Jag got quiet again.
“I’m no lawyer,” she said.“I don’t know if he can do that,but it’s his and I suppose he can.And honestly, it might be better not to haveto deal with Elijah.I told him this and that was what you walked in on.”
“You called his bluff and he lost it.”
She nodded.“I called his bluff and he went from ticked toout of his mind.Commence him getting up in my shit.”
“And your take on that?”he asked.
“He doesn’t want to sell.With half my rent on the store andthe units, which, by the way, I give him money for my apartment too, he’smaking five grand a month.”
“And maybe, he wants to be in on this with you,” Jaggersuggested.
She looked confused.“What?”
“This was your grandparents’.Your mom’s folks.It’s abuilding, but it’s also a legacy.Maybe even a memory.And you’re his sister.Ijust met him, and he didn’t make a good first impression, but if he was anout-and-out prick who wasn’t worth your time, you’re the type of woman whowouldn’t give him your time.So there’s a bond, and my guess…it’s not justbusiness.I’m sure the same goes for you.You’re his sister and he loves you.He doesn’t want to lose this because he makes good bill on it, but also becausehe’s in it with his sister.”
He got another warm look after he said that, and she sidledcloser.
“I’m currently in denial about the fact you met my brotherlike you just did.Not to mention, all I’ve done pretty much is bitch abouthim.Because he’s not a dick.He canbea dick, but heisn’ta dick.”
Jag moved too, to hook an arm around her and pull her evencloser.
He did this saying, “I get the distinction.”
“You guys will get along.Though, warning, I’m not sureyou’ll be tight.Haley will love you.Dad will really like you.Eventually,after we get past this, Elijah will dig you, but you won’t pal around.He’sinto sports, watching and playing, and he’s putting himself through lawschool.”
That law school bit was news.
“So he’s not lazy, he’s just conditioned to lean on you, andin some cases, that means taking advantage of you,” Jag remarked.
She nodded.
Right then.
They needed to move this along.
“Okay, you’re on with Mal’s mom,” he said.“But I think weshould warn him that’s going to happen.If he’s not sharing with her, then hewon’t want to be blindsided by that, because she’s probably gonna be all overit.”
“She will be,” Archie confirmed.
“And as for the group, I got an idea.”
She was running her hands up his chest and when she got tohis shoulders, she held on and asked, “What’s your idea?”
“I think they should come to Chaos, to Ride.Meet thebrothers.Field trip.Showing them another version of a tribe, how we worktogether, and I’ll figure out how to do the lecture about looking out for yourpeople without making it seem like a lecture between now and whenever thathappens.Do we have to get their parents’ permission for them to leave thestore?”
“Yeah, I always tell them when we’re off to do something.But we have an email group so it’s easy.I can just pop a line to them.They’llall be cool with it.They dig when the kids have something fun to do.”
“Great.Once you do that, I’ll arrange some brothers to comefor pickups.”
She leaned some of her weight into him and said, “Awesome,boyfriend, now maybe we should talk about you being all alpha all over mystoreroom with my brother, and incidentally,me.”
“Babe—”
She placed her three middle fingers over his lips to stophim from speaking.
“I’m not going to say that was the wrong call.I honestlydon’t think I’ve ever seen Elijah that pissed.I don’t think he would have hurtme, but I was not okay with him being in my face like that.That said—”
