Page 10 of Loving Justice
“I have a more pressing issue.”
“Justice?” Pok snorted. “You should be happy that cunt walked away. I can take care of her if you’d like me to. Slow torment—”
Downs jolted out of his seat and flew across the short distance, wrapping his large hand around Pok’s throat. His fingers applied enough pressure that Pok had to sip the air to fill his lungs. He knew better than to fight back because he felt the cold sting of Tribe’s gun pressed against the back of his head.
“Listen, cocksucker. I’ve had enough of your careless, stupid vigilante bullshit. I hired you to follow orders. My orders. Get it through your fucking head that Freedom is never going to want you or see you as anything more than a POS mediocre hand.” Downs pushed off, and Pok brought his hands to his sore neck, coughing. More bitterness grew inside him.
Downs clicked his fingers, and Tribe brought him a towel. After scrubbing his hands free of Pok’s sweat, Downs threw it at Pok’s head. “Wipe the sweat off your brow.”
Humiliation and fury rolled through Pok’s veins. He vowed that before long, he’d show Downs, one way or another. Pok would have to waitandbide his time, though.
Downs pushed out through thin lips, “Is Justice seeing someone? Tell me what I need to know.”
Pok smirked. He wanted to provide information that would crawl under Downs’ skin. “Jinx,” Pok blurted.
“Jinx? Who the hell is Jinx?” Downs’ eyes lit with jealousy.
“Jinx Weathersby. He’s a hand at Sagebrush Rose. I’ve seen him watching Justice. He practically jacks off every time he’s near her.” Of course, Pok embellished.
“What should I be aware of with this hand?”
That he’s better looking and tougher than you.Pok clamped his mouth shut on those words. He hated Jinx, so maybe Pok could spur trouble on the cowboy. “Focused. A leader. Knowledgeable. I’ve heard a rumor that he’s hung like a horse, and that’s why women love him.” He hid his grin. Pok guessed Downs had a small dick. Those types of men always did.
He was quiet and finally said, “Find out everything you can on the cowboy. I want to know if Justice is telling the truth.”
Pok saluted Downs.
“Now fuck off,” Downs seethed.
Standing, Pok made his way to the door, enraged.
Stepping out into the sunlight, Pok quietly closed the door behind him. “I can’t wait to remove that smug smile,” he whispered.
Inside, Downs looked down at the sheet of paper.Pancreatic cancer. Poor sum’bitch.
He grabbed the medical results, crumbled them in his fist, and started to throw them into the fireplace when a second thought crossed his mind. He should keep them. He never knew when it might come in handy.
“I think our arrangement with Rigs is nearing the end of our association,” Downs told Tribe. “Accidents can happen to men who can’t follow orders.”
Chapter Three
Jinx set his truck keys in the bowl on the stand near the front door of his childhood home. He loved the farm. It sickened him to think he might have to sell the place.
Unless he followed through with Sam’s request.
Marrying Justice seemed like a huge undertaking—a far reach. It wouldn’t happen.
He stepped deeper into the quiet house, and nostalgia filled him.
Nothing had changed. Not any of the furniture. The decorations. Or the family pictures that his mother had hung on every wall. He stopped to check out one photo, a portrait taken when Ilene was still a baby. Every day he missed his mother. She’d been there for him and would know exactly what Jinx needed to do to keep the farm. She’d worked hard to keep it after Jinx’s father had left them.
At first, Jinx thought the house was empty. Ilene normally had cheer practice in the evenings, and Aunt Ness worked late at the dentist's office where she’d been a receptionist for years, but the giggle from upstairs invaded his thoughts.
He took the stairs two at a time, and once he reached the landing, he took a right and marched to the end of the hallway. Ilene’s bedroom door was open. “Hey, sis, aren’t you supposed to be at cheer—” he came to a halt, feeling his gut twist.
Laying in the twin bed was his sister wrapped in a boy’s arms. Ilene was the first to notice Jinx and she gave a slight jerk. The boy, who had his hand inside Ilene’s shirt, jumped so fast that he probably pissed his pants.
“What are you doing here?” Ilene sputtered as she pushed up to her knees pulling her shirt back into place.