Page 71 of Mr. Perfect
“I have.”
Jude swallowed hard. “I asked him what he wanted. Mercy told me he was in the neighborhood and wanted to drop by. Then he expressed regret for not looking in on me after my father died. Once I connected Uncle Jack to Jack Mercy, the crime boss, I was too stunned to say much. Before he left, Mercy sized me up and said, ‘You’re more like your father than I ever realized.’ He didn’t make it sound like much of a compliment. His parting words were to pass on his love to my mother.”
“Son of a bitch,” Felix growled.
“I confronted my mother, which is what he wanted the entire time. She tearfully explained that my father had been one of Mercy’s accountants and he hadn’t died of natural causes. The official police report says it was a botched carjacking, but there was a jack of hearts playing card tucked inside his suit coat pocket. Mom found it when the police returned Dad’s personal belongings.”
Felix covered Jude’s hand on the table. “I’m so fucking sorry, Jude. It must’ve felt like losing your dad all over again.”
“It was awful,” Jude said. “Once I knew the truth, other memories became clearer, and a devastating picture formed. Someone had burglarized our house on the day of Dad’s burial. Can you imagine coming home from the cemetery to find your house ransacked?”
“Christ. No, I can’t.”
“It didn’t occur to me then, but the robbers didn’t take any of our big-ticket items. Our appliances and electronics were still there, as well as my mom’s jewelry. Our drawers were tipped out, and even our mattresses were cut open. My dad’s office took the brunt of it. They’d even pulled the wainscoting off the wall in his room to make sure there were no hidden passages or rooms. His safe looked like someone had blasted it with a shotgun. I was too distraught to understand what the hell was going on, and from that moment forward, my mom did everything she could to shield me from Jack Mercy. I never saw the man again.”
“Until he appeared in your office.”
Jude nodded. “Dad had decided to turn Jack in to the FBI. She thinks Dad knew his days were numbered, and that’s why we went to the Braves game.” Jude’s voice cracked, so he cleared his throat. “I’m so grateful for the experience, and I’ll cherish the baseball for as long as I live.”
“As you should. It’s a wonderful memory.”
“I went a little crazy after I found out the truth. My mother insisted Jack must’ve retrieved the evidence when his goons ransacked our home because he’d left us alone all these years. I figured she was right, but I just couldn’t let it go. Remember the friend in law enforcement I told you about?”
Felix bit back a snarl. “I recall.”
Jude leaned forward and kissed him soundly on the mouth. “You still have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. Your amber irises turn a darker shade of brown when you’re jealous.”
“Bullshit,” Felix said.
Jude chuckled. “Pay attention. We’re getting to the sex club part.”
“I’m listening.” Felix was wide awake now.
“My friend is an undercover cop who works at the club. That’s how I was able to get my membership. He set me up under a false identity. I went there to scope things out and saw Jack Mercy talking to Spencer. I couldn’t get close enough to overhear their information, but it was obvious they knew each other well. Since Cameron Spencer was close to my parents’ age, I figured my dad might’ve known him. So, I asked my mom about him.”
Felix grimaced. “I bet that didn’t go over well.”
“First, she yelled at me for continuing the investigation. Then she told me how the two were connected. According to my mom, Brigitte Spencer has no idea her biological father is Jack Mercy. He kept a close eye on Brigitte from afar and provided for her. When she started showing interest in Cameron Spencer, his choices were to kill the young man or bring him on board.”
“Spencer was hungry for money and prestige to be worthy of Brigitte, so he didn’t think Mercy’s offer through,” Felix said. “He just took the money. Now he’s looking the other way while Jack Mercy uses his vehicles for illicit purposes. What do you think he traffics?”
Please don’t let it be people.
“Ace,” Jude said tenderly. Felix’s gaze dropped to Jude’s sensuous mouth. “Ask me what you really want to know.”
“It’s not really my business,” Felix said. He’d broken up with Jude seventeen years ago and hadn’t spoken to him for fourteen years. He had no right to demand answers, even though he wanted them.
Jude quirked a brow as he leaned forward until his lips nearly touched Felix’s. “I had promised to be an open book.”
“I shouldn’t care,” Felix amended. “But I do.” He took a deep breath. “Did you take advantage of any of the services while you were there?”
Jude stared Felix right in the eye. “No.”
“Why?”
“I remembered what you always said about consent and sex workers. How can it be consensual if their survival depends on the sex act? If they stood to lose their job for refusing a request, then it’s not a consensual environment. At nineteen years old, you were smarter than most people twice your age.”
“It’s an extremely personal subject for me,” Felix whispered.