“Who the fuck are you?” Eric snarled.
Hannibal got a lazy smile on his face that Ink knew meant trouble. His Brother had an extreme dislike of bullies, especially ones who thought they could use their size to intimidate women. If this prick pushed too hard, neither of them would hesitate to push back.
“We’re friends of Jade’s. And we don’t appreciate you trashing her office.” Hannibal’s Louisiana accent was thick, showing how angry he was.
It was a southern thing. Ink knew, he did it himself. The angrier the two of them were, the thicker their accents got. Their speech slowing and full of fake cordiality.
“Bullshit. Jade doesn’t have any friends I don’t know about.”
“Reckon you’re out of the loop. Maybe she stopped sharing when you started stealing from her,” Ink taunted.
Eric’s face went red and his fists clenched. “This is my business, and I can do what the fuck I want. Now get out of here.”
Ink had to give it to the guy. He had a set of brass balls on him. The man might be tall, but he had a lanky, slim build. When faced with Hannibal’s bulk, most men lost their spine. When faced with both of them dressed in their motorcycle club cuts, his attitude was reckless. The idiot wasn’t even smart enough to know when he was out of his weight class.
Ink took a moment to look at Jade. Her face seemed to teeter between embarrassment and anger.
“Is that what you want, darlin’? You want us to leave?”
She took a deep breath and crossed her arms. “Eric was just leaving, Ink.”
“No, I wasn’t. Wait…” The guy snorted with laughter. “Ink. This guy is Ink?” The man looked between the two of them. “Let me guess, that’s Hannibal. These are the guys you are always panting over. Isn’t it? That’s priceless.”
Ink made sure he hid his inner smile at knowledge that this woman talked about them. So Jade panted over them? They would have to find out how deep this beautiful woman’s fantasies went. But that could wait until after they got rid of the dickhead.
Jade’s face blushed a lovely shade of red. “Get out, Eric. You got your check last week. Your next check will come next month. That is all you are getting out of me.”
“Until you buy me out completely, Jade, this is still my place. And I want my money available now.”
Ink had had enough. It was easy to see from this asshole’s body language Eric had no intention of leaving on his own. Hannibal moved and Ink shadowed him. They both closed in on the guy.
“The lady said leave,” Hannibal growled.
The guy looked between the two of them and finally seemed to realize he was at the disadvantage. Eric stood straighter and puffed up his chest. The move was comical, seeing as he was facing off against Hannibal. His Brother was a giant of a man who many described as a tank. It would take very little effort for either of them to make it so the guy didn’t ever walk again, let alone threaten Jade.
“You try anything I’ll call the cops.”
Ink snorted. “If you think the cops would stop us from doing anything, you’re sadly mistaken, little boy.”
“What did you call me?” The look Eric shot him was probably supposed to be intimidating, but it didn’t even ruffle his feathers. He knew men like this. Men who thought their size meant they were important or scary. Idiots who thought the world owed them something. When, in reality, they were simply pieces of shit.
Ink smirked. If this man got sensitive about a man ten years his senior calling him boy, then all the better. “I suggest you do what the little lady’s said and get out, because me and my Brother here would love to show you where the door’s at, the hard way.”
The man glared at the two of them. It was obvious he knew this wasn’t a fight he could win, but he didn’t want to leave. He looked back at Jade and seemed to deflate. “I need the money. You don’t understand.”
Jade’s shoulders slumped, and she shook her head. “No, I do understand. I understood last month and the month before, and the month before that. This time, though, I’m not giving in. Get out yourself or get taken out.”
Ink was proud that not only didn’t she cave under the pressure, but she had given them permission to help.
Eric’s angry gaze hit each of them a few more times before he said, “Fine. This isn’t over.”
Hannibal and Ink didn’t block the man as he stormed out of the office. They heard him stomping down the stairs, like a child having a tantrum. They watched through the windows of the office as he made it through the building until the front door clicked behind him.
The silence in the office was still tense, as he and Hannibal turned back to look at Jade. She had her chin up and her eyes were bright, as if she was daring them to question her. But he and his Brother had patience she couldn’t imagine.
Silence was nothing to the two men who had spent days waiting for a target without uttering a single word. Slowly her bravado seemed to slip and her shoulders slumped.
As always, Hannibal was the first to act, knowing exactly what to do. Ink watched as he opened his arms to her. Much to his surprise, Jade stepped around the desk and folded herself against the big man’s chest. As if needing the affection, the comfort he offered. Ink watched, not sure if they were doing the right thing.