Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78088 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 390(@200wpm)___ 312(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Duke grinned, watching his friend.
“What?” Quick grumbled.
“You think David Beckham is hot too, huh? You know. Not being gay and all, you sure do have an arsenal of guys in your mental bank that you think are hot.”
“You’re an asshole.” Quick threw a few bar nuts at him, making him laugh, and forget about his loneliness, if just temporarily.
“On another note. Guess who’s on his way home this weekend?”
Duke stopped his beer midway to his mouth. “Who?”
“Vaughan.” Quick smiled proudly.
“No shit! He’s done with school already?”
“Man. He was done with school six months ago: he’s been studying to take the bar. Which he just passed, so he’s coming home.”
“Wait. How come I wasn’t invited to the graduation?”
“He graduated during the summer, so he opted out of the ceremony. You know Vaughan. He’s all about just getting shit done and moving forward.”
Duke chuckled softly. “I think I do remember that about him. How old is he now?”
“Thirty-one going on sixty-one. That boy has always been too damn mature.”
“I remember that, too. So, he’s coming to Atlanta. He knows you left Charleston with me, right?”
“Yep. Says he wants to spend more time with his old man now. Possibly look for work here.”
“And Remy is cool with this?”
“She’s his mom, man. Remy’s had him his whole life, while I got scraps. Some weekends and occasional holidays. Then only a year after high school, he was off to college and then Europe to study abroad and right into a rigorous law program. It’s like I’m finally getting a chance to have some time with him now.”
Duke nodded his head in understanding. Vaughan was Quick’s sole purpose for living. His son was everything to him, so Duke was happy for him. Damn, he hadn’t seen Vaughan in a few years. Every time he came to visit during school breaks, Duke was gone on a retrieval or out of town.
“He’s really something, Duke. A chip off the old block. Wait until you see him.” Quick beamed.
“Sounds like everything is going good, man.” Duke sat at his desk searching for an appropriate graduation gift while Judge updated him on the status of the PI side of his business. He’d been “Duke’s Bail Bonds” for almost fifteen years, but last year he added on “and Private Investigations” along with a separate office in downtown Atlanta. Even though he’d moved his businesses from Charleston, North Carolina because of their ancient laws regulating bounty hunting, he still rarely saw Judge. Which was okay with him. Atlanta was plenty big enough for the both of them.
“Yeah, we’re good. I’m going over this contract for a sales consulting firm. They suspect embezzling within their upper ranks.”
Duke’s eyebrows rose and he paused his Amazon perusal. “No shit.”
“Yeah, man. They’re offering a shit ton of money to retain us and even more if we find evidence.”
“Nice. You gonna outsource this job? All the guys are on other assignments, right?” Duke murmured.
“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. I’ll find the right guys for this one.”
“Sounds good, man.”
“You alright, Duke? You sound a little… I don’t know.”
Duke shook it off. Tried to add some pep to his voice. Talking with Judge – though it happened rarely—always messed with Duke’s head. Not a lot, but some. That dark, brooding timbre that used to make his cock weep was wafting through his phone intercom system in Dolby. Made it sound like Judge was in the room with him. Duke wasn’t hard, but he sure missed those days sometimes.
“I’m gonna let you go, Judge. Sounds like you got everything handled.”
“Naturally.”
Duke laughed.
“Hey, you wanna come over to the house? Austin is having his team over for fight night on Saturday. You haven’t seen all the renovations we’ve made to our place yet.”
Our place. Duke pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. I’ve been meaning to. You guys have done a lot over there. But Quick’s son just came home and he wants me to get up with them on Saturday.”
“Well let me know when you wanna come by, alright.”
“Sure thing,” Duke said, and ended the call. He liked to think he wasn’t bitter. Judge had found someone who made him happy. Made him a different man if Duke was being honest… a better man. He wouldn’t hate on that just because it left him high and dry. Duke didn’t do jealousy.
With a resigned sigh, Duke turned back to his desktop and looked through graduation gifts. He wondered for the millionth time if it was a silly idea. Vaughan wasn’t some eighteen-year-old graduating from high school. The guy was a lawyer now. Duke turned his executive chair to face the full-glass patio door. He opened the top drawer of his wet bar and removed a fresh Cuban. He stepped from his home office out onto the deck that overlooked a dark, dense forest. He’d been working from home for the past few days. He’d sent a couple of his other guys on some bonds, but thank goodness they hadn’t had any jumpers this week. Duke needed the time alone.