Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

58. Jett

FIFTY-EIGHT

Jett

“ H oly shit!” I yell out as Jaxson and I stroll into the bar of Marcel, the dark, upscale, speak-easy-vibe restaurant in West Midtown, Atlanta. There’s a sight for sore eyes. My three brothers who I haven’t seen in way too fuckin’ long shout a welcome and we all take turns hugging and smacking each other’s backs.

“Jett, look at you!” Jason grins, “Man, it’s good to see you. Jake, should get married more often.”

Jake smirks, “Once is enough.” He calls to the white-shirted, bearded bartender with a beer belly, “Tom! Finest bourbon for my brothers!”

“You got it, Jake,” the guy nods, turning to the bottles.

“How was it staying at the ranch?” Justin asks me.

“Peaceful, man, peaceful.”

Justin says to Jaxson, “I really need to come out there for a night or two. Get some fucking rest.”

“Invite’s always open,” Jax smiles.

“Hey, Justin,” I say, “I’ve been meaning to tell you — you did good.”

“Yeah?”

“That’s a first,” his twin mutters. “What’d you do?”

“Nothing you wouldn’t, if you had the power I have,” Justin shoots back. To me, he asks, “All went well?”

“More than well,” I tell him, while the others listen. The five of us together feels good. Only wish Jeremy was here to complete the circle. “The ring is done. Couldn’t have done it without you.” Keeping my voice low enough that we can’t be overheard — not that anyone here cares about anyone other than themselves — I fill them all in with basic details of what we did. I guess if I had to admit it, I want them to know I’m not a piece of shit. That they can still look up to me.

Family is a strange thing, man. Their opinions matter more than anyone wishes they did.

Calm and serious, Jaxson reminds me, “Tell them about the baby.”

“I was gettin’ to it,” I nod, leaning over to accept a couple short rocks glasses from Tom. “Thanks man. Put it on Justin’s bill.”

“Asshole,” Justin laughs, as Tom nods with amusement in his eyes and walks to the register.

Handing Jaxson his glass, I say, “One of my buddies – name is Tonk – he took to one of the girls. He’s raising her baby as his own.”

Jason whistles long and low. “That’s fucking awesome.”

“Yeah. We were there when she had the baby. Went into labor on the road.”

The three raise their eyebrows and I tell them what happened. There’s lots of laughing as I recount that it happened because Tonk and Carmen were going to have sex and things went in a whole different direction. Jake asks what they named her.

“Celia.” Lots of nods of approval. “Looked like an alien, but they made it back to home base before I rode out here, and she’s pretty cute now. You guys don’t know Tonk, but this is a big deal for him. He’s really steppin’ up. We’re all proud of him.”

“Looks like the poor girl found a savior,” Jake quietly says. “I didn’t know stuff like that happened here.”

“Happens everywhere,” I tell him with gravity.

Jaxson’s eyeing me. It didn’t slip by him I kept Sunshine out of the story.

When I relayed everything to him yesterday morning, I didn’t tell him the head of the trafficking ring was her father. I told him her mother was a victim, but not how far that went. And I told him Sunshine took him down, but that it was self-defense.

That’s why the cops let her go, I explained, keeping details secret that only the people who went through it, should know.

But the reason I’m not talking about Luna here is I don’t want to think about her. I don’t want them thinking about anything but a happy ending, since it’s Jake’s bachelor party and this is a celebration.

I ask, to lighten things up, “We going to a strip club?”

Justin rolls his eyes. “Maybe you can talk him into one, Jett. He’s fighting us.”

Jake brings up his chin with a cocky smile. “Don’t even try it. Won’t work.”

Jaxson chuckles under his breath. “I don’t see Jake as the strip club type.”

On a casual shrug, Jake says, “Why have hamburger when you’ve got steak?”

Mutual agreement all around.

“Speakin’ of steak.” I motion to the dining room. “Let’s take this to a table. Starving.”

As Justin pays the tab, the groom-to-be tells us how Drew’s been the opposite of the crazy bride, how she turned down Mom’s wish for a big wedding, which is why we’re having it at the house. “Her dad is marrying us.”

“No shit?” I say with a smile. “Why?”

“He’s a pastor. Guess I got his approval. Wasn’t easy. They’re old school so they weren’t stoked about my being eight years younger than her. But they came around.”

“Ready?” Justin throws his arm around me. “You had to wear the leather here, didn’t you?”

Reaching to smack Jason, I say, “If this Hip Hop motherfucker can wear a hat inside a place like this, then I can wear my fuckin’ patch.”

“At least it’s not my baseball hat,” Jason laughs, touching his saggy, grey beanie.

“You look like a kid,” I mutter as we all walk to the host stand. The pretty hostess stands straighter at the sight of five Cocker Brothers coming at her.

“I’ll always be younger than you, Jett. Even when I’m seventy.”

“Just think how stupid you’ll look in that thing, then.”

From the look on the hostess’ face as she eyeballs Jason, he doesn’t look stupid now. But I love to fuck with him. How he can listen to the crap he produces, I’ll never know. Mainstream has never been my thing. I hear he has a talent for it, but I wouldn’t be the best judge. I’ll just take Justin’s word for it, since he knows Jason’s work better.