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PROLOGUE
Somewhere in the wilds of Iowa
Jordan Royal rested his aching head against the bars of the jail cell and sighed. Everything hurt, even his hair.And I stink.His gaze took in the state of his bespoke Saville Row suit and hideously expensive Italian leather shoes. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out what was caked all over them.
This week on jail cell, Jeopardy.For $200, what is horseshit?
And while he mightn’t have actually reached the lowest point in his life, he was certain he could see the bottom from where he currently stood, banged up in a county jail.
What happened last night? And how did I get here?
The loud clang of the main cell door being opened and pushed against the wall had him wincing. It only added to the pain of the bright glare of the overhead lights. The world this morning was far too bright, loud, and putrid. The only comfort to be found was in the cool metal of the bars which covered the front of his old-fashioned cell. The touch of the rolled steel against his face soothed his tortured head.
A gray haired, sheriff’s deputy stopped in front of the cell. He took one look at Jordan and slowly shook his head. “You look an awful sight, young man. And you stink. Now you, go on and move back a bit. Give me some room while I open the door. I don’t want any trouble.”
Jordan did as he was told, his woozy head protesting all the while. He stood hugging himself as the door slowly slid open, flinching when it clanged loudly against the hinges.
He rubbed his hands against his sides, grateful that someone had taken the handcuffs off once he’d been thrown in here. It had been a welcome blessing. Cuffs were his least favorite part about getting arrested. Those things pinched.
“Come on, Mister Royal. Time to go. Paperwork to complete,” huffed the deputy.
They were letting him go.Thank god.“Did I make bail?”
“No. The charges have been dropped.” There was a definite note of disappointment in the lawman’s voice.
Thank fuck. Not that I can remember what I did anyway.
He followed the deputy out the door and into the main reception area. Matthew stood in the foyer, flanked by two gentlemen in midnight black suits. They may as well have had a huge sign hanging above their heads which read LAWYER. Not that Jordan was complaining. He was just relieved that they’d succeeded in getting the charges against him withdrawn.
Matthew’s gaze ran up and down Jordan’s disheveled clothes. “You look like someone dragged you backwards through a swamp.” Lifting his head, he sniffed at the air. “And you stink.”
Jordan mustered a strangled laugh. He was exhausted and badly hungover. “You should see how it looks and smells from this side. Thanks for coming to get me.” He turned to the pair of stony faced legal eagles and sketched a bow. “Thank you, gentlemen. As always, I appreciate your time and efforts.”
His brother sighed. “Speaking of time, yours was, as always damn near impeccable. I was about to fly to the sunny beaches of Greece when you called. My vacation plans didn’t include a side trip to Iowa. The next time you get thrown in jail, you’ll have to make your one phone call to someone else. I’m done with hauling your ass out of the shit, Jordan.” Matthew sniffed the air once more. “Urgh, is that what you were rolling around in last night? Shit.”
Jordan couldn’t honestly answer that question. He had a few hazy memories of what had happened the previous evening. On a whim, he and some friends had flown out to Iowa, to watch a night rodeo, but apart from some vague memories of bulls and horses, he had absolutely no recollection of how the night had ended. Or what had happened to result in him getting arrested. He’d woken up sprawled on the floor of the jail cell a little after five am. Unfortunately, the whole hazy brain, handcuffs, and legal team scenario was a familiar one for Jordan.
This is one thing I have a talent for, the one thing my high achieving brothers and cousins can’t lay claim to—black sheep of the family.
After retrieving his cell phone, and some other personal effects from the clerk at the front desk, Jordan was handed several sheets of paperwork, and made to sign them. He gingerly put his sunglasses on his face, then followed Matthew out the front door. The pair of lawyers who kept a guarded distance, trailed in his wake.
Once they were outside in the parking lot, Jordan stopped and quickly checked his wallet. His credit cards, with their unrestrained spending limits, were still there, but all his cash was gone. Jordan had a vague recollection of handing over a fistful of hundred dollar bills to a shady guy behind a cowboy bar.Guess that answers that question.
His queasy stomach growled its need for attention.
“Do you have any money on you, bro? I’m not sure if they take credit cards at the local diner. I’m in desperate need of some coffee and food.”
Matthew angrily snatched the paperwork out of Jordan’s hand and passed it to one of the lawyers. “It goes without saying that none of this should go officially through the Royal Resorts company accounts. Make sure it gets hidden somewhere as research costs. If anyone asks, just tell them I was out here looking at possible resort development sites. Thanks guys, I’m sorry to have called you out so early.”
Stifling a grin, Jordan nodded. “Yeah, um, thanks. And sorry.”
With their task now complete, the lawyers got into one of two nearby cars and drove away. Jordan watched them go, staring at the road until the car was out of sight.
And cue the disapproving lecture from my brother…
He turned to Matthew. His sibling shared the same shade of dark brown hair and green eyes as Jordan, but that was where their similarities ended. Jordan’s hair was normally groomed to within an inch of its life, whereas Matthew wore his long locks past his shoulders.
While Jordan was currently wearing a five o’clock shadow, which he would shave off as soon as he could, Matthew rocked a lumberjack, unkempt bearded vibe. Anyone who happened to wander by wouldn’t pick them for brothers. And while they looked more like two characters out of a cheesy ’80s road movie, Jordan didn’t need a map to tell him that Iowa was a long way fromWalley World.
