“Sit down,” Tristan said. There was an authoritative tone to his voice. “What do you want to talk to me about, son?”
“I’m not your son.”
Tristan began laughing. “I’ve been around a long time, Connor. I know when someone is lying to me or wants me to believe something. I know you’ve got a past in something. I don’t know what. What I do know, is you think I can help you with something. Talk to me.”
“It’s about Zoe.”
****
Jake finished on the car he was working on as the giggles and whistles came through the mechanic shop. He cursed aloud. This was part of the job he hated. Didn’t these girls and a few of the women have something else to do rather than giggle at them? Brent smacked his head on the underside of the truck.
“Fuck, do you think we can get Tristan to arrest them? They’re really starting to piss me off,” Brent said.
Jake shook his head, got into the driver’s side, and reversed the car out of the shop. Jake drove the car in the reserved parking space then began walking back to the car. A young woman came running over to him. He recognised her but couldn’t think of a name.
“Jake,” she said, wrapping her arms around him.
Brent raised his eyebrows at him.
“Excuse me, lady. I’ve got to work,” said Jake.
“Don’t you remember me? It’s Chloe, Stefan’s little sister. You use to babysit me when my brother went out to be with his friends?”
“Chloe Jackson? Well, you sure grew up. Did you have a great time in college?”
“The best.”
“I came over because Stefan and the guys want you over at his house later this afternoon. They’re having a barbeque before going to The Dugout. He wants you, Brent, and Connor. No exceptions. Also, he said you had a girlfriend to bring along. I think the guys want to meet her.”
“Zoe will be working at The Dugout tonight, so he’ll have to wait until later to meet her. Come on, I’ll take you to see Brent.”
He put his arms around her shoulders and escorted her into the mechanics’ shop. The whistles followed him inside.
“They still want a piece of your ass?” she asked.
“You go away to college and come back with a dirty mouth? I don’t like it. I think I should talk to your brother.”
“I’m a big girl. I know how to take care of myself.” She squeezed his ass for good measure. He batted her hand away. Brent was staring past his shoulder with a panicked look in his eyes. Jake turned to see Zoe and Vicki waiting.
“Oh shit,” Jake said.
“You better fix this, Jake,” Brent said.
Zoe looked frozen to the spot. She turned to walk away. Vicki stood glaring at him then at Chloe. “It’s Chloe, Stefan’s sister,” he said as he passed.
“Zoe, wait.”
“I’m going to go home and get ready for work.” She rounded a corner down the alley leading towards the path that would take her towards her apartment. Jake ran to keep up with her. When he caught up, he grabbed her hand and spun her around. He dodged her fist as she took a swing at him.
“Whoa, be careful with those fists.”
She took another swing at him. Jake took both of her hands in his and pressed them against the brick wall.
“Calm down, baby. That’s not what this is about.”
“Really, so all women are allowed to grab your ass when they feel like it?” she asked.
“What? No. Let me explain.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You’ve got all the time in the world to explain.”
Jake stared into the fiery depths of her eyes. She was jealous, and he liked it. He pressed his body against her rubbing his cock next to her pussy.
“Dry humping me is not an explanation.”
“I’m not dry humping you, Zoe. I’m showing you what seeing you in the clothes we bought you has done to me.” Jake leaned down and kissed her neck. He heard her gasp, and her head turned to the side as he brushed his lips along her pulse. He felt her pulse leap the moment he nibbled on the base of her neck.
God, he fucking loved her. She had no idea how damn much he did.
“The woman you saw was Chloe Jackson. She’s a younger sister of Stefan's. He’s part of the Law Castle Bad Boys.”
“You guys sound like a circus act,” she said.
“We kind of are. Men and women come to see what all the fuss is about. She means nothing to me other than being a relative to a friend.”
“Then why did she have her hand on your ass?”
“The girls like to come and whistle at us as if we’re a spectacle. She was giving them something to talk about. It means nothing to me. Chloe means nothing to me. I’ve got you, Zoe.”