Grayson Ignores Jacob’s Order and Receives a Threat From [Spoiler] — Plus, Will We Meet Joey’s Family?

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As they catch up at Caffeine Fix, Donnell admits to Kat that he’s starting to like Joey. She relays how he helped to find Chelsea’s kidnapper via his escort service. Upon hearing about Heart Attach, an unsettled Donnell abruptly gets up for more coffee.

While he’s gone, Kat watches a reel of her and Chelsea unboxing their latest bag, inspired by Anita. Donnell returns and deduces that his mother knows about Joey’s escort service. He worries she’s keeping secrets from him.

Joey Opens Up to Vanessa

At the casino, Joey fills in a dogged Vanessa about his “old school syndicate” father from New York. Joey was his apprentice and went wherever he was taken and did whatever he was told. But while his father was abusive with him, Joey’s younger sister, Heather, was daddy’s little girl, who he did not allow to work for the family business. Joey would have gladly traded places with her, but his father didn’t allow him to go to college. Joey and Heather have since lost touch.

Joey leaves the card room when Donnell drops by. As mother and son discuss Deanna, who has gone back to school, Vanessa implores Donnell to defend Joey to his sister. Donnell can’t because Deanna only sees Joey as a sleazy crook. Joey rejoins them as they discuss how out of character Deanna’s anger is. Is something else going on with her?

Grayson’s Blood Ring Boss Revealed?

Still on a high from the clinic’s opening, Derek slides into Naomi’s booth at Orphey Gene’s. She suggests the clinic’s success could lead them to replace Leslie as the donor. She also remains vague about Jacob’s whereabouts and relays that Grayson and Ashley seem to really like each other. Derek thinks there’s something odd about Grayson, though, and asks her to keep an eye out for Ashley.

Alone on the hospital elevator, Grayson makes a very obvious drop to an even more obvious Jacob. Jacob orders him to end his relationship with Ashley, but Grayson scoffs.

Grayson meets Ashley at Caffeine Fix, where he wonders if she and Derek could have worked out if not for him. She assures him he has nothing to worry about regarding her ex. After discussing his mother, whose symptoms are getting worse, Grayson walks Ashley back to work and takes pause at her describing him as honest.

After Ashley steps away, Lia asks Grayson if his thing with Ashley is becoming a distraction. She cryptically suggests he focus on keeping his employer happy rather than his girlfriend. He retorts that there have been no complaints so far. “If there were,” she gravely warns, “You’d already be dead.”

After getting a text from him on her burner, Naomi meets Jacob for sex.

Martin’s Making Moves

Martin drops by the grands’ house while Anita rests. Martin reveals to Vernon he’s been approached to run for Senate. However, he’s worried about Joey demanding favors. Vernon knows he’d always put his constituents first, no matter who pressures him, and advises him to focus on his current election first.

Next on Beyond the Gates, Izaiah and Eva get flirty, Ted warns Leslie to stop crossing the line, Dani can’t believe who has been hijacking Chelsea’s wedding plans, Kial and Carlton have a confrontation in front of Nicole, a weepy Naomi wonders, “Where is he?”, and construction shuts down on Leslie’s house.

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