“Oh really? Suddenly, you care about me? Shouldn’t it be the other way around … you looking out for your brother?”
“David can take care of himself. But I have my doubts about you.”
“What,” she said with a smirk. “You think I’m a stupid little girl … can’t handle a real relationship? You got a lot of nerve profiling people you’ve never even met.”
“Well … let’s just say, if you’re dating my brother and think he’s just God’s gift to women you’re not that … perceptive. Let’s just leave it at that.”
“Oh really?” she said, holding her hands on her hips. “Maybe what David says is right. You’re jealous. Maybe you do crush on the girls your brother dates.”
Alicia glared at Robert, enjoying the feeling of poking him with those starlet eyes.
Robert though only snickered in response. “Fine. Believe what you will. But don’t say people didn’t try to warn you.”
Alicia lost her smile and stared at him, trying to figure out the conundrum.
“He was right, you know,” she said to him, not bothering to look into his eyes anymore.
“About what?”
“Family is always more important than business.”
“No kidding. That’s what I was trying to tell him.”
“No, I mean family time is more important than family business. I know from experience. Losing yourself in your work is no way to go through life. It robs you of the joy of being human.”
“Really?” he said with a half smile.
“When’s the last time you went for a joy ride, Robert? You seem the type that never stops answering phones.”
“Hmmm,” he said with a nod and a shrug. “Not all of us are blessed with the luxury of free time … or a lack of conscience.”
To my relief, they stopped talking and simply waited in silence in the waiting room. The very quiet room … in fact, a place that Bob thought to be too quiet.
“There doesn’t seem to be many nurses or staff, huh?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Alicia said.
Now what happened next boggles the mind, especially if you’re poor Alicia and have no idea what’s coming. Bob was looking up and down the halls, wondering where everybody was, it being so quiet. Alicia was zoning out while I was still going over legalese with old dad in his room.
Bob starts yammering to himself. “Where is everybody? No, no … something isn’t right here.”
Bob kept raising his voice, wandering through the halls like a loony. He finally got the attention of one of the nurses.
“Sir, what’s wrong?”
“You tell me. Where is everybody? There should be a guard stationed here.”
“We’re short on staff …”
“No, no, you don’t understand. There should be a guard here …”
I heard Bob freaking out and have to say something.
“Bob, what the hell is wrong with you?” I yelled out to the hallway. “Dad … gimme a second. Bob is harassing the nurses over there.”
Bob started running at full speed, looking around the room frantically and putting the fear of God into Alicia and the nurse.
“He has a gun!” he yelled, just as he ran towards Alicia with all his might.
I saw it happen through the corner of my eye. I turned my head and saw Bob take Alicia down with one grab. He made sure not to hurt her by holding her head in his hands carefully, making sure to cushion her fall. Just as he let up on her, I saw another man in a suit coat and hat running forward and holding a pistol.
“Motherfuuu …” I whispered, too far inside Dad’s room to jump in and help. But I damned well knew what was happening. I didn’t even have time to pray.
A gunshot sounded, and the nurse screamed. Bob shoved the nurse to the floor and out of harm’s way.
Three more shots fired as I barely started to move, realizing shit was hitting the fan.
Bob rolled on the ground and avoided the gunman, escaping two more gunshots with barely a few inches to spare. Just as I exited Dad’s room, I saw Bob rise and tackle the gunman down with both arms—one more shot firing into the air.
The nurse was screaming; Alicia was hyperventilating, and Dad was hollering for an explanation. I just barely could make sense of the scene unfolding in front of me, even as I clenched my fist and got ready to be a hero.
But damn it, Bob beat me to it. He was already pinning the gunman down, punching the fuck out of the man’s face, strong right and left blows that left the hoodlum unconscious within seconds. I remember hearing those blood-splattering punches even from several feet away. I ran up to Bob just as I saw the man bleeding … one blow away from death.
Bob raised his hand, ready to take the life of this hired assassin. He looked the unconscious man in the eye … and then panted for a good ten seconds. He dropped his fists and let the man’s head drop.
Everyone in that room was in awe. The nurse, Alicia, and hell even myself. Bob knew something was up. He smelled it. And he took out the trash like a goddamned masked vigilante.
“Come on, bro,” I whispered to him, a little humbled in my heart. After all, I was too far away to save anybody. He really saved the day, and it don’t feel good to say that, but I do give credit where it’s due. “He’s not worth it.”
“How did they get in here,” Bob whispered. “Who the fuck else knows we’re here?”
“I dunno …” I said, doing a double take on Alicia who was wide-eyed and staring at me, then Bob, then me, and trying to decipher what the hell she just saw and what the hell part of the story she missed.
“Looks like you’re the hero today,” I said, taking Alicia into my arms and comforting her. She was panicked all right, trembling and flinching like a lost little bird, the poor soul. Even the other lady nurse was crying. She hugged Bob and called him her own personal hero.
He was too. Damn near saved the day. And I owed him big time. And that’s why no matter what a douchebag a guy is in his thoughtless words, actions always speak louder. Family always sticks together. We protect one another. And Bob treated Alicia like family, and that meant the world to me.
“Be careful,” Bob rasped to Alicia, putting his arm on her shoulder. But as soon as he realized that I was there and that it should be my job to comfort my girlfriend—or at least my lady friend if not my girlfriend—he politely stepped away. I saw him go into Dad’s room and explain what happened. Poor Dad had no idea what was happening, aside from the gunshots.
“Dave …” Alicia said as I hugged her tightly. “What’s going on? Who was that guy?”
“Apparently some no-good SOB here to do us wrong. Don’t worry; Bob’s going to call the cops and get his no-good ass put in jail. Hey, Bobby! Call the police. Hurry up before he wakes.”
“I will!”
“Yeah, but …” Alicia said, staring into my eyes in an uncomfortable moment. “I mean did you see the way Bob took that guy down? It was like … amazing.”
“Hey now,” I said with a laugh. “Don’t go crushing on him too bad. I can do that James Bond shit too you know.”
“I don’t mean it like that. I mean … that’s not normal. That’s not the footwork of an accountant.”
I laughed hard. “Well, Bob’s a man of many secrets. That I know for a fact.”
Alicia wasn’t buying it. She was staring at me like a Rubik’s Cube and then back at Bob. She wasn’t letting go of her silly paranoia this time. Bob had her attention in the worst way possible.
“Is he CIA?” she said, wide-eyed and staring in scandal. “Or FBI? Is he really a cop?”
“No, no,” I said with a smile. “Just uh … you know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Black belt.”
Shit, I thought to myself. That was the most pathetic lie I ever told. Alicia wasn’t buying it and gave me a look that said, “You’re full of shit!”
I decided to let Bob take care of things while I took Alicia out for Damage Control ice cream. She was really beside herself and couldn’t process what she
had seen or felt. Not only a man firing off shots, but even the way Bob tackled her, heaving his body all over her … that’s a lot to absorb in one day for sure.
She slurped her ice cream while I tried my best to change the subject. But she wasn’t having it. She knew she had witnessed something monumental. She was on the verge of solving a mystery, and Bob was at the center of it.
“It’s just very strange,” Alicia said, still fixating on the events now two hours behind us. “He fought masterfully. Better than a cop. That man had a gun, Dave.”
“I know.”
“I just think it’s very unusual he knows how to fight like that, and he’s just an accountant.”
“I know, goddamn it!” I said, losing my temper at all the Bob-worshiping going on. I mean yes, there’s heroism, and I respect that. But there’s no need to shove a dildo of Bob’s fucking face into her pussy. It was starting to become insulting to me. “What else do you want me to say?”
She tilted her head, surprised I was getting so pissed.
“Yeah, Bob knows how to fight. I’m really so happy that he wet your panties showing off his fucking ninja skills, all right?”
“Jesus, Dave! Calm down! I’m not saying he was hot. I’m saying doesn’t it strike you as a little funny?”
“What?!”
“That an accountant knows all that fighting. And that some accountant and you, and your father, would attract a fucking assassin at ten o’clock at night. That’s not normal. That’s some espionage shit right there!”
“Oh, damn honey …” I said, shaking my head. “Look. I’m not discounting what you saw.
“No, you’re getting all jealous and paranoid. I want answers. I want you to solve this mystery with me. Instead, you’re acting like a dick!”
I sighed. “All right, I’m sorry. I thought you were crushing on Bob, that’s all.”
“Jesus Christ, you are so jealous, David Jackson. And here I thought Bob was the jealous, insecure type. What the hell is this?”
“I’m sorry,” I said, nodding strongly. “You’re right. I’m a little protective of you. And Bob knows damn well that he’s tried to steal my girlfriends in the past.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen, silly!” she said, stroking my hand, which did help to calm me down. “I’m not attracted to your brother. If anything, I’m very suspicious about who he really is. Nobody moves like that out of a soldier’s uniform. I mean … is he in the marines? Was he in the army before he became an accountant?”
“No,” I said with a sigh. “He wasn’t.” I wasn’t about to lie to her again. She deserved more than that.
“So …? Any ideas on why Bob is moonlighting as some goddamned superhero?”
“All right. I’m going to tell you everything I know. But none of this talk leaves our table. Got it?”
“Okay,” she said, nodding and very intent on hearing more of Bob’s mysterious past. Damned if I felt the paranoia coming back to me. It wouldn’t be the first time Bob stole snatch from me either. And I was not about to be played like a fool. Not now. Not ever again.
“Bob is into some shady shit. He disappeared a few years ago, just as Dad and I were getting my business established. Bob drops off the face of the earth. Joins some cult in Asia, I don’t know.”
“Really? Cult in Asia?”
“Dammit, I’m not lying! I didn’t say it makes sense to me. He comes back and starts talking about all kinds of bullshit. Meditating, Yoga, Dragon fire, I don’t give a shit. And I told him, ‘Bob, I don’t give two fucks about your spiritual journey.’ And we never talked about it. And yes, he does a lot of that weirdo Kung-Fu shit, whatever he calls it. But I know he’s just doing it to intimidate me. See, Bob was picked on a lot as a kid. He was always a nerd, right? Never into any sports or physical exercise. So what I think happened was he joined that club to learn how to be more of a man. You know, get in shape, start fighting … peace of mind. And good for him. I’m sure it got him laid, and more power to him.”
“That’s really weird,” she replied. “But the assassin … any ideas?”
“Could be someone gunning for Bob. Or gunning for my father.”
“What does your father do?”
“He’s a very rich man. In fact, all three of us are. And that’s why people will always be coming after us. People hate us for our money, Alicia. And I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you this over a candlelight dinner; I’m sorry the way it happened. But it happened.”
“Jesus,” Alicia said, still not quite comprehending everything. And who could blame her? It happened so fast, her mind was racing all night from the thrill of a near death experience.
“One thing’s for sure, angel face. I’m going to protect you. I let my guard down because of Dad, Bob, and the family crap. And I feel shitty because of it. But no more. From now on, I’m going to protect you like a hawk.”
She finally smiled, getting a glimmer of hope back in those beautiful moonlight eyes.
“Awww, so sweet. And why would you protect me, Dave? You don’t owe me anything.”
“Sure I do,” I said, stroking her peachy white face and falling in love all over again. “You’re my girl.”
“Really? I’m your girl?” she said, staring into my eyes and blushing, which was contagious. We were both having the conversation. The adrenaline was still running strong. A memorable night for sure … and it all had a flavor. Chocolate ice cream! The best dessert we ever had!
“You are my girl, Alicia,” I said kissing her and tasting that ice cream on her lips and tongue. “And I’ll beat the everlasting fuck out of anyone that looks at you cross-eyed, you got that?”
“You’re so sexy when you’re all protective of me, baby,” she cooed.
“Damn right. And I don’t need fancy footwork to protect my girl. I’ll rip a man to shreds with my damn hands if I have to.”
“Mmmm, turning me on, baby,” she said, kissing me boldly, right in the ice cream store, right in front of the employees and other patrons. Not a damned thing anyone could say about it too because I was David Jackson, motherfucker. I was on top of the world, and I had the loveliest woman in the world by my side. God himself couldn’t strike me down, though I have no doubt the Good Lord would never see fit to do so. This was passion. This was living.
After calming down, Alicia laughed off the night as nothing more than pure entertainment, one of life’s peculiarities.
“So you really think your brother learned all that just to get laid?”
“I’m sure it was something like that,” I said to Alicia who was giggling. “And I’m proud that he did so. I mean, all that chop suey ninja bullshit, you know, it only works on Asian pussy. Ain’t my kind of pussy, but if that’s what Bob goes for, I’m happy for him.”
“You are so nasty!” she said, smacking my shoulder.
“And what works on you, sweet thing?” I said rubbing her face, down to her shoulder and into her blouse—the feeling of power intoxicating us both. “Because that’s all I really care about. Because I want to get you all horny, riled up, and toss you into that bed tonight. I’ll show you what I can do with my hands.”
“Mmmm …” she moaned in heat. “Wearing my tight jeans, baby?”
“You know it. Tight jeans I just want to pull off of you …”
“Let’s go right now.”
“Right now in the ice cream parlor?”
She laughed hard. “Noo …let’s do it in the car, baby. Drive somewhere where we can be alone ... I want to show you how horny you make me.”
“You are the craziest and sexiest woman I’ve ever met, my Lovely Leesha,” I said with a big grin.
We kissed again right before running out of that ice cream place with a vengeance. I was so thrilled and so hard I left that poor busboy a hundred dollar tip. Bet that made him as hard as a rock too.
I was in love. And when I felt love, I gave freely. This turned out to be a great day after all. Because a woman with, shall we say, excitable tendencies
makes for a great date. Better sex. Better conversation. Better romance. Better connection, mystical and soul mate emotions I’m talking about!
A woman that has passion feels. She lives moment by moment; she opens her heart to the universe. She experiences the gamut of all human emotion. She can go from zero to sixty in one second, be slapping you in the face one minute and sucking your dick dry the next. That’s what I’m talking about – passion!
And I had plenty of fuel to get her engine revved up, that was for sure. Because as people everywhere around these parts knew, there was never a dull moment spent with David Jackson … after all, I was The King of the South.
***
Chapter 6
“None of Your Family’s Business Part IV”
“Cocksuckers!” I said, kicking tools and tables over and cracking things open all in the name of love. A dozen men looked around the room, deadly silent and knowing better than to open their mouth when the boss is angry.
“Somebody embarrassed me in front of my girlfriend last night. You know that?” I walked up to each one of those guys and stared them down—all of them hulking men of muscle, some twice as big as me. But they knew I was the boss. I signed their paycheck. I brought in the business. And hell yeah, I was the Master Restorer of all things old and antique.
“Alicia … she actually told me that she wants to be an item. With me. Can you believe that?” Smiling for just a moment before I shoved a table over and kicked every last item to the ground. “I finally meet a woman I like … maybe even love … and what does some monkey ass motherfucking maggot do to me at my daddy’s own nursing home? They tried to kill us. All of us. We’re lucky my brother, Bobby, that selfless asshole … that self-sacrificing sanctimonious son of a bitch … he saved Alicia’s life. He saved MY life. Damn fool has the dick of a string bean and the libido of an eight-hundred-pound man. You know what I used to say about Bobby Jackson, don’t you? What do you say about a man who cries while he masturbates … he’s a real tearjerker, ain’t he?”
A few cackles and snorts. And even I smiled at that one.
“Yeah, we razz each other as such. It’s okay to laugh. We laugh in the face of tragedy. But today … I shit you not. Bob Jackson is my hero.”
The Billionaire's Assistant: An Alpha Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 43