AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I turned so I could see him. He was so out of place in the kitchen. The home was a farmhouse that had been fully remodeled on the inside. The floor was a white broad tile. The cabinets were a soft blue. The countertops a white marble with streaks of blue veins through them. And it was clean. So ridiculously clean. Not that JJ was dirty. There wasn’t a drop of grease on him. But he didn’t seem to fit either. Maybe he would if I wasn’t staring down at him. If he was relaxed on the couch in the living room with his feet up on the coffee table while we watched TV. Fuck, I wanted that. I didn’t realize it until now. I could see him there and me with him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t.”
“Not on purpose, but it still happened.”
I shook my head. There was no use in continuing to deny it. “What do you want, JJ?”
“To spend more time with you outside of work and not while we’re getting off. I want to get to know who you are, the real you.”
“You might not like what you see.” I wasn’t this big tough guy like my brother was. Sure, I looked like it on the outside, and could fight well, but on the inside, I’d rather defuse situations than fuel them. I didn’t get all growly and protective like Peyton did. If anything, I felt vulnerable. Like with one swift blow, the right man could bring me to my knees. Dexen could. And if I gave him the chance, JJ could as well.
“Let me be the judge of that,” he replied.
A big bowl was placed in the center of the table, drawing our attention to it. “Dinner.” Dominic grinned. “We’re all going to eat together without growling.” He looked pointedly at Peyton. “And we’re going to get along like family should. Then Pey, Perry, and I are going to give you two some space so you can talk. Because you should. While sex is great, you need more than that.”
I nodded. I couldn’t agree more.
6
DEXEN
Seeing Greer at Dominic’s party kept him on my mind since. I couldn’t let him be a distraction, especially on a Saturday night when the club was packed. I’d already made my rounds on the floor, checking in with the members who paid hefty fees to be a part of this.
Untouchable wasn’t a sleazy strip club. It was an experience only the wealthiest men around could afford. The dancers had to audition with me to get a shot at my stage. They had to go through rigorous background checks, same as the members did. It was on me to ensure the safety of everyone who came through the door.
Lynn sat on the couch in my office with her tablet. Her long raven hair was pulled up in a bun, held by two pencils. She was the only woman in the club. That wasn’t sexist but because my members wanted to see men. It took a strong woman to be in this much testosterone. Lynn was the absolute best. She was my assistant not just here, but she helped with my other businesses as well.
“Dominic wants you to fire Freddie.”
That had me pausing. “What?”
Freddie was one of the baristas at West Dremest Coffee by Junior’s building. There were three of the coffeehouses in the city, one of them being in East Dremest. Just because Jordan Sr. was the mafia king over there didn’t mean we let him take everything over. We ran our businesses, he ran his, even if my family hated the shit he did. There was no getting rid of him; no pushing him out of the city. It was either go to war with him or try to live side by side with him.
And yes, we put the Dremest name on everything we owned. Branding was important.
“Dom said if Freddie hits on Perry one more time, he won’t be held responsible for his actions.”
I chuckled. “He’s a flirt, but he gets the most tips that way. Can you talk to Freddie and ask him to back off Junior?” I wasn’t about to fire him for harmless flirting. If he’d crossed a line by touching Perry or pushing it too far, that would be a different story.
“Can do. What else…” She tapped the stylus against her lip. “Oh, there was a water main break near the estate, but it was repaired the same day.” Dremest Estate was a large parcel of land I had purchased about ten years ago and had developed into senior housing. It sat outside the city limits where there wasn’t too much traffic and noise.
“No one needed to leave or find alternatives?” I wouldn’t want the residents without water for so long they couldn’t stay there. Lynn knew I’d find them temporary housing if that were the case.
“No. They’re good.”
There was a reason my family name was known. Everything we built, we did with quality in mind and a good experience for the consumer.
The length of First Street in West Dremest was owned by my parents. There was the gym that Xaiden owned, a laundromat, a bank, and other businesses. A tall building of apartments sat on the corner of First and Free, which was the only residential building they owned. Over the years as my parents aged, they started pulling back and letting others run the businesses. That wasn’t to say they didn’t know everything that went on. They did and made sure to keep things at the level they were always at.
My mom was seventy-three and my dad was seventy-eight. They weren’t young and deserved to enjoy their lives. They traveled a lot, did what made them happy. Xaiden and I knew when they passed, the properties would be left to us. Hell, they’d hinted at signing them over before that so they could fully retire.
Everything on First Street would go to Xaiden. That way he could manage them easier. I’d get the chain of car dealerships and the massive farm outside the city where we had our own milk and cheeses made. The equity was evenly divided between Xaiden and me.
Through it all, Untouchable was still my baby. That was where I spent most of my time.
“Dom needs a week off in a couple months, but Diesel said he could take the extra shifts,” Lynn said, pulling me back to our meeting. Dominic was a planner. He liked to have his schedule worked out well in advance.
