“I’m just having coffee,” Zan told her. “I have to be at the office in a few minutes.”
“We’ll talk about this later, then,” she said with a wiggle of her brows. “Cade?”
“Waffles, sausage, and potato hash with grape juice, and just for the record, you should stop throwing yourself at Zan every time he comes in here. You’re obviously not on his agenda for a repeat performance.”
“Ouch,” Jaxon said under his breath.
Alice gave him a cold glare and leaned toward him bracing one hand on the table. “Jealous because you’re not on his agenda at all, law boy?” she said snidely. Then, turned the cup in front of Cade over and filled it with coffee. “Prickly bear.”
“Desperate spinster.”
She laughed. “That went out of style years ago, babe.” She blew him a kiss and winked at Zan. “I’ll be back with your orders soon.” Smiling, she moved off to another table.
“I guess all your old flings will be vying for a place on your arm,” Cade said tartly.
“Follow the power,” Jaxon said, giving Zan a curious look that he ignored.
“Don’t worry, I don’t want you for your power,” Cade murmured. “I just want to make you scream my name.”
Zan laughed and leaned toward him. “That’s a definite possibility.”
“Not if you take her out,” Cade said, giving him a pointed look.
“I’ll make sure I don’t accept her invitation, in that case.” He put his hand on Cade’s where it rested on his thigh. He squeezed lightly as Cade met his gaze. Zan’s heart skipped a beat and those tiny whorls in Cade’s eyes practically glowed.
He loved those odd little things about Cade that made him so different yet so fundamentally alien, starting with those cute little black shapes that pulsed brightly when Cade was excited or darkened when he was angry.
“What happened last night? At the orchard? Did you find the intruder?” Cade asked huskily.
“Yeah,” he said softly and then scowled. “The jackass. Dade’s holding him for trespassing, but he’ll be out soon.”
“He might just end up back inside,” Jaxon replied. “A murder does have to be accounted for.”
“A murder?” Cade exclaimed, keeping his voice low.
“There were two of them and one had a laser light ring, which he used to burn a hole in my shoulder,” Zan told him quietly.
“What?” Cade demanded and his hand went to Zan’s arm. “Should you be going to work today?”
“It’s healed. The flesh will be damaged for the rest of my life, but it’s all good. No mobility loss.”
Cade rubbed his shoulder and his skin tingled. Zan wanted to forget about the swearing in ceremony and all the other preliminaries his morning held and go someplace and spend the day in Cade’s arms.
“So he got the other guy, too?” Cade asked, removing his hand.
Zan shrugged. “It appears like, but Dade is still investigating.”
“He has to,” Jaxon said quietly. “Jarvis is already calling for him to be replaced by Alexa.”
“I’m not going to let that happen,” Zan assured him. They took care of their family, stood by them at all costs. “Alexa is a good cop, but she’s too pro Jarvis to be trusted.”
“Which is probably why Jarvis will go after you next,” Cade said, adding cream and sugar to his coffee.
“No doubt, but I’m not going to just fold up like a paper bag.”
“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to more violence,” Jaxon murmured. “We’ve all seen first-hand what Jarvis is capable of, and honestly I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface.”
“I better head in,” Zan said. “The ceremony starts in fifteen minutes. Are you coming tonight?” He met Cade’s gaze.
Cade shivered, and he grinned knowing just what the tone of his voice had implied.
“Maybe. Do you want me to?”
“All over me,” he teased and Jaxon laughed, shooting coffee through his nose and causing a flush to creep up Cade’s neck.
“Shut up, Jax,” Cade muttered and glared at Zan. “Jerk.”
“Tonight?”
Cade leaned toward him to whisper, “I want you without her.”
Zan nodded. He was going to have to earn Cade’s trust before Cade was willing to allow another lover in their bed. The only way to make him feel secure was to show him that his feelings and needs did matter. Otherwise he could lose him.
“See you two later,” Zan said and got to his feet. He shared another look with Cade and gave him a little smile. He did want him, and he’d realized that last night when he’d been fighting for his life.
It wasn’t just the prospect of ending up alone, it was the feeling he got in his stomach when Cade smiled at him.
* * * *
“How’d you do it, Jax?” Cade asked the moment Zan was gone.
“Do what?”
“Accept Kel’s other lovers?”
“It was hard,” he admitted. “The hardest part was knowing he might want one of those women more than he wanted me.”
“Now?”
“Now, there’s just me, him, and Zier. I’m falling more in love with Zier every day. I was already attracted to him, but that doesn’t change the fact that I just want to be alone with Kel sometimes.”
“How do you walk away from someone you love?” Cade asked.
“Very fast and without looking back,” Jax told him. “Or you can give this a try because if you don’t, you might spend your life wondering what might have been.”
“I know. What’d you want to talk about?”
Jaxon smiled. “I was wondering if you’d like to open a law firm with me?”
Chapter Seven
Zaria entered Zan’s office with the stack of files to find Alexa standing in the middle of the room. Her cousin jerked around to face her guiltily.
“What are you doing in here, Alexa?” she demanded. “You know this could get you heavily fined and jail time.” Barrian rules entailed privacy for its leaders, and those who violated it were swiftly punished.
Alexa gave her an annoyed glare. “I’m doing my job,” she muttered. “Jarvis wants to keep tabs on Andron to make sure he’s not involved in any plots against him.”
“Are you serious? Jarvis is just trying to listen in to see if he can gain any information to get Zan fired.”
“He has a right to know what the Androns are up to, Zaria. They could be plotting against him with the southern elders.”
“Get out,” she said coldly and put the files on the desk.
“What’s in those?”
“None of your business,” she snapped. “Now, leave before he gets here.”
“I’m going.” Alexa watched her put the files on the desk. “You know, Ashley Beets was killed last night, and I know Dade killed her husband. She was trying to find out why he was killed, as well as what happened to his lawyers and Jori’s sister. Dade and Rhys were sleeping with her.”
“So?”
“So, even I don’t know what happened to them, but Dade does. They weren’t sent to any jail and they were never tried for any crimes. Doesn’t that make you wonder?”
“Why didn’t you just ask Dade?” Zaria rested her hand on the files. She didn’t know anything about those people, but she did know none of that had anything to do with Cade or Zan.
“Marcy was pregnant,” Alexa said. “Doesn’t that tell you that they’re ruthless enough not to give a damn about other people? That they’re trying to submerge our rights as American citizens and they must be stopped?”
Marcy had been engaged to the mayor, Brad, who’d been killed, causing the need for an election of a new mayor. Brad had been a good guy, and her parents had been thinking about throwing their support behind him.
“The Androns—”
“Aren’t the only ones who piss all over the constitution, Zaria. The southern elders are just as bad. That’s why Jarvis is so worried. He knows they can get enough support from B
arrian-centric residents to kill him and cover it up.”
It could happen, but that’d just be good riddance to bad rubbish. However, the southern elders were dangerous and they would likely have the support of the elders of the west, just like always. If the two groups gained control, this town would be in shambles.
Alexa nodded, eyes filled with knowledge. “I know you’re thinking now,” she said. “You can see why we have to make sure Zan isn’t conspiring with them.”
“I—yeah,” she said quietly. “I’ll get him to ask me out and see what I can find out.” She was curious about their alliance, but not worried they’d harm Jarvis or anyone else without cause.
’Course, that could be the attraction talking, but if the Androns were a threat in the making, her parents should know.
* * * *
Zan reached his office and almost did a double-take when he found Zaria seated behind the secretary’s desk.
“Good morning, sir,” Zaria said with a smile. “Normally, you’d be briefed by the outgoing deputy mayor, but as that’s not going to happen, I’ve put a few files on your desk and the mayor wants to see you ASAP.”
He gave her a nod as he moved around to her side of the desk. “You’re my assistant?” Cade was going to be furious when he found out. He’d have to break the news himself as soon as possible or Cade would think he was trying to hide it.
Zaria grinned. “Temporarily. Jenna is your secretary, but she’s still out of town. You’re free to hire someone else though.”
“Why would I? Jenna is probably competent.”
“Umm-hmm.” She nodded. “Are you okay with me?”
He let his gaze slide over her baby pink blouse and plaid skirt. “In more ways than one,” he drawled.
She laughed, sitting back and revealing the tuxedo ruffle front of her shirt and nipples that were already poking at the bra beneath. “Then, ask me out.”
He tore his gaze from her chest. “Not going to happen today,” he said, feeling the regret down to his toes. “I’m seeing Cade.” The words just popped out and hit him like a punch to the gut. But there was no recrimination in her pretty chocolate eyes.
She nodded. “I’m not surprised. He did seem a little upset last night.”
“He’s not as secure as he should be.”
“That’s your fault,” she said in a chiding tone. “You should take better care of his heart. He’s cute and sweet.”
“So are you, and I want you both.”
Her eyes glittered with surprise as they flared wide. “Cade’s not okay with that?” she asked huskily.
He sat down on the edge of her desk and she turned her chair to face him.
“Not just yet, but he knows what I want.”
“Is it me he objects to or women in general?”
Zan lifted a brow. He hadn’t expected this. Half of the women in this town were a little repressed sexually. They seemed to think if they wanted two men at the same time they were sluts who had to walk around with a scarlet letter on their chests.
“I’m not sure.” Cade’s secrets weren’t for her consumption at the moment.
“That’s too bad,” she murmured, leaning toward him, and Zan had to fight all natural urges to touch her.
She drew him in a way that almost rivaled his attraction to Cade and it intrigued him.
“I was kind of looking forward to finding out if he was all politeness all the time.”
He chuckled. “Definitely not.”
“Why don’t the three of us have lunch tomorrow?” she suggested.
He frowned. “You want him more,” Zan murmured truly amused. If Cade only knew he’d been all pissy for nothing.
She shrugged. “I casually asked Travis about him and he was vague, but I saw him with you and Alicia a few times and figured the best way to get to him was through you. Dominants in a relationship have some influence over the beta.”
“Damn, girl,” he said. He wasn’t offended. She obviously liked him enough that this could work if Cade stopped being so damn stubborn. “You surprised the hell out of me.”
She gave him a sensual little smile that made his heart race. “Don’t get me wrong, I am interested in you, too.” She looked down his body, slowly, as if she was undressing him a piece at a time and damn if that didn’t make his dick hard.
“I’ll—”
“Zaria.” The exasperated tone of Jarvis cut through the sexual tension like an axe and Zaria turned her gaze to him, giving him a cool stare.
“Good morning, Mayor,” she said dully.
“You were supposed to send him to my office,” he muttered. “I put you in this position because I thought you could do Jenna’s job, but I was obviously wrong.”
“Tone it down, Jarvis,” Zan said, as he got to his feet. “Whatever you have to say wasn’t affected by the delay.”
“In a way it was,” he muttered coldly. “I’m implementing plans to get rid of Landon as sheriff and replace him with Alexa, effective immediately.”
“What?” Zaria exclaimed.
Zan spared her a look before going to stand in front of Jarvis. They were roughly the same height so there was no need for either man to look up, but Zan had more muscle mass.
“I’m not signing off on that lame-brained idea, Jarvis, forget it. Alexa is smart and competent, even professional, but she lost points on that the moment she allowed police information to vanish and end up in your hands.”
“There’s no proof of that,” he exclaimed.
“Nothing obvious,” Zan retorted. “But I’m sure if we investigate, we’ll find the information that leaked in the ongoing investigation into your pal Colm’s involvement with an anti-Barrian, anti-gay rights group was last in her hands.”
“People talk, gossip spreads and that doesn’t follow Alexa had anything to do with it.”
“I will admit she wasn’t the only person involved in the investigation of the murders who could have leaked information about the copy of the constitution found at one of the murder sites. A copy that was fabricated, I might add.”
Jarvis glowered at him. “Then why put this on her?”
“Simple, you’ve been spending a lot of time with her,” Zan murmured. “I’m calling for a more thorough investigation into that case. The end was too simple and too neat.”
“It’s a closed fucking case and it’s staying that way,” he snarled.
“For now, but Landon stays and he has the same authority as before, which means, if he likes, he can investigate Alexa and or knock her rank down.”
Jarvis’s eyes went icy. “Maybe I’ll just fire him and have an election to replace him.”
“Not happening,” Zan retorted, lowering his voice as he got in Jarvis’s face. “I don’t care who rigged the vote for you, Jarvis, you aren’t going to take over this town. You’ll work with me or nothing will ever get done.”
Jarvis sneered at him. “In my office.” He turned on his heel and headed back the way he’d come.
“Say please.”
Jarvis stopped and stood, back ramrod straight. “Now, please.”
His tone was granite, but Zan smiled grimly. So the war began and he wondered if the southern elders, of which Jaxon’s grandfather was a member, was backing Jarvis now.
The older men wanted control of the town and the only way to get it at this point was through turning Jarvis into their unwitting puppet.
“If I get any calls, Zaria, tell them I’ll be back in my office in fifteen minutes.”
“Will do,” she said sedately.
Chapter Eight
He trailed Jarvis who kept up a clipped pace until they reached the reception area at the end of the opposite corridor. A brunette female occupied the desk with a pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on her nose.
Andrea Gardener fixed him with a cool gaze as they moved past.
“Sir, John Dixon called. The council wants to meet with you before their meeting with the deputy mayor.”
“I’ll call the
m back in a few minutes,” he said. “Get on the phone and find a replacement for Zaria.”
“Cancel that, Andrea,” Zan told her impassively. “She’ll do until Jenna returns. I need a word with Jenna about a few things, so send Zaria her number if she doesn’t have it.”
“I—”
“Just get it,” Zan told her in a hard tone. “Jarvis isn’t the only one who says what goes around here.”
“Yes, sir,” she said and gave Jarvis a questioning look.
He declined comment by striding into his spacious corner office. Windows lined the room allowing in plenty of fall sunlight. Part of the town square was visible from there and the plum and gold trees dotted the landscape, allowing for a beautiful view.
“Don’t ever talk to her that way again,” Jarvis said as he rounded on him. “I am the one in control. You are just my wingman when and if I decide to let you play, got it?”
Zan gave him a bland smile, taking in the flinty gaze. “Or what, Jarvis? You’ll put a hit out on me too?”
“When I want you dead—”
“Be man enough to do it yourself instead of sending your lackeys, because I’m not Jaxon. I won’t fold up and play dead to stay alive. Me and my brothers will come at you, guns blazing.”
Jarvis studied him and Zan saw a subtle shift in the man’s expression as he backed off. His golden skin didn’t pale, but calculation flashed in his eyes.
“The southern elders are going to be a problem to us both,” Jarvis said. “They’re already clamoring about that constitution like they won the election.”
“I haven’t seen it, but I’ve asked for a copy.”
“We’re not going backward in time,” Jarvis told him. “I’ll allow you fucking queers to have a place in government and even in law enforcement, but that constitution stays dead. We’re moving beyond the old one and into a human ways of life. That Barrian shit is for the birds.”
“Do whatever you want, but I’m not letting it go.”
“That’s why I’m moving to remove the oversight and joint management of this town from a joint mayor to a single system. The council will back me.”
Passion’s Brewing Storm [Alien Passions 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 5
