“What if she were to die before she’s been married for five years?” Mr. Alexander blanched while Steel jumped up from his chair.
“She is your sister, and she’s sitting right here!” There is no doubt in my mind Steel could be heard clear out into the lobby and probably beyond.
“What?” CJ asked, nonplussed by the reactions he received. “It’s a legitimate question.”
“Pardon me for having to answer this one, Cynthia-Jo.” Mr. Alexander apologized. “If she died, her assets, including the business would go directly to her next of kin, which would be her husband. The law sees that she was still married at the time of death, and has a reasonable belief that she would have remained married if she continued to live, therefore the widow would be entitled to inherit. If Mrs…” Mr. Alexander cleared his throat then. “I’m sorry, will you be going by Mason still, or will it be Briggs now?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I’ll be changing it. Isn’t that what married women do?”
Mr. Alexander shrugged. “It’s what they usually do in these parts, but there are plenty of women who keep their maiden name or hyphenate them together. It’s entirely up to you.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. It doesn’t matter what JoJo’s name is, you were saying…” My slimy brother redirected us all back to his morbid question.
“Yes, well, if Cynthia-Jo were to have a Last Will and Testament on file, we would of course go with whatever her wishes were no matter how she died. If she does not, in fact, have a Will on file, and foul play of any kind was suspected her estate would go into escrow until results of the investigation were complete. Obviously, no party deemed responsible for her death would be able to collect. If that were the case, then her estate would be split between any other family.”
I could swear there was a gleam in my brother’s eyes as he listened to the part about foul play. It made me visibly shiver. Steel pulled me in closer to his side by throwing an arm around my shoulder then. I don’t know if he was trying to keep anyone else from seeing my reaction, or if he just thought I was cold.
“No need to play all lovey dovey for me. I know this whole thing is a farce meant to keep me from my birthright.” I think everyone in the room rolled their eyes in unison at my brother.
I ignored him and gave Mr. Alexander my complete focus as I started speaking. “I think we’ve proved the only thing necessary for now.” Steel stood and reached out his hand for me then. “Mr. Alexander if there’s anything else you need, you know how to contact me.”
Steel glanced back over his shoulder at my brother, “CJ, I suggest you go back to New York and give your sister time to get over your callous, greedy bullshit before you attempt to contact her again.”
“This isn’t over,” CJ said with total determination.
“Unless the couple divorces in the next five years, it most certainly is over,” Mr. Alexander sputtered out, apparently just as horrified by my brother’s behavior as I was. Steel and I simply left the office. I was still in a bit of a daze when we got out on the street next to the car.
“I had to ask, JoJo. What do you even know about this guy? He’s a freaking biker,” he sneered.
“I’m a freaking biker, numb nuts! Besides that, I trust him a whole lot more than I trust you right now, and that’s just sad.”
“Why are you being like this?” CJ asked, sounding like he honestly didn’t understand my hostility. Only, he then followed up his question with his own assessment. “I’m the male heir, the oldest child. The business should have fallen to me directly anyway.”
“If you wanted the family business so bad, maybe you should have stayed and run it when dad was too sick to do it. You didn’t though. I did. Do we really need to argue over who deserves to keep it? I put the time in. I did the work. You have a new life in New York. Go, make the best of it.”
“This isn’t over, JoJo. I have lawyers looking into things outside of this little Podunk town.”
“Good for you, CJ.” Steel held open the passenger door on my pickup truck, which I was suddenly glad we’d brought. Instead of saying anything else to my brother, I got in and buckled up. That didn’t stop me from overhearing what Steel said to my brother.
“I’m going to make sure your sister has everything in place to ensure you never get a dime if anything happens to her. She’s more than welcome to put in place the same where I am concerned. But let me be clear, if anything out of the ordinary happens to your sister, I’m coming for you, CJ. You won’t get the chance to fight whatever she’s put in place.” With that, he maneuvered himself into the driver’s seat of my truck, and we took off moments later.
“That was awful.” I finally commented, but I was too emotionally drained to put anything behind the words. The feelings were sort of sitting inside of me, bonded by a barrier of numbness.
“I’m sorry you heard what I said to your brother, but I won’t apologize for saying it.”
“No, not that. I meant the whole morning. My brother searching for every loophole to screw me over, including my death.”
“Nothing will happen to you while I’m around, babe. I promise you that.” I smiled over at Steel as he drove. He definitely just called me babe again, and damn if my insides weren’t dancing a little jig, despite the horrible morning I’d had.
“Thank you for being there with me today, and for sticking up for me. It means a lot.”
“JoJo, have you been doing all of this alone the whole time? Your dad, the business, dealing with the lawyers, and your brother?”
“I guess so, yeah. I have Chuck and Clyde working at the garage. Clyde helped a little with how to order the supplies when my dad got to sick.”
“What about your club? Where have they been in all of this?”
“I don’t know. They’re always there if I need to talk, I guess. Keys organized the trip to Vegas too.”
Steel made a very disapproving noise and continued driving. I hated that he brought up the fact that no one had been helping me. “Our club has gone through a lot over the past couple years though. We took out another club that was responsible for kidnapping women in our area and trafficking them to other countries to be slaves, most often sex slaves. We took them down not once, but twice. Angel and Sweet had their own dramas going on. Legs was, and is, still searching for her daughter. Her ex was awarded visitation despite her claims to the court that he was violent. The first time Legs dropped her little girl off, the bastard disappeared with her. The police have been all but useless in helping to locate her again, so a lot of club resources and time have gone to helping her. Then Keys had a new relationship starting up with Quickshot too. There was always something going on, and I hadn’t wanted to burden anyone else with my responsibilities and problems.” Even though I’d just justified the fact that no one had helped me, mostly because I hadn’t asked them to, it still hurt that an outsider had to ask the question. They all knew what I was going through, and I probably shouldn’t have had to ask. My stomach sank a bit, and I began rethinking my going to help out with Angel’s room again. I had to remind myself that it wasn’t totally for her though. This was an effort for an innocent baby whose mom was probably giving her up, simply because she didn’t get her way and get the man she wanted for her own.
“I was thinking we could start on the living and dining room floors this week. We’ll just have to use the back door to get into the kitchen and upstairs until we finish.” I could kiss the man for changing the subject and pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Sure, that sounds good. Clyde has an electric sander he said I could use. I’ll let him know we’ll need it then.”
“Hey, I was also wondering, do we need to take out an ad in the local paper or something about the marriage?” Steel chuckled at his own thought. “How else are the local people going to know we were married, and that it’s okay to come back into the shop?”
I had to laugh too. Not just at his silly suggestion, but at his ignorance of small southern town culture. “Oh,
I bet half the town already knows. We here in the south rely heavily on the grapevine still for our sources of information. I bet you anything Amber, Mr. Alexander’s daughter and secretary, was already calling and texting her momma and friends about the man I walked in with and the marriage certificate she no doubt made copies of in order to scrutinize it for details.”
Steel laughed heartily at that. “Well, I guess that’s one way to announce it.”
“The other will be when they see you around the garage. The men folk around here are just as damn chatty as the women.”
Steel’s eyes twinkled at something I said. “What?”
“Whenever you’re talking about southern issues, or when you’re mad, that accent of yours gets stronger.” When I rolled my eyes at him he chuckled again. “It’s cute.”
“Whatever!”
“See that, just one word, but so beautifully drawled out.” He got another eye roll from me, but it was accompanied by a smile this time.
“Damn, who in the hell is at your house now?” Steel’s question had me looking up at the big black truck in the driveway.
Quickshot and Keys sat on my small front porch swing waiting for me. When I got out of my truck, I noticed the glasses of sweet tea they were both drinking. “Well, you could have waited inside since you already broke in for beverages,” I teased.
“That just seemed rude,” Quickshot quipped back.
“Sorry, JoJo. I got thirsty. We’ve been here a while trying to figure out where to look for you two. We already checked the garage. One of the guys said you left word that you wouldn’t be in today. They thought it was on account of your recent nuptials. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to hear the amazing fantasy sex life you lead in Chuck’s imagination.” Keys visibly shivered at that. “I can’t scrub his descriptiveness out of my brain.” She pouted then. “It hurts, honestly.” Everyone laughed at her then.
“Why didn’t you just try calling?” It seemed like the thing to do, but I could be wrong.
“Well, honey, we did. Your phone is turned off or something.”
“Oh,” I remembered why now. “We were at the lawyer’s office with CJ this morning,” I bit out.
“I guess I don’t need to ask how that went.”
“Actually, her brother was an ass, and even went so far as to ask what he would get if she should meet an untimely death before the requisite five years of marriage was up,” Steel informed them.
Keys gaped at Steel, and Quickshot’s jaw tightened. “That little shit needs an ass whoopin’.”
“I second that,” Keys agreed. “Why didn’t you tell me he was being such a jerk? I mean, I knew he was fighting you, but that’s terrible JoJo.”
“I was just wondering why none of you girls have been there for JoJo through this whole thing. That lawyer’s visit was brutal. I can’t imagine what the rest have been like for her, going through it all alone, especially when she was still dealing with her father dying. I know what it takes to watch someone die of cancer, and it’s hard enough from the outside looking in, but to be the caretaker, moneymaker, and everything in between too…” He shook his head.
“Steel!” I reprimanded him, not wanting him talking to Keys like that. Of all the girls at the club she had helped me the most while my dad was sick. It was the reason we’d grown so close.
“I did help some,” Keys offered meekly.
“Yeah well, after dealing with that shit today, and the bullshit he and Sweet tried to pull where I’m concerned, I’m not feeling too generous where people and their intentions are concerned.”
“Speaking of, that’s why we’re here.” Quickshot stood up then and moved closer. “What Sweet asked me to do, hell, the way I went at you on his behalf…” Quickshot shook his head. “I just wanted to apologize. Some things JoJo said yesterday sunk in, and then talking it out with Keys too,” he offered as he squeezed her thigh reassuringly. “We just wanted to make sure you knew that we had your back now, and I’m sorry for not seeing the need to make sure we had it from the beginning.”
“How’s Angel Girl?” Even though I was mad at her, my worry outweighed everything else.
“I think that’s a tough question to answer right now.” Keys confirmed. “Leanne is with her and so is her dad. From what Leanne passed on to Tash, she and Sweet are working things out, but I think that Becca chick is going to give up the baby since she can’t have the man that goes with it.”
“Who the fuck does that?” Steel snapped. I just smiled at him.
“I’m sure she has more reasons than just that one. That has to be a tough decision to make after carrying a baby all that time,” I reminded him. I don’t want anyone thinking the worst of the woman who may have just made Angel Girl’s dreams of being a mom one day come true. Especially since doing so probably broke her heart all over again. First, the girl lost a man she thought she had - one she thought she loved. Then, she lost a baby too, and no matter how it played out, Angel Girl seems to be the person responsible for those losses in her eyes. I imagine it’s hard for them both for different reasons.”
Keys nodded her head. “That’s what I love about you, JoJo. You look for the best in people, even when others can’t seem to find it.” She smiled at me and then glanced down at her cell phone. “Angel is upset with herself too though. After seeing what was really motivating Sweet to interfere with you two, she was able to see how siding with him blindly and not stopping him from attempting to sabotage y’all’s brand new marriage was wrong of her.”
“I should hope she’d feel bad,” Steel gritted out.
I placed my hand on his arm, a gentle touch that he seemed to respond to, as he glanced down into my eyes. “She has a lot on her plate right now and a whole lot of heartache to contend with. I don’t want her to feel worse on top of that because her head wasn’t in the game where I was concerned. Sweet can take accountability for the shit he tried to pull all by himself. I’m even willing to give him a pass considering what he has going on in his own head. It’s easy to make mistakes when everything is all jumbled up in there. I think we should be the better people here and just let things simmer for now. Chances are, the heat will die instead of boiling over, because it sounds like they’re both going to have their hands full when they get back.”
Steel stood there just taking me in and then nodded his head before pulling me closer to him and giving me a gentle squeeze. “I agree with Keys. I love that sweetness about you too.” I knew he didn’t mean he loved me, because honestly I’d be worried if he professed strong feelings like that for me already. That didn’t stop my belly from clenching and butterflies from taking flight up into my chest when he said he loved my sweetness though. Most men never even noticed my sweet side for all the motor oil and grease my hands were caked with every day.
“I still don’t understand why the women of S.H.E. didn’t put in an offer to buy the garage though,” Steel finally vocalized the question I’d been wondering myself. They had talked about it, but up until the moment I married Steel nothing had been done, and we were in Vegas celebrating my last two weeks as the official owner.
“Wait, I thought Jamie put in an offer,” Keys said as she turned the question to me.
“No offers were made. They would have had to go through Mr. Alexander and he didn’t make any mention of it.”
“That’s not right. We all talked it over and decided it was what would have to be done since it looked like your brother was going to inherit and sell it. That’s actually why I took you to Vegas in the first place. I figured we could enjoy our night and then give you the good news that the garage would still be yours,” Keys informed me.
“Sounds like someone dropped the ball there,” Steel cut in as he rubbed his hand up and down my arm. I wasn’t sure if the gesture was meant to comfort me or calm him, but either way it was sort of working.
It was working until Quickshot spoke up anyway. “You’re new here, and you missed everything these girls have been through as a club ove
r the past year or two.” He went on to tell Steel all about our defeat of Winter’s Renegades – twice. Kidnapped dancers, missing family members, and the like were discussed. “They’re not all just sitting around binge-watching Netflix. They’ve been swamped up to their ears with shit, and all that on top of running the normal club businesses.” Quickshot turned to go inside then. “We need to finish this talk inside. You have eyes on your house.” There was no need to scan the area for who he was talking about as he added in a final note. “On my six.”
None of us turned to look right away. Instead, we all went inside and as I turned to shut the door, I saw the distinct glint of sunlight reflecting on glass. I wasn’t able to make out if it were a scope, binoculars, a camera lens, or what.
“What in the hell?” I questioned.
“Your brother, maybe?” Steel asked.
“I can’t see Mr. Prissy Pants crawling around in the trees and bushes this time of year. He’s too afraid of snakes, bugs, and well, nature to attempt it.”
“We need to put both clubs on alert,” Steel said. “You guys have anyone out there still pissed off at your MC after the Winter’s Renegades mess?”
“We still don’t fully know who was backing them,” I confirmed. Steel glanced over at Quickshot and nodded his head. “We literally only have the one guy we were focused on. Reardon is the one that took off with one of our dancers when the other one was left dead and discarded.
“I’ll put some calls in, and see if anyone’s heard any chatter about the girls lately,” Quick offered before speaking directly to Keys. “Better let Angel know. She may want to call for a lock down. Hell, they might want to hold off on coming home too soon since they’ll have a baby with them.”
“Aren’t we jumping the gun a bit here? I didn’t think it was my brother out there, that doesn’t mean he didn’t hire a private investigator or something. He specifically mentioned how he had other lawyers trying to find a way around my father’s Will. Maybe they’re trying to prove we’re not really living as a married couple or some shit.”
JoJo (S.H.E Book 2) Page 9