He hadn’t missed the goose bumps on her arms after they’d kissed. He’d tried to rein himself in, but the second he’d felt her melt into him when he’d fisted her hair, he’d lost it. He’d kissed her the way he’d regretted not kissing her all those years.
They were both in their forties. He’d pretty much given up on love. But as he’d held Cassidy, all the feelings he’d pushed down over the years had come to the forefront. He wanted what his friends had. Someone to go home to at the end of a long day. Someone to laugh with. Someone to just coexist in the same space with.
Gramps didn’t know what kind of father he’d be, probably a shitty one, but for Cassidy—and for Mario, a kid he hadn’t even met—he wanted to try.
Gramps and his friends were going to have a long conversation about the future of Silverstone when they got home. No one wanted to be the first person to say they wanted out, but it was time.
Now that he was coming to terms with the fact that things weren’t the same as they’d been even a year and a half ago, Gramps felt lighter. Freer. They weren’t out of danger, had to see this mission through, but when they got home to Indianapolis, things would definitely need to change.
“What are you thinking about so hard over there?” Bull asked.
Gramps shrugged. “This and that.”
“We’ve got this,” Smoke said confidently.
“We do,” Gramps agreed.
As the night progressed, and the team got settled, Gramps couldn’t stop thinking about what the next few days would bring. This mission was very personal for him—and he refused to fail.
The next morning, Gramps made himself wait until ten to head to Coke’s mansion. He didn’t want to look too eager, but he also wanted to make sure Coke knew he was serious about working with him and wasn’t blowing him off. Of course, he also wanted to see Cassidy and make sure she was all right.
Before he knew it, he was sitting in a very opulent office with Coke.
“I take it you had a good evening last night?” Coke asked.
Gramps slouched in the extremely comfortable chair and shrugged. “The evening started out well enough, but it was interrupted. Then my hotel . . . the fucking tourists around here are loud and obnoxious.”
Coke jumped at the opening Gramps had left him.
“You’re more than welcome to stay here,” he offered nonchalantly.
“I’ll think about it,” Gramps replied, not wanting to seem too eager.
“I’m sure I can provide many ways to make you more comfortable,” Coke said. “Maybe you’d like to sample the product you’ll hopefully be purchasing? Or perhaps a certain lady’s company can be arranged.”
Gramps pretended to mull over his offer. He hated how easy it seemed to be for Coke to pimp out Cassidy. Either the man had done the same with other women, or he was very desperate for Gramps’s business. He supposed it was probably a mix of both.
“I can’t deny that Cassidy intrigues me,” he said with a sly smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve had the company of one of my own, if you know what I mean. But I don’t like sloppy seconds . . .” Gramps let his voice trail off.
“No worries on that front. Cassidy’s been the nanny and teacher for the last five years. She keeps to herself and is a bit too . . . headstrong for my clients’ tastes.” Coke leaned forward, as if telling Gramps something in confidence. “And I have it on good authority that she hasn’t been fucked since she got here.”
“How can you know that?” Gramps put just a touch of skepticism in his tone.
“I take very good care of my employees,” Coke bragged. “I keep my eye on them . . . for their own protection, you know. Kingston is a dangerous city, and I wouldn’t want anything happening to those who are living under my roof.”
Gramps managed to keep the look of disdain off his face. Barely. The asshole probably had cameras in Cassidy’s room so he could spy on her anytime, day or night. “I understand. And I appreciate the info. I’m picky when it comes to my women.”
“That’s good. Good,” Coke said. “There is one slight issue that you should probably know about her, though.”
“What’s that?” Gramps asked.
“The kid. I mentioned him last night. He’s not young—I mean, he’s eleven or twelve, or somewhere around there. But she’s babied him to the point that he’s pathetic.”
“I don’t give a shit about kids,” Gramps lied. “I’ll be fucking her, not the brat.”
“Right,” Coke said. He stood and went over to a very extensive liquor cabinet against one of the walls. “You want to test the product?” he asked as he opened a small door and pulled out a baggie of white powder.
“Appreciate it, but I don’t touch the stuff. Learned my lesson with one of my lieutenants. He was hooked bad, and for a while it was fine. Until I caught him stealing the merchandise. I had to get rid of him.”
Coke raised a brow.
Gramps knew what he wanted. “I slit his throat from ear to ear,” he said matter-of-factly. “Delivered his ears and ring finger to his old lady. She got the hint. Kept her mouth shut and moved out of Dallas. I’ve got regular clients who are more than willing to test my stash for quality. They get free shit, and in return, I’m reassured that I’m not being fucked over.” He glared at Coke as he said the last part.
“Hey, I don’t fuck over my clients,” Coke protested. He put the cocaine back into the cabinet and pulled out a glass. He held it up. “How about some Jamaican rum?”
“Now you’re talkin’,” Gramps said with a nod. He didn’t want to drink with this asshole, but as it was his plan to get chummy, he smiled as Coke handed him the glass. He took a sip and had to admit Coke wasn’t wrong, it was good rum . . . even if it wasn’t yet noon.
“So . . . shall we talk business?” Coke asked as he sat behind his desk once more.
It was obvious the man was impatient, but Gramps wanted to put him off for a bit longer . . . and he wanted to see Cassidy again. He took another sip of the rum, then shrugged. “What’s the hurry? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were desperate to make a deal.”
“No, no, no,” Coke said. “I thought you wanted to get it done.”
Gramps shrugged again. “What I want is to see that Hispanic filly again.”
“Ah, I understand,” Coke said, smiling suggestively.
It made Gramps want to punch him, but since he was the one who’d mentioned Cassidy, he forced himself to stay seated.
“I believe she’s in the schoolroom this morning,” Coke informed him.
“You have a lot of kids here?”
“Some. I don’t allow them anymore, but a few years ago I was more lenient.”
“Why don’t you get rid of ’em?” Gramps asked, genuinely curious.
“Honestly?” Coke asked.
“I prefer it,” Gramps told him.
“Because the bitches, their mothers, know too much. And by allowing them to move in with their brats, I make them dependent on me. They have a good life here behind the walls of my mansion, much better than they’d have out there.” Coke gestured toward the window with his head before continuing. “I thought having women around would be good for the staff, too, but instead, it’s just a pain in the ass. The ones shared by my men are catty and jealous of each other, causing me headaches. I now insist anyone who gets pregnant must have an abortion, so feel free to fuck her without a condom. If she gets pregnant, there will be no consequences.”