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Ink settled down into the chair, taking the beer and tipping it up to his lips. The cool lager tasted even better after his long workout.
“I had a pleasant surprise at my last appointment tonight.” Hannibal broke the silence.
“Is that so?” What was he supposed to say? Ink was smart enough not to lash out, but only barely.
His Brother had done nothing wrong. Even though it felt like a betrayal. Hannibal wouldn’t do anything to be purposefully hurtful to a stranger, so he trusted he wouldn’t do it to a friend.
“Seems our little Jewel forgot to mention she already had an appointment with me this week. Whoever took her info misspelled her name, and I thought there was a guy coming in for a consult.”
Ink’s shoulders relaxed, and he took another sip of his beer. “I guess that was a pleasant surprise.”
Hannibal chuckled. “You could say that, and not only for the reasons you were thinking.” He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. “We need to sort our shit out, Brother.”
“Yep.” Problem was, Ink didn’t have any idea of where to start. The things he’d learned about Jade’s life tonight made him both want to get closer to protect her and stay further away. The visceral reaction he had at hearing her voice in the background tonight was a good indicator that walking away wasn’t an option.
Hannibal put his beer down a little too hard on the table. “Are you still in?”
Ink crossed his arms and glared at Hannibal. “Being in or out isn’t the question. The problem is that you went and changed what being in means without even a conversation.”
“Yes, I did. And fuck! I know I should have cleared it with you first. But Brother, we are in our thirties. I don’t know about you, but the revolving door of women whose faces I barely remember the next day, is growing old.”
Ink couldn’t argue with the sentiment, only the execution. He’d been feeling the same way too, even if he hadn’t put it into words. When you’re in your twenties, the idea of a different woman every night seems like a version of paradise. But the truth was, eventually, it became as boring as spending time with your own hand.
“So what? That means we grab the first woman we meet, settle down, buy a dog, convert our dungeon into a nursery?”
He deserved the look that Hannibal gave him. One filled with anger and indignation. “Are you saying you don’t feel something for Jade? That she doesn’t feel like fire and the two of us are fucking moths?”
That was a perfect description of his emotions. The need to get close to her. Watch her. Study her and enjoy the warmth of being near her. But he knew that only ended in getting burned.
“Oh, I feel it. But I’m not a puppy chasing my first steer. You throw yourself into these situations with no thought of the consequences. You know nothing about that woman.”
“And that’s where you’re wrong. She’s not the only one who can cyber-stalk a person.”
Hannibal ran down the details of everything he had found about the woman and damn him if every little piece he learned didn’t make him want to find out more. So many questions answered, but so many more revealed.
“Yeah, but she’s got troubles.”
“You mean that piece of shit, partner? We walked in on him, threatening her. Not exactly scared of a skinny little pretty boy.”
“That’s just the tip of the bull’s horn. Highdive pulled me aside today.”
Hannibal sat back in his chair with a raised eyebrow and took a sip of his beer. “He got an opinion on who we’re sleeping with now?”
“Seems that Jade’s troubles run deeper than her partner trying to steal some extra cash from the safe. He’s got debts. And not the kind that harasses you with phone calls to collect. Not only that, but he used their business as collateral.”
“Shit. Did he tell you who the debts were with or how much?”
“The amount he mentioned was over a hundred grand, but he didn’t mention who it was with.” He should have asked, but he’d been too focused on being right about not getting in too deep with the woman. There were a lot of people in the moneylending business. Everything from small town jerks all the way up to the Italians.
“Hell, I don’t think Jade knows about that.”
“You think she would have told you about her illegal debt at your consultation today? How in depth did you get with her?”
“Is that jealousy in your voice?”
Ink rolled his eyes. But Hannibal was probably correct.
Hannibal sighed. “I didn’t think to tell you she was there. It felt right, and I went with it.”
