AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t.”
“Then which one of your men does? Because I know for a fact Dex isn’t texting you the goings-on in my life since no one outside of me, you, that attorney, and your guys, knows about this.” I motioned between him and me.
The muscle in his jaw ticked beneath the beard that moved slightly. I’d learned it was an instant reflex to anyone who tried to challenge him. He hated it. That muscle popping told me I was pushing it. Did I care? Nope. Because I could push Jordan pretty far before he snapped.
“I’ll take your nonanswer to mean yes, you had someone there either on purpose or by coincidence. The question remains… How did they know?”
“He overheard Simon speaking to Dana.”
“Ah.” I leaned back. “This man of yours was at the bar then. Dana doesn’t drift far from the kitchen. He only comes out on the main floor to take a break from cooking.” I might not like to socialize but I was aware of my environment.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had issues with your blood sugar?”
“No,” I said instead of answering him. “If I need your help, I’ll ask for it.”
I could hear his teeth grinding. Being denied what he wanted was another thing Jordan hated, and I was the master at pushing every one of his buttons. I’d be damned if I’d let anyone rush into my life and take over when I didn’t need nor want it.
“As you can see, I’m fine,” I told him. “Like you said, that was days ago, which means you have a man who’s probably in pain from not telling you sooner.” If Jordan had found out prior to today, he would have been here earlier.
He got to his feet and brushed nonexistent lint from his slacks, then buttoned his suit jacket. “You need to take better care of yourself. If I hear of this happening again, I’ll have to intervene, which means pulling Dexen—”
“No,” I said, much firmer than before, and shot to my feet. “You will not say a word to Dexen about me. I’m old enough to handle my health.” I also didn’t want my secret out.
“I’m simply trying to—”
“I know.” I sighed because, fuck me, he was trying to be… Nice wasn’t the right word. “I appreciate your concern.”
There actually was an incident when I needed his help and was grateful when one of his guys was there for me, but I didn’t like to think about that. At least I wasn’t as skittish as I was when I started at Untouchable.
He nodded and, without another word, turned, his loafers tapping on the floor as he left.
6
TRISTAN
The cold coffee sat in front of me where I was tucked into the corner table at the coffee shop. A newspaper spread out before me, the classifieds a blur. There was ink on my fingertips from flipping the pages.
Yesterday morning, as I ate a bowl of cereal before leaving for work, my grandmother joined me. She said the only way I could stay with her after this week was if I went to church with her on Sunday and met her friend’s daughter, who was a nice woman from a suitable home. She then pulled out her Bible and began reciting pages of text to me. Every time I tried to get up and leave, she told me to sit back down. I was a half hour late to work and faced a pissed manager when I got there.
My grandmother knew I was gay and despised me for it. The family part of her, the part that still recognized me as her blood, offered me a roof over my head when I needed it.
I knew it was coming, just not when. That hope in my heart I would find a place to live before the ultimatums started died a quick death when she began talking about me marrying a woman, having children, and living the life God wanted me to.
If my dad would have still been around, it wouldn’t have been like this. He loved me and was always on my side. He’d triedto tell his mother how much she missed out on by pushing me away. She didn’t listen. My mom checked out of my life when her divorce to my dad was final.
The turning point was my dad’s funeral. He’d been a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A domestic dispute where he’d stepped in and tried to help, only to have the gun turned on him.
My grandmother had told me as the casket was lowering into the ground if I ever needed help to ask. She opened her door when I was without a place to live with rules firmly in place.
I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t go with her to church or meet a woman I had no desire to get to know. The mere thought of her reading her Bible to me again, as she’d done last night before she’d let me retreat to my room, had my stomach knotting. Why couldn’t I live my life and be happy as I was? Why was who I was attracted to so awful?
Absently, I stirred the cold coffee as I looked over the rental listings for the third time. Tears blurred my vision. There wasn’t anything I could afford. After searching online came up with nothing, I’d hoped by picking up a local paper I could find something cheaper within my limited budget. I’d even driven into East Dremest thinking it would be easier to find something here.
It wasn’t lost on me how I was luckier than others. I had a roof over my head with my grandmother. If only the rules and ultimatums weren’t attached to it.
Pushing my chair back, I got to my feet to return the mug to the counter. Sitting here wasn’t getting me anywhere.
As I turned to take a step, I crashed into another person, the coffee sloshing over the rim of the mug onto my hands and shirt. The person I bumped into stumbled but stayed upright.
