Chapter 4

✧ADAM MEADOWS✧

WE were all gathered around the dining table. Zane's parents sat next to each other, with me beside Zane, followed by David and then Gerald. Henry had left a while ago, despite his desire to stay, because his wife had called him home.

"Your sister's internship is coming up, Zane," Attorney Hart mentioned. We hadn't started eating yet because Jazz wasn’t here. We were waiting for her; her mom had insisted she change clothes due to the cat fur all over her. Earlier, she had vented her frustrations while playing with her Persian cat.

"Internship? Where at?" Zane inquired.

"La Vienna Hotel."

Zane frowned. "La Vienna? That's quite a distance from here."

He was right. It’s a three-hour journey from Aloha City, but I understood why Jazz had chosen to do her internship there. Currently, it's one of the most prestigious hotels in the country. For now.

"Yeah. That’s why your dad and I are concerned about her. You know your sister. She's so trusting, it's easy for her to be taken advantage of," Attorney Hart remarked, shaking her head.

I nodded in agreement.

"I didn't want her to do her internship there," Zane's dad, Angelo Hart, began, "but she gave me that look, said her friends were also interning at La Vienna, and they wanted to stick together." He shrugged.

"When?" Zane asked, intrigued.

"In three months," Attorney Hart replied.

"Three months is still quite a while. I thought it was next week. If it’s three months away, maybe she doesn’t need to go that far. Isn’t there a new hotel opening here in Aloha? It’s even larger than La Vienna, and it’s bound to become famous." He turned to me. "Have you seen the M-Power Hotel we always pass by?" I nodded, and he faced his parents again. "I saw on social media that its opening next month. Try convincing Jazz to do her internship there instead. I wouldn't feel at ease if my stupid sister goes so far away. Who knows what might happen if she’s only with her friends."

"Stop calling me stupid, Zane!" Jazz had just arrived, and we all turned to look at her. She stood beside her mom, holding the back of a chair while arguing with Zane about calling her stupid.

She’s wearing a sundress now. Too bad. The dress was nice, but my mind flashed back to our car ride, when her damp shirt had clung to her like a second skin and her nipples had strained against her swim bra. Her underwear was visible, and her beautiful legs were on display. I mean, she’s not really my type, but I’d enjoyed the view. In my mind, I imagined lifting her thin T-shirt to play with her ample chest. I could picture myself tugging her bra aside and closing my mouth around those sweet, hardened nip—

"Adam?"

Damn it. "Yeah?" I responded, snapping back to reality. It was Attorney Hart calling me, so I turned to face her.

"I said let's eat. Is something wrong?" she asked, looking at me with concern. I hadn’t realized they had already started eating.

Great.

"Uh, no. I'm fine," I muttered, shaking my head slightly to clear my mind from the inappropriate thoughts I had just been entertaining about her daughter, who was now seated next to her, meticulously picking at her fried chicken.

What the hell is wrong with me? That's Zane's little sister! She's innocent, simple, sassy, friendly, caring, and sweet. She's the complete opposite of the type of woman I typically like to fuck. She’s nowhere near my league, and she never will be.

"Jazzlene, sweetheart, listen to your brother. Doing your internship at the new hotel opening here in Aloha makes more sense," her father urged gently. "It's opening next month and appears to be larger than La Vienna."

"Dad," she whined, "my friends and I have already decided on La Vienna. We've planned this together, and we're sticking to it."

"But it's quite a distance, darling. What if there's an emergency and we need to reach you quickly? It's a three-hour trip; we can't get to you in a flash," he reasoned.

"Daddy, I'm an adult now. I can handle myself. Plus, it's a safe place. Besides, my friend Camille, who's an actress, always has a bodyguard with her. With her around, we'll be just fine," Jazzlene reassured him.

"But Camille's bodyguard's priority is her, not you," her father pointed out with concern.

She rolled her eyes. "Dad, please. I'm twenty-one. I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. I promise!"

I busied myself with eating while listening to their family discussing Jazzlene's internship. Zane and their dad, Angelo, were deeply engaged, offering perspectives and suggestions. David, Gerald, and I remained quiet, relishing the flavors of the delicious dinner spread before us: crispy fried chicken and savory sautéed corn. Attorney Hart's cooking skills were one of the reasons I always accepted their dinner invitations. Her cooking was exceptional, and Jazzlene clearly inherited her talent. Whenever she prepared a meal, I couldn't resist indulging until my waistband felt tight.

They didn't have a cook; they prepared meals themselves. Sometimes it was their dad who did the cooking since he was retired. Other times, it was Attorney Hart, especially when her law office, located within their compound, allowed her some free time. Jazzlene also cooked whenever she was home. The only one who didn’t cook was Zane, so he usually handled the dishwashing.

I've been eating here since high school, so I know these things well. Their house is spacious and well-maintained, with a cleaning service coming weekly to keep it in top shape. These dinners felt like home to me, familiar and comforting, and it was no wonder I knew every corner of their house.

I do the same thing. My house gets cleaned weekly, and I don’t have a cook because I can’t cook myself. So, when I’m home, I mostly rely on delivered food. At the office, I eat in my office; we have a cafeteria there, and my assistant, Ezra, brings my meals to me. But occasionally, if I’m not keen on the cafeteria options, I have him order food from outside instead.

A silvery laugh pealed through the air, drawing my eyes to its source. Of course, it was Jazzlene. She has two sides: feisty and cheerful. I preferred her cheerful side, especially when she smiles and laughs. Her eyes would squint, and her laughter was always genuine. With her laughter, she could bring life to anything around her. Even a dead plant or grass might sprout again upon hearing her laugh. That kind of laugh, the genuine one, was what I treasured. I was tired of the fake people who surrounded me almost every day, especially at the company.

"Remember, Zane, your blood type is B, not OA, okay?" Jazzlene said, laughing again at Zane. I didn’t know what they were talking about since I was too engrossed in my food.

After dinner, David and Gerald were the first to say goodbye to Zane’s parents. I stayed because I was used to being the last to leave among us friends. Why? Because Zane wouldn’t let me go without helping him wash the dishes. Now, we were both at the sink. He was scrubbing the plates, while I was rinsing them. His parents had retired for the evening, and Jazz had gone upstairs.

I heard him tsk, so I asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm leaving next week. What about Jazzlene when I’m not here?"

"What about her?"

"I'm worried about her, man." His expression grew serious. "I know she's of legal age. But no matter how many times she says she can take care of herself; I still doubt it. Whenever she has a problem, instead of calling Mom and Dad because she doesn’t want to get scolded, she comes to me. What’s going to happen when I’m gone for six months?"

We've been friends for a long time, and I knew exactly where this conversation was headed. And hell, I didn't like it one bit.

"Just hire her a bodyguard. Problem solved."

Zane snorted. "A bodyguard? I don’t trust those guys. Have you forgotten that Mom hired a bodyguard for her before? It didn’t end well."

Yes, I remember. When she was seventeen, she almost got kidnapped. The taxi she was in took a different route and didn’t drop her off. According to the taxi driver’s statement when he was caught and reported, he planned to assault Jazzlene. Fortunately, Jazz had the courage to kick the window in the backseat until it broke, allowing her to scream and ask for help. She was traumatized, so Attorney Hart hired a driver-slash-bodyguard because her dad wasn’t retired yet and was always away for work. Zane was in pilot school at that time, so there was no one else to look after her since Attorney Hart was also busy.

When she turned eighteen, that jerk of a bodyguard developed feelings for her. He didn’t molest her physically. He did it through text messages, and Jazz got scared. When she had the chance to contact Zane, she sent him all the screenshots of the bodyguard’s messages, which Zane then forwarded to me.

The guy was telling Jazz she was beautiful and sexy, complimenting her outfit, like when she wore shorts or a mini skirt, he’d comment on her legs. He even asked her in a text if she had a boyfriend. He even invited her to drink with him, just the two of them. Zane and I, both men, sensed something was wrong with those messages. Before things could escalate, Zane promptly informed his parents. His mom swiftly dismissed the guy and reported him.

I sighed. "You don't have to worry. Aloha is safe now, and the crime rate here is almost nonexistent."

"I know. But I'd feel better if someone was watching out for her. Especially since I'll be away for six months."

Damn it. I saw this coming. I knew exactly where this fool was headed. I anticipated his next question, and if I’m right, I swear I'll give him an earful.

"I know you’re busy. You're a CEO and have a lot of shit to do. But you also know how gullible my sister Jazz is. So, if you could keep an eye on her, just to make sure she doesn’t get kidnapped by a taxi driver again or harassed through text by some creep, I’d consider it a huge favor."

Tsk, tsk. Doesn’t he know what was going through my mind earlier, thinking about molesting his sister?

"You know? We're like a tiger and a cat—anyway, I'm the cat—but I love my stupid sister. So, if you watch over her for me while I’m gone, I’ll owe you big time and I’ll bring you a gift when I get back—"

"Are you stupid? You already owe me so much from before," I said wryly, cutting him off.

He grinned. "Wait? Is that a yes?"

I shook my head. "I don't know, man. I can help you find a better person to watch over her. Someone without a criminal record. But me? I'm not sure I can do it with everything I have to handle. And I’m not much of a babysitter."

"Good thing she's not a baby," he quipped. "And I don’t want to trust her to just anyone. Jazz is easily fooled, so trouble is always close to her. Even though she’s twenty-one, if you give her candy and talk to her about things she’s interested in, she’ll go with you. That’s how stupid she is."

"Why me? Am I the only one you can ask for a favor?"

"Nope. But you're the only person I trust not to . . . you know—"

"What? Fvck her?"

"Sh*t, man." His face twisted in disgust as he looked at me. "Use that word for anyone else, just not my sister. It’s gross. But . . . yeah. That. We both know she’s not your type. And even if she became your type, I know you’d never do that."

'Oh, come on, Zane. You have no idea, but I was already undressing your sister in my mind when I was with her in my car.'

Without looking at him, I exhaled and said, "I don't know. I'll think about it."