Promises Part 1 (Bounty Hunters #1)(3)
Duke nodded his head in understanding. Vaughan was Quick’s sole purpose for living. His son was everything to him, so Duke was happy for him. Damn, he hadn’t seen Vaughan in a few years. Every time he came to visit during school breaks, Duke was gone on a retrieval or out of town.
“He’s really something, Duke. A chip off the old block. Wait until you see him.” Quick beamed.
“Sounds like everything is going good, man.” Duke sat at his desk searching for an appropriate graduation gift while Judge updated him on the status of the PI side of his business. He’d been “Duke’s Bail Bonds” for almost fifteen years, but last year he added on “and Private Investigations” along with a separate office in downtown Atlanta. Even though he’d moved his businesses from Charleston, North Carolina because of their ancient laws regulating bounty hunting, he still rarely saw Judge. Which was okay with him. Atlanta was plenty big enough for the both of them.
“Yeah, we’re good. I’m going over this contract for a sales consulting firm. They suspect embezzling within their upper ranks.”
Duke’s eyebrows rose and he paused his Amazon perusal. “No shit.”
“Yeah, man. They’re offering a shit ton of money to retain us and even more if we find evidence.”
“Nice. You gonna outsource this job? All the guys are on other assignments, right?” Duke murmured.
“I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. I’ll find the right guys for this one.”
“Sounds good, man.”
“You alright, Duke? You sound a little… I don’t know.”
Duke shook it off. Tried to add some pep to his voice. Talking with Judge – though it happened rarely—always messed with Duke’s head. Not a lot, but some. That dark, brooding timbre that used to make his cock weep was wafting through his phone intercom system in Dolby. Made it sound like Judge was in the room with him. Duke wasn’t hard, but he sure missed those days sometimes.
“I’m gonna let you go, Judge. Sounds like you got everything handled.”
“Naturally.”
Duke laughed.
“Hey, you wanna come over to the house? Austin is having his team over for fight night on Saturday. You haven’t seen all the renovations we’ve made to our place yet.”
Our place. Duke pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know. I’ve been meaning to. You guys have done a lot over there. But Quick’s son just came home and he wants me to get up with them on Saturday.”
“Well let me know when you wanna come by, alright.”
“Sure thing,” Duke said, and ended the call. He liked to think he wasn’t bitter. Judge had found someone who made him happy. Made him a different man if Duke was being honest… a better man. He wouldn’t hate on that just because it left him high and dry. Duke didn’t do jealousy.
With a resigned sigh, Duke turned back to his desktop and looked through graduation gifts. He wondered for the millionth time if it was a silly idea. Vaughan wasn’t some eighteen-year-old graduating from high school. The guy was a lawyer now. Duke turned his executive chair to face the full-glass patio door. He opened the top drawer of his wet bar and removed a fresh Cuban. He stepped from his home office out onto the deck that overlooked a dark, dense forest. He’d been working from home for the past few days. He’d sent a couple of his other guys on some bonds, but thank goodness they hadn’t had any jumpers this week. Duke needed the time alone.
He’d gotten a call from Quick that Vaughan’s flight had arrived safely and they were having dinner at one of Duke’s favorite restaurants, but he’d declined the invitation to join them, wanting to give them some bonding time. Which meant Duke was left to do what he usually did on any given night. Turn on an old movie and cook a meal for one.
It was after two in the morning and Duke had enough of Die Hard for one night. “Damn. How many of those movies did he make?” he murmured, moving around his condo turning off lights and locking up. He could still hear the quiet, soothing sound of jazz music filtering through his neighbor’s wall and into his bedroom. From what Duke knew of his young neighbor, he played concert piano and saxophone, and was a music major at Clark University. Some variety of music could always be heard wafting from his place and Duke just thanked the gods that his neighbor wasn’t an aspiring rapper. Jazz he could handle.
He turned on the high-powered showerhead in his master bathroom and stepped in while it quickly heated up. He washed up efficiently, pausing just briefly to pay extra attention to his sensitive balls. Leaning against the warm tiles, he leaned his head back and let the water beat on his chest while he gently stroked himself. It wasn’t done with real purpose; it was simply make him feel a hint of euphoria. He hadn’t beat one off in weeks. Not in the mood. He actually wouldn’t mind a damn good release right then, but a part of his brain kept reminding him how pathetic he’d become and then like clockwork… there went his erection.
After drying off, he pulled back the covers on his king-sized bed and climbed in naked. Lying in the dark, listening to muffled sounds of jazz, his phone buzzed with a missed message. It was almost three a.m. It had to be a bond request. Scrubbing his hands over his face, he woke up his phone and saw it was a message from Quick. Not bothering to read the message, he immediately dialed his number, hitting the speakerphone.