Page 47 of Emeric

It was Vail’s turn to cross his arms.

“The power you and Hart have over me is fucking astonishing,” Jordan bit out. “Why do I bother having an opinion about anything if you two are just going to steamroll whatever I say? I’m a figurehead, someone to scare the people in the city into behaving, and for you two to fuck. I serve no purpose.”

“I can’t believe you’re turning this around so it’s about you. This has nothing to do with you, outside of you being pissed about something that wasn’t in Ollie’s control.”

“But it was!” Jordan exploded. “He could have stopped it before it happened!” And there it was. The reason I had been beating myself up was now out there for everyone to hear. It didn’t matter that I was thinking it. Jordan spoke the words, my boss, the person who hired and could fire me.

Vail walked toward him. “How? His head doesn’t swivel. He doesn’t have the hearing of my dogs.”

“A lot of good they did. They weren’t even with you!”

“Fuck. You,” Vail bit out. “You don’t get to stand there and cast blame. If you think you can do better, then by all means, shadow me. You can make sure nothing happens to me. You can try to have eyes and ears everywhere. One single fuckup, and I will shove it down your throat. How dare you say what you are. Just because it happened to me and not someone of less importance to you, nothing would have been good enough. Shit happens, Jordan. You forget I’m not completely helpless.”

At this point, I had backed away until I was pressed to the side of the Navigator. I could see Sheldon out of the corner of my eye, trying to meld into the shadows. Nothing could get Jordan pissed faster than a fight with one of his partners. We’d seen and heard enough of their arguments to understand they didn’t end well, especially if Jordan was the one in the wrong. He wasn’t in this case, at least I didn’t think so. Vail did though. I appreciated his loyalty to me. Sheldon had said the same thing; there was nothing I could have done. That didn’t make the guilt stop.

The fight left Jordan. What remained was a man full of remorse. He’d realized he’d gone too far. “I’m sorry. I⁠—”

“I don’t care. You need to think before you speak. Once words are out there, they can’t be taken back. You have one goal in mind, and while it’s not a bad one to have, you forget who your goals impact. Protecting me means Ollie puts his life at risk. You don’t think about any of that. The people who work for you have others who care about them. I’m not more important than them. Dammit, Jordan.” He shook his head and turned, searching until his eyes landed on me. “Let’s go upstairs. I have food for you.”

I let out a breath. “Vail, I don’t think⁠—”

“Please, Ollie? For me?” Not going with him would hurt his feelings and, in turn, make Jordan angrier with me. After what Vail had just said, I couldn’t say no. Although Jordan was still going to be pissed, no matter what. At least this way, I didn’t upset Vail.

I nodded and followed him to the elevator, keeping my eyes far from Jordan. His were still trying to burn a hole in me.

Sheldon slid into the elevator at the last second as the doors were closing. “I wasn’t staying down there with him in that mood.”

“I have more than enough food for you both,” Vail said.

“For the record, you’re right. Ollie couldn’t have seen that guy coming unless he had been walking backward. Doing so would have left you vulnerable from the front. He handled it once it happened.”

“Which I’m grateful for. I also don’t want to know the details of what handling it means. I do know, but I’d rather not, if that makes sense.”

“It does.”

Vail ushered us into his kitchen and went to work heating food up and setting out plates for us. It was minutes later when the door opened, and Hartley walked in.

He whistled low. “I had enough time to get scowled at by Jordan, then to see Barry, so I could find out what happened. No way was Jordan telling me, and I wasn’t about to follow him after he stormed off into his office and slammed the door.”

“You watched the footage from the garage?” Sheldon asked.

“I did.”

“That’s some commitment to finding out what went down.”

“Hey, when you’re with Jordan, you go to lengths to have a clue what’s going on. He’s not always an open book.”

“You don’t say?”

“Oh, whatever. I came down here to say you’re right, Vail. Jordan needs to rein it in and stop being an asshole. And Ollie? Ignore him. He’s pissed because Vail could have been hurt. Since he wasn’t there, he takes his anger out on who was.”

“I was supposed to protect him,” I said.

“And you did. You put the guy to the ground fast, then you took him wherever and did whatever. No one’s perfect. Once Jordan calms down, he’ll realize nothing happened and hopefully ease the hell off. If not, Vail and I will handle him.” He grinned and winked.

21

SYLVAN