****

Jeremy

“You know if you want to know more about your mother, you could maybe ask her.”

I glare at the smart-ass smirk on Kyle’s face. Kyle is the guy I call when I need to find out information quickly and quietly. I’ve had him do a number of jobs for me since we both left the U.S. Marines Corps. We were in the same battalion, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Right now, though, I’m about two seconds from forgetting all of our history together and knock him on his ass.

“Is that so? Just ask her, huh?” I retort, snatching the folder out of his hand. “Just give me the information you’ve collected on her.”

Kyle chuckles. “I’m just fucking with you, Viper. I still can’t get enough of pulling your chain.”

“I’m usually the one yanking the chains these days instead of having mine pulled.” That snide comment reminds me of the plans I have tonight. It’s been days since I’ve seen LaTasha because I’ve been out of town for work. “Let’s get this shit over with.”

“Oh, hot date? Meeting one of your women tonight?”

I glare at him.

“Oh, we’re not divulging secrets this time around, huh? Whatever. I’m sure I’ll see you soon enough at the club.”

I just grunt at his comment.

“Okay, okay. Well, from what I’ve found, your mother has been busy in the love department over the last twenty-five years. She’s been married three times since leaving you. All of them were financially stable men…or so she thought. The first and third died of natural causes, but the second marriage was dissolved after only a few weeks. Looking at his bank records, he didn’t have as much money as he’d pretended to have.”

“That’s probably why she left him. She loves money more than anything else in this world.”

Kyle raises an eyebrow surprised at the bitterness in my words. “Yeah. Well, aside from picking wealthy husbands with a penchant for dying, your mother’s been on the up and up.”

“You sure those deaths were natural causes?”

His head jolts backwards, “You really think your mother—”

“She’s not my mother. She’s just the bitch who gave birth to me and left me.”

“Whatever, man.” He holds his hands up. “We’ve all got our own shit to deal with.” He nods understandingly. “Anyway, they were deaths of natural causes. I combed through the medical records myself. Nothing fishy there. They were old as fuck. Unfortunately she also has a penchant for picking rich dudes with lots of kids. Kids they leave their money too. Turns out she’s flat broke.”

“Okay.” I nod, knowing that last part already.

“You still got her at the hospice place?” he asks.

“Yup,” I answer. I get daily updates on her condition, and I’ve visited a few times, but I never stay long.

“It’s a pretty good place. It’s upscale, but probably not her usual digs.  But it’ll do.” Kyle nods.  

“Thanks for the info.” I don’t care to respond to his latest statement. I want this conversation to be over. It’s been a long week filled with meetings. The last person I want to discuss at length is that she-devil that abandoned me. I’m ready to relieve some stress and I have the perfectly planned evening to do just that.

“All right, man. I see you’re already thinking about other shit. I’m going out of town for a few weeks. I’ll give you a ring when I get back. Catch up on the scene and shit,” he says, grinning and patting my shoulder before he heads out.

I grunt in response. Right now the only scene I’m interested in is the one that should be waiting for me in my hotel suite in about an hour. I double check, looking at my watch and note that it’s close to seven. This gives me just enough time to finish up, use my office bathroom to shower, and head over to my hotel suite. For the first time that day I grin, remembering the specific instructions I sent via text to LaTasha this morning. I can just imagine the way she bit her bottom lip and blushed as she read over my words. A tight coil forms in my lower abdomen the more I picture her. I decide if I don’t want to blow my load right here in the shower, I need to drop that image.

“Save it for tonight, Bennett,” I grumble to myself, finishing my shower. I dress in more suitable clothing for the evening. As I slide my leather cuffs onto my wrist, I feel a shiver run through my body. The energy I need to release is beginning to burn me up and I move swiftly heading out the door. Tonight I plan to take LaTasha in ways she’s never imagined.