My Forbidden Love

Chapter 73

Olivia's pov:

I lie face up on the bed, looking at the ceiling.

"Kent, since you met Jerome - you have no reason to suspect him as anything but a loyal employee?"

"Except for the fact that he was quietly sleeping with my son for months and deliberately keeping it a secret?"

I laugh, shaking my head at him.

"I lived with them, Kent. I - they're in love with each other. I have no doubt about that."

"All right. Then no, I don't have any suspicions."

Is full think Jerome is hiding something......

"Will you tell me? How you..... found him, or whatever?"

Kent nods and then begins.

"It was about two years ago. I saw him on the streets a couple of times. There are pretty much two ways to get loyal guys on your team. The first is through...... referrals, of a sort. If a guy on your team brings you his family? That's the best. If he brings you a friend or someone he met recently..... you don't know what that new persons motives are."

"What do you mean?"

"You never know where that 'friend' came from - he could be a rival guy or someone else's man who just found a way in."

"Like Faye?"

"Precisely like Faye. She saved my life during an ambush. I should have been more suspicious, but..... she did her work well. Her background check came out clean. But now that she's your cousin and she's killed for you, it's different."

I nod, letting him know I understand.

"So, is that how you met Jerome?"

"No. Jerome was the third way, which is as good as family. I noticed him - he didn't even introduce himself to me or know I was watching."

"Where?"

"I met Jerome when he was hustling on the streets, stealing hubcaps off fancy cars and reselling them to parts dealers. He made a lot of money, but he didn't blow it all on booze and girls or impressing his friends, and he wasn't hooked on drugs. All of which suggests to me someone eager to work, and eager to rise. I liked that."

I smile a little, recognising Jerome in this description, loving him more from it.

"So, when did you bring him on board?"

"I did it casually. A couple of small jobs, which he performed well. Then, when he passed any background checks, we could pull on him. Marco gave a good report and said he was hard-working and eager. So I put him on the payroll."

"He moved up fast, if you soon had him driving me."

"He knew horses. So, if I was going to send you to the stables, I wanted you with someone who wasn't going to be a total idiot there."

I smile a little, remembering the early days of getting to know Jerome, whom I had liked instantly.

"Did you know Jerome was gay?"

Kent laughs a little at my impudent question.

"No, I didn't know Jerome was gay - I had no idea. Honestly, Olivia, I thought he was into you."

I lift myself up, turning and slinging one leg over his lap so that I'm straddling him and able to look him in the face.

"Kent, is it possible......."

"What, Olivia?"

"Well, is it possible that even though you are the one who noticed Jerome..... that someone...... placed him here? On purpose? So that you could notice him?"