I was disappointed Jacob hadn’t brought them, but I knew he was still there. I’d seen him in my peripheral vision a few times and had to force myself to focus on what X was telling me instead of watching him move. I couldn’t afford to piss X off. What he was offering wasn’t the kind of opportunity that would come along again.
“I want Rogue in on it too,” I said once the server headed back toward the bar. “As well as the men who came back with me. They’re all family, and if I’m going to do this, I want it to be a family operation.”
X nodded. “Understood.”
“How much can I tell them about the operation?”
He tilted his head as if thinking. “How much do you trust them?”
“With my life. With everything.”
“Then tell them what you need to. If they can’t keep their mouths closed, there will be consequences, but—”
I tensed. No one would lay a hand on my family. “They know how to keep secrets.”
“See that they do.”
The chill in his words sent a shiver through me. He might be more relaxed now that he had a boyfriend, but he was still a very dangerous man. I wasn’t sure I’d survive if I crossed him. “You’ll have my answer in a few days.”
“I hope it’s a yes. There’s no one I would rather put in this role.”
“I appreciate that… I think.”
X sighed. “You’re not your father. Not by a long shot. I know you wanted nothing to do with the world he dragged you into, but the men I’ll send you are from families I consider allies. They’re ridding the world of a lot of trash.”
“While also—”
He held up a hand. “They’re not saints, but they’re nothing like the assholes your father worked for.”
My chest was tight, and the knot in my stomach let me know eating a burger was no longer a good idea. Every time I remembered the shit my father had done, I felt sick. My primary mission as a teenager had been to protect my brothers from men like him. I still took that mission seriously.
X frowned. “Are you okay?”
I nodded as I pushed away memories of the years before my father’s death. “Yeah. I… I’m fine.”
“You’re not, but I’m the last person who’s going to push you to talk about it. If you need to, though, I’m here.”
“Thanks.”
“So what the hell is Rogue up to these days?”
“You mean you didn’t investigate him before offering the ranch to me?”
X smiled. “Indulge me. Pretend I didn’t.”
“I haven’t been to see him yet, but last I heard, he was still one of the darlings of the rodeo circuit.”
We continued talking about Rogue and his rodeo exploits. Then X caught me up on what he and his closest associates had been up to.
Jacob returned to see if we needed anything else.
“Just the check,” I said.
“Okay.” When he gave me another of his shy smiles, I knew I wasn’t going to walk away from this opportunity.
“Are you working until close?”
