Page 186 of Lau Ahi
Angel’s nostrils flared as he tried to remain calm. “Be intrigued and in love with something else.”
“Alas, I cannot.”
“Cannot or will not?”
“Porque los nos dos?” Alec was smiling but I knew he wasn’t about to come off Jem that easily. I thought it was on him trying to smash, which none of us would’ve let happen. It wasn’t thatwe thought Jem was fragile, it was that she meant too much to us for somebody we did business with to disrespect her. And she’d been locked up for a dozen years. She had far too much power for us not to look out for her. She was right, she could handle herself but the last thing we needed when we were trying to get everything back to normal was somebody coming and knocking her off her square.
Damn, Alec had a point when he said that the elders might be trying to marry her off. And I knew that her aunt would be leading the pack trying to get her with someone that had loyalty to her and not Jem or the Consortium.
“That’s my blood, something that I never thought I’d have. The men in this room took me in and treated me like I was somebody when I didn’t have shit to call my own. Finding out that I did all this time doesn’t change how I get down. I might not know her but I’m going to look out for her. Stay away from my sister, especially if you don’t mean her any good.”
“I laid eyes on her no more than eight hours ago and I’m certain that if the time came I’d lay down my life for hers. You telling me to stay away doesn’t mean shit to me. If you wanna test to see who has better aim, the sniper or the assassin, I’m always up for fun. Set it up and let me know.” Alec reached over and patted Angel on his shoulder. Angel silently clenched his jaw and I had to wonder what was going through his mind. He looked ready to stand up for his sister but he stopped short of crossing the line of physically defending her. I knew that he would battle with himself and how he could move when it came to Jem. I was just happy to see that he wanted to stick up for her.
Alec sat back down, and Angel moved back to the bar near Smoke and Omega. The three had an entire silent conversation and I could only laugh at Smoke being the person anyone would go to for advice. His family situation was even more fucked upthan Angel’s since he had twin brothers who were trying to kill one another.
“Not us watching another gotdamn mating ritual.” Yacouba tried to ease the tension in the room but I could’ve told him Alec wasn’t the type to hold grudges. In his brain, Jem was as good as his so he wasn’t stressing over what anyone thought about him wanting her.
“From your mouth to God’s ears. As much as you hate to come to this realization your sister is a breathtakingly beautiful woman. And more than her physical, her stubbornness intrigues me.”
“My sister doesn’t need someone who thinks she’s an oddity. She needs someone who actually cares about her. And who she is as a person.”
All of us were glancing around as Angel stepped up for Jem in the protective way that only brothers could. His ass was hollering a few months ago about not needing family but here he was pounding his chest, looking like he was gone hook off on Alec for looking at his sister’s ass. I wasn’t feeling that too much either but I wasn’t as pressed behind it because I knew Alec was a good dude.
“I care enough about her not to quit my pursuit of her. That’s the first sign of loyalty. Don’t you agree?”
“Maybe.”
“Angel, you’re being real brotherly right now. You good?” Mir was the only one who could check him since he was still technically his boss until he took his place with Jemma Marie.
“It’s fine. I just don’t want this nigga to think he can sit here and take advantage of her.” Angel was damn near pouting and I could see the bond forming with him and Jemma Marie.
“Why would I do that? You think I’d be stupid enough to ruin the friendship that I’ve built with Ori over all these years and the partnerships I’ve made with the other families that allowsmine to flourish all over a woman I wasn’t serious about? You might not know me but you should know that I wouldn’t be in this room if I wasn’t real. And especially if I wasn’t about my business. So don’t insult me by thinking I see your sister as a fresh piece of ass. If I say I want to pursue your sister it is with the utmost respect, nothing more or less.”
Angel could see the logic but didn’t want to backdown off his anger. “I guess we’ll see when the time comes.”
“If I have my way we’ll be seeing soon.” Alec embodied the confidence of a man who wasn’t about to come off his lady.
“Are y’all about to fight? Because if not, y’all have one last duty for me before the night is over. I’m trying to impress my bride.”
“If ‘er ass ‘asn’t run away.” Bhal laughed into his glass ofMerrick Reserveand I knew he wasn’t talking. He had to kidnap his wife and cross an ocean to get her to spend time with him.
“As if that would bother ‘im.” Liam shared a laugh at my expense with Bhal and I was wondering where the Merricks were buying their audacity from. Since they had it in bulk I hoped they’d gotten a discount. Liam’s wedding was arranged just like mine was but his wife had actually left his ass for two damn years. I guess marital bliss had them forgetting the road it took them to get here.
“You know what, he’d probably like that shit. Let her get lost in some woods and then track her down. Have her—never mind.” Yacouba gagged slightly and then shook his head.
“Why you stop?” ‘Mir looked confused at Yacouba’s reaction to his own words.
Instead of looking at ‘Mir he turned and pointed at me. “Because he’s smiling too hard like I’m giving him ideas or something. Like that’s exactly what you’re about to do and I frankly don’t want to be a part of your freaky ass fantasies. Don’t try out any kinky shit and have your Blamoian ass on the news.”
“I have far too much clout and far too many holdings to ever end up on the news, Yacouba, don’t insult me.”
He snapped his fingers at me while he continued to point as if I’d just proven his case. “See you didn’t deny it.”
“Why would I?”
“Whatever, I’m about to help my wife achieve her goals so I don’t have time to be letting Ori corrupt my ass. I’ll be out of here soon.”
“What goal are you helping Jazzy achieve?”
