Page 134 of Out Of A Fix

“Knock it off. You know it’s true. After Darius, you’re the steadiest person I know.”

I held his gaze.

“I don’t want to lose you, so I’ll make you the same offer I made Croy. I want you to remain on my payroll, and if I need you away from Eena, you’ll go, like he does, at the most overnight. In the meantime, while he excels at finding lost people and unraveling mysteries, you’re better at the interpersonal piece. So arbitration here in Eena, and on call when I need you for backup.”

I turned on the bench to face him. “Why?”

“You’ve been with me the longest. I count on you. You’re my sounding board, same as Dante and Darius. You have to hold on to your friends, and so I am. I’m not letting you go.”

“You’ve let many fixers go.”

“You’re not just a fixer, and you know that.”

“We’ll still be friends even if I’m not with Torus.”

“Yes, but this way you can’t say no when I need your particular skill set.”

I shook my head.

“It’s done. She’s making you the offer on Monday. Don’t annoy her or me.”

“Heaven forbid.”

“Get up,” he muttered.

“I’m broken, and you took my drugs.”

“All you need is fuel.”

He meant food. “I’m too old to fight younger men in the street in the rain.”

“You can have one, but that’s it, and you still have to eat first.”

I grunted. “You don’t want me taking drugs because you don’t want to be reminded that you’re old when you have a hot young husband.”

“You will soon have a younger husband as well. Maybe you need to stretch more.”

“Go to hell.”

He laughed as I got up and swung my leg over the bench.

When I turned to him, he grabbed me. Tight, hard clench, and I could feel the shudder run through him. “Shaw is there,” I said, “so is Cooper, you’ve got great new people, and best of all, my buddy Rais. You’re good.”

He held on.

“And, you know, there’s that Owen guy too.”

“I’m simply happy for you, so don’t be a dick.” I chuckled, and he eased back. “I’ll miss you. You’ve been the anchor.”

“Change is good, Jared,” I promised him, then kissed his cheek. “And you’ll always be my friend. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Nothing’s ever easy with you,” he murmured, giving me a last pat before letting me go.

When I glanced toward the kitchen, Owen was standing there with swimming eyes.

“Look what you did,” I grumbled at Jared, quickly wiping under both eyes.

“Stop that,” Jared ordered Owen, who just smiled at him.