The Has-Been and the Hot Mess - Isabel Jordan Page 0,47

hand and gave it what he probably thought was a firm shake. Jackson smirked at him and tightened his grip until the guy winced and let go. “I’m Kyle Walker. When I saw your little event on the news, I wondered who could’ve orchestrated such a comeback for someone like…you. Now, seeing you here with the Quinn’s, I know it must’ve been Kendall.”

Wow. All bow to Kyle, the King of passive aggressive, backhanded compliments.

“Kyle is Kendall’s ex-boyfriend,” Lilian hissed. “He’s the one who fired her and gave her job to the girl Kendall was training as her protégé.”

Frank snorted. “The protégé he was banging,” he added around a mouthful of half-chewed steak. “Your story-telling sucks ass, Lilian. You always leave out important parts.”

Important parts indeed.

Jackson’s fists clenched involuntarily at his sides. He’d love nothing more than to drag this prissy little asshole out by the collar of his dress shirt.

But something told him Kendall wouldn’t want her client’s mug shot to end up on the nightly news after he was arrested for assault, so Jackson kept his mouth shut and his hands to himself.

But a little part of his soul died every second he was within punching distance of Kyle and not punching him.

Kyle, for fuck’s sake. Jackson couldn’t believe a dude like this, named Kyle, had been with Kendall and had the audacity to cheat on her.

He was prepared to tell Kyle to leave, but Lilian beat him to it. “You need to go before Kendall gets back. This is a family dinner, and you have no business being here.”

Kyle’s beady little eyes shifted to Jackson. “Oh, I apologize. I thought it was a working dinner. I thought Jackson was a client.”

“What I am is none of your business,” Jackson told him. “I do believe Mrs. Quinn asked you to leave. I’d be doing that now if I were you.”

“Beat it, fucknugget,” Frank said, then belched again. He gestured to Jackson with his fork. “The only thing this one has going for him is that he isn’t you. I never liked you, you weasel-y little shit stain. Thank God I don’t have to keep my feelings to myself anymore.”

Lilian turned to him, wide-eyed. “What the hell are you talking about? You never kept your feelings to yourself. When Kendall introduced him, you refused to even learn his name. Pretty sure you only ever referred to him as ‘that wiener-headed jizz stain.’”

Frank nodded. “See? I held way back. Took the high road.”

Kyle’s lip curled in derision. “Charming, as always.”

Jackson took another step toward him and lowered his voice to say, “The only reason you’re still standing is that I don’t want to undo all the hard work Kendall has done for my image. Go now. Before I do something that you’ll regret.”

He had the pleasure of watching the smug bastard’s face go pale. Then Kyle turned on the heel of one of his wingtips to scurry away like the rat he was, and nearly walked right into Kendall.

Damn it! Jackson had wanted this asshole gone before Kendall saw him.

Her eyes narrowed on her ex. “Kyle, what the hell are you doing here?”

Kyle ran a hand nervously over his hair. “I’m here on business. I only came over to say hello to your family and your new…friend.”

The dirty emphasis he put on the word “friend” made Jackson want to hold the fucker’s head down in the restaurant toilet and flush a few dozen times.

“You don’t have any business in Indianapolis,” Kendall said. Then she snorted and said, “Let me guess. You saw Jackson on the news, wondered which firm he was working with, and started stalking him so that you could poach him.”

Kyle sniffed delicately. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about. Though, clearly, he’d be better represented by my agency than by a freelancer.”

He knew he should let Kendall handle it from here, but he couldn’t stop himself from adding, “I’d put my freelancer up against your ten best PR managers any day of the week.”

Kendall looked surprised for a second at his vehemence, but quickly shifted her gaze back to Kyle before saying, “Did you get the info you came fishing for? Can you go now?”

“Climb into your douche canoe and row away, cuntmuffin,” Frank added.

Jackson’s lip twitched at that, but he manfully kept as straight a face as possible. Lilian and Annabeth weren’t as fortunate. Annabeth did a spit take with a mouthful of wine, and Lilian blushed when her bark of laughter ended in