She didn’t even need to process that, she nodded.
“You say there are cliques.But Dex, Martin and Colby arecool with him here.They play videogames together.They don’t seem to dislikehim,” Jag remarked.“But they were there, and they didn’t step up for him.Fouragainst two is decent odds, especially when it seems only Aaron is the asshole.I’m saying this because we also need to find a way to get those boys to lookafter their friend.It’s not on, them letting him swing in the breeze likethat.”
Through a grin, she replied, “Says the MC brother.”
“It’s you teaching them what a tribe is all about, Arch,” heretorted.“They are not looking after their tribe.They need to look out fortheir tribe, and that includes Gina, Tracee and Mia.”
She didn’t take time to process that either.
Her eyes warmed and she again nodded.
“Now, Elijah,” he prompted.
“I’mhearin’ good things aboutthis soda fountain,” Dutch cut in.“Can you do vanilla Cokes?”he asked Joany.
“There is so much I can do, baby, it’s not funny,” Joanydrawled.“But we’ll start with a vanilla Coke.”She held out a hand to Dutch.“Come to momma.We’ll get you sorted out.”
No hesitation, Dutch took her hand, tucked it into the crookof his arm and started to escort her to the hall that led to the door to thestore.
As they went, Dutch asked, “So these contacts you can touchto set up a hit…?”
Joany looked back as they walked and rolled her eyesdramatically, also licking her lips.
So Archie was laughing softly as they walked out of sight.
Jagger was not.
“Babe,” he called, his voice firm.
She looked to him.
“Okay, so I thought about it, and before I chickened out,decided on it and you were right.As I mentioned, it wasn’t exactly a slum, butit wasn’t great before I sorted things out.Now it’s safe, it’s nice.I lookedup average rents in this area and we’re over three hundred below that.I’m notsaying we should jump up rents, but it’s something to think about.And we canhave a tenant meeting and talk about how a cost of living increase would affectthem, and—”
“I’m interested in what you’re saying, but this is not anexplanation about Elijah being pissed as hell and nose to nose with you when Iwalked in ten minutes ago, babe,” he cut her off to note.
She dipped her head side to side, probably to buy time, butwhen he put his hands on his hips, she went on.
“I called him.And I thought, maybe it’d work better if weentered into negotiations, instead of me just telling him how it would be.Andsince I want to meet in the middle, and I know Elijah, he’ll want to feel likehe won, I went for the gusto and told him not only was I deducting half themonthly expenses from his take, I would email him a list of the cost ofimprovements, and a cumulative of what I’ve spent so far on upkeep, adding tothat fifty bucks a month for cleaning bills since I began doing that chore, andI’d be deducting an additional five hundred from his portion until he paid meback for his half of all of that.”
That wasn’t going for the gusto, that was seriously notfucking around.
“Jesus, baby,” Jag murmured.
“I also told him he either came once a month to clean thecommon areas, or he was paying me twenty-five dollars a month from here on outto keep them clean.It only takes an hour, but it isn’t the most fun thing todo.I’ll do my rotation, but he’s responsible one way or another for his.”
“So you called him with this, how did it get to him beinghere, in your space?”
“He hung up on me and was so angry, he left work in ordernot to delay telling me face to face that shit wasn’t happening.”
Jagger drew in a very long breath and held it.
He didn’t let it out until Archie laid her hand on hischest.
“I also know where I’m gonna rest on this,” she told him.“I’ll eat the maintenance I’ve paid so far, and we can come to a figure he’sokay with on the improvements, but I also have to be okay with it.That said,I’m not caring for this building without his help.So he either pays me toclean, he cleans, or we agree on paying someone to come in and clean.He alsoeither pays extra for me to deal with accounting and admin, or he takes hisshare of handling that.If he wants nothing to do with any of this, he can buyme out.But if he reaps the rewards, he shares the burdens.”
“Good,” Jagger said softly.
“He’s threatening to sell his half, but not to me.”
