Page 114 of Cold Hard Cash

Jimmy expectantly began to move out of the way, blinking when Cold’s gaze lingered.

“Join me?” he asked, scanning his eyes over Jimmy with a wicked smile.

“Oh, God, yes.”

The shower was more than enough to accommodate two grown men, and it was wonderful to share such an intimate ritual with Cold. Soap and lathering hands quickly turned to hot kisses, and their fingers tangled together as Cold pressed Jimmy against the tile. It was slow, passionate, and Jimmy never wanted to leave the bathroom.

When they were finally finished, Jimmy helped Cold dry off and change his bandages. Cold helped place a fresh dressing on Jimmy’s arm as well.

“Look at us and our matching gunshot wounds.” Jimmy laughed.

Cold rolled his eyes, and kissed all the giggles right from Jimmy’s lips.

They got dressed, Cold taking his time and insisting he didn’t need any help. Jimmy finally asked what side of the closet he could use for his things, and Cold snorted, pointing to another door. Jimmy had always assumed it led to an office, delighted to find it was another massive walk-in closet, completely empty and just for him.

They ate a late breakfast, entertained by Jules and Jerry screaming at each other in a broken mix of English and French. Jules kept snatching food away, and as best as Jimmy could make out, Jerry was threatening to put his spatula where no spatula should ever go.

Rowena joined them, smothering her brother with kisses and tearful hugs, joining in the barrage of spatula threats if Cold ever made her worry like that again.

Jules and Cold talked amongst themselves for a while, and Rowena got ready to leave for the club. Cold made a few phone calls, rejoining Jimmy at the table when he was done and Jules had left.

“Detective Duplin is on his way,” Cold informed him, his demeanor becoming distant and firm. “You don’t have to be here when I talk to him.”

“I want to be,” Jimmy said stubbornly. “Especially if it has to do with my mother. I deserve to know.”

“As you wish,” Cold replied with a small shrug. He pressed a chaste kiss to Jimmy’s forehead, reminding him, “You probably won’t like what I say to him. Or what he says to me. Remember who this is for.”

“You?” Jimmy replied dryly. “I know you want Augustus to leave you alone—”

“And I want to help your father, for you,” Cold smoothly cut in. “It’s for both of us.”

Jimmy nodded, fidgeting as Cold led him to the living room. He left briefly to bring in a large box, dropping it down next to the coffee table. He sat in a plush chair, neatly crossing his legs and leisurely leaning back.

He looked like a king preparing to hold court, Jimmy clumsily plopping down on the sofa next to him. He was surprisingly nervous. He and Augustus hadn’t parted on the best of terms, and while he knew Cold had special ways of being persuasive, he still didn’t think he would able to convince Augustus to help them.

They only had to wait a few more minutes before Augustus arrived, looking around the room with a sneer. He didn’t seem to want to touch anything, as if the very furniture was covered in a thin veil of slime. Looking between Jimmy and Cold, he snapped, “Well. I’m here.”

“Thank you for coming,” Cold purred graciously, gesturing for Augustus to have a seat across from him.

“You said Jimmy needed help,” Augustus said shortly, getting right to the point. He hesitated, but finally sat down. “That’s the only reason I came.”

“I’d like to make a deal, Detective,” Cold said, smiling slyly.

“Ha, you mean like the one you have with Jimmy?”

“Hmmm, know about that, do you?”

“Yeah, Anna told me all about your sick little arrangement,” Augustus said, his tone dripping with disgust. “What you did to Jimmy because you wanted to get me to drop the investigation.”

“Mmm, did she now,” Cold snorted, cutting his eyes at Jimmy.

Okay, so maybe he shouldn’t have told Anna, Jimmy conceded with a grimace. He should have known she would tell Augustus what they had talked about. He wanted to explain that there wasn’t technically any deal anymore, that he and Cold were really a couple now, but he kept his teeth together.

“Yeah,” Augustus spat heatedly, “and you know what? I’ve got a deal for you, Legrand. Let Jimmy go, let him walk away from this, and I won’t bring you up on prostitution charges. How’s that?”

Cold looked thoughtful again, his lips curling into a calculating pout, as he uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “No.”

“No?” Augustus scoffed.