The Trouble with Dames part 5

It was getting on to four and neither Shepherd nor any of his men were around. Jason had spent the last half hour walking around the park. The half an hour before that he had planned his escape route and where he'd stop to take out any pursuers he'd have to kill. All in all he thought it was a sound plan. He only wished he had a different gun, feeling the weight of the heavy revolver in his pocket, it'd be a close shave he'd have to make each shot count. Shepherd would get two into the head Jason had already decided. Of course Jason wasn't really ready to go that far until he knew what Shepherd had came all the way across the country for. Behind him he heard a stick snapping, Jason spun hard and fast finding himself staring at an aging man, a man whom Jason once held a great reverence for.

"You're late," Jason said his voice a frozen blade.

"My apologies, my last meeting went a bit long, how are you doing my dear boy?"

"I'm doing fine," Jason said his hand gripped tightly around the gun he was growing impatient, "what do you want Mr. Shepherd?"

"Always with the respect," Shepherd smiled, "how many times do I have to tell you to call me Alex."

"You know me," Jason replied, "I was always raised to respect my elders."

"Well I'm getting on in my years and before I let Simon take over the reins of my empire I wanted to clear out a few accounts that I had allowed to go unattended for a while."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well you see I felt kind of slighted when you left my friend," Alexander Shepherd responded casually.

Out of the corner of his eye Jason could see Simon step out of the trees, behind him two more of Shepherd's thugs. Turning his head Jason saw three more goons come into view. "I wasn't doing any job for you and I know I didn't owe you any money Alex."

"No you see. Simon had set his heart on that pretty little girl you took away with you. It seems he was planning on asking her to marry him. Did you know that Jason?"

"No I didn't. Nor would I care. Your son beat Susan; he beat her to within an inch of her life."

"Lies do not become you Jason; do you have any evidence of this?"

Jason paused stunned, "I... no."

"There you have it," Now normally I'd just let it go but nobody steals from a Shepherd. You know that Jason. How many times have I hired you to deal with someone who stole from me?"

"Christ Alex you can't be serious."

"Oh I am." Shepherd said with a smile an evil and malicious thing, "I am deadly serious."

Jason just stared at Alexander coldly as his hand slowly and quietly cocked back the hammer on the revolver hidden in his coat pocket. "Look Alex I don't have any problem with you. Hell I still respect you, but there's no way that psychopath is going near Susan. So I think we'd all be better off you just let it go. Just think of it as paying back on all those favors you owe me for cleaning up after your son."

"I'm sorry Jason it doesn't work like that," Jason could hear a tinge of regret in Alexander's words, "but we'll make it quick for you. I owe you that much."

"No Alex you don't owe me that, but I promise I'll make it quick for you" Jason responded as he lift the revolver from his pocket and fired a pair of slugs at Alexander Shepherd. Jason was already off running forwards as the bullets collided with the old man first in the neck than in the chest causing Alexander Shepherd to spin as he fell. Another pair of bullets strode towards Simon, but the young man managed to duck out of the way. Instead the slugs found a mark in the man on Simon's left. As Jason reached Alexander Shepherd he used one more bullet on the old man creating a large hole in Alexander Shepherd's forehead. A sixth bullet launched forwards to hit one of the men on his right. It was a lucky shot as the man crumpled to the ground with a massive hole growing out the back of his head. Before any of the others could get their guns out Jason was gone heading into the park. As he twisted his head to look back a bullet imbedded itself into a near by tree. Jason was already reloading the revolver, and a few moments later he dived behind a tree and fired again, two more bullets, one hit Simon in the shoulder, the second shattering the knee of one of his men. A third bullet went wide as Jason took off running again.

"Three more he panted to himself as he ran," he panted to himself. As Jason turned sharply to the right he took a bullet in the left arm. A grunt of pain was all he could afford as he stumbled and rolled forwards. Jason came up firing three more bullets as quickly as he could afford. The other two henchmen fell to the ground and Jason rolled once more to get behind a tree to avoid a deadly close shot from Simon's Beretta.

Jason was already reloading as Simon came up beside him and poked him in the side of the head, "get up you piece of shit."

"And if I don't?"

"First I'll off you than I'll go and have some fun with Susan and little Darien."

"You son of a bitch," Jason said as he pitched to the side hitting Simon in the waist and bringing the thinner man to the ground. The gun flew from Simon's hand and landed a few feet away, but Jason wouldn't need a gun to deal with Simon.

As Jason landed a massive fist into the side of Simon's head the younger man could only cry out in pain weakly bringing up his hands to defend himself.

As Jason continued to rain heavy blows upon the face of Simon he shouted, "You come to my city?! You come here and you threaten my family?! Who the hell do you think you are?! You're not in New York anymore you don't have anyone to look after you shit! Now look what you've done it's just you and me!"

After a few minutes Jason could feel parts of the shattered skull imbed themselves into his hand. Breathing heavily Jason stopped and stood up, "See what happens when you come after me? You should have left it alone Simon."

Silently Jason moved over to his fallen gun and picked up the heavy revolver. Snapping the chamber shut he stood over Simon and fired a pair of bullets into the unconscious man's chest and a second into the pulp that was his face.

"No one threatens my family."

The Trouble With Dames Part 4

It took some doing but Jason managed to track down the guy he was looking for, but a few days later his asking around the seediest parts of town netted him exactly what he wanted. As Jason stared into the darkness of the alley he was told to meet this guy at he clenched his hands into white knuckled fists. Ever since he had that dream he tried to stay clear of alleys altogether. Not that Jason normally took stock in his dreams but something about this one made him worried, especially since he'd been having it off and on for the past year and a half.

"Come on you chicken this is for your family," Jason muttered to himself as he stepped into the alley, shaking his head at the absurdity of the whole situation. In his old life he was a being of the dark alleys as comfortable in them as a rat in a sewer. It took only a few years and that unnerving dream to turn him into something he never thought he'd be.

"You Jason?" a raspy voice cut into Jason's thoughts like a knife through a sheet of paper.

"Yeah that's me, you got the thing?"

"Course I do. You got the cash?"

"Three hundred just like we agreed on. Go ahead and count it if you want."

"Good, good. I don't like it when people squelch on me, so you better not be squelching on me Jason. I ain't someone you want to try and cross."

"I believe that."

"Took some doing to find this particular item, these things ain't common place no more. But I like it that you owe me a favor now. Ol' One Eyed Jack likes people owing him favors."

Jason just nodded in response as he waited, "So is it all there?"

"Yep yep. It's all there. My friend you just bought yourself the best kinda protection money can buy. Gotcha some extra rounds for it. Free of charge. Ol' One Eyed Jack likes to take care of his customers."

"Well I'm grateful for that."

"Alright we're done here. I likes you so if you ever need anything else you just give One Eyed Jack a call."

"Will do."

Shoving the heavy metal gun into the pocket of his coat and the extra ammunition into the other pocket Jason made a hasty retreat from the alley and walked the three blocks back to his car. Now all he had to do was waiting for Shepherd to call.

Shepherd wasn't a man you wanted to cross but Jason would be damned if he wasn't going into this meeting packing some sort of heat. As he got in the car he took the gun from his pocket. Beautiful glimmering silver, Jason allowed himself a smile as he cracked open the cylinder and inspected a bullet, just like he asked for hollowed points. Jack knew his stuff he'd give him that even if he was a pretty unsavory guy, slipping the gun into the glove box with the box of bullets Jason slipped the car into gear and drove back home. His mind going back over the conversation he had with Shepherd on the phone a few days ago. Jason was lucky Shepherd gave him this much time, seems like the old gangster had some other business to attend to before his social visit to Jason. The old man said he was getting soft in his old age he had a softness for his memories he said he just wanted to touch base with Jason. Alexander Shepherd must be getting senile in his old age if he thought that Jason would fall for a line like that. As he pulled into the parking stall of their apartment complex Jason turned off the car and sat there in the silence for a moment. Shepherd wanted to meet him at Grainery Park at four. Jason was going to be there by three to case the park. He may be out of the game but he sure as hell wasn't going to go into this unprepared. He looked at his watch, it was only one o'clock. Jason went upstairs to check on Darien before he left. He left his son with their next door neighbor Mrs. Rockwell, a retired old lady who took to Darien pretty well. She said she'd be glad to baby-sit him whenever. This was the first time Jason actually needed her services but this was a special need. Stopping by Mrs. Rockwell's Jason once again insisted he pay her and once again she shooed him out the door, "Nonsense nonsense. Little Darien's company is enough, all my boys are grown up and they don't bother to visit their old mum anymore. Now off you go."

Heading back down the stairs Jason allowed himself a smile at Mrs. Rockwell's words. He returned to the car and pulled away from the apartment after checking the glove box one more time just to make sure the gun was there.

The Trouble With Dames part 3

The car came screeching to a halt in the middle of the dark street, "You're what?!" Jason asked keeping his voice just below a shout.

"Don't be mad Jason I didn't mean it to happen," Susan responded sounding almost as if she were ashamed, "but I haven't been with anyone since you Jason. No one it's just been you."

"Well of course you didn't mean it to happen. Hell I know I didn't mean it to happen," Jason responded hotly he put the car back into gear and began driving again, "So I'm gonna be a daddy? Does anyone in your family know?"

"No Jason just you and me..."

"And Simon Shepherd."

"Now you see why we need to leave he's gonna kill us all you me and the baby. Oh god Jason I don't want to lose the baby. I want us to be a family Jason, you, me and the baby."

"Christ Susan," he replied unsure of everything, Jason always had a handle on everything, he had everything planned down to tiniest little detail. Everything except Susan, as soon as he met her she threw a monkey wrench into the works of his life and everything went down hill from there. Slowly Jason began to laugh at himself. For all his meticulous planning he never really got anywhere, just living day to day waiting for the next client, the next big hit or anything he could do to score some cash. He was going nowhere in this life and here sat this beautiful red headed girl whom he loved and he was worried about what he was going to do. Susan looked at him worriedly but when Jason smiled at her she flashed a smile back and it made his heart melt.

"Alright, we're gone where do you want to go?"

"Oh Jason I don't care where we go as long as we're together."

~

Three years later Jason was returning home from work late, it was a lot of hard work at the beginning but he and Susan managed to get a place and work. He'd work late so he could watch over little Darien, while Susan was at her witnessing job. The hardest part was leaving everything behind. The two of them had to start from scratch, and cut out everyone in their lives just incase Simon Shepherd would get to them through their friends or family. But everything worked out and the three of them were happy living in their tiny apartment Darien's third birthday was coming up and Susan wanted to get him a puppy. Jason was unable to refuse her pleading emerald eyes so he was planning on taking Darien to the pound to let him pick out an early dog tomorrow morning. Susan had the day off and Jason didn't have to work until later that day, much later. As he pulled into the back alley parking lot he smiled to see Susan watching for him from the balcony. She always waited for him. Jason knew she was still afraid of Simon finding them but she would never admit to it. He pressed on and worked hard for them, Susan and Darien the only people that mattered to him anymore. As Jason opened the door Darien jumped into his arms, "Morning Daddy!"

"Hey there little guy are you being good for mommy?"

"Yes daddy," Darien said as he leaned closer to his dad and whispered to him, "Mommy got a phone call and she started to cry today. She told me not to tell you but I was worried."

"Well I'll pretend you didn't ok?"

"Ok."

"Now go on and go play in your room. I need to talk to your mommy."

"Ok daddy!"

Jason stepped into the kitchen and looked at Susan her face streaked with tears as she stood their wringing her hands and staring at him. Her entire body was shaking, "Oh god Jason."

"What's wrong Susan?" Jason asked concerned, he hadn't seen her like this since the night they left. He began to worry himself she never got this frightened anymore especially now since they've been safe for so long, "Who called today?"

"Jason it was Alexander Shepherd."

"What? How did he find us?"

"He didn't say!" she sobbed as she sunk to the floor weeping, "He didn't say."

With two quick strides Jason was crouching down next to Susan and holding her tightly stroking her long red hair, "What did he want?"

"He said that you and he had some unfinished business, he said that he'd send Simon out here to deal with it if you didn't go back to New York and meet him."

"Christ, Susan is that all?"

"Jason please, don't go I think he's going to kill you."

"I'm tougher than that he wouldn't be able to. You know that. Jesus I just wish I knew how he found us."

"He said that you should wait for him to call and he'll tell you where to go. I think he's coming here Jason. I'm afraid he'll bring Simon."

"If he does I'll kill them both, no one threatens my family," Jason responded coldly a rage he hadn’t felt since he was in New York was rising in him a cold and calculating rage, "well good than that'll give me time to prepare. I got to go get some things after he calls, how much money do we have saved up?"

"I think there's four hundred dollars in the coffee can in the freezer, and there's another three hundred in your old cigar box on the top of the book shelf. Jason what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to deal with this problem once and for all. If Shepherd want's something from me than fine but he's not going to threaten you and Darien ever again," Jason said as he stood up and crossed over to the freezer. Pulling out the coffee can he pulled out the small baggie with the money in it and than went into the living room to get the money from the cigar box.

"Jason what are you going to do?"

A Fallen Knight Part 1

"In the name of King Andareus I will slay you oath breaker!" an armored man cried out to the lone bearded figure walking out of the inn. It was just after midday and the sun was hanging heavy in the sky and the air was think with the heat. It had been a long and hard summer for the farmers in the realm. It had been even harder on the man Haramus had been sent to find. He wasn't armored and by all means Haramus should just run him down with his horse, but a pang of love for the disheveled man he once called brother. The brown haired man froze as Haramus called out to him.

Jacin sighed as he turned and stared at the man who called out, sitting there on a massive warhorse, a head taller than the two squires near him, his shinning silver armor glinting in the sun. Jacin could almost see the heat rising off of the armor, this massive would be killer was pointing at Jacin with a red bladed broadsword.

"Haramus hear me! I have no quarrel with you! We were friends Haramus! Turn around and go back to your King and tell him to leave me be, I had reason for leaving his service! It was not I who broke my oath Haramus. Andareus slew my wife and child! In their beds! He came into my home and slew them simply because she wished to remain faithful to me! My own wife murdered by her own brother because she wanted no part of his incautiousness!"

"Hold your tongue Jacin! I will hear none of these lies from you! True we were friends you were like a brother to me. But you deserted the Brotherhood, by that reason only I am sworn to kill you! But spreading these falsities about our beloved king! You go to far Jacin!"

"You know not what you speak Haramus! I do not wish to hurt you my friend!"

Haramus dismounted from his horse and hefted a shield from one of his squires. Jacin could only shake his head, "Haramus I implore you leave now you cannot defeat me! You never could!"
Pulling the visor of his helmet down Haramus' only response was a deep and hate filled growl. Although Haramus was nearly twice Jacin's size and fully armored, he still advanced slowly. As Jacin drew the deadly curved long sword he was. He was no ordinary man but Sir Jacin the Talon, Former knight of King Andareus and truth be told his brother by marriage. He was an expert with the long and heavy curved blade with which he fought. His ancestor father had brought it from a war he fought against the pirate king who ruled over the southern islands. It had been passed down through his family and it would have been passed onto Andareus his soon. He even named his son after his king his brother through marriage, the very brother who proclaimed his love for him in front of their entire brotherhood of knights as he was married to the king's own sister. Yet four months ago the drunken king after being rejected by Jacin's wife his own sister, and so he had stolen into Jacin's room and killed both his wife and son. Jacin had no choice but to leave after that fore he knew what had happened he could read it in his king's eyes. Taking his blade the clothes he had on he left the castle forsaking his brotherhood and his king whom he was sworn to protect.

Now he was a hunted man and was even now facing one of his own, Sir Haramus of the Red Blade. Haramus who had been one of his closest friends, they had grown up together and they had risen through the ranks to claim two of the highest positions in the Brotherhood.

"Haramus my brother, please! Don't do this please don't do this," Jacin could only whisper.

"You have lost the right to call me brother Jacin! I have sworn an oath to our king that I will not return until you are dead! I have tracked you down for a month and here I find you traveling towards the northern country into the lands of our enemies! You should not have left Jacin we could have dealt with this together like we always have! Now I have no choice!"

"You have a choice Haramus! Turn around and do not fight me for I cannot lose! I will not! If you serve Andareus I will be forced to slay you! I have already lost my wife and son. Do not make me loose my brother!"

"I am sorry my friend," was Haramus' only reply before he charged the red blade raised high. The sun shined off of the blade casting pale red light on the ground. The light still shone even as Jacin's whole body spun away from the swinging blade and Jacin's own heavy curved sword swung down crashing into the shoulder of Haramus, the curved blade shearing through the metal armor and cleaving into his body.

Tears filled his eyes as he fell to the ground and rolled his long time friend over. Jacin pulled off the helmet and stared at the shocked face of Jacin, "I didn't know you could do that."

"Shhh my brother save your breath, I am sorry but you left me no choice. Please forgive me brother."

Haramus' mailed hand raised and patted Jacin's cheek, "I should have listened to you I never could beat you were too fast."

Jacin grabbed his upraised hand and held it tightly as the big man coughed spraying blood onto Jacin's face and onto his own armor, "I am sorry I should have believed you. Can you ever forgive me brother?"

As the Haramus expelled his last breath Jacin could only respond with tears in his eyes, "I forgive you my brother."

Slowly Jacin rose and turned to Haramus' squires, "Return to your king and tell him! Tell him this is what will happen to any knight he chooses to send after me! He made me do this and I will hold him to this act! On my brother Haramus my own mother's son! I will return to slay Andareus with a great army at my heels! Andareus' rule will end by my hand! Go back to your king and take my brother with you and you tell him that!"

Jacin wrenched the curved blade from his brother's body and turned to continue his lonely trek north with an even heavier heart.

The Trouble With Dames Part 2

In his dream he was chasing down a faceless man. The man turned into a dark alley tipping a garbage can behind him. Even as the cat sprang out of its hiding place at the horrible clanking racket the garbage can made, Jason was jumping over the battered aluminum can. Startled by the cat Jason missed his landing and his foot slid through a puddle. Jason came crashing to the ground sliding forward as he did. Jason came to a rest none to gently under a tumble of garbage and more aluminum, as he pulled himself from the refuse he looked dup to see the faceless man staring down at him with a hand outstretched. At first Jason thought it was to help but as his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness in the alley he saw that the man was holding a gun. As Jason stared full on into the dark and impossibly large barrel he managed to find his voice and ask, "Who are you?"

"This one is, who this one is," the faceless man replied with an ethereal and toneless voice, "you have a long way to go before finding this one's name."

With that the gun screamed its deadly call that tore the putrid air around Jason and the muzzle spat fire.

Jason awoke to the sound of his phone ringing, soaked with sweat and laying on his back sitting in a toppled chair, he must have tilted it while he was a sleep he decided. Stumbling upwards he snatched the phone up, "yeah what do you want?"

"Jason? It's me Susan. We really need to talk, can you meet me? Please?" her voice was heavy with worry as she pleaded to Jason.

"Yeah sure, where do you want to meet?"

"Can you come pick me up?" she asked.

"Yeah sure," again his response, he paused silently for a second before asking, "is everything alright?"

"No it's not Jason I think I'm in trouble," she said Jason could tell she was almost in tears.

"Where are you?"

~

Jason pulled up to the front of Susan's apartment building and dressed in a heavy coat, she came running out and pulled open the door with startling speed, "go!" she yelled as she sat down and pulled the door shut.

"Slow down Susan," Jason exclaimed as he turned to look at her, "what's got you so scared?"

Susan turned to look at him, her emerald eyes wet from tears, showed him nothing but fear, that was all Jason needed as he put his foot on the gas and pulled away into the dimly lit street.

As they drove Susan kept checking for a tail, with a glance in the rear view mirror Jason could tell no one was following him and he relayed that to her, "There's no one following us Susan. Now tell me what's wrong."

"It's my ex," she sobbed, "it never sat well with him that I left him for you. He came by this morning, said he wanted to get back together with me Jason. I told him to go away, I found someone else I said. So just leave us alone. He wanted to know who it was; I kept telling him to leave me alone. He started swearing and yelling, I didn't know what to do so I told him what was going on between us and slammed the door on him. He banged on the door for and hour before he left. I was so afraid I couldn't even go to work!"

"Who is this jerk?" Jason asked with ice in his voice, "I'll talk to him. Get him to leave you alone."
"Oh Jason I don't know if you could." Susan responded growing calmer as they kept driving, "he's not just anyone he works for Alexander Shepherd."

"So? Shepherd and I go back a ways I'll talk to Shepherd and he'll deal with it. The guy owes me a favor anyways."

"It's not that simple," she said choking on a sob, "He's Shepherd's son."

"Why'd you have to go and do something stupid like dating that scum?" Jason asked knowing exactly what kind of a man Simon Shepherd was. A cool, cold, calculating man, a murderer to the bone, not only was he Alexander Shepherd's son he was his top enforcer. Every person knew what it was to have Simon Shepherd on your trail. Instant death.

"Jason we need to get out of town. We need to get out of here now, tonight."

"Look I'll talk to Alexander tomorrow, he'll talk to Simon and we'll settle this. Everything will cool down in a few days an-"

"No Jason don't you understand!" she was getting hysterical, almost screaming, "He swore to kill me and you. He said if he can't be with me... God Jason he's going to hunt us down and kill us. Please we need to leave."

"Susan." Jason responded, "What did you tell the guy to get him so riled up?"

"Oh Jason you big lug," Susan replied her voice filled with caring. It seemed to Jason her moods were switching faster than he could believe; "I'm pregnant."

The Trouble with Dames Part 1

"Bloody dames," Jason spoke aloud to himself as he nursed the bleeding nose given to him by a lucky punch. There was little doubt that his nose was broken, but he hadn't the time to deal with that right now. The owner of the fist that had broke Jason's nose was called Mickey "The Snake" Conelly. A small time thug working for a small time mob. Chuckling softly at his misfortune Jason tapped out another cigarette from the now empty pack. Putting it to his lips he frowned and let the cigarette fall into his lap.

Jason was tall, his hair dark brown, and his eyes a pale grey. He was far from handsome with a hooked nose and a crooked smile. A five o'clock shadow perpetually darkened his square jaw. What he was, was built, and built heavily. The only reason Conelly managed to land a punch on him was he really wasn't expecting it. But sometimes that's how things go.

"Bloody dames," he repeated pulling the bloodied rag from his face Jason gave a satisfied grunt and returned the cigarette back to his mouth. With a flicker in the dimly lit room Jason took a heavy drag on the cigarette and let out a long sigh. Sanders deemed it a task on himself to bless Jason with the broken nose after he found out Jason was attempting to pick up his sister.

"Touch mah sista an' I'll gut ya ya rotten bastard," was Conelly's not so gentle warning. Leaving Jason with the broken nose and a bloodied shirt. It wasn't his fault she came onto him at the club, he was just there to meet his contact. The contact that didn't show, so he had a whiskey and a cigarette and waited a little longer. It was than that the hot little number in the slinky black dress came up and sat next to him. He knew she shouldn't be in the bar, he used to be a cop, just by looking at her tiny little frame and raven black hair, and those soft green eyes he knew she had to be fifteen if she was a day.

"You're Jason Myers right?" she asked.

With a non-committal nod Jason responded, "Yeah what's it to ya?"

"Not much ya know it's just I heard about you from my friend," she returned sardonically, "You know Susan Jordan?"

"I have a faint memory of her."

"Well she told me all about you, she still has a bit of a thing for you," she confided in Jason, "She told me so much about you I figured I'd have to have a go at it if I ever came across you. That is if you're not still with my Susan?"

The last sentence caused Jason to turn and his eyes locked with hers. Grey met green and he smiled none to softly, a wolfish smile. Her smile was red, almost blood red in the dimly lit bar, they were very enticing lips but Jason was on a job and he couldn't afford to waste his time with her tonight. Standing up he paid for his drink and hers as well, "maybe some other time miss. Tell Susan I said hello."

"I'm Laura, by the way." She called to his retreating back.

Turning he walked away from the bar and headed out to find his contact. That's when Mickey decided to intervene. He was obviously pretty drunk from how he was swaying slightly, "What do ya want Mickey?"

"You was hittin' on mah sista. She's only fifteen you better stay tha hell away from her," he responded sounding rather angry.

"Look Mickey, I wasn't tryin' to pick up your sister. She was tryin' to pick up me."

It was than that Mickey swung and he swung hard, driving his fist squarely into Jason's face. Jason's head tilted back but his huge frame barely even moved. "I'll let you go on that one cause I have a sister and I'd do the same Mickey. Next time you hit me you'll be wearin' your teeth around your neck."

Mickey's eyes were wide, he had obviously heard about Jason before but he didn't expect the rumors to be true. As he stood staring into those cold grey eyes, the blood slowly trickling down his broad chin.

"Touch mah sista an' I'll gut ya ya rotten bastard," was Mickey's only response.

Jason snorted almost conceitedly, "Yeah sure Mickey now go inside and get your sister home before I call my old partner and have your bar shut down for lettin' her drink. Oh and tell her friend Susan I said hello."

Jason smiled as he sat back in his chair with his feet up on the dark mahogany desk. He smiled to himself as he thought back on Susan Jordan, Laura Conelley's older friend. That was his only weakness, the little red head who managed to melt his heart with just a smile. He'd been busy so he hadn't been able to call her for a month. He'd call her tomorrow, he decided as he drifted off to sleep.