Page 9 of The Broker

It was nearing the end of the evening when Jared noticed Mr. K lean over and whisper something into Isaac’s ear. With his hand, Mr. K discreetly pointed over at two of his buddies, who were smiling like drunken idiots.

Isaac smiled and nodded.

“Where are you going?” Jared asked the second Isaac stood up from the booth.

“I’m just going to use the jack. Then take this party upstairs.”

“The what?”

“The jack,” Isaac repeated before rolling his eyes and huffing. “The loo or toilet to you laymen British folk.”

Jared shook his head. “You’re such a brat.”

“I know, but you love me. You gonna join us?”

Jared glanced over at the three horny businessmen currently finishing the drinks in their glasses.

“Yeah, I think I might.” It wasn’t that Jared wanted to get naked and raunchy with these guys, he just needed Isaac distracted for a little bit. “Go, use the bathroom, and I’ll finish up here.”

Isaac shrugged and then walked off into the crowd.

“Gentlemen,” Jared called, picking up the half-empty bottle of whiskey from the table. “How about we have another quick round before my buddy gets back?”

The guys cheered as Jared gave them each a double shot. They raised their glasses, then downed the amber liquid in a greedy gulp.

Japanese men and their egos. If there was one thing that Jared could always rely on, it was that. They never wanted to be showed up.

“One more!” Jared shouted, quickly filling each of their glasses and hoping to get another shot or two in before Isaac came back.

“Kanpai!” they all cheered before downing the second double shot.Kanpai, he had come to learn, was the Japanese equivalent of “cheers.”

Jared smiled and began pouring a third shot when Mr. K held up his hand.

“What’s the matter?” Jared asked, passing the man’s friends each another shot. They each downed the shot without waiting for their friend to answer.

“I… I think I haf haaad enouf,” the man slurred, slowly teetering back and forth.

“Are you sure?” Jared asked, glancing over at Mr. K’s friends, who were also starting to sway like the ocean. Each of their heads began to lower.

“You know, perhaps it would be best if you guys went back to your rooms and called it a night. You look like you’ve had a bit too much to drink,” Jared suggested, knowing full well that the men would be battling their own pride. Admitting defeat to alcohol was no laughing matter.

The man beside Mr. K nodded while his friend slumped back in his seat.

“Yes… perhapsss… righ…” Mr. K started but was unable to finish.

Jared flagged down two of the security guys standing watch at the door.

“I think these guys may have had too much to drink. Do you think you can help them all get back to their suite? They’re staying in theFrontenac Suite,” Jared explained, sliding out of the booth so that Matteo’s hired muscle could collect the drunken messes currently slumped in their seats.

Once the guys were gone, Jared quickly reached into his underwear and pulled out the wad of bills he had collected throughout the night. He quickly counted, glancing up every once in a while to make sure that Isaac was nowhere in sight.

Five hundred and fifty.

He quickly shoved fifty back in his briefs, then folded up the remaining five hundred in his hand.

“Where did everybody go?” Isaac asked, eyes wide and his mouth askew.

Jared glanced up, startled by the stealthy mole.

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