Keeping You: KJ Elite Inc. (20 page)

“Okay.”

It was plain he expected me to put up a fight when he eyed me curiously. I just shrugged and smiled at him. He grabbed an end of my scarf, which I wrapped lightly around my neck while we were out near the folks by the water, and pulled me to his lips.

“You look so fucking sexy in that bikini I’ve been imaging how long it’ll take me to rip it off with my teeth.”

The image thrilled me causing me to rub up against him without thinking. He groaned when my breasts pushed up against his now bare chest and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“Yeah, I can’t protect that. I expect Mrs. Wilmington will have that on every social media site in about 2 minutes give or take. She looks like she’s got some pretty mean thumbs and apparently a backup cellphone.” Matt chuckled.

“Good, let her.” Noah murmured against my skin, wearing a sly grin.

Tingles shot down my limbs and up to my scalp. I moaned in agreement and wiggled.

“Fuck the grill.” He threw the brush in the back of his truck and lifted me against his body.

“Put that poor girl down and help us pack this up so we can leave, son.” Mrs. Cynde clucked.

I honestly forgot anyone else was around. When I get caught up in Noah, it’s like we are the only ones in existence.

He pulled back and placed one last chaste kiss to my lips before quickly moving around to get everything loaded. And I do mean quickly.

Chapter 10

       When you’re as hard as granite, sitting in jeans while trying to drive with your mother and Aunt in the car is ill advised. Stand down. I repeat, stand down!

Jamie is trying to kill me.

I’m not exactly fighting it either.

My phone vibrates in my pocket just below where Jamie’s hand is resting.

“Get that for me, would you sugar?”

From the corner of my eye I can see her hesitate and look back at my mother.

“It won’t bite.” I whisper in her ear.

She chokes then reaches into my pocket.

“Luke says to step on it.”

“That it?”

“Well, then he… um, he called you a-” She cleared her throat, uncomfortable.

“A what, sug?”

I know it’s a cuss word because those are the only words she wouldn’t say.

“A witch with a capital b.”

It took a lot not to laugh. Doing so would only make her embarrassed and withdrawn.

“Well at least someone has the good grace not to have a filthy mouth.” Aunt Victoria noted.

Ma raised us to be southern gentlemen all the same but understands boys are boys – Aunt Victoria on the other hand really despised filthy mouths. It drives her bonkers that Taylor has a mouth more suited for a rodeo king or sailor. Seldom times I’ve heard Aunt V use a cuss word. She rarely drank – I’d say never but Taylor and Tommy said she had a drink with them once. She’s a saint if I’ve ever seen one.

“Speaking of. Jamie and I will be joining yall for 10 a.m. service tomorrow.”

Jamie opened her mouth, embarrassed probably, but then shut it. I knew she wanted to go because she had mentioned it to me the other night. I lent her my Bible for the time being and she probably figured I just forgot. If she only knew how I devoured every word she spoke.

“Of course, honey. We would love to have you. I have to warn you though, Jamie, Mrs. Williamson does attend regularly.” My mother said.

“But she won’t bother you none, baby.” Aunt V added.

“Thank you.” Jamie said, beaming.

It’s amazing how this woman who has had the finest of things after being plagued by the worst of things can find joy in the simplest of things. Her smile is breathtaking. Today was the first time I saw her real-no-holds-barred, full on, honest smile and it blew me away. It was in that moment that I knew. There is nothing in this world I would not do to keep that smile on her face; I am so ridiculously in love with Jamie, I don’t know how I lived this long without her. I also feel like a total moron for not recognizing it before. Now, I just have to convince her I’m worth it. The little devil on my shoulder is blowing raspberries and falling over from laughter. My angel has been M.I.A. for a few years now, so…

The gates to our property open before we pull up to the security box meaning Luke is really in a hurry for us to get there.

“Thank you for the ride and such a lovely day, you two.” Aunt V says, patting my cheek after I help her out.

“It was all yall, as usual, but you’re welcome.” I answer.

“Behave,” is my mother’s parting word.

All I can do is grin and wave goodbye. Hah! Behave – where’s the fun in that?

In less than a minute we are parked beside the compound.

“Build me up, buttercup.” I sing lazily.

Jamie snickers beside me.

“It was Peyton’s turn to come up with a password.”  I tell her.

“I kind of figured.”

And they call
me
Happy.

“Well hello there, good lookin’!” GQ welcomes Taylor with an extended hand. “Name’s Gray but they call me GQ. We didn’t get a chance to meet at the picnic.”

His slow perusal of her body makes my fingers twitch as I fight the need to throttle him.

Jamie looks up to me for guidance but I just look back at her. She’s met plenty of people but doesn’t do touching. Surprising me, she steps into my side and laces our fingers together before reaching out and shaking his hand. Her grip is firm and assured but the hand attached to mine is shaking lightly. Damn, she’s so much stronger than she thinks.

“Jamie. Nice to meet you.” She says quietly.

Thankfully, he gets the hint and gives her a kind smile after releasing her hand.

“In the meeting room, time now you lucky bastard.” GQ tells me, closing the door.

Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there when I get there. Jamie’s total lack of interest in GQ’s presence has me wanting to turn right around and take her home. Pride swells in my chest and my inner caveman thumps around hooting and hollering. And pride ain’t the only thing swelling.

As if she can hear my thoughts, Tay comes flitting out of Charlie’s office headed straight for us.

“Hey! We are going to play catch up in the lounge while the teams have their pow-wow.” She stands up on tip toe to kiss my cheek and wrap her arms around me tightly.

“Heya brother.”

“Annie.” I reply. That is her nickname – she’s a firecracker and undoubtedly up to no good. It’s why we have always been close. Birds of a feather…

Jamie steps to the side so I can wrap my arms around Taylor and pick her up playfully.

“Big oaf. Go – you’re late and you know how much that pisses Mike off.”

“Hey, I’m just as much owner as you, as he is, as any Kane or Jameson is. He can wait.”

She gives me that stern look so I pinch her cheeks. “Brat.”

I turn to Jamie and kiss her perfect, plump lips.

“I’ll be back soon. Don’t listen to anything she tells you and tell her nothing!”

“You wish.” Taylor scoffed grabbing Jamie’s hand and pulling her away.

This could not end well for me.

When I walk into the room in the center of Betty, our command center, Mike is pacing the floor impatiently.

“Well, come on then.” I huff. It’s an act to drive him nuts.

It has the desired result; Mike begins to steam from the ears. Which is never not funny.

“Close the door.”

I shut and lock it behind me taking note of everyone in attendance. Everyone from Alpha, Bravo and Charlie teams are here minus Peyton, Candace and GQ.

Even our dad was sitting around the round table,

“What’s up?”

I take my usual seat at the six o’clock position straight across from Mike and see Baby to my left.

“Meeting start time, 1845.” Mike announces.

Jesus with the fucking meeting minutes.

For as uptight as our fearless leader seems, he knows how to ruffle my feathers right back. It’s a brother thing.

“Status update on Peyton and Candace?” Baby asks.

There’s no macho leadership bullshit in here – we all treat each other like the adults we are; everyone is an equal and doesn’t need permission to speak. Each team member knows their place in a team. While we have team leaders who make ultimate decisions, we take input from our team and consider it all carefully. Mike acts like the boss because he’s the oldest and it’s just his personality but we all know that there is no one leader. Without each person at this table, we wouldn’t be who we are today. We follow a basic, successful business strategy or belief if you will – take care of your employees and they’ll do the job right.

Here at KJ Elite Inc., we are a family and that is fact you can take to the bank. 

“Retrieval was a success, en route now.” Dad answered.

“He put up a fight?” Baby asked nervously. You need to understand, Baby doesn’t scare easily and she never gets nervous – impatient yes, but never nervous. I’m chalking it up to her feeling responsible for this sack of shit.

“Little bit. Nothing they couldn’t handle. Candace came to the door, Peyton flanked. He had a gun but no bullets. Real genius that one, family must be proud. Gave Candace a shiner but Peyton called and raised him with a few broken ribs and a busted lip.” Luke said, smirking.

Mike and Tommy cursed. A not so subtle ticking began in Mike’s jaw. It was kind of humorous, looking like he was chewin’ on a hard candy or something. Unlike my usual self, I’m not in the mood to poke the big bear right now. More important shit in my head that needs answered.

“Never did have a problem putting his hands on a woman.” She huffed out, looking guilty.

She stuck her thumbnail in her mouth and I smacked it right back out. Now she’s growing impatient.

“Cut it out.” I warned her.

“You come within two miles of me with any kind of jar and I’ll shoot you.”

I once told her I was gonna stick her hands in pickle jars and duct tape them on if she didn’t quit. Needless to say, she hadn’t been amused.

“Don’t make me.”

Her eyes narrowed but Luke drew her attention again.

“They ought to be here within a few hours’ time so we will bring him straight in to Interrogation 2.”

Baby nodded stiffly in reply. Still sitting here in a bikini covered by a sarong made it a little hard for the single dick’s to focus apparently because they kept staring at her.

“Cut it the fuck out.” I warned them. No names were necessary, they knew who they were and what they were doing.

Luke carried on as if nothing had happened.

“The lake had an unwanted unknown today scoping out the people and more specifically our party. Dad called with the tip off when he did an aerial scan and tapped into the camera’s we installed beforehand. There were four on foot, one sitting in a white trailblazer off the main road. No idea who they were or what they wanted but for now we’re grouping them with potentials for Jamie’s case.”

“Did we get any of them?” I asked, trying to keep my cool. Easier thought that done.

“No, dad didn’t catch on until they were all headed out. They came in from all different routes with packs of people to blend but then left together through the trees headed for the parked blazer.”

That didn’t make much sense; suspicious much?

“Okay, did we get the plates? Are they staying in town?” Tommy asked.

“They sprayed the plates so any camera wouldn’t catch the plate number but they parked at Devine’s Divine B&B.”

A few guys laughed and it was obvious why. If you’re a thug, you don’t sleep in a B&B.

As much as I wanted to joke about that, my monster was rattling the cage, biting for answers once more.

“It’s been more than 24 hours and that’s not like you – have you found anything?”

Again, elaboration was not necessary because they all knew what I wanted and were waiting too.

“Remember when I said it was a doozy? Yeah, like, times ten infinities.”

“Spit it out, Luke. I’m not in a patient mood.”

“Baby, have you read that file yet?” He asked, turning his attention back to Baby.

“Yes.”

One thing I love about Baby, she doesn’t waste time on conversation. Questions are either yes or no with her until more explanation is necessary.

“Nolan…wait for it.”

Everyone tensed up and shouted at Luke like a bad horror flick.

“Alright, alright.” He motioned his hands to mean, “Settle down”. “Nolan is alive.”

Somewhere in the distance, I heard someone suck in a deep breath and a couple curse words thrown around.

“If Nolan is alive, that could mean Jamie’s dad is, too.” I half growled, half yelled.

“That’s the conclusion I came to, too.” Luke said, face twisted with conflicting emotions.