Page 96 of The Originals

Sal smirked. “Well, you’re in luck because that’s not our forte either.”

There was a long stretch of silence.

“This is the way I see it. We’ve all got our talents. We combine them, we all win,” Sal said.

Jack drew in a breath. “And what do we get?”

“More cash than you’ve ever seen. Protection in not only your territory but the entire state. You can have the low state territory free and clear without any interference.”

Jack furrowed his brows. “That’s already our territory.”

“For now.” Sal paused. “We can guarantee it stays that way. A lot of people would love to run that piece of the state, Jack. Got a lot of clubs moving in trying to make a name for themselves. You built yours, and others will build theirs.”

The threat. Jack knew it was coming and even respected Sal for putting it all out there. Everything was laid out in front of them. All that was left was making the choice to align with the Underground.

“And if we don’t?”

Sal smiled and sat back in his chair. “Giving you and your club an opportunity not many get. You’re a smart man, Jack. You know if you don’t take it, someone else will.”

Yes, I do.

****

It was just past one in the morning, and Colleen was fighting against a yawn for the second hour straight. She probably should’ve gone to bed hours ago. At one point, she tried. But she was restless and found herself in Jack’s living room with the TV on low, watching a comedy rerun.

She started to drift and felt her head get heavy at the exact moment she heard the rumbling of his engine in the distance. It was all she needed to perk up and get up from the couch. She turned the TV off as she walked to the front door, peeking out the window. It was pitch black on the rural road, but she saw a flickering glow. Seconds later it got brighter until the motorcycle turned into the driveway. She quickly skittered away from the window.

Would he think it was strange she’d waited up for him? Colleen stood in the middle of the living room unsure of what to do. She had little time to think. A minute later, the lock turned, as did the knob, and Jack walked through the door. He tossed hiskeys on the side table and glanced up. He immediately stilled, looking directly at her.

“Still up?”

“I waited for you,” she blurted as the heat rushed to her cheeks. She immediately tried to cover up her statement by a change in subject. She waved her hand around the room. “I hope it’s okay. I did some light cleaning.”

Jack’s eyes darted around the room. Light might’ve been an understatement.

“You cleaned my house?” Jack raised his brows, but the corner of his mouth spiked.

“Yes, but just a little.” She brushed her hair from her face and pointed to the kitchen. “And there was a pile of clothes in the laundry room, so I did a few loads, wash, dried, and folded.”

“How many loads?”

Colleen cleared her throat. “Six.”

Jack stared back at her. It was impossible to read through his harsh mask. Was he upset with her?

“Didn’t bring you here to clean my house.”

She waved her hand. “It was nothing.”

Jack’s jaw squared, and his scowl deepened. “It was something.”

She was having a hard time gauging his mood.

“Are you hungry?”

Jack snorted. “You made dinner?”

She slowly nodded, and he broke out in a grin. He swung the door closed and walked to her in the center of the room. He stopped only inches away and lowered his voice. “Spoiling me, darlin’. Thank you.”