Page 53 of The Hardest Hit
“No,” protested Evan. “You’re doing great.”
“I’m faking it.”
“No. You’re doing a good job. Grandma is more relaxed since you got here. And I don’t know why Dominique wants her stupid shitty jobs that you helped her get, but she’s really happy about it. You got Aiden to stop partying. And Klan rallies aside, I’m usually injury-free these days, so yeah... You’re doing great.”
“Mm,” said Jackson. “I’m not sure I’m solving anything. I think I’m just standing around while you guys do all the work.”
“Jackson, I go to therapy once a week,” said Evan. “You can’t solve other peopleis practically the first thing I learned. The best you can do is make it easier for us to do the work, which you do.”
Jackson looked surprised and a little embarrassed.
“Besides,” continued Evan, “you do have an entire job doing security stuff for Grandma. Which I’m pretty sure is what you should be doing instead of driving me to work.”
“Well,” said Jackson, “that is why I have staff—so I can do both. Besides Grandma thinks looking after you guys is part of my job.”
“Sure, she probably wants weekly reports,” said Evan sourly. There was the root of his problem with Jackson. Aiden had said Jackson kept secrets, but did he really? Eleanor was paranoid about everything up to and including her family. No matter what he wished were true, how was he supposed to believe that Jackson was on his side and not hers?
“She does. But I’m usually pretty careful about what I tell her,” said Jackson as he pulled into the parking garage of Evan’s work. Evan’s skepticism must have shown on his face. “Ask Aiden and Dominique if you don’t believe me.”
Evan got out of the car with a feeling of unease. This last year had been eye-opening in showing Evan how to function as a somewhat stable human being, but it had exposed the lack of trust that existed between Evan and his family. He wanted to trust Jackson, but he just wasn’t sure he could.
Evan went upstairs and headed for his office, but he’d barely stepped off the elevator when he was greeted by a round of applause from the guys at the trade desk.
Evan flipped them off, which made them laugh and ducked straight into his office.
He got settled at his desk and logged into his computer, but was almost immediately interrupted by Saul Rubenstein.
“Fuck Nazis,” crowed Saul, flipping him the bird, then plunked a bottle of scotch down on his desk.
“What’s this?” asked Evan, picking up the bottle. It was a ridiculously good vintage.
“That is from my father. I was playing poker with him and some of his friends when someone sent me the link to your video. I haven’t seen him laugh so hard in years. He said you’d earned it.”
“Thanks,” said Evan, trying not to sound as annoyed as he felt.
Saul laughed. “Hey, word to the wise, Bob’s looking for someone to do the Tokyo trip over Christmas.”
“You don’t celebrate Christmas,” said Evan. “Why don’t you go?”
“Can’t. I’m celebrating the birth of skiing and models. And besides, it’s Eizo,” said Saul with a shrug. “He doesn’t give a shit about Christmas. Anyway, your name is on the shortlist.
“You mean my nameisthe list,” said Evan. Saul shrugged again.
Eizo Matusda was wealthy, possibly a little more so than Evan, and perfectly aware of Evan’s financial status. He knew Evan didn’t have to work for a living and it amused him to make Evan take the trip to Tokyo. Their firms partnered on numerous ventures in Asia and hammering out partnership agreements had been assigned to Evan for no other reason than it pleased Eizo.
“Avoid him for the rest of the day and maybe you can skate out of it?” suggested Saul.
“This day keeps getting better and better,” said Evan.
He had his head buried in a client’s portfolio when his cell rang. He picked it up without thinking about it and then saw the number even as he lifted the phone to his ear. He cursed himself but realized it was too late to hang up now.
“Hello,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Evan, darling,” purred Leona Meade. “I didn’t think you’d pick up.”
“Well, I thought I’d try telling you not to call directly,” said Evan. “You haven’t seemed to be taking a hint.”
“Evan,” cooed Leona. He remembered the way her lips pouted. They’d always looked fucking great wrapped around his dick, but it was never worth it. She made everyone pay one way or another. “I miss you. Everyone at Fetish misses you. I don’t understand why we can’t put the incident past us.”
