Xavier FINAL (Men of Steel #4) (29 page)

“Fifteen.”

“All will fit in the house?”

“No but they’ll fit in the addition that Falcon is finishing.” His smile was full
of pride.

“She doesn’t know?”

“Not yet.”

“Will you be selling the beach house?”

“No. But when we have little birdies we’ll be spending a lot of time there. It’s the
house she was raised in. Her parents died when she was five. I wanna make sure she
always feels close to them. She went through a lot of rough years. It won’t happen
again, ever.”

The way he talked about her made my whole body tingle.

“She’s a lucky girl.”

“Not as lucky as I am.” He smiled as he looked down. “So the nest, is there a website?”

“No, I thought maybe your niece and Mrs. Steel could make them.”

“Momma cooks, she isn’t the craftiest. You wanna help?”

I felt like I should say no. Xavier might have an issue with it. “I can teach them
how.”

I looked up when Xavier, Jase, and Zandor walked in. “This is Taelyns’ office.”

“The place is great X.” Jase patted his back and Xavier looked pleased, but didn’t
want them to see it.

“Falcon did good work.”

“Xavier was here every step of it. He even helped paint the space.”

“Cool,” Cyrus smiled.

“He works hard. He’s going to be amazing.”

Xavier looked at me and his head tilted slightly to the side. I couldn’t read what
he was thinking. Had I done something wrong?

“Lunch at one?” Jase patted Xavier on the back.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“You coming to dinner Sunday Taelyn?”

“I, uh--.”

“She is.” Xavier nodded to Jase.

They all said goodbye and Xavier walked them out of my office.

I decided to create an inventory spreadsheet and went through the shipment list and
entered everything in. I looked at my watch it was twelve thirty. I stood up and stretched.
My stomach cramped and I knew this past couple days of spotting was about to change.

I walked out of my office and looked into Xavier’s. His door was shut and he was on
the phone. I tapped lightly on the window and he held up a finger telling me to give
him a minute. I pointed to my wrist and he looked at his wall clock and nodded.

I went out and grabbed a cup of water and looked around admiring the reception area.
I snapped a few pictures wishing I had taken more of the place before construction
started. In three weeks this place was transformed into something beautiful.

I snapped a picture as Xavier walked out of the hallway.

I walked up to meet him and hugged him. I was taken aback by the lack of enthusiasm
in his return embrace.

I stepped back and looked up. “Everything alright?”

“Yep.”

That was it, just one ice cold syllable of a response.

He walked past me and grabbed a glass of water. He stood looking out the window and
I could feel the tension building around him.

“Xavier?”

“Yeah?”

“What did I do wrong?”

He didn’t reply.

“Alright then.”

I walked back into my office and grabbed my bag, the stupid pink one, and walked out.
He hadn’t moved. I didn’t want to walk past him because I couldn’t handle a fight
right now and I couldn’t handle it if he didn’t put up a fight either. I quietly walked
to the elevator and pushed the button.

The door opened and I was ready to step inside when Josephina Steel stepped out.

“Were you coming to meet me?”

I looked back hoping he hadn’t heard her and he did. Of course he did.

“Yes.” I forced a smile.

“Xavier, you could have ridden up with her. That would be the gentlemanly thing to
do you know.”

Xavier’s eyes narrowed as he looked at me and I stood tall. I couldn’t let him try
to intimidate me.

“Well Momma, you know how I am.”

“Well let’s get going shall we. We’re going to meet Carly, Tara, Bekah, and Bella
out to lunch.”

“Do you really have to push that down her throat already? We had a day left, one day
before this shit started and you guys showed up.”

“Xavier I’m okay--.”

“Well I’m not. This is fucking--.”

“In my presence you will not speak like that.”

“This wasn’t about--.” I reached out to him and he recoiled. The look he gave me made
my stomach turn. I was sure I was going to throw up.

“Xavier, you get it together right this minute.”

He stormed past us and slammed his office door. I looked at Josephina Steel and she
looked at me.

“I’m not feeling all that well. If you don’t mind I would like to pass on lunch.”

“We’ll discuss it in the car. Let’s leave him to pout.”

When we sat in the car she reached over and held my hand. “My sons are very hard to
deal with. Xavier has always been the one to push away when things get uncomfortable
for him. When Steel Incorporated came to be he felt it was a betrayal to his father.
He toured around Europe for a year making me crazy. We moved a lot when he was young;
my husband was in the military. I believe that and the fact that I was such a young
mother and Jonathon was away most of the time is why Xavier is the way he is.”

“He’s not a bad man.” I managed to say without spilling tears.

“Of course he isn’t. All of my boys know what they want as soon as they see it. But
Xavier being the youngest has watched his brothers’ mistakes and that has made him
the toughest of them. Jase and Cyrus made mistakes very young. Zandor is well Zandor
is a lot like me. Xavier is, for lack of better words, fierce. He is fighting a lifetime
of living in the shadows of three brothers who also helped to raise him. Much of the
things he holds tightly on to are misguided information he obtained from his brothers.
They have changed and he doesn’t want to. When Jonathon died he was the most affected.
He wanted to be with them the day of the accident and Cyrus told him no. He did this
to keep him safe of course but Xavier felt it was because they treated him like a
baby. He won’t admit this even to me but he had nightmares for over a year that would
have him sleep walking. He would come in my room and ask where Jonathan was. He was
always half asleep and far too old and large to be held but for a longtime I had to
tell him almost every night that his father was gone. He would argue that he saved
him. Then he would fall asleep trembling but never crying. He had no recollection
of this. Typical of his brothers they poked fun at him thinking he was some hero.
They did this once and never again.”

“I’m sorry you lost your husband.”

“Me too.”

“Be patient with him if you love him.”

“I do love him.” I shocked myself by admitting that to her. I hadn’t even told my
mother yet.

“Would you come to lunch?”

“Would it offend you if I just went back to the apartment your son forced me to live
in?”

She laughed, “No dear of course not.”

Chapter 27

Bitches will be bitches

I sat at my desk stewing. This was a complete fucking nightmare. I was pissed at her
because she not only engaged in my brothers shit, but encouraged it to continue. I
was pissed at them for not letting it go.

I looked up and Jase was walking in my office. I was about ready to tell him to step
the fuck off when he sat in the chair at the opposite side of my desk. He looked as
fucked up as I felt.

“I’m pretty damn proud of you X,” He said leaning forward and resting his elbows on
his knees.

“Thanks.” Yeah it was short but if it wasn’t I was gonna blow.

“She reminds me of Carly you know.”

“She’s not Carly.”

“No but she’s full of piss and vinegar like my wife is. She’ll be good for you if
you can.” He stopped and laughed. “You remember what you said the first time you met
her?”

“No.”
The fucking point?

“You introduced yourself as the hot one. Zandor eye fucked her and Cyrus; do you remember
what he did?”

I shook my head yes and tried not to laugh. “He threw her ass in the ocean.”

“Yeah he did.” Jase laughed. “She took it like a champ too.”

“You didn’t meet Tara at the beginning but just so you know I pierced her tits.”

“Yeah I think I remember that.”

“Bekah, do you remember anything about that first meeting?”

“At a club. I banged her friend -- Tiffany. She was hot I did her for a week or so.”

“Okay bro, you’re a little off task here.”

“Just trying to see if I could still get hard thinking about another chick.”

“How did it work out for you?”

“Partial chub.”

Jase laughed. “I missed you.”

“How’s Bella?”

“Well she missed you more than I did.”

“She upset about moving back here?”

“Not even a little.”

“How’s Carly, you fucked her yet?”

“Glad you asked it brings me back to my point. If you like the girl we’re gonna like
her too. With that comes a little ribbing, you need to learn to deal. She seems fine
with it.”

I didn’t say shit cause I was not okay with it.

“X, you remember the last thing you said about my fucking wife?”

Yeah I did, but I wasn’t gonna mention it cause it only made me look like a completely
irrational fuck.

I looked up and saw Zandor and Cyrus walking in. “You said you were jerking off to
thoughts of our women.” Cyrus growled.

“Told me if I didn’t fuck my wife you would.” Jase said through his teeth and then
gave a fake ass smile.

“I only asked to see her tits bro.” Zandor laughed.

“We made a pact a long time ago not to bang each other bitches. That shit hasn’t changed.”
Cyrus leaned against the door.

“That’s right, now let’s go walk in Forever Steel through the front door since your
pretty little mug is all over the place--.” Jase stood

“And your dick, in a chicks mouth. Does that make you a porn star? I’ve always wanted
to.” Cyrus cleared his throat and Zandor stopped. “Sorry bro, my bad. Let’s jet.”

We all piled in the car. “Forever Steel James.”

“Yes sir.”

“We sure we should take Rocky with us?”

“He’ll be fine. Just wanna check things out.” Jase glared at Zandor.

“Why? what’s up?”

“When’s the last time you were at the shop?” Cyrus asked.

“Week ago, why man?”

“Did you notice the old bakery two doors down getting a facelift?”

“No.” I watched them look at each other. “Spill it.”

“You know how Momma always said that copying something someone does is a form of flattery?”
Zandor voice dripped with sarcasm.

“No fucking games I’ve had enough for today.”

“A new tattoo shop opened up.” Jase huffed.

“No fucking way.”

“Yeah fucking way. Ricco didn’t call you because he was pretty sure you’d destroy
the place.” Cyrus hissed.

“Apparently they got the whole Italian flag flying, window dressed up nice just like
ours. Its family operated and the whole works.” Zandor chuckled

“Not gonna put up with that shit are we?”

“The way I look at it shit may be good there for a few weeks for them before people
figure out how fake there asses are. They’re waving flags, kissing babies, they even
have special’s running.” Jase laughed.

“No shit they’re giving away their work already?”

“It ain’t their work. It’s ours. You didn’t see any other tattoo shop popping up around
here until our name became something. Now these posers are coming in laying down sucking
whatever dick they can right out of the gate. Fucking joke if you ask me.” Cyrus was
pissed. “I mean fuck do whatever but do you, not someone else.”

“It won’t be a joke if we lose business.” I sat back. “Fuck that’s our place. Forever
Steel is our fucking place.”

“It’ll be a temporary thing. We may lose a few people but they’ll be back. Talents,
talent.” Jase patted my shoulder

“Bitches are bitches,” Cyrus sneered.

“Whore will always be whores,” Zandor added.

“Thieves will always be thieves,” Jase chimed in.

“Dumb fucks with no fucking imagination themselves will always try to suck off those
of us who have it. Fuck them. We could sue them.” I swear I was gonna blow.

“We’re not copyright protected like music and books X.” Jase grumbled.

“That’s a shame, cause then we could nail their asses. Sit back and watch the bitches
make the cash and then sue their asses when we knew they had it. Get paid for work
that was ours.”

“If it was worth it yes. If we flipped out we’d look bad.” Zandor rubbed his head.
“Well at least they could try to make us look bad.”

We all laughed.

“What’s the place called?” I asked and they all looked at each other. “Spill it.”

“Forever Inked.”

“And you three are gonna sit back and let that shit happen. Let them steal our creation,
and our name and you expect--.”

“Class vs. trash Xavier.” Jase let out a deep breath. “Momma raised us better than
that. We’re the real deal; we don’t have to fake the shit.”

“You remember when Momma started buying generic food and tried to trick us by putting
it in the pretty package’s we were used to?”

“Same shit huh X?” Cyrus chuckled.

“Same generic shit.” I laughed.

The car stopped in front of Forever Steel and I looked down the street. I saw people
walking in the door and yeah I was gonna see the place too.”

“X, don’t do it man.” Jase yelled from behind me.

“Come on lets go check it out.”

“Oh for fuck sake,” I looked back at Jase storming towards me. “Don’t lose your shit.
I don’t wanna end up in jail.”

“I’ll try.”

Zandor ran up next to me and laughed. “Class not trash man.”

“Should I call Tara and let her know I’ll be late?” Cyrus was behind us now.

“Fuck that. I’m gonna go home and bury my dick in Irish.”

“Thank God.”

We walked in and looked around. I grabbed a pamphlet and looked at it while my brothers
looked around.

I looked up when I saw three dudes looking at me and whispering. A girl walked out
of the back and up to the desk. “Can I help you?”