Page 13 of Midnight Racers

Joshua cleared his throat and I realised I wasn’t listening to him again. I moved my attention to him.

“I was just saying, did you want me to get rid of everything?” he asked.

“Yeah, incinerate it. We don’t need the authorities sniffing around, and none of us need a grumpy Jordan chewing our asses off.”

Joshua grimaced at the thought of Jordan on the warpath. He had carved himself a reputation through flesh and bones. He was the one person I trusted completely in this world since he had saved my life, but even as a retired assassin, he put the fear of God into me. His wrath was legendary and his sights were fully fixed on the Council. None of them would be alive at the end of this war, since my money was on Jordan.

The Council was an organisation created by twelve families a few hundred years ago. They thought they could help the world, but instead their ancestors were more motivated by greed than benevolence. Jordan had taken his grandfather’s seat and decided it was time to terminate the existence of the organisation one member at a time until it was dismantled.

“You need anything else, boss?” Joshua asked and I shook my head.

I lifted my phone to call Jordan since I hadn’t spoken to him since I texted him to tell him everything was fine at the factory in the early hours of this morning.

“Yeah?” he answered.

“Bad time?”

“Nah.” He sighed. “I swear that squirrel is planning world domination, or at least a takeover on the local walnut industry.”

“Want me to have him trapped and relocated?” I asked.

“Fuck no! Megan would end up sitting here crying and I can’t cope with her huge blue eyes filled with tears. That squirrel better decide to stay alive for a long time or I’m going to shoot him.”

I didn’t want to point out that none of what he was saying made sense. How could Simon live for a long time if Jordan shot him?

“Maybe you should plant a few walnut trees?” I suggested. “He could start his empire from there.”

“Apart from the fact that you are mocking me, that’s not a bad idea,” he replied. “What happened last night?”

He turned the spotlight back onto me.

“Turns out Charlie is a girl and not a boy, and she activated the alarm into the IndyCar den last night.”

There was a loaded silence on the other end of the phone. “Can I assume you were the asshole threatening her?”

“Maybe,” I replied slowly. “How the fuck was I supposed to know what was happening? I was expecting a guy who worked non-vampire hours.”

Jordan chuckled, and my irritation grew. “She is incredibly attractive.”

“You’re in a relationship,” I pointed out.

“I may be on a strict diet, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t view the menu.” Jordan chuckled again. “I prefer my testicles attached, so observing is the only thing I’m allowed to do anymore.”

“The infamous Dom from the Twilight Rooms tamed?” I asked, imagining the pained look on his face.

“As much as I hate to admit this out loud, yeah, I’m a one-woman man now.”

“You better believe it!” I heard Megan shouting in the background. “Tell Flynn I said hi!”

I generally hated babysitting people, but Megan was one of the few people I sat my ass down on a chair to watch over. She had that effect on people. She had even made me wonder about taking a chance on relationships a few weeks ago after spending time with her. Jordan was a fucking lucky man to find that rare diamond.

“Yeah, yeah, tell her I’m not sitting in on any more of her emotional meetings,” I said. “A woman asked me if I was single at the last one. She even slipped me her phone number as she left.”

“She’s a lovely woman, and now single,” Megan shouted from the other side of the conversation.

“Stop pimping me out!” I said, but a smile tugged at my lips. “And stop asking me to give them dating advice!”

Jordan laughed. “It could be a profitable side business,” he quipped. “We clean your crime scenes and mend your hearts!”

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