The smell of grease and misery hits my senses as soon as I walk inside of Brown’s Diner. It’s like déjà vu. Roman has already grabbed his “usual” table at his fiancée’s favorite hole in the wall, and knowing him he’s already ordered me and himself a plate of the grease and salt special.

“Why do you continually force us to meet at this crappy diner?” I ask as I slide myself inside of the cheap pleather booth that probably hasn’t been wiped down in weeks. “When did you become so ridiculously sentimental?”

“Watch your mouth. It was your idea to meet today not mine. I’d rather be home inside of my pregnant fiancée. The least you could do is allow us the pleasure of eating at her favorite hole in the wall.”

I fake gag.

“Oh would you stop bragging for fuck’s sake.”

My best friend and business partner has gotten a lot sappier and cockier since he knocked up and proposed to the love of his life. If being cockier is actually even possible for someone as full of himself as he already is.

“You’re so obnoxious lately, it’s sickening,” I add.

Truthfully I’m happy for Rome, but I’ve got to give him shit about his new life with Elizabeth, because that’s how friends like us communicate.

“Once hell freezes over, and you’ve found a woman who can actually stand you for longer than one night you’ll understand.”

“Very funny,” I grumble. “I take it you already ordered me a turkey burger platter.”

“Best thing on the menu.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned more than once that I hate those things. Especially the ones from here.”

“Nah, I think they’re growing on you.”

“I assure you that they aren’t.”

“Do you and Cutter have a handle on the snitch for the case next month?”

“We’ve got it handled, or at least it will be by the end of the weekend.”

“Good.”

Roman taps his knuckles on the table to move the conversation along. I guess my pussy whipped friend is not lying when he says he wants to get back to his girl. Plus I think he realizes I’m stalling a bit. I’ve been avoiding having this discussion for so long, I’ve allowed the build up to get the better of me. Since when have I ever avoided conflict?

“So what’s up?” he asks impatiently. “What couldn’t be handled with a phone conversation? Why are we meeting here, eating food you clearly don’t want?”

“I fired Ray.”

Roman opens his mouth, then snaps it shut, then speaks. “What the fuck do you mean you fired Ray? The club is going to need coverage since we’re all going to be busy with the Miami job. You promised me that you were on board with this project, Cam, and we don’t have time to vet someone new for the club.”

“I thought of that. That’s why I propose that Jade handle the club. No one knows Lotus better than she does. She can run it with her eyes closed.”

Roman smirks. I’m pretty sure the bastard is on to me.

“What’s this really about, my friend?”

“Coverage. Just like you said.”

“Fucking liar.”

Roman squints his eyes a little at me. Analyzing me in an effort to try to unearth what the real story is behind my words. He should know better. Not many people can read me. Cutter perhaps, but not too many others.

“I’m not a mark, Rome. You can’t just figure me out with a few scrutinizing glares. We’re business partners, and I made a personnel decision about a part of the business that you don’t seem to have much time for anyway.”

That might have been a little harsh, because I’m trying to deflect, but it doesn’t matter. Roman doesn’t take the bait.

“Ohhh … I get it now. Jade fucked Ray didn’t she?”

I ball up a paper napkin from the table and throw it as hard as I possibly can at his smug face. It’s a punk move, but I don’t particularly feel like punching my best friend in the mouth in this dump. It’s been many years since we were in a fistfight against each other, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Rome.”

“What?” He laughs loudly as he swats the napkin away. “Don’t get mad at me, because you’re permitting Jade to fuck every Tom, Dick, and Harry right under your nose.”

“She’s a grown woman. She can sleep with whoever she wants.”

That shit sounds even stupider flying out of my mouth than it did when I first thought of it, and I guess that’s the entire point of this conversation. Even though I think she fucked Ray a long time ago, way before what happened between the two of us, I don’t want any reminders of the possibility.

“You King boys are real funny when it comes to your women. You and Cutter are super stealth with it. Not as obvious like I am. Guess that’s just how you two were raised, and I suppose that’s why poor old Ray is jobless now and probably never saw it coming. Marco can’t be too far behind either, huh? The way he flirts with the tiny tot all the time; he’s bound to get a pink slip too. Although I wouldn’t feel too bad about placing that asshole on the unemployment line. I probably should have fired him a long time ago myself. He’s got way too much mouth about my woman, and what I do with my woman.”

I consider Roman’s comments for a moment. It’s not like I haven’t noticed the way Jade and Marco interact with each other, but so far he’s not a real threat. He hasn’t made a real move yet, so I’ve left him alone for the time being. For now I just keep an eye on him and every other motherfucker that breathes her way. I’m very good at watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“She is not fucking Marco.”

“Not yet—”

More annoying laughter from the other side of the table as he continues yammering on. He’s taking a very sick pleasure in having this conversation. I suppose it was a discussion that was a long time coming. We’ve danced around it for months. I know he’s noticed a thick tension building between me and Jade, especially after we both ended up missing on the day of Juliette’s autism fundraiser. He hasn’t commented on it though. That’s not his style.

“All I’m saying is that I’m sick of you salivating over the little fidget from a distance. It’s sickening and totally unnatural. Stake your claim for God’s sake. Just don’t fuck up what we’ve got going. The four of us work really well together, and I need us to keep it that way.”

Selfish bastard.

“Whatever, asshat.”

“I’m saying all of this of course with the caveat that you’re actually serious about her.”

“I don’t play games, Roman. You know that,” I declare. “I’m the straightest shooter out of all of us.”

“No need to get all sensitive about it, but you ought to cut me a little slack here. You are a straight shooter when it comes to business, but when it comes to women, I can’t say that is what I know to be the absolute truth. I’ve never seen you in any sort of genuine relationship. Ever. You’ve always had a way with the ladies that was admirable, but never permanent. Jade is not someone that I want you having a way with and then breaking her heart. It took us years to put all her pieces back together again.”

“I seem to recall that you were the exact same way, if not worse, before you met Elizabeth.”

“That’s true, but there’s a difference. I did what I did in the past, but I made my intentions pretty clear the moment I spotted Elizabeth’s pretty ass on the dance floor. You on the other hand have been peeing around Jade for a long ass time. I’ve never seen someone take so long to mark their territory and claim their woman. There have been sparks flying between the two of you literally since the day you met. I’m wondering if there’s a good reason why you waited so long to take the leap.”

“She wasn’t ready.”

“And she’s ready now?”

“Circumstances have occurred that have made me force the timeline forward.”

“That sounds interesting.”

Our waitress is a thirty-something redhead who introduces herself as Millicent, and even though she’s young, she looks like she’s seen better days. Sweet though. She’s grinning from ear to ear when she delivers our order. Checking us both out like most women her age do.

“Here are your burgers, boys.”

“Thank you, Millicent,” Roman replies.

I stare at my plate. My burger is some weird gray color, smothered in fried onions and sloppy. Roman is definitely turning into a sentimental jerk, because that’s the only thing that could bring him back here like this. The food sucks.

“I think you’re overestimating your influence on her,” Roman says after taking a bite of his burger.

“What do you mean?”

“Jade doesn’t like structure. I don’t think she’s going to want the job.”

“She needs to do what she’s told.”

He chuckles. “You would think that’s how it works, but not with her. You know better than I do that she’s a very stubborn woman. As her friend and probably the only man she trusts, I give her a lot of shit, but I also know how far to push her. You may be asking too much.”

“She’s going to have to learn how to trust more than one man and be more flexible.”

“Is that right?” Roman laughs harder. “I’ll believe that shit when I see it.”

“You’ll be believing it soon then.”

He chews quietly for a moment then speaks again.

“I have to ask.”

“What?”

“What is it about Jade?”

“I don’t know. If I did I’d see a doctor about it.”

“There’s a lot of mouth on that woman.”

I take slight offense to that comment.

“And Elizabeth is your cousin. What’s your fucking point?”

“There’s no need to act like a girl about this.”

“You started it.”

We both start laughing.

“Since we’re in here sharing our feelings like the two little bitches we are, I’ve got a minor thing to come clean about,” Roman says.

“What?”

“I may have mentioned to the glamazon a while back that Cutter is responsible for her not getting any dick lately.”

Shit.

“And why would you do that?”

“I needed a bargaining chip.”

“So you snitched on my brother?”

He waves me off.

“He’s playing around with that girl. He wouldn’t have even bothered with doing that shit, if he didn’t want her to find out.”

“That’s your logic for selling out one of your best friends?”

“I’m not talking about this shit anymore. It’s done. Thought you should know.”

“That’s fucked up, Rome.”

“Tell me something I don’t know. Now pass the ketchup.”

“You could do something to make up for your selfishness.”

“You fired the manager of our club for getting his dick wet, and you call me selfish?”

I’m going to shove this burger down his throat, if he doesn’t shut up about Jade fucking that slacker. The imagery is literally making me want to do more than fire his ass.

“Just tell Jade that you want her to focus on the club for now. Don’t call her for any of your special little projects, and don’t call her for anything Miami related. “

“You know that I call her for all kinds of shit.”

“That was before you found Elizabeth. Now you damn near have a wife. You should be asking her to do some of the stuff you ask Jade to do.”

“You’re asking a lot.”

“It’s just for a month, maybe two, and you need to stop calling her for all your bullshit grunt work anyway. Jade should have a higher level of responsibility.”

“Trusting her with my personal shit is a higher level of responsibility. The highest that there will ever be. I don’t trust many people and neither does she. We work well together, because we understand that about each other. She’s got her baggage, and I have mine.”

“Well you need to start learning how to pack light, motherfucker, and stop thinking only of yourself. I ask you for one favor—”

“All right, princess. You’re so touchy today.” Roman chuckles.

“I’m not touchy, I’m hungry. Do they serve anything in here that’s not slathered in onions and grease?”

“I’ll make you a deal.”

Nothing is ever easy with this dude.

“What?” I ask defensively.

“Come to Miami for a week to handle this Mercer dude with me, and I’ll give you your month.”

“Mercer.”

“He’s Kat’s biggest client, and he’s in the most trouble down there. Bitches, drugs, guns. He’s like the Miami police department’s wet dream. They’re chomping at the bit to nail his ass. So I’m going to need you to work a little of your magic to make some of his problems go away.”

“I can do that from here.”

“Kat needs to see the magic up close. So she understands how we work. Just one time. Then you can work from Philly.”

Normally I don’t negotiate with terrorists, but getting Jade to myself, distraction free for a month or two might be worth it.

“So it’s an audition?” I ask in disapproval.

“I promised her that she would meet the entire team. She knows me, already met Cutter at the gala, but still has yet to meet you. I wonder why that is?” He smiles alluding to the now infamous Maryland trip that I took in an effort to keep an eye on Jade. Missing my chance to meet Kat in person.

“Give me two months and zero interference from you, and you’ve got a deal,” I say.

“I’ll give you one month, minimal interference, with a promise that you’re going to tread really fucking carefully, brother. There’s a reason why Jade hasn’t been in a relationship since that asshole.”

“Understood.”

“All right then. I’ll let Jade know I’m on board with this plan of yours, and I’ll also let Kat know that you’ll be coming to Miami with me. Very soon.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“You King brothers will put a motherfucker in the ground when need be, but you’re so passive aggressive when it comes to your women.” Roman roars with laughter again at my expense. I’m so glad I can entertain him.

I admit this is a very unusual position I find myself in, but my gut is telling me that I’m going about this the right way. The way Jade needs me to handle it, so that she doesn’t disappear on me completely. She’s a fighter, and I need to give her the illusion that she’s putting up a good thirty-day fight, so that she can live with the results when she’s defeated, and satiated, and happy in my bed.

“Watch your mouth, lover boy, and pass the hot sauce. It’s the only way I’m going to be able to get this burger and bullshit you’re talking down my throat.”