Page 37 of Midnight Danger

“Don’t I get one?” Cassandra asked.

Jordan and I stared at her. “You’re pregnant,” I pointed out.

“Pregnancy sucks,” she bitched before turning her back to me. I automatically unzipped the back of her dress and she wandered toward the bedroom.

“Didn’t take you long to be domesticated,” Jordan snarked.

“We’re not here to talk about my relationship.”

“The police raided a Council-owned business. Michael thought he was out of sight of the CCTV units, but I’d had a few extra installed.” Jordan tossed the amber liquid down his throat in one fluid movement, slamming the glass onto the counter.

Michael was Ash’s younger brother, but he was a massive liability. His execution had been postponed, although something told me that it would soon be back on the agenda. The Council wouldn’t tolerate this. If he continued on this path, it was going to get messy.

“Which business?” I groaned, wincing as the fiery liquid poured down my throat.

“Bartholomew shipping.”

“Fuck! Dad’s gonna be pissed.” That business was squeaky-clean because it had our name on it. Unfortunately, the new information Michael had access to implied that it was transporting illegal products and laundering dirty money. He’d be proved wrong on both accounts and it would discredit him with the police.

Cassandra padded back into the room in her yoga pants and baggy jumper. Her hair was in a messy bundle on top of her head and all her make-up removed. She’d been a sex goddess when she walked in a few minutes ago, but the way she fitted into my life like this made my heart beat a little faster. I hated people in my living area, yet Cassandra made it feel like a home for the first time.

“What’s going on?” Cassandra asked, eying the two of us. “You don’t normally look so serious and start drinking.”

“Business problems,” Jordan snapped.

“The type that involve guns?” Her eyes locked with mine. She didn’t like who I became, but she’d accepted it after what happened to her.

“Yeah, baby. The type that means you sit your ass here where its safe and I know nothing will happen to you.”

“And who protects you?” she demanded, her eyes burning with protective rage. I’d never seen that directed at me before and I liked it. A lot.

“That would be my job,” Jordan intervened. “Zee tends to avoid killing when he can. I don’t give a fuck who I send to the pearly gates. If anyone breathes in his direction, I’ll happily shoot them for you.”

Her gaze moved to Jordan. “You’re the one who fucked Megan in The Midnight Rooms and made her cry.”

I’d never seen Jordan’s expression register shock before. Normally he had all his emotions tied down where no one could find them. His mouth gaped open before he snapped it shut and his jaw tightened.

“She said you paid her a visit when I was gone,” Cassandra continued. “Considering that Zee and his friends all frequent The Midnight Rooms, it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.”

“Megan used to be my sub in The Twilight Rooms.” Jordan walked across and nabbed the decanter of whiskey, pouring himself another glass.

“Megan’s been hurt in the past. She doesn’t need another asshole breaking her heart.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. No one ever spoke to Jordan like this because he was a scary motherfucker with a trigger-happy finger and a bad attitude.

Jordan deliberately turned his back on Cassandra to ignore her and poured us more drinks. “We need to get a hold on this situation before the Council goes ballistic. Your dad will know there’s been a raid tomorrow morning because I won’t be able to delay news emerging any longer. He’ll demand an immediate recall of the Council.”

“What if that’s what this Michael wants?” Cassandra chirped in, watching us from the sofa.

“Explain,” I said.

She shrugged. “Did they not teach you all this in bad guys 101? When I was studying criminal law, it was usual practice for police to try and flush people out by panicking them with something like a raid or arresting someone in an organisation. Does Michael know where the Council meets?”

Jordan stared daggers at me because I’d obviously told Cassandra about the Council. It had been limited but she needed to know since her dad was involved.

“Technically,” I informed him. “Cas holds her father’s seat.”

“We’re not the bad guys.” He finally spun to study her, his expression contemplative. “I guess she does hold that seat. That won’t go down well, as a female has never held a seat before.”

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