Page 89 of Between Desire and Denial
“Others don’t.” I finished for her. Generation after generation kept business dealings quieter and quieter. We all knew our families came from money, but I recalled the times I asked my mother.
“Your grandparents were wealthy, Olive Bee. We’re all very fortunate here. It’s been a morality issue in the past, that’s for sure. We’ve struggled to maintain power over other groups like mob families and there has been concern, as you can see, aboutDimitri. His sisters are married to Armanellis.” She cleared her throat and straightened. “I have found them all to be quite pleasant, but, well, some others don’t agree. That’s why, at some point, you’ll take your family’s seat within the Diamond Syndicate here in Paradise Grove. Your father won’t serve that role anymore. You can make decisions instead.”
And then I heard the rev of a motorcycle, one I’d heard only a few times before, but I knew the sound. Jameson didn’t ride it every day. Mostly, he kept it in the garage, unless Franny wasn’t with him. He pulled up right in front of the salon and cut the engine. In a black tee, black helmet, and with the tattoos on his arms on full display, there was definitely a formidable quality about him.
Zen rushed to unlock the door, and he walked in, pulling his helmet off, his blue eyes focused only on me. “Good. They got you here.”
“Guess you couldn’t wait for lunch,” I grumbled, not sure if I should feel like I was in some type of danger. My high school friend was a lot bigger than he used to be, and I knew he probably held sway too. Yet, I wouldn’t shrink away.
He set his helmet on the counter and leaned on it as he looked at us. “So, Lucille fill you in on what you need to know?”
“I just started, Jameson. It’s…” Lucille paused and looked at the note again. “It’s a delicate matter. Her mother wasn’t like your parents.”
“I’m aware.” His hands fisted together before he admitted, “I wished I’d had a mother like that. She shielded you from a lot.”
“I’m seeing that.” I crossed my arms. “Not sure if it’s to my detriment at this point.”
“Well, she probably didn’t know you’d get involved with a Hardy and that he’d be involved with the mob.”
“Barely a mob when they’re reformed,” Lucille said like she’d been won over by them long ago. “I’ve told you this, Jameson.”
“I heard you. And I’m inclined to believe you. I’m just wondering if Olive is truly in bed with the enemy or not. It’s all very coincidental, her being with Dimitri. It either means she’s working against him or with him. And in turn, against us or with us.”
“You can’t honestly believe she’s faking the chemistry she has with him for intel for her father, Jameson.” Lucille chuckled. “We just talked about this. She doesn’t even know her father is involved with the Irish.”
I froze, The drink I had in my hand clattered onto the table, water spilling everywhere. “What?”
“Oh, Olive Bee. Sorry to drop the news.” She sighed and grabbed for the napkins Zen was hurrying over. “Only a few of us are confirming this, but I do believe it’s true.”
At that point, I saw how Jameson’s jaw flex. His muscles coiled like they were ready to strike, and then he paced over and sat down in the chair beside me, sharpening that blue stare on me. “Are you giving your father information, Olive Bee? Or trying to sway Dimitri out of town?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, completely confused. We’d faked a relationship but for the complete opposite. “I want Paradise Grove to prosper, Jameson. It’s the reason I’m here, and the reason I think Dimitri’s offices with the Armanelli businesses are a good move.”
As I said the words, I felt the truth of them settle like cement in me. Jameson wasn’t as convinced though, and his hand shot out to the leg of my chair to pull me close. I gasped at our proximity and was reminded of the appeal he’d always had.
Darkness lurked behind those blue eyes, wild and vicious. I knew he must have had deep, cavernous secrets that caused pain, that he hid, that he could tap into. He’d let that darkness out with the right instigating, I could tell. “Olive, I want honesty. Don’t lie to me now. You and Dimitri, that’s real?”
There was no lie as I nodded and whispered yes. Even if I was scared as hell of what that meant, I knew I couldn’t fool my heart. “If I’m going to have a family here with anyone, Jameson, it’s going to be him.”
“We’ll see,” he growled before he sat back and flicked his gaze over to Lucille before saying, “I’m not here to intimidate you.”
“Really?” I blurted out. “Sure seems like it with the stare down.”
“Thatta girl,” Lucille said softly. “Give them prickly for the win.”
Jameson cracked his knuckles before a small smile formed on his face. “Leave it to you to make me feel like an ass.”
“Well, you did drive in on your motorcycle like you were on some mission and stomped in here all puffed up,” Lucille countered for me.
Jameson frowned and peeked over at me with sheepish eyes, probably in hopes I’d help him out. “She’s right. The motorcycle especially was over the top.”
“The motorcycle wasn’t even a damn part of talking to you. Franny’s with her grandma for two weeks in Italy, and so I’m getting a few rides in before—”
“She must be afraid of how loud and intimidating that motorcycle can be too.” Zen winked at Lucille and shot a saccharine smile his way. “Quite frankly, I don’t know why you drive one at all. They’re extremely dangerous.”
“You might end up needing someone to saveyourlife one day with that bike.” He’d had one since high school. His father seemed oddly okay with it, but I was pretty sure they were all in some club with a motorcycle factory being a couple hours away.
“Olive Bee, you know as well as I do, I’m careful as ever on this thing.”
