Page 114 of Bad Boy Next Door
Thirty-Three
Nick
“Is thatporn?” Jade asked as she walked up behind Dillon and Mac, both staring at Dill’s computer.
“Maybe.” Mac grinned as he straightened and then kissed Jade on the cheek.
I stepped over and put my hand around her waist. “Whatareyou guys watching?”
Dill’s screen was paused on what looked like a BDSM porno, a woman in a tight black corset and stilettos bent over and strapped to some kind of leather bench, her legs spread.
Dill turned off the screen. “Just doing some research for Keagan’s case.”
I shook my head at the clear lie. What did I care if my brothers watched porn—together. Seemed like a solitary activity to me, but to each his own…
Or maybe Jade would be into watching with me sometime? Hmmm. Something to ask her later. I never wanted to stop learning about my amazing Jade.
“Where do things stand with Keagan?” I asked the twins. He’d been charged, held for nearly a week at this point, without a bail hearing. “Sorry we can’t kick in much money.” I squeezed Jade’s waist.
Jade was good with my putting up as much bail and legal fees as I wanted—she even offered some of her own savings—but after putting down the deposit on our new place, we didn’t have much to spare. And she’d been right. Sometimes I had to choose me. Choose us.
“Don’t worry, Nicky.” Mac plopped down on the sofa and stretched his legs out on the coffee table. “Keagan says he might not even need bail. The DA’s offered him some kind of deal.”
I laughed. “You’re kidding about him taking a deal, right? No way would Keag rat on you guys.” Even if maybe he should. Enough was enough with my brothers’ illicit business. Surely Keagan’s arrest was the wake-up call they all needed to end it for good.
“I don’t think it’s us the DA’s after,” Mac scratched his head.
“Does she want the guys Shane was dealing with?” Jade asked.
I hated that she knew about that, about any of this, that she was even around when we talked about it, but she’d made peace with it, as long as I didn’t get involved.
“I think it’s more complicated,” Mac replied.
“What kind of deal does the DA want?” Jade asked.
“The lady’s gotlotsof interesting wants.” Chucking to himself, Dillon went to the fridge and grabbed everyone beers.
“Keagan wasn’t clear on the deets of the deal when we talked,” Mac said. “He was worried the room was bugged.”
I sat on a leather chair, and Jade settled onto my lap. The past two weeks, we hadn’t gone a minute without touching if we could help it. She was back working at two of her old jobs, one close to full time, and I’d found a spot as a bouncer at a fancy dance club in the SoMa area of the city.
It was going to make for a long commute once we moved out of Keagan’s and into the small bachelor apartment we’d found in Oakland, and I’d had to buy a good suit, but the job paid well. Plus the owner hadn’t laughed when I’d said I was interested in moving up, learning the business and becoming a manager.
“I’ve got a good lead to unload most of the haul,” Mac said.
“That’s my cue.” Jade patted my chest. “Melodie invited me over for tea.”
“I’ll come.” My fingers spread over her ribs, loving how her body felt under my fingers.
“That’s okay, babe.” She peeled herself off me to stand. “Girl talk.”
“Okay.” I took her hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
I walked her from the twins’ apartment across the Shady Oaks courtyard to the bottom of the stairs. Jade mounted the first step, then turned to put her hands on my shoulders. “Go. Talk to your brothers. You guys need to help Keagan. It’s not like you’re going to get involved in unloading whatever shit they stole.”
“No fucking way.”
She kissed me lightly, and I pulled her forward, pressing her hips against my body. “Jade Cuoco. What did I ever do to deserve you?”
