Page 24 of The Devil’s Detail (The Greystone Family: Greystone Brothers #2)

Jackson

My recap is for everyone’s benefit, but I’m also very aware some of this is information Carter doesn’t know. There’s no way I could tell him everything. He’d be too freaked out to leave his house.

“Okay, well, we know now you ended it with Gary on Christmas Eve, and in what manner.” Who the hell does that?

Cold-hearted bastard. He could have at least waited until Boxing Day.

I spot James side eye me, thinking the same thing.

“Clearly he hasn’t taken the not-so-subtle hint.

I think tonight, however, he will have.”

I grin at them, but my voice is full of menace. I watch Carter blanche, Kasey look afraid, and James and Bucky grin like lunatics.

“Yes, Greystones, get in there,” James states quietly, but so fucking smug. Clearly my look is telegraphing different things to everyone, just as I’d intended.

“Should I know what you did?” Carter asks tentatively.

I shake my head aggressively. “No, Carter. What you don’t know, you can’t lie about. And no one can say you knew anything. We’ll call it plausible deniability. And no, what we’ve done is not illegal, but he won’t be back,” I state, confidence oozing from me.

“Can you give me a little teeny, tiny hint?”

Carter can’t contain himself. He’s such a natural gossip. I can also see Kasey hankering after the juicy bits.

I sigh, saying, “Let’s just say we may happen to be in possession of a little video of Gary slagging off one too many high-profile chat show hosts behind their backs.

Maybe another of him dishing secrets from the sets of his morning fashion show slot.

Especially about the women. A few clips of him making fun of underwear accidents, and generally being unpleasant, was sufficient to get him to back off and go home.

” I look around at them all, taking in their reactions.

Carter's mouth opens in shock. “What a nasty little man. Thank God I dumped him.”

I nod at him. So am I. He’s trouble of the biggest sort. No publicity is bad publicity for Gary. And when that’s your mantra, well, you’re prepared to do anything.

“I called a truce on your behalf. Leave you alone, go home and work under your own merit. I told him you owed him nothing, and the assault charges won’t stick. Also informed him he’d had his leg up, now fuck off.”

James grins at me. But Bucky is more outspoken. “I fucking hate people who hang onto your coattails, but aren’t even grateful about it. Talentless fucking wonders.” Bucky is still simmering with anger. And I fear Bucky’s reprisals more than Carter’s.

“He’s not stupid enough to chance it. I gave him my word that as long as he doesn’t try anything else, the recordings won’t see the light of day. But if he does, I won’t hesitate to send it to all parties involved. He’ll never get another day of work anywhere. He’ll be finished for good.”

“I don’t think you should let him off,” Bucky states. Apparently he’s not had his full say yet. “He shouldn’t be able to be in that frame of mind, talk about people in that way and get away with it.” He hates injustice.

“Bucky, people aren’t stupid. They see and hear him.

He’ll be his own downfall. In fact, we were given that material by others in the industry.

People are gunning for him. Don’t you worry, it’ll come out.

It just won’t come from me if he keeps away from Carter.

What others do…. Well, I obviously don’t have control over anyone else.

” I smile knowingly at Carter. “If our leverage gets blown, we’ll move to plan B. ”

James snorts out a laugh. “Uncle Jonno, here we come.” They all nod, James still grinning.

And now it’s time to turn to the issues with Carter directly. I can see it in his face—he knows it’s coming.

“The school was a shit show, but I’m not going back over it.

We’ve both said our piece, and you know where I stand.

” I’m firm, but not aggressive. He gets agitated if I am.

“I know you mean well, Carter, but the fact that you were encouraged and enabled is the biggest worry to me. We need to get rid of the three men who remained from the old company. One of them was chief fucking enabler at the school.”

Carter stands and starts to protest, claiming the school mobbing wasn’t that bad.

That no one enabled him. He made all the decisions.

That I’m seeing demons everywhere there are none.

I watch as both Bucky and James’s facial expressions blank out with each protest he states.

I have the same look, as his gaze ping-pongs from one to the other and back again.

He eventually peters off, and none of us speak, the silence becoming near unbearable.

“Well, I’m off,” states Kasey. Clearly he can read the room. “I’ll catch you all soon. Carter, let’s chat next week.” He nods at me and leaves.

Carter looks at James, Buck, and me, giving us all attitude. “Is this a Greystone ganging up session?” He looks pissed off, his hands on his hips. The Carter Fucking Maywood has turned up.

I wondered when he would rear his ugly head. But I think I’ve figured it out. We’ve been providing security for him long enough to recognize the signs—the diva turns up when he’s afraid. When he wants to deflect. Well, he isn’t getting the fucking chance. It’s ultimatum time.

“James, Bucky, I’ll see you both next week, boys,” I state to them, but my eyes are trained on Carter. Who has not taken his eyes from me. James taps my hand as he passes, telling me to make Carter see sense.

“Whoa, there, I never said for them to leave.” Carter’s head spins to them as they start to move. He’s backtracking, as both boys make their way towards the door. “James, honey, thanks for tonight. Same for you, Bucky. I love that you both came to my rescue.”

He’s got the back of his hand on his forehead again as if he’s in some southern belle period drama and was rescued by a handsome prince. I smile on the inside. I can’t let him see he makes me laugh, he’ll play up on it. Take advantage of any weakness.

“Let them go, Carter. We don’t need anyone here. We can sort this out,” I rasp out. I need him on his own and listening. His full focus on me.

James walks back to Carter and pulls him into a hug, saying something in his ear. Carter goes pale. When James pulls back, he looks into his eyes, no playful smirk, all seriousness. What is that boy doing now? He’s so like Jonno at times. That is exactly what my youngest brother would have done.

I look at James with an eyebrow raised and he just smirks at me.

“Love you, Uncle Jax. Be kind,” he states, and gives Carter ‘the look’.

“Yes, be kind, Uncle Jax. Gary’s a dick. It wasn’t Carter's fault. This time.” Bucky kisses my cheek, and they both leave the suite.

“Right then, where does this leave us?” I ask Carter. Straight up, no messing.

He looks crestfallen. “Give it to me straight, honey. Is my goose cooked? Are you leaving me for another?” he drawls out, batting his long lashes at me.

I ignore his attempts to charm me, going for blunt and to the point. The time for pussyfooting around him is past.

“Two of the men you let stay have been aiding and abetting someone sending you threatening notes. They’ve been coming for weeks. We intercepted them easily when it was just the post, but then they started turning up on your bed.”

He gasps, his eyes widening in fear. He looks genuinely scared. I lift my hands, palms out towards him, trying to placate him so he doesn’t go off the rails before I can reassure him he’s safe. But I do need to be fully honest with him so he does understand the underlying threat as well.

“I watched the blond one pick them up from a post office box and bring them directly to your home. Dropped them right on your bed. I’ve been taking them, looking for patterns in the writing, running some tests on the envelopes.”

Carter’s entire demeanor falls. His shoulders slump and I practically see him deflate as he slowly lowers to the sofa. He scrubs his hand down his face, suddenly looking beyond tired.

“Fuck, sugar. I didn’t know. Wow, he’s been with me the longest, too.”

I can tell he’s upset. He’d been generous letting them stay, and they’ve kicked him in his perfectly straight teeth.

“Didn’t he think it was odd that I never reacted?

” he asks, his brain starting to function logically.

The man is astute and intuitive, both skills evident in his professional life, making him an amazing actor.

And what he wants most people to see is most definitely an act.

But all pretense is dropped now that the writing is truly on the wall.

“But you have reacted, just to other stuff. He thinks you don’t go out because you’re scared.

I might have cultivated that a bit. Also the quick trips to London.

My belief is they wanted you out of LA, which you obliged with, so that Gary could get to you easily.

I let it go on to see what else they would all do.

And then when he took you to the school, and the other one rang the paps and other people as they knew you did not have full security…

Well, it was dangerous. You never should have gone along with them.

” My voice hardens, he needs to know how out of order he is.

“It was my idea,” Carter states, trying to figure it out.

“Was it, though? I listened to the recordings in the car afterwards. It was his idea. He planted it in your head. An off-the-cuff comment, then you’re off and running.” I look at him, challenging him. He knows he does it. He knows he’s impetuous.

“You’ve been recording me in my car? Is it Ash? Is he recording me?” He’s up on his feet like a swarm of ants have stung his arse.

I shake my head. “No, I planted devices. I’m only telling you now because I need you to understand how they’re working you.”

His massive sigh is full-on defeat. “I can’t trust anyone. Everyone takes advantage of me. Including you.”

His body language changes from defeat to ‘alpha fuck you’ in a heartbeat.

He really is the master of using his body to telegraph his thoughts and feelings.

“You’ve gone behind my back, recorded me, without my knowledge or permission.

I trusted you, Jackson. And you’ve gone way further than I thought you would. ”

I can see he really believes that. He’s firing off in the wrong direction yet again. I try to hold in my sigh of exasperation.

“Well, we have a problem then, Carter. I told you I would keep you safe. I told you I had set cameras up, and only I could see them. You assumed that they were in your home only. I never said where they were. And you never asked.” I stare into his eyes, holding his attention.

“Did you think I would just let you run amok? Did you think I would just let you be taken advantage of? Hung out to dry on my watch? Not a fucking chance in hell that’s happening.

But if you don’t like my tactics, I can go. ”

We’re facing off yet again. It always gets to this with him. Well, I’m not backing down. I’m in charge here, not him.

“Get back your team from before, because that worked out for you. Or get yet another outfit in. Because hey, they’re all so interested in your welfare. Not like they’re interested in your money, or capitalising on your fame.”

His eyes are wide now with shock, trying to maintain his alpha stance. I don’t think anyone has ever spoken to him this way, at least not for a lot of years. And certainly not his security team. It’s been yes sir no sir. Totally the wrong way around. And I’m not done yet.

“They want money, they want more staff on payroll. They want headlines, they want to be the stars. The security stars, they have more Instagram followers than enough. And they shouldn’t have had any. They shouldn’t be on social media at all.”

The man now looks like he might cry. What the fuck am I going to do with him? He blows hot and cold, one minute he's fighting, the next submissive and meek. It’s exhausting.

I decide to swap tactics from telling him off to kindness, hoping he’ll actually listen this time. I’m running out of options, and he is running headlong into the next catastrophe.

I drop to the settee and pat the seat next to me. He looks surprised, but comes and sits.

“I want you safe. You are paying me to keep you safe.” I lower my voice, making it soft, coaxing.

My body language is protector, but I drop my arms to my sides, no barriers, no intimidation stance, just me being honest. “Being mobbed in the middle of London doesn’t do that.

Being mobbed in downtown LA doesn’t do that.

Gary turning up intending to push your buttons and you go apeshit doesn’t do that.

If there is chaos around you, it makes it harder for me, and easier for whoever wants to hurt you.

” I’m trying to reason with him, logic backed up by kindness.

“Do you know if the threats originated from Gary?” He sounds pissed off. Good. Get annoyed and think straight. Start to direct the anger where it belongs, and that's not at me.

I nod. “They were. As I said, he wanted you afraid. He wanted you either in the city here, or in London, England. You’re easier to track. You go out more if you’re in the cities, and he knows that.”

“I suppose tonight showed that.” Carter sounds miserable now. He knows he’s been played.

I sigh at him. “We can keep people away. But the fact he knew where you were…” I shake my head.

It’s all such a mess. “The third one of the men, he’s the one who tipped him off.

I think he’s the new boyfriend.” I look at his face to see if there’s a reaction to that.

Jealousy? Anger? Did he even know the security guy was gay?

But he muses out, “I always thought there was something between them. I caught him crying in the bathroom when I kicked Gary out.” He rolls his eyes, and I grin. He’s so mercurial at times. “I should have known then it was more than a friendship. Gary wanted me to have a threesome with him.”

I stutter a breath at that. “Tell me you didn’t. And not because I think it’s wrong—you’ll get no judgement about any of that from me—but because I know they’ll have recorded it.” I need him to know I’m not bothered about his sexuality, but I am completely concerned about his well-being.

“He wasn’t my type, sugar. He had no sense of style, and his outfits were terrible,” Carter drawls out, looking up at me from under his eyelashes. He’s back, his moods switch quicker than the weather in England.

I grin, though. “Thank fuck for bad taste,” I say, my grin widening.

But I don’t sit in that space for long before switching back to a more commanding effect. Two can play the mercurial game. “They’ve all got to go. And it needs to be done now. Am I doing it or are you?”