Page 97 of A Dirty Business
I stood up from my desk. “What’s going on?”
“You put out an order of protection on me? With the West Mafia stamp of approval?”
What?!
That would condemn her. It was the exact opposite of what I wanted for her. “I didn’t, Jess.”
“You did!” She started for me but slammed on her brakes. Her body ricocheted back from the force. “Do you have any idea what that does for me?”
“Yes. I do! I wouldneverdo that to you. Not that I wouldn’t want to, but I wouldn’t. Jess.” This was the worst-case scenario. I’d done so much to keep my mind off of her. “What you said to me, the last time we talked, it’s true. I wouldn’t want that for you. I wouldn’t want to do that to you. I’ve been staying away.”
“Then who the fuck put the order out on me? I look like—”
“I know what you look like. Iknow. I would never do that to you.”
Her eyes were sparking fire, and every inch of her body was rigid. She was ready to fight.
I brought out a burner phone and dialed Ashton’s number, the phone reserved exactly for these conversations. When he answered, I put him on speaker. “Just so you know, you’re on speakerphone. I’m in my office with Jess.”
He was quiet. “Well. Didn’t expectthiscall, though maybe I should’ve, considering you’re using one of these phones. What can I do for you both?”
“Jess just informed me that an order of protection was put on her, on behalf of the West family.”
He started laughing, which turned into a coughing fit as he tried to settle himself. “Sorry. I—just—what the fuck?!”
I relaxed at hearing that. He hadn’t done it on my behalf, and I sat down, lounging back in my chair. “Who would’ve done this, Ashton?”
He cursed. “You’re asking me? It’s your family.”
I cast the phone a look. “You know exactly why I’m asking you. Who do you think did this?”
Jess was still rigid, her head back and her eyes closed. Her chest was barely moving, and her hands were digging into her hips, but I noted that her right hand was not by her weapon anymore.
“I honestly don’t know, but ... can you take me off speaker?”
Jess’s eyes opened. She had a guarded expression over her face, but she didn’t object as I took my phone and took him off speaker.
Standing, I went to the window, my phone to my ear. My back was to Jess. “What are you thinking?”
“You did that so she could hear my reaction, right? Make sure she believed it wasn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
He exhaled over the phone. “Don’t fucking do that again.”
“I won’t, but who are you thinking did this? You know what this means for her.”
“Yeah. She’s marked on the streets. No wonder she showed up at your office.”
“Ashton,” I growled. He had a better feel for the streets than I did. That was his area of expertise. “Who did this?”
“Only someone considered family could’ve sent this out. Myself, since I speak for your family on your behalf a lot or ... your uncle or your father. The question would be, Why would either of them do this? Your father doesn’t know about her, and your uncle wouldn’t want to push you like this. He likes that you might have a relationship withher. He wanted to use it earlier before you removed her blood from the equation.”
“That wouldn’t make sense. He’d use it for later, not now.”
“Exactly.”
Which pointed at one other member of the family, one whowouldwant to hurt Jess.
