“Yeah.”
“I’ll take it neat.”
He grinned. “Woman after my own heart,” he teased.
“Hey!” I fired back. “I resent that.” I pursed my lips and put my hands to my hips. “I’ll take a glass too, please, and thank you very much!”
Instead of making two new glasses, Jonah grabbed the one on the counter and brought it straight to me. “First, I take care of my sweet girl. Then I’ll pour her sister a drink, yeah?”
I pouted. “Thank you. Except I should be making you a drink not the other way around.”
“How you figure?” He kissed me quick and all too brief, then left to go back and make himself and Sonia a drink.
“Because I should be taking care of you in your time of need. And besides, I’m a bartender. I’m an expert at slinging drinks.”
“Which is why you’ll never, not ever, pour yourself one in my presence, Simone. You deserve to be served a drink now and again.”
“He always like this?” Sonia asked.
“Like what?” I frowned, not getting where she was going with her question.
“A gentleman?”
I grinned and watched while he made my sister and himself a drink. “Yeah.” I said it with the awe I felt every minute in his presence.
“You’re gone for him. I’ve never seen you like this with a man before. All swoony, shy, and blushing. Oh my God. You are blushing right now. My sister who could walk right into a sex shop and ask for the toy that gives the absolute best orgasms is bashful with her hunky boyfriend.”
I nudged her shoulders and then winced when my wound smarted. “We haven’t actually said those words. So, shut up.”
“What words? Boyfriend?”
I gave her big eyes as he chuckled and handed her a glass. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple. “You saying I’m not your boyfriend?”
“Just last night we told your parents that we were seeing each other. That’s a big jump…from seeing one another to having an official title such as boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“That was last night. Today is a new day,” he stated simply.
“Well I don’t think you should be deciding anything so life affirming when you’re dealing with Helen’s loss.”
That had him closing his eyes as if he’d had a good fifteen minutes without thinking directly of what happened to his ex and the manner in which she died, and then I ruined it.
“I’m sorry. That was insensitive.”
He shook his head. “No, it was the truth. And I’m beginning to find that the truth is all I ever want to hear from you. Don’t try and hide behind things or tell me half-truths. I like you and your honesty exactly the way you are.”
“He’s a keeper, Simone. Lock him down and throw away the key. Marry the man and have his babies.” Sonia tossed back the rest of her drink in one go.
Quinn entered the front door where the screaming media kept going even after he’d given my sister’s statement. I could see two armed bodyguards standing by the front door on the outside before he closed it, so I knew we were safe. Not to mention as long as Jonah was around, I didn’t feel fear. Even though I knew I needed to be paying attention to my surroundings at all times. Jonah just made me feel safe.
“Those guys are vultures, praying on the wounded and hoping to get fed. Sweet baby Jesus. You’d think they’d learn by now.” Quinn scowled.
Sonia clapped her hands and rubbed them together. “I’m assuming we need to discuss how we’re going to keep my sister safe. Sonia sat down on the couch and focused her attention on Jonah.
The three of us followed suit. Me sitting right next to Jonah, our thighs touching. Quinn perched himself on the arm of the couch Sonia was sitting on, his focus on the electronic device in his hands, though I knew he was paying attention. Very few things happened around Sonia that Quinn didn’t know about. He took his job and my sister very seriously. She was not only his best friend but the sister he never had. Like us, he’d been a foster child and went to our same high school when they met. Though his experience in the system was nothing like ours. One horrible foster home after another. Mistreated, beaten, bullied for being openly gay. You name it, the guy suffered it. His and Sonia’s bond was deep. The two didn’t do much without the other. Which had been nice for me growing up because it gave me a break from my overbearing sister half the time.
“Actually, SoSo, Jonah believes that none of us are safe. He went after Helen, making things personal. If he doesn’t get what he wants, which I’m guessing is me dead so he can move on, he’ll go after our families. That means you and the girls are not safe. Neither is Mom nor any member of Jonah’s family.”
“Is that true?” She squinted at Jonah.
“Yeah. He’s escalated and gone off his normal routine by killing Katrina. He killed Helen to prove he could and to get my attention. Well, he has it all right. Except my boss took me off the case indefinitely. Way too much conflict of interest with my connection to Helen and he isn’t even aware of my growing relationship with Simone, since Ryan and I have kept that under wraps the past few days.”
“You guys could move in with Sonia and of course Niko and I will gladly welcome any of the Kerrighan sisters. We could host four of them in our home if they shared a bed. We have two spare rooms. Our building is completely safe and protected. Under tight security at all times,” Quinn offered. And yes, they lived in the same building, with apartments that were across the hall from one another like that TV show, Will and Grace. Completely codependent.
“We’ll be okay here. Security system and two FBI agents. I still need to call my parents and discuss what happened see about having them take an unplanned vacation or visit to some family out of state. Check in on Helen’s folks. It’s a good idea for the two of you to have the sisters hole up in your building if possible.”
“There’s actually a fully furnished apartment in the building as well. One of my major campaign donors owns it. I haven’t met the benefactor or owner but I’m sure if we contacted them, we could either secure it free of charge or for a small fee.”
“I’ll look into it now.” Quinn tapped on his device.
Jonah nodded. “Good. Having your family safe during all of this will help a great deal.”
“Done,” Sonia said. “What else?”
As he was about to answer, we were disturbed by a pounding on the front door. Quinn pressed on his ear where he had a listening device connected to the guards outside. He looked at Jonah. “Someone claiming to be your brother, Luca Fontaine, is demanding access to you.”
“Fuck.” Jonah growled low under his breath. “Let him in. And that’s only because I don’t want a bigger media shit storm if they find out his connection to Helen, outside of being her brother-in-law for seven years.”
Sonia’s eyebrow rose in question, but I shook my head and whispered, “Don’t ask.”
A tall, well-built man in a pair of dark wash jeans that fitted his thick thighs perfectly and a polo that said “A+ Construction” embroidered over the heart entered. He had black hair like Loretta’s, and light blue eyes like Marco. His facial features were a mix of his parents, just like Jonah. He was absolutely gorgeous but at least one notch down from Jonah in my opinion. I notched him lower on the hotness scale for his personality sucking rocks due to betraying his brother’s trust.
“Jonah, I can’t believe it…” He swiftly crossed the entryway and headed for my guy. Jonah stood up and held his hand out in a stop gesture. Luca stopped in his tracks, tears filling his eyes. “Brother, we need to be together through this.”
“No, we don’t.”
“It was over a year ago, man. Hell, it was over before it began. A drunken, foolish mistake. How long are you going to punish me…punish Mom and Dad, forcing them to see their sons separately? We’re family. Brothers,” he rasped.
“Brothers don’t fuck each other’s wives,” Jonah barked with such malice his body quaked. I stood up and gripped his biceps from be
hind and pressed my body close to his.
“Breathe, baby,” I reminded him, concerned at his level of anger. His body and mind were taking on far too much and soon he was going to crash, hard.
He inhaled, his nostrils flaring, and clenched his jaw.
Luca looked at me then at Sonia and Quinn. “Uh, why is the Senator in your house?”
I nodded my head toward Sonia. “My sister.”
“And you are?” Luca asked.
“None of your fucking business. You’ve come, you saw I was alive, now go.”
“Jonah, I came for you. To be here for you. Family is everything to me.”
He huffed. “You should have thought of that over a year ago when you fucked my wife and ended my marriage.”
“Your marriage was toast long before I ever made the worst mistake of my life lying with her. She seduced me. I went there to see you. To confide in my brother over my breakup with Tiffany. You were gone. Again. Like always. We drank too much. Way too much. That’s my cross to bear. My disease. I’m an alcoholic. That was my rock fucking bottom. I’d never have done that if I was in my right mind, Jonah, you have to know that. I’m in a program now. I haven’t even had a sip of liquor since. Over a year now. I take full responsibility for my part in losing my mind in feeding my disease.” He pointed to his chest as his face turned red. “I want my brother back. I want my family back.”
Tears hit my eyes at the level of sincerity poured in every single word and the disgust he so obviously had in himself over what he did.
Jonah didn’t speak but Luca kept on sharing. He looked at me, then at Sonia and Quinn. “I’m an alcoholic. I screwed up my life. Almost lost my business with my father, I did lose the woman I loved for three years and planned to marry over it, and I fucked my brother’s wife, losing him too.” He laid it all out in the open for all of us to hear.
I tried to move around Jonah and go to Luca. It was in my nature to help someone in need and he clearly was destroyed over what he did, even a year later.
Jonah locked me to his side.
“What is it going to take, Jonah? I’ve apologized over and over. I’ve sought help. I lost the only woman I ever loved. I haven’t had my birthday or holidays with my family in a year. And now Helen’s dead. I need to make amends, brother. I need you in my life. I love you. I want to be here for you, during this. What more do you need?” His shoulders sagged and I was surprised he didn’t fall to his knees and beg for his brother’s forgiveness.
“Time. I need more time,” Jonah answered flatly. “Especially now.”
Luca licked his lips, sniffed, and nodded. “You shouldn’t be dealing with this alone.”
“I’m not. I’ve got Simone. And Ryan.”
“Ryan. Your brother by choice.” He let out a harsh breath. “Got it. He’s perfect, and I’m the piece of shit alcoholic. I get it. I bought that. Deserve it even.”
“Yeah, you do,” Jonah added.
Luca continued. “It doesn’t change how much it hurts, brother.” He put his hand in his back pocket, opened his wallet, and pulled out a business card. He looked at me and held it up between two fingers. “Please call me if either of you needs anything. And I mean anything.” He set the card down on the table in front of us. “Simone, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I can see by the way he’s holding onto you and shielding you from me, how much you mean to him. One day I hope to get to know you too.”
Jonah’s arms tightened on me. I stayed right where I was, not moving an inch or reaching out my hand to shake his. Especially since there was a very real possibility of a job with Luca and his father in the near future. Jonah was my priority, even though anyone could see how very much this man missed his brother and wanted to make amends. It was also obvious that Jonah was not ready to accept his apology or offer forgiveness.
Time would have to heal these wounds.
Luca offered a brief nod to Quinn and then to my sister before spinning around and leaving the same way he came.
Jonah turned to me and I lifted my hands to his shoulders. “You okay?”
He shook his head. “No, but I will be.”
I nodded.
“Okay. Well, we’re going to get moving on Operation Relocate My Family. Simone, please for the love of God, check in with us daily. It’s more important now than ever before.”
“Sorry, SoSo. I will, I promise.”
She gave me a hug and then looked at Jonah for a moment and made a decision. She hugged him too. That was huge. My sister only hugged people she genuinely cared for. I was the touchy feely one in our duo.
“Take care of my sister. She’s the most important person in the world to me.” She pointed to him. “I’m counting on you.”
He gave a soft smile just to her. “She’s important to me too. I’ll protect her with my life.”
Swoon.
I went over to Quinn and he hugged me for a long time. “I’m glad you’re alive and I don’t have to kill you for making me deal with a frightened and angry SoSo.”
I laughed. “Will you put me back on the chocolate almond butter clusters gift list for Christmas?” I puffed out my bottom lip and batted my eyelashes.
He grinned and smacked my cheek affectionately. “We’ll see how you do with checking in over the next week.”
“Come on! That’s not fair. You know I’m crappy at touching base. It’s like you’re setting me up for failure.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot dramatically.
He shrugged. “If you want the clusters, you’ll check in. Simple as that. I want a happy and focused Senator, not a freaking out, often grouchy, and sometimes bitchy SoSo who’s worried about her only living blood relative. Life’s about choices, Simone. Make good ones.”
I lifted my head to the ceiling and groaned. “Now you’re being mean. Fine! But I better get a double batch!”
He winked, hooked his arm with Sonia’s, and led her toward the door. She was already head down, eyes on her phone typing away. Work-a-holic. Still, he was right. I knew that my safety and ability to breathe were Sonia’s biggest weaknesses. Anyone trying to wound her would only have to bruise me. That’s all it would take.
“Love you, SoSo, and love you, Quinn. Good luck with the fam!” I called out as they were leaving then turned to Jonah. “That was a pretty intense smack down with your brother, baby…”
Jonah clenched his teeth and shook his head. “We’re not talking about him. Not right now. Maybe not ever.”
And of course, when I was about to grill him, his phone rang, Ryan’s name appearing on the screen.
“Saved by the bell.”
He smirked. “Mind getting us some pizza?”
“Oooh! I forgot.” My mouth started to water, and my belly took notice. “Though no more whiskey. You’re switching to beer.”
“Sounds good.”
Jonah answered the phone while I set about getting me and my hot FBI guy some food.
“What now?”
Jonah and I spent the rest of the day vegging, eating, and watching mindless TV. Every hour or so he’d get a call from Ryan with an update. So far, we had Helen’s last known whereabouts. Turned out she’d met some friends at a bar. Her phone’s GPS stopped there. The authorities found the broken device smashed and tossed in the field adjacent to the poolhall. Jonah gave Ryan a list of friends of theirs to find out whether she’d met up with any of them. When they narrowed down the names to a few she’d been with that night, they guessed she’d left around eleven in the evening. Based on the timing from when she left Jonah’s parents to the time she met up with her friends, those friends were the last to see her alive. The FBI’s best guess was that she was followed from Jonah’s parents’ house to the bar. The killer must have waited for her to exit the establishment alone before he struck. Her car was still parked in the back near a dumpster.
No one heard or saw anything. The pool hall had cameras, but the car was parked out of the line of sight of the cameras.
The FBI a
nd most especially Jonah seemed to be most interested in the autopsy results. Jonah had called Helen’s parents and spent a good hour talking to them. He offered to handle her remains and thankfully they declined. Though it would be a while before they could lay Helen to rest properly since she was part of an ongoing murder investigation.
Me, I was fretting about work, waiting for my boss at Tracks to call me back. I’d informed the on-site manager about what was going on. I asked for a week or two off in order to give the FBI time to find their man, and she said she would relay it to Owen and have him call me back. He owned the bar but wasn’t known for being the nicest guy. He paid a fair wage and didn’t hit on the women who worked for him, but he didn’t have any emotional connection to his staff nor was he cool about sick days and time off. He had the ‘work your ass off for what you want’ mentality. Which I totally understood. That’s all I’d ever been doing since I secured a work permit at fifteen. I just knew he wasn’t going to be cool about me needing the time away regardless of the severity of the situation.
I jumped when my phone rang on the table as though it were a King cobra ready to strike. Jonah chuckled, stood up from the couch, and grabbed our empty beer bottles.
“Another?”
“Sure,” I said and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Simone, it’s Owen. I understand you’ve got some trouble preventing you from coming to work?”
I gave him a quick rundown of the situation.
“Darling, I understand that you feel you need to be home in order to be safe. However, you need to look at it from my perspective too. I’m a business owner. I’ve already let you off two days of work for this shit. I can’t allow for any more or I’m setting a precedent for the other staff. We’re already understaffed. I’m afraid if you don’t make it in for shift tomorrow, I’ll have to let you go.”
“What? No. I need this job, Owen. You know I do.”
“And I’m offering to let you continue working it. We have plenty of bouncers and security here in order to keep you safe. I can make accommodations so that you stay behind the bar, and in view of one of our guys at all times, but either way we know shit can happen. You have to make the decision for yourself. If you don’t show, I won’t deny or put up a fight regarding your unemployment, but I prefer you here. If I see you here tomorrow, I’ll know you’re still working. If I don’t, I’ll have your final check ready for you to pick up, darlin’. Take care of yourself.”
Wild Child (A Soul Sister Novel Book 1) Page 13