So this story just expanded to extreme measures. I have 85 pages on my computer waiting for to be posted while we wait for the summer special. Enjoy!
Jude stared after Zero, still not quite understanding what had just happened. Zero was traded, Oscar and he got kicked out, and Jelena Howards was in charge. Now their whole future was uncertain, even when only a few hours ago it was so definite.
As Zero disappeared behind a corner, Jude took a deep, shaking breath. He put his hands to his hips and looked at the glass shards on the floor. There was only one thing he could do to try and fix this.
Jude strode towards Oscar's… no, Jelena's office. He went through in his minds all the possible ways he could confront her. Jude had never really met with her. The only opinion he had on her was based on everyone else's stories about the woman. Sure, he had seen her many times, but never truly talked with her. Maybe that's why Jude was so nervous when he walked towards the office, or maybe he knew it was his only change to save his and Zero's future. But one thing Jude did know and it was Jelena's weakness: Terrance.
It was already over ten p.m. when Jude arrived to the office. The door, which still said Mr. Kinkaid, was ajar. Jude knocked on it but there was no answer. The lights which shone out still indicated that someone was in. Carefully he pushed the door open and his face fell when he saw Jelena lying on the floor. Blood was forming a pond underneath her.
"Jesus!" Jude breathed and quickly crouched beside her. "Jelena? Can you hear me?" He shook her shoulder but the only response he got was her opening her eyes slightly before quickly closing them. "Shit." Jude muttered underneath his breath and dig out his phone from his suit's pocket. He dialed the emergency number. Just when he heard a voice from the other end of the line, he saw movement in the corner of his eye. He had just enough time to move his head to the direction when someone hit him to his head and everything went black.
Zero had driven home by detour. He had expected Jude to be there already but when he opened the front door, the apartment was dark. Zero put the lights on and checked the bedroom, just to be sure Jude wasn't there. He sat down to Jude's side of the bed and sighed. He had been preparing for the talk which was inevitable. He had thought through every word he was going to use to describe his feelings of the current situation with every detail, but now that Jude wasn't there, he found himself forgetting all of it. It didn't matter, since in the end Zero lost all his self-control and plans around Jude.
Zero waited for Jude to come home for a half an hour before deciding to get a shower. It didn't have the wanted effect this time, since the same thoughts of him leaving and Jude staying still whirled around his head. He changed to fresh clothing before putting the TV on. He was just about to walk towards the kitchen when the news caught his attention:
"We're in front of the Devil's arena where polices are still gathered around, examining the scene of the crime. Just an hour ago the victim, which we haven't got any information of, was taken away in an ambulance. The chief investigator has said that the victim was still alive, but didn't want to comment about the case any further…"
Zero gaped at the news. He felt his stomach drop, when he heard the word victim. All he could think about was where was Jude? Zero looked for his phone. He needed to call Jude, to make sure he was alright, but his hunch told him Jude had been taken to the hospital. He fumbled with his phone as he pressed the number he had last called to.
The sound of keys turning in the lock made Zero drop his phone. Jude walked in with a dim expression. He dropped his suitcase to the floor before even noticing Zero was standing there.
"Thank god, you're okay." Zero exhaled and walked towards Jude, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arm around the man and never let go, but he stopped just a few inches away from him. "I saw the news." He gestured towards the television before a folding on Jude's forehead caught his attention. "What's that?"
Jude sighed and rubbed his neck with a pained expression. "I was knocked out." Zero looked at him with utter confusion. "After our… talk I went to see Jelena…" Zero's expression changed from disbelief to hatred in a second and he opened his mouth to say something but Jude quickly continued: "…to talk some sense into her but she…" Jude swallowed. "… she had been shot."
"What?" Zero couldn't believe his ears.
"I found her just lying there and called an ambulance when someone hit me to head." Jude shrugged his shoulders and wished he could just crawl underneath the duvets and fall asleep and not listen to Zero's endless questions of what Jelena had done and who had shot her.
Zero, however, surprised Jude by only asking: "Are you okay?"
Jude looked at his boyfriend and smiled. "Yeah, I will be… I just have the most horrible headache of all time. I had to go to the hospital for checkup. They put three stitches to the wound and they said I have a minor concussion."
The genuine smile Gideon gave him made Jude's heart melt. "I'm just glad you're okay." He cupped Jude's face and brought their lips together. It started with an innocent peck but Jude felt that Zero tried to deepen it and he delicately took his hands on his and pulled away.
"I really need to get some sleep right now." Jude almost regretted ending the kiss when he saw the hurt on Gideon's face. It soon turned to understanding and Gideon nodded at him.
In the following night Zero had to wake up in every three hours to check Jude was still conscious. He didn't mind though, since he couldn't sleep well anyway. After four a.m. he decided not to even try and settled for watching Jude sleeping.
Jude woke up to a smell of shower gel and familiar scent of Zero. He was too tired to open his eyes right away and soon he felt breath against the side of his face.
"What time is it?" Jude asked wearily and resisted the urge to just turn to his side and ignore Gideon, but he wanted the moment to last just a little bit longer. He knew once he got up, he couldn't avoid their conversation.
"Nine a.m., you sleepyhead." Zero murmured and was just about to kiss Jude's cheek when the other man jumped off the bed. Zero was about to ask what got into him when Jude almost lost his balance and took hold of the nightstand to keep himself from falling to the floor. Zero sat up with a frown on his face but didn't have time to ask what was wrong when Jude shook his head.
"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." Jude lifted his arms up as if to show that he was able to stand on his own. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I'm late for work." Jude could still see black dots dancing in his field of view and his head was swaying a little but he decided to ignore it and went to search for his clothes.
"If you haven't forgotten, stupid, that you were kicked out last night AND you have a concussion. I'm pretty sure the paper I found in your suitcase was for sick leave for the next two days." Zero hated the way Jude looked at him then; his expression was full of disbelief and anger. Zero had seen the face many times before. The last time was at Jelena and Terrance's engagement party after their hook up in the closet.
"You went through my stuff?"
Zero just shrug his shoulder, clearly unaware how wrong his actions had been. "Yes, you just left your suitcase lying in the middle of the living room. I thought I could… you know, arrange the papers for you."
"There's confidential papers of the arena's finances, which certainly aren't meant for your eyes." Jude didn't shout but his voice was tense. He shook his head in disappointment as he put on his trousers.
"Okay, I'm sorry. Wont' happen again." Zero hated when he was wrong.
"Damn right, it won't." Jude said as he finally managed to buckle his belt and walked out of the bedroom.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zero's voice followed him to the kitchen and soon the man himself followed him.
"Nothing." Jude said without even paying much attention to the conversation anymore and instead concentrated on finding something to eat.
"Nothing?" Zero leaned to the counter and tried to get an eye contact with Jude. "Cause to me it sounded like you don't even care."
"What?" Jude finally met his eyes. He was completely lost about what Zero was talking about. His head had started to throb again.
"Me… leaving! Like it's a good thing." Zero took a step back from Jude.
Jude could see the hurt in Gideon's eyes and he sighed. When Zero backed off, he was feeling truly unsecure. "Look… I only meant that I don't want you to go through my work stuff again, okay? If somebody finds out, I would be kicked to the gutter immediately."
"You were really hit hard last night." Zero seemed to gather his confidence again and took the step back again. "Jelena kicked you out last night."
"Gideon…" Jude said and leaned closer to Zero across the counter. "Jelena's in the hospital right now and I'm pretty sure that she didn't have the time to make the official paperwork to get me out of my post." Jude paused so he could see the realization sink into Zero. "Which means…"
"…you're on top." Zero interrupted him and Jude nodded with a smile. It made Zero smile too as he felt the weight being lifted from his shoulders, by Jude, again. "I love you." Gideon reached out and kissed Jude.
They both smiled into the kiss which didn't last long as Jude pulled away. "I really need to get to work. But I think you'll be late for practice if you don't get yourself ready right about now." Jude smiled whole heartedly when he saw Gideon's alarmed face as he looked at the time.
"Shit." Zero muttered and was about to run to the bedroom when Jude caught the front of his shirt.
"I love you too." Jude said and gave Zero a quick peck to the lips before leaving. For a moment Zero just stood there smiling, enjoying the feeling of his heart beating in his chest. It didn't take long for him to get back to reality and he quickly made his way to the shower.
The practice was over after two and Zero made his way towards Jude's office. It hadn't gone very well for him. His mind has been on Jude and how he was coping with his new job and most of all with his head injury. He had kept his phone on and nearby, just in case. It wasn't like anyone else were paying much attention to practicing either, they were thinking and talking about Jelena most of the time. It wasn't a real practice anyway since Pete was missing and no one were able to get in contact with him. Zero found himself being silent through the conversations but he had learned that Jelena had gone through surgery and was now in stable condition. He wasn't sure what to think of the news. He hated the bitch with everything he got, but to think her dead was a pretty extreme, even for him. He still loathed the idea that when Jelena recovered, Jude would be kicked out soon after.
Zero smiled when he saw the fancy nameplate 'Mr. Kinkade' on the office door. Oscar had really liked excessive style. But what had made Zero smile was the thought that the name really belonged there; Jude deserved the place.
Zero knocked on the door and soon Jude's voice came from the inside, asking him to come in. Jude was surprised to see him entering the room. He never knocked, which usually didn't bother him but when he was in a middle of a meeting, it was sometimes irritating.
"Hi." Jude finally said as Zero stood in the middle of the room, looking around as if he was seeing it for the first time. "I'm supposed to be in a meeting in half an hour."
"Then we have plenty of time." Zero looked straight at him and backed towards the door. He leaned against it and closed it properly. Jude could hear the lock klick. Before he could properly response, Zero sat to the mahogany table and slid himself to the other side, flipping his legs with him so he was sitting right in front of Jude, legs on both sides. "I've always imagined what it would be like to fuck you in this office." Zero said with a low voice, leaning closer to Jude at the same time.
Jude licked his lips unconsciously, trying hard to find a way out of the situation. "The image of you thinking about sex while talking with Oscar isn't really a turn on." Jude tried to sound confident, but failed miserably.
"Liar." Zero whispered and smiled. He leaned even closer so their noses were touching. They breathed in each other for a while and just when Jude was about to give in, Zero looked up and smiled even wider.
"What?" Jude asked and frowned. Zero was staring at his forehead.
"You've been wearing this all day?" Zero reached to Jude's head and Jude could feel him taking something off. He couldn't hide the blush when he saw what Zero was holding: the wound folding. He had thought the management group only wondered why he had showed up to work instead of Jelena, but now he knew they were wondering about his wound, probably not daring to ask where he had gotten it from.
"It's going to leave a scar." Jude was brought back from his thought by Zero's voice. He was still looking at his forehead. Zero brought his hand to the side of Jude's face and slowly caressed the skin below the wound with his thumb.
"As long as it doesn't need any more stitches…" Jude resisted the urge to close his eyes. Zero's touch felt good. Soon the hand moved through Jude's hair to the back of his neck and Jude met Zero half way to a kiss. It wasn't as frantic as Jude had expected. It was slow and full of feelings.
Zero soon crouched from side of the table into Jude's lap, deepening the kiss. Jude had to lean back in his chair and supported Zero by grasping his ass, which the man didn't mind much. The kiss lasted until they both needed some air. Zero pulled away first and lowered himself down so their groins were touching. Jude had to swallow and they kissed again. He had a gnawing feeling that he had forgotten something but Zero's lips on his and Zero's hips moving on his lap made it impossible to think straight. His mind melted completely when Zero slipped his other hand under Jude's trousers and shamelessly cupped him. Jude couldn't stop the gasp escaping from him but Zero's mouth muffled it.
They started to tear off their clothing. Zero naked faster since he was wearing only training clothing, but it didn't take him long to get Jude to the same state as well. Eventually Jude laid on his back against the table and Zero had climbed on top of him. Zero kissed his way down on Jude's chest and took him into his mouth without any teasing what so ever. Jude gasped with surprise and for a moment wondered what the rush was. Then his mind reminded him that he was supposed to be in a meeting in fifteen minutes. He sighed and looked down on Zero who was completely lost in his job. Jude reached down and took hold of Zero's arms nudging him gently to indicate for him to get back up. Zero did as he was told and kissed his way back up to Jude's lips.
"We… have to… hurry." Jude mumbled between the kissed and Zero just hummed against his lips. Then he moved to nibble Jude's ear.
"I guess I have to fuck you later." Zero smiled against his ear and Jude couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. His spirit was lifted soon however, when Zero pressed their groins together again and reached down to grab their dicks in his hand. Jude traveled his hand from Zero's neck to cup his ass and pressed them even tighter together. It didn't take long for them both to finish and for a moment they both forgot where they were, moaning without control. When the high started to wear off, they both listened for a moment, almost expecting to hear shocked conversation from behind a wall but there was nothing.
Zero was about to get up when Jude pulled him down to a slobby kiss.
"I thought you were busy." Zero said, pulling back slightly and smiled when he felt Jude's lips follow his.
"I am, but I thought I could be stylishly late." Jude answered but their kiss was interrupted by his phone ringing. Jude groaned and reached for his phone, not moving even by an inch under Zero's weight.
"Hello?" Jude answered casually when he saw that Lionel was calling. Zero proceeded to kiss his way down on Jude's throat, leaving a hickey there. "What?" The change on Jude's tone made Zero lift his head and look at his boyfriend's expression. "Are you okay? Aha…" Zero frowned when Jude looked at him face full of worry. "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. No… no, you didn't interrupt anything. I'll have something to tell you too. Yeah, bye." Jude hang up and gestured for Zero to move, who slid from above him to sit on the table.
"Has something happened?" Zero asked as he watched Jude cleaning himself up and putting on his suit.
"Lionel called. She's in hospital." Jude said with a little shaky voice.
"Is she there to see Jelena?" Jude could see how Zero's whole body tensed when he only thought of that woman.
"No, she doesn't even know about her. She and Pete are both there. They had carbon poisoning." Jude pushed his skirt into his trousers.
Zero just stared at him for a moment before jumping off the table and starting to get dressed as well.
"How did that even happen?" Zero didn't even know Pete and Lionel were talking to each other, let alone hang in Oscar's place.
"I have no idea." Jude answered as he parked in front of the hospital. "I guess we'll find out." He looked at Zero and unbuckled his seatbelt. He glanced himself in the rear-view window. "Shit. I look like we've had sex for the last three hours."
Zero grinned devilishly. "Oh, you look much better after that, trust me." Jude just rolled his eyes and tried to flatten his hair a little. "You look beautiful, let's go." Zero patted Jude's leg and got up.
"Easy for you to say." Jude mumbled under his breath. Zero always looked as fresh as if he had just gotten out of shower, if the hair gel wasn't included.
"What did you say?" Zero asked from the outside.
"Nothing!" Jude gave up on looking any more decent and followed Zero.
They were instructed to the right ward by the receptionist. Jude entered the room first and found Lionel laying in the bed with full make up on and looking as vibrant as ever. Jude found himself taking a first proper breath after her call.
"Jude! I'm so glad to see you. Pete's been annoying me with his presence all day." Lionel smiled widely when she saw her friend approaching. However when she saw Zero, her smile faded and she gave him only a tiny nod. Zero returned it reluctantly and hovered behind Jude, not wanting to go to her personal space.
Jude sat down to a chair next to the bed. Lionel eyed Jude up and down before smirking. "I did interrupt something, didn't I?" The way Jude blushed verified her conclusion. "You just had sex. I wish my day had started as well."
Zero couldn't help but laugh. He quickly gathered himself however, when Jude scowled at him with a look that clearly said: if I hear any more of that, we're not going to have sex on that table ever again.
"Moving on." Jude cleared his throat. "How did you end up here? And where's Pete?"
"Oh, he went to fetch me some coffee and the newspaper. He got on my nerves." Lionel paused and only continued when Jude looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We had a little conversation at Oscar's house. At the garage. My car was running and somehow the door got stuck so we ended up here."
Jude leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms. "And why didn't you just turn off the car?"
"The thing is…" Lionel looked at Zero, a little ashamed. "…the key got stuck. We couldn't do anything." She lifter her arms up as if it wasn't such a big of a deal.
"Why do I have the feeling you're not telling me everything?" Jude knew Lionel better than she thought and could read her like an open book sometimes.
"I'm not letting you out on purpose, but I can't tell you what I talked about with Pete. It's between us, I'm sorry." Lionel took hold of Jude's hand.
"Okay, but I wish you could trust me with that…" Jude said and squeezed her hand.
"I do trust you, but I promised Pete not to tell. You see, it's not in my hands." Lionel knew Jude wasn't buying it but she didn't want him to make any more questions about the incident. She had talked with Pete and he had promised to stay quiet about her trying to kill herself. She knew Jude would never understand and would worry about her way too much. Most of all she was ashamed about her behavior. At the time it had been the only possible thing to do but after she had talked with Pete, she had begun to see other options.
"Tell me just one thing." Jude caught Lionel's attention by taking her hand between his. "Did it have anything to do with Oscar?"
Lionel weighted the question for a moment. "Yes." She finally answered and regretted it immediately. Jude's mouth went to a straight line and it looked like all the weight on the world just landed on his shoulders. "But now you have to tell me why you have a wound on your head. Were you too a little too rough?" Lionel winked at Zero who just glared at her.
Before Jude could answer, Pete stormed into the room. "You can't believe what I just learned." He yelled as he walked in holding a newspaper in his hands, barely paying any attention to Jude and Zero. "Jelena has been shot and she's here, in the same hospital."
"What? Give me that!" Lionel reached for the paper and Pete gave it to her. She went through the pages before stopping to a main article. She glanced through it before looking at Jude. "You found her?"
"It says that?" Zero leaned over to Jude's shoulder to look at the paper.
"Not exactly but it says that Jelena and someone else were injured and taken to the hospital. So by the scar you have, I figured it out." Lionel threw the paper to the footing of the bed from where Pete picked it up and started to read it again.
"Yes, I did found her and called an ambulance. I was knocked down and lost consciousness." Jude explained what had occurred last night.
"Who knocked you out?" Lionel leaned forward as if Jude wasn't going to tell her if she didn't ask.
"I can't remember. I think I didn't even see him… or her." Jude felt his head starting to throb. "It's all blurry in my head. When I think about it, I only see a shadow coming closer to me but nothing else." Zero stared at the wall in front of him, not wanting to think about how close Jude was getting killed.
"I bet it was one of Oscar's henchmen." Lionel said without lowering her voice even an inch. "He called by the way, just before you came in. He's coming over to see his poor wife." Lionel's voice was thick with sarcasm.
All three men looked at each other. Neither of them really wanting to meet with Oscar. It was too late for them to make up any excuse to leave when Oscar already walked in with a smug smile on his face.
They all tensed, thinking how long Oscar had been there listening to their conversation. But even if he had heard them, he didn't show it.
"I see you're popular today." Oscar walked across the room. He gave Pete a tiny nod and the man just nodded back at him, looking away, clearly trying to control his emotions and not to let the hatred show on his face. To Jude Oscar gave his fake smile and Jude ignored him. For Zero, Oscar gave a stern look. Zero stared back at him, moving slightly closer to Jude in purpose to make Oscar uncomfortable. He knew how Oscar tried to get his son to his better side, so he could use Jude to his own schemes, but would never be able to accept Jude being gay. It gave Zero some satisfaction to pester on the guy.
"I think we should go." Jude stood up after giving an encouraging squeeze to Lionel's hand. "I have some business to attend to."
"I heard you're now in my stool at the arena." Jude had just turned towards the door when Oscar's words stopped him on his tracks. He turned around to face the man and nodded. Oscar smiled at him. "I'm glad. I wish you can get it permanently someday."
Zero glanced at Jude who was staring at Oscar with vulnerable expression. Zero couldn't believe Jude was falling for Oscar's lies. He wanted to shake his boyfriend back to his senses but decided to do it later.
"I hope so too." Jude finally said. "So you can never squirm your way back up there."
Zero smiled as he listened Jude talking with so much confidence and stepping up against his dad. In the way Jude was watching Oscar was something odd, but he couldn't quite put his fingers on it. Without any more words exchanged between them, Zero and Jude walked out.
They went back to the arena. Jude opened the door to "his" office and only now noticed what a mess they had caused: paper scattered around the floor, Oscar's heavy clock knocked down and the leather chair pushed to the farthest corner.
Zero walked in after him and sat to the couch on the center of the room ignoring the mess. He noticed that the rug that used to be there had been taken away. He wondered if Jelena was shot there but Jude's voice interrupted his line of thoughts.
"We need to update your contract so when Jelena gets back, she has no way to trade you." Jude collected the paperwork from the floor. Zero appreciated the view the man was giving him. "Did you hear what I said?" Jude straightened himself and stared at him with a knowing look.
"So we just sign some papers, big deal." Zero gestured towards the desk as if Jude could magically make the new contract appear.
"No, we need to meet with your agency. We can't just do a new contract without them." Jude put the papers down to the desk and momentarily got lost into his memories of him and Zero there.
"My agency? You mean with Lucas?" Zero shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't managed to get rid of Lucas even though he had wanted to. The agency hadn't found anyone to replace him yet. Zero was sure if Jude had still been there, he would've managed to find him a new agent in a day. But he wasn't uncomfortable by the idea of meeting up with him. It was the idea that Lucas and Jude meeting for the first time since Lucas ditched Jude to the courtside, which made Zero uncomfortable. He really didn't want Jude to find out the truth.
Jude looked as unpleasant of the idea as Zero was and came to sit beside him to the couch. "Hey, I don't want to meet up with him any more than you do. But it needs to be done. And if we work out the details beforehand it should go fast and smooth, okay?"
Jude took Zero's hand on his and tried to get his attention. Zero looked at him and nodded. "Okay. I'll do it. But in one condition." Jude looked at him expectedly. "You don't exchange a single word with the guy."
Jude frowned, clearly hurt by the suggestion. "What? You don't trust me around him?" Jude withdrew his hands away from Zero's who quickly rejoined them.
"I don't trust Lucas around you." Zero clarified and looked at him straight in the eyes. He was speaking the truth and it must've shown in his face since Jude smiled and agreed to his condition.
They arranged a meeting to the following day. Zero had reluctantly called Lucas and said his piece. It seemed Lucas was as unwilling to meet him as well.
At noon Zero made his way to the arena's conference room. He was surprised to see there was only one person inside when he got there and that one person had to be Lucas. Zero resisted the urge to turn around and walk away, as the anger swelled inside him when he saw the man. Lucas stirred nervously as he noticed Zero and for a moment they just stared at each other. Eventually Zero walked to the opposite side of the table without saying a word. He fixed his gaze to the door and waited for Jude and Pete to arrive. He felt Lucas stare at him every once in a while but decided to ignore the man. It became impossible however when Lucas started to talk.
"Look, Zero, I had no idea that you had… you know, dated Jude. I would've never said anything to you if I knew." His voice was shaking a little. It gave Zero a great deal of satisfaction to realize that the excuse of a man was afraid of him.
Slowly Zero turned in his chair to face Lucas and gave him a fake smile. "The thing is, Lucas…" He started, emphasizing his name. "…you did tell me and I recall you said something in the line that Jude was un-datable and wrecked for life." Zero felt his anger rise but refused to let it show. Lucas looked towards the door nervously, hoping that someone else would walk in. "But you were right in one thing: he really is hiding an amazing body underneath his suits. Too bad you can never see his body again. And guess what?" Zero slammed his hands against the table which made Lucas jump. "Jude is one of the greatest and wisest person I've ever met and you were willing to just throw him aside without even telling him about it face to face. So if anyone here in un-datable and wrecked… no, I think you're more than that. You're not even half of the person Jude is so if you ever mention his name around me again, I'm not responsible of my actions."
Lucas seemed to be defeated through the whole speech but when Zero started to talk about him, he met his gaze and his whole posture changed. "Are you threatening me, Zero?" He asked and leaned forward, ready to challenge the basketball player. "I'm just wondering. Did you ever discuss about my absence before you launched yourself at Jude after the game?" Lucas saw the answer in Zero's expression and a smug smile appeared on his face. "You know what? Maybe I should take your advice and talk to Jude. Explain why I didn't show up."
Zero pressed his lips to a thin line and swallowed. He didn't get a change to reply when Jude walked in, followed by Pete.
"Oh, you're already here." Jude stopped to his tracks, clearly feeling the tension in the room. He glanced awkwardly at Lucas and nodded at him. Lucas gave him a toothed smile. Zero noticed that Jude seemed to consider where to sit. Pete walked past him and sat next to Lucas, leaving one seat between them. Jude locked his eyes on Zero's and lift his eyebrows as if to ask what had been going on before he came in. Zero just smiled to him and shrugged.
"Is there something wrong?" Pete asked and looked at Jude, who just shook his head. He made his way towards Zero and also left one chair between them to keep it more professional. Zero felt a little disappointed, he had hoped to swing his arm to rest against the backrest of Jude's seat and trace a pattern against his shoulder, watching Luca's expression while he did that, but now his plan was ruined.
"I don't really understand why we're doing a new contract for Zero. I thought you were happy to it?" Pete started the conversation and looked at Zero with a little frown. He probably thought that Jude did this only to get Zero more money.
"Jelena came to talk with me the night Oscar was kicked out." Zero didn't like the way Pete was looking at him and he wanted to tell the truth. "She said she would trade me. So I need a contract she can't undo herself."
"Wow, I didn't take there was so much bad blood between you two." Pete seemed to understand where he was coming from.
"Really?" Zero lifted his eyebrows. "Jelena has bad blood between everyone."
Jude took the opportunity to place the new contract to the table which he and Zero had been working on all night. Lucas eyed the paper pile wearily before taking it and started to read. All the details had been thought through so there was nothing much that Lucas or Pete could contradict with. So they signed and Jude forced himself to hide the smile of relief he felt by their action.
"Zero, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jude stopped in the middle of putting the signed contract back to his suitcase when Pete talked.
Zero and Jude looked at each other. "Why not." Zero finally said and watched as Jude left with Lucas following close behind.
Jude heard Lucas walk behind him and he decided to ignore the man and headed towards his office. He stopped however when he heard Lucas call out his name. Reluctantly Jude turned around, not wanting to be rude. "Yes?"
Lucas walked closer to him and stopped a little too close for Jude's liking so he took a step back. "I had a… interesting discussion with Zero before you came."
"I'm sure I'll hear all about it from him. I really need to go." Jude made a move to leave when Lucas took hold of his arm. Jude looked at his hand and Lucas withdrew it.
"I was thinking, maybe we could catch up? I never got the change to explain why I couldn't show up to the court." Lucas crossed the distance between them, making his intentions very clear to Jude.
"No thanks." Jude said bluntly and walked away, a little ashamed that he wasn't able to keep the promise he had made to Zero.
"I hope you enjoy your time together while it lasts!" Jude slowed down when Lucas called after him. "I think we all know what kind of type Zero is."
Jude fought against the urge to turn around and hit the guy. He had sincerely thought Lucas was a good guy but that line about Zero, made Jude change his opinion of the man.
When he walked away, a thought accrued him. He quickened his pace to get to his office faster. He never saw Lucas again.
Jude met with Oscar the next day in his old office. Since the thought of Jelena being shot in the main office made him feel uncomfortable. Oscar had never been there before, so it was weird for Jude to see him standing there. His ego seemed to fill up the whole room. Oscar sat down to the other side of the desk without asking permission.
"So what is it that you wanted to see me?" He asked and looked wearily at his son.
"Actually, I've figured out a way to get the Devils back under the Kinkade's name." Jude said and couldn't help but smile when he saw how Oscar's eyes lit up. The man leaned forward to hear more what Jude was about to say. "It should only take one meeting and your signature."
"What do I need to sign?" Oscar looked at him with hungry eyes. Jude hated that not so long ago, he would've done anything to get that attention from Oscar. Now he only felt like a tool, to be used to gain something bigger.
Jude forced those thought to the back of his mind. He licked his lips and locked eyes with Oscar. "The Devil girls."
It took him only minutes to explain his plan to Oscar. It was painfully simple, yet no one could predict the outcome. Jude was still confident they could pull it off.
By the end of it Oscar was smiling smugly, deep in his thoughts, clearly picturizing what he could do with his new found power. "I'll arrange the meeting for tomorrow." He finally said.
"You don't have to." Jude said hurriedly and looked at his wristwatch. "The meeting should start in half an hour." He looked back at Oscar to see the man smile, genuinely, for the first time in his life.
"You have no idea how grateful I am to you right now." Oscar reached out to pat Jude's shoulder. "I'll meet you there."
Jude watched as he walked away before letting out a breath he had been holding. Oscar didn't suspect a thing.
The meeting was only formal. There were present one lawyer, a board member and Sloane Hayes. Jude had made the paperwork ready. It only needed all of their signatures.
"So, we're here to upgrade the Devil girl's ownerships." Jude started and felt Sloane's gaze on him. He shared a quick look with her before continuing. "As we all know Oscar owns thirty-five percent of the Devils girls. Sloane forty percent, Lionel twenty-two percent and I five percent."
"So after all the papers all signed, the Kinkade's will own the Devil girls?" Sloane examined her copy of the papers with a slight frown on her face.
"It's only formality." Jude smiled at her. He reached out to sign original copy. "After this…" He flipped a page and signed the other page too. "…Sloane will be owning ten percent of the Devil girls and the Kinkade's own the majority of the dancers." Jude signed the last section and offered the paper to Oscar. He watched as Oscar started to sign the papers without reading the contest. Jude's mouth felt suddenly very dry and he had to drink from the glass of water he had poured to himself. After, what seemed like forever, Oscar wrote his name down to the last paper and gave it forward to Sloane. She did the task faster and smiled at Jude.
"I think congratulations are in order." She said and stood to shook Jude's hand. "You're now the main owner of the Devil girls."
Oscar let out a dry laugh. "Sloane, I think your mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. Because it's I, who now own the majority of the girls."
"No, I think I'm right." Sloane looked at Oscar, eyes burning in revenge. "If you look closer at the papers, you'll see that I didn't sell my share completely to you, but to Jude."
Oscar's face fell as he looked at the papers. Luckily the lawyer had already taken them to his possession, because Oscar looked like he wanted to shred the papers to pieces.
"She's correct." Jude managed to speak even though his mouth had turned to sandpaper. "I got thirty-eight percent of Sloane's ownership, which makes me the owner of the Devil girls."
The look Oscar gave Jude, could've taken down many people, but Jude wasn't afraid of the man anymore. He could take the loath and hatred Oscar now felt for him. The man hadn't had a son for a long time.
