Page 48 of The Broker

“A whiskey, neat, would be nice.”

Smiling, the young man grazed Diesel’s shoulder with his hand before turning to take Jared and Isaac’s order as well.

The plane was a twelve-seater with a staff of two flight attendants and two pilots. Nothing crazy fancy, but still, anything was fancy when it came to having your own private jet.

Toward the back of the plane was a small serving station, hidden by a sliding door, used to prepare food and drinks by staff.

Malik sat alone in the last two seats, reading a newspaper and ignoring the three young men chatting away at the front. Isaac had a feeling that babysitting a couple of twenty-somethings on Daddy’s private jet was probably not Malik’s idea of a good time. Still, Isaac appreciated having the extra muscle on the trip. It warmed his heart knowing that Matteo cared enough about them to do what he could to keep them safe.

“Thank you,” Jared replied after the young flight attendant had taken his order and disappeared down the aisle.

“I think I’ll go see if Mr. Perky Ass needs a hand getting our drinks,” Diesel announced, hopping out of his seat.

Isaac and Jared watched as Diesel made his way to the back of the plane before disappearing into the lavatory with the giggling Spaniard.

“Something tells me we won’t be getting those drinks anytime soon,” Jared said, shaking his head.

That was the thing about Diesel. He was always forward and direct. If he wanted something, he went after it. Isaac admired that about him. But it was also that impulsive attitude that often got the man in trouble.

Malik’s head jerked up at the sound of something—or someone—banging up against the wall behind him. He got out of his seat and pulled the sliding door shut, shaking his head in annoyance.

Isaac and Jared chuckled. They could only imagine what Malik was thinking.

“So, how long were you in the army?” Isaac asked, pulling out a small rectangular tin from his carry-on bag. He popped the lid and held the tin toward Jared.

Jared’s face lit up. “Oh! Macarons! Where did you get these?” he asked, reaching in and pulling out a light brown one. He bit into it and let out a sinful moan. “Damn, these are my fucking fave.”

“Stole a few from Chef before we left. What flavor did you get?”

“Café latte, I think. Something that tastes like coffee.”

“Oh, my fave are the rasberry ones,” Isaac noted, picking up one of the pink ones and shoving it into his mouth.

“So much class,” Jared joked.

“Hey, whoever told you that I was classy?” Isaac shot him a glance, informing Jared that he was crazy for believing such rumors.

Jared shrugged his shoulders as he shoved the second half of the pastry in his mouth.

There was a sweet innocence about Jared. While his exterior was tough and masculine, there was a part of him, hidden deep within, that housed the personality of a sweet and caring young man who still sought the magic in things. While this side of Jared’s personality very rarely made an appearance, Isaac occasionally caught a glance of it from time to time.

Watching the way Jared enjoyed the sweet treat and the way he innocently avoided making eye contact when he was shy or embarrassed made Isaac smile.

“So, how long were you in the army before joining our crazy household?” Isaac asked again, hoping that this time Jared would answer his question and not get distracted.

He wanted to get to know more about Jared’s past and who he really was as a person. He knew the artificial side of Jared—the side he chose to show the world. But Isaac was becoming curious about the other stuff. The stuff that Jared kept secret and hidden from the rest of the world.

“I joined the British army when I was nineteen, did about four years stationed over in Iraq before coming back to London…” Jared’s voice trailed off as he stared at his hands.

There was something about the way Jared’s voice hung mid-sentence that gave Isaac the impression that something heavy was coming. He wasn’t sure if he should wait for Jared to come to the realization himself or if he should pick up the conversation, giving Jared a chance to process his own thoughts and feelings.

Not being one for uncomfortable silences, Isaac decided to fill the gap himself.

“And they let you out of the army after you finished your tour?” Isaac wasn’t really sure what the requirements for military service were, but he was pretty sure that Jared had only been in the service for a few years.

Jared sat quietly for a few moments, appearing lost in thought.

Isaac wondered if perhaps he had said the wrong thing. Sometimes he did that. His brain becomes overstimulated and full of thoughts, and he sometimes says what he’s thinking without actually thinking about the words themselves. He hoped this wasn’t the case.

---