“Oh my god, don’t call me that,” she orders, smacking me in the arm.
“Okay, Jordie-pie,” I say. “I need to get started making some phone calls.”
Her eyebrows press together. “Who are you calling?”
“First of all, my family’s attorneys. And then someone who has a par-tic-ular set of skills.” I deliver that last sentence with maximum mysteriousness.
With wide eyes, she whispers, “Like Liam Neeson in thatTakenmovie? Are you going to have them snuffed out?”
“Don’t fucking tempt me,” I growl, standing and pulling her toward my desk. She perches on the edge while I make a phone call with my cell on speaker, her gaze narrowing when I say. “Tank, it’s Phoenix. Got a little job for you.”
“What’s up?”
“Someone’s trying to hurt Jordie.”
I hear the squeak of leather like he just stood up out of his chair. “On my way. How many men do I need to bring, and do I need a rocket launcher or just firearms?”
I smile at my goddess’s wide-eyed look. “Not that kind of job,” I say. “Though I appreciate it. I need your computer skills.” By the sound of it, he settles back into his chair.
“What am I looking for?”
Between Jordie and I, we fill him in, drawing curses and mumbles of, “Fuck around and find out,” from him as his fingers click across his keyboard.
“On it,” he says. “I’ll have something for you in a couple days.”
“Okay, buddy. Send me a bill.”
When I hang up, Jordie looks at me questioningly. “What are you expecting him to find?”
I lean back in my chair and tap my lips with steepled fingers. “I have no fucking clue, but if there’s anything out there, Tank will find it.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Billy the butt biter
Phoenix
A few days after Christmas, we’re on the way to Pine Tree Falls, Jordie’s small hometown east of Dallas. I’ve taken the entire week off work to deal with all this, but it’s fine. All our holiday ads and commercials have been out since Thanksgiving, so I was basically just doing busy work until the end of the year.
I feel like some teenager about to meet his girlfriend’s parents for the first time. Jordie picked out my clothes for me since she knows her family better than me, and I’m wearing Abercrombie relaxed-fit jeans and a lightweight taupe sweater. Very casual. Not overdone. I’m just a regular guy.
Jordie and I sat down and talked to Reece together last night, telling her simply that we’re boyfriend and girlfriend now. Unsurprisingly, she was happy and said it was “lit.” Whatever the fuck that means. Jordie said it’s a good thing.
I knew my family would be pretty low-key about this, so I called each of them today to inform them Jordie and I are in love and it might hit the news soon. They were all happy for us of course. Dad said he’d call Hale’s PR team to get them to draft a statement for when they undoubtedly get media inquiries about our relationship.
I pull off the country road we’ve been driving on and up a paveddriveway. At the top of the hill sits a huge timber house with a stone fireplace on one side.
“It’s beautiful out here,” I note, looking around at all the pine and oak trees surrounding the property and giving it an air of privacy.
“It really is. You remember the game plan?”
“We’re meeting Juliette and Reno first to try and get them on our side. Then the rest of the family will come over.”
“Right. We’re going to divide and conquer. You’ll talk to Reno all man-to-man like, and I’ll talk to Jules. I honestly don’t think she’ll have a problem with it as long as I’m happy.”
“And Reno?” When she hesitates, I poke her leg. “Why’d you get the easy one and I get the huge guy that whacks people with a hockey stick for a living?”
I stop the car and go around to let Jordie out. She’s still laughing when I open the door. “You’ll be fine, Hale. Just compliment his goats.”
