Page 140 of Jaked

Chapter 54

Following my gaze, Vince turned toward around to look. Together, we watched Trey walk toward us, lugging the two slightly mangled suitcases with him. When Trey reached Jake's door, he turned to Vince and said, "Man, you must really want your ass kicked."

Vince looked only mildly amused. "By you?"

"Hell no," Trey said. "By Jake."

"I'll take my chances," Vince said.

"Whatever," Trey said. "It's your funeral." He looked toward me. "Hey, I brought up your suitcases."

I glanced down to study them. "Yeah, thanks. I can see that. But I thought they were missing. Did they just turn up?"

Trey gave me a puzzled look. "Well, they turned up in the storage closet downstairs, if that's what you mean. I figured Jake forgot to bring them up, so here they are."

I stared at them. So they weren't lost? Or stolen? Had Jake hidden them away on purpose? I shook off the distraction and turned back to Vince. "Anyway," I told him, "thanks for stopping by, but I think it's time for you to leave."

Trey spoke up. "Yeah. Run, while you still can."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh shut up." I turned back to Vince. "But you reallydoneed to leave."

"Alright," Vince said, "I can take a hint." He turned away and began walking toward the same elevator that had just delivered Trey. When he almost reached it, he turned to call over his shoulder, "Call me when you change your mind."

"I won't," I said.

Trey, still lugging those suitcases, elbowed his way past me into the penthouse. "Jake's gonna be so pissed," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because he hates that guy. You shouldn't have let him in."

"I didn't let him in," I said. "In fact, I hardly opened the door."

"Next time," Trey said, "hit him with some mace. Keep him from coming back."

"I'll think about it." Eager to chance the subject, I asked, "So, were you just in the neighborhood?"

"Nah, I was working downstairs. At Jake's office."

At the memory of what Jake and I had done in that office, I felt my face grow warm. "Oh. That's nice," I said.

"Yeah, I'd better head back," Trey said. "But if Vince stops by again? You know what you should do?"

I gave him a look. "Aside from the mace?"

"Yeah. Aside from that. You should tell him to fuck off."

I laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"Because," Trey said, "that's what Jake would do."

"Except I'm not Jake," I reminded him.

"Yeah," Trey said, "but he'd still like that."

"Uh, thanks for letting me know."

"No problem."