"God, I sound like such a girl," I mutter to myself, limping my way to the bathroom.
"Are you talking to yourself again Jake?"
I turn around and see Tobias leaning against his bedroom door frame smirking at me, his hair falling over his eyes.
"Shut up," I mutter, running a hand over my own face and leaning back against the wall.
"Dude, you could at least throw some boxers on." Tobias grimaces and I look down before choking back a laugh.
"Sorry I forgot," I chuckle quietly and he frowns, his eyes widening a little.
"Do you have someone in your room?" Tobias asks quietly, his voice completely changing into a serious firm tone. I clear my throat and stand up straight, avoiding his gaze. How the hell am I supposed to explain a naked Emily who's fast asleep in my bed right now?
I couldn't even explain it to myself.
"No," I lie, scratching the back of my head.
"You're lying," Tobias says, his jaw clenching tightly. He walks up to me, studying my eyes carefully.
"What have you done Jake?" Tobias questions, his eyes searching mine. I take a step back, running a hand over my face and inhaling deeply.
"I swear to God, I don't even remember her getting into my bed." I mutter, the events of last night becoming so blurry in my mind.
"Who?" Tobias asks firmly, the impatience in his voice crystal clear.
"Who do you think?" I frown, my voice rising at his suggestive words.
"Do you think I've slept with someone else? You do, don't you?" I add, the suprise obvious as I speak. I feel the anger build inside me.
"You really think I'd do that to Emily?" I snap back angrily. I shove the top of his arm, pushing him away from me. He gives me an apologetic look, his eyes trained on the floor.
"Emily is in my bed." I explain finally and his eyes widen before he glanced across the hallway to my bedroom door.
"What is she doing here?" He asks confused and I shrug, wanting to ask her the exact same question.
"Beats me." I yawn before heading into the bathroom, leaving him standing there, staring at my bedroom door.
"Wait! Did she say anything?" Tobias asks nervously and I turn back around, frowning.
"Say anything about what?..." I venture off, giving him a questioning glare. He clears his throat, searching my eyes deeply before he shakes his head, walking away.
"It doesn't matter," he mutters quietly. I frown deeper and shrug it off before heading for the bathroom to finally get a shower. I've just rinsed the shampoo out of my hair when I hear the ear splitting scream drift through the air, Emily's scream.
I turn the shower off and fling open the doors, my heart beating fast against my chest. I don't bother reaching for the towel and instead lung towards the bathroom door, flinging it open.
"Emily?" I yell.
There's no answer.
*****
Emily's POV -
"Tobias, what are you doing!?" I yell loudly, covering myself with the covers. He slaps his hand over his eyes, his mouth formed into a permanent 'o' shape.
"I am so sorry! I didn't know you were. . . You know!" He splutters apologetically.
"That I was naked?!" I yell, running my free hand through my hair.
"I just wanted to talk to you!" He yells back, his hand still covering his eyes. The bedroom door flies open and Jake barges in, his eyes wide with fear. My mouth immediately hung low as I took in his appearance. His hair was dripping wet stuck to his head and he had droplets of water falling down his face into his dark eyelashes. He was completely naked, his body glistening from the water dripping off him. He looked around in shock, his eyes landing on mine before I saw him physically breathe out, his shoulders relaxing.
"Why did you scream like that!?" He yells at me and I sit there, completely frozen to the stop on his bed, my mouth hung open unattractively.
"Emily?"
He begins clicking his fingers in front of my face, wanting me to snap out of my trance. I simply stare back at him, my eyes drinking in his appearance.
"Muffin!" He yells, throwing his hands up into the air. He curses a few times, muttering under his breath before he realises Tobias is stood behind him, looking sheepish.
"What the hell are you doing in my room T?" He asks, frowning deeply. Jake reaches over to his drawers, picking out some boxers before stepping into them. Thank god for that because I really couldn't concentrate.
"Tobias barged in here and I screamed because I'm naked and half asleep!" I explain quickly, finally returning to a functional human being. Jake's eyes widen at me and he snaps his head towards Tobias who's silent in the corner, his face burning bright red.
"Dude I didn't know she was naked, I just wanted to speak to her." Tobias holds his hands up in the air to provide his innocence. Jake frowns deeper and takes a step towards Tobias before sighing and opening his bedroom door wider.
"Get out."
Tobias nods, hurrying quickly out the door. I rub the sleep from my eyes and glance back at Jake, feeling extremely uncomfortable now that we're alone.
I narrowed my eyes and study his body further, noticing the black, blue and purple bruises covering most of his body. They travel down his neck and onto his chest and when you examine them closer, you could see how painful they look. I stand up, silently reaching for my shirt before pulling it on.
Jake stood still as I walked towards him, his chest rising heavily and falling. He hung his head low causing his hair that was now drying slightly to fall over his eyes, making him look so innocent and vulnerable.
"Jake," I whisper, my hand reaching out to brush over the large purple bruise that's spread over his chest. He flinches once my fingers brush over it and I snap my hand back to my side, not wanting to hurt him any further.
Tears prick the back of my eyes as I take in his battered and bruised body, his swollen under eye and the several cuts that run along his face.
"It's not as bad as it looks," he mutters quietly and I bite my bottom lip hard to stop the tears from falling. His body is an absolute mess.
"Amil did this to you?" I whisper and he nods silently, his eyes travelling up to meet mine that are filled with sadness.
"Emily, don't cry," he whispers, reaching out to pull me towards him. I bury my face into his chest, forcing myself to stay calm and focus on my breathing. His hand travels down my spine soothingly, his rough fingers pressing against my soft skin. I close my eyes and enjoy his touch, letting myself relax against his body.
His other hand weaved through my hair and he massaged it gently before tugging it backwards, forcing me to look at him. My eyes meet his piercing blue ones and my throat runs dry as I stare at the beauty of his face.
"What are you doing here?" He asks me quietly, his lips hovering over mine. I could faintly feel his warm breath against my lips and I so badly wanted him to close the space between us and kiss me.
"Your text," I mutter, remembering how I'd let myself in during the night and made my way to his room. I was completely sleep deprived, my brain shutting down from lack of rest. I ached for the warmth of his body next to mine and considering Ivory had stayed at Ben's last night, I decided to pay Jake a visit.
Jake pulled away at my response, hurt masking over his features. He dropped his hands to his side and swallowed, taking a set back. I frowned at his actions reaching for him, again already missing his touch.
"Jake?" I question and he cleared his throat masking over the hurt in his face with a emotionless front. He stepped to the side, motioning at the door —
"I guess you're gonna leave now," he murmurs, his voice cold and low. I shake my head as it dawns on me what he's thinking. He thought I was going to leave considering his text mentioned 'no strings attached'.
"There'll always be strings attached Jake," I tell him quietly and I felt him freeze next to me, his posture tensing up.
"So you're not going to leave again?" He asks me, his voice full of insecurity. I shake my head immediately, taking his han
ds in my small ones.
"I wouldn't do that," I say firmly forcing him to look into my eyes. I smile at him reassuringly and he lets out a deep breath, closing his eyes as he does so.
"Fuck, I can't stop thinking about you."
"I haven't stopped thinking about you. I wouldn't mess around with your feelings like that Jake, I don't play games." I say sadly and he nods at me, absorbing my words.
"I miss you," I add softly and his body relaxes further, his head dropping low so his forehead was now rested against mine.
"I miss you too. . . So much. It feels like half of me has disappeared, I'm incomplete." He whispers, his voice cracking from the pain he was feeling.
"I'm going to fix this Emily, I'm leaving the gang," he said, his eyes filling with life. I felt the weight on my shoulders immediately disappear and I stare at him in disbelief.
"Really?" I breathe out and he nods, smiling warmly at me.
"Really."
"How are you going to do that?" I ask, frowning at him a little. I know it isn't as simple as just 'leaving the gang'.
"Let me worry about that," he says quietly, placing a gentle kiss ontop of my head. I wrap my arms around his neck and look up at his handsome face.
"Thank you," I say gratefully and he shakes his head, his hands holding my waist tightly.
"Don't thank me," he whispers, his mouth dipping low so they met my lips which were aching for his. He finally gives me what I want and I melt against him as his lips press against mine firmly. I sigh against his mouth, leaning my body closer into his and he pulls back, clearing his throat a little. His blue eyes shine brightly at me and it warms my heart to see him so genuinely happy.
"You're pressing against me," he murmurs quietly, desire lining his voice. I chuckle, watching as his eyes turn a shade darker as they drift over body and bare legs.
I lean upwards on my tip toes and press my lips against his once again, making up for lost time. He has the exact same idea as I feel his hands grip onto my waist and he yanks me up so I can wrap my legs around his mid section. I pull back from his kisses, breathing heavily as I feel him harden against the top of my thigh.
"Put me down, I don't want you hurting yourself anymore than you are." I breathe out, smacking his shoulder lightly. He scoffs at my words, his features looking hurt.
"You don't think I can carry you? Give me some more credit than that."
"Sorry," I respond, nibbling on his bottom lip apologetically.
"You've lost weight Muffin," he murmurs worriedly, his free hand running across my spine. I nod sadly, my hair falling over my face.
"Do you care?" I ask him nervously, biting my lip and he shakes his head, his eyes fixed on mine.
"Of course not, you'll always be beautiful to me," he whispers, ducking his head down so he can press kisses along my neck. I smile warmly at his words and arch my body up, giving him more access to my neck. He places me down on to the bed gently before climbing on top of me, his lips never leaving my body.
"Jake. . . " I breathe out.
"That's my name, don't wear it out." He chuckles. I roll my eyes at his sarcastic remark and pull his head down, letting my tongue explore his mouth. A knock on the door both snaps us out of it and I spring back away from Jake. He groans loudly as my hand leaves him and he stands to his feet, running a hand over his face.
"This better be fucking good!" He yells at the door, pulling over a shirt quickly. I bite back a laugh, watching as he walks to the door. He mutters curse words underneath his breath before turning back to me —
"I swear to God if this isn't good, I'm going to break his legs," he says moodily and I giggle at his childish behaviour. The door opens and Jake leans against it, his hand resting on the door knob.
"What T?" He snaps and I hear Tobias huff on the other side at Jake's tone.
"Amil's downstairs." I hear Tobias say quietly on the other side, his voice low and firm. I feel myself freeze up in fear noticing how Jake's back had also tensed, his shoulders squaring up defensively.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Jake growls quietly, the icy sharp tone in his voice crystal clear.
"He wants to talk to us... Both." Tobias replies before Jake nods silently.
"I'll be down in five, does he know?" Jake asks and I frown at their conversation.
Did Amil know what?
I hear Tobias muffle a 'no' from the other side before Jake shut the door softly, breathing heavily against it. He turns around, his eyes landing on me.
"Emily, if things sound like they are going bad, lock this door and do not let anyone in here. Do you understand?"
I nod, gulping as I notice how serious Jake is right now, his expression grim. He breathes heavily and turns to find a shirt from his closet.
I watch as he reached up to grab something from the boxes stored in his wardrobe. My eyes widen as my eyes fall on the small black object in his hand, a gun. Jake turns and notices the expression in my eyes before he sighs deeply, running a hand over his face in distress.
"Muffin, it's for my protection. I won't shoot it unless I have to, it's me or him." He explains, putting the gun inside the waistband of his shorts. I nod silently and he gives me an apologetic look, walking over to me. I remain silent as he places a soft kiss on my lips before heading for the door. He turns and gave me one last look, his eyes turning shades darker.
"I love you Muffin," he says quietly and I feel my chest tighten in fear as a bad feeling settles in my stomach.
"I love you more Jake," I respond quietly, watching him open the door and disappear behind it.
Chapter Sixty Five - Is this the end?
Jake's POV -
I tense my shoulders defensively as I push back the living room door, instantly meeting eyes with Amil. His dark eyes hold humour as they drift down my body and up again.
"You look well," he breaks the silence, sarcasm lining his voice.
"Why are you here?" I ask him, taking a step forward. I notice the two men on either side of him walk forward, protecting Amil. I glance at both of them, scoffing —
"You think if I wanted to beat you, these two kids could stop me?" I threaten quietly and Amil smirks, shaking his head slowly.
"No I don't. . . Take a seat boys," Amil commands and they instantly sit down, their postures tense as they both glare at me.
"Why are you here?" I repeat, my voice rising slightly. Amil remains silent and circles the room, inspecting it. My eyes follow him everywhere he goes and I notice Tobias stood behind me, his presence now also in the room.
"Can a boss not come to see how his favourite worker is doing, hmm?" Amil says smoothly, running a finger along the furniture before inspecting it and wiping it against his jacket with a look of disgust on his face.
"You've never bothered before," I snap back, narrowing my eyes at his behaviour.
What game is he playing?
"When will you be ready to work for me again?" Amil suddenly says, turning and facing me. I widen my eyes at him, shock written across my face. I feel Tobias nudge my back slightly, letting me know I need to keep the plan a secret. I clear my throat and mask over my surprise with an emotionless expression.
"A week," I respond bluntly, looking him straight in the eyes. Amil nods slowly before he turns towards Tobias —
"Ah Tobias, how have you been doing?" He smirks and I physically feel Tobias stiffen behind me, his posture rigid.
"Fuck you," he spits out disgustedly at him. I turn my head slightly, giving Tobias a warning glare but he hardly notices as his eyes burn through Amil's. The tension between these two is sharp, the anger vibrating off both of them. Suddenly Amil tears his eyes off Tobias, humour filling them as he lands on something else he wants.
"Pretty thing. Nice to see you again."
"You." Emily says, her eyes narrowing in his direction. I snap my head towards her standing in the doorway. She's staring at Amil, her eyes narrowed.
"Emily, what are you doing here? Get out." I instruct her firm
ly. She glances between Amil and I, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"I want to make sure everything was okay, clearly it's not." She says quietly, glaring in Amil's direction. She's holding a knife behind her back and I widen my eyes, motioning at Tobias to get the knife. He needs a weapon in case a fight breaks out. I mask my face over and clear my throat.
"Baby, I'm fine." I say quietly, making my way over to her. She smiles tightly at me and I notice her body shaking as she watched Amil . . . She's scared of him. I pull her into my chest and place a gentle kiss on her head to calm her nerves —
"Isn't that sweet?"
I freeze and turn my head towards him, my jaw locked tightly. Amil has a sick smile plastered on his face as he watches Emily with me.
"So, is she the reason you messed up Jake?" Amil asks, already knowing the answer. He studies Emily, his head tilted to the side.
"We meet again darling," he smirks towards her and I feel her visibly stiffen in my arms. I instantly stand in front of her, shielding her from Amil's view.
"Keep her out of this," I hit back threateningly and Amil's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"Keep her out of what? A friendly conversation?" He asks playfully, his tone sarcastic and full of humour.
"Shouldn't she be thanking me? I saved her life after all... Without my help she never would have escaped Jones."
I felt Tobias tense up beside me and he takes a step towards us, protecting Emily further from Amil's glare.
"So she owes me," Amil says obviously, rolling his eyes at the glare I'm shooting his way.
"She owes you nothing," I spat back at him, my fists clenching at my sides.
"I can work in a week, now get out Amil." I say firmly, holding my head high. His head shoots towards me at my tone of voice and his eyes darken with anger.
"Don't speak to me like that!" Amil responds, almost in a sickening sing song voice.
"We both know what happens if you get on the wrong side of me Jake."
I feel bile rise to the back of my throat as I know exactly what he's talking about. I take a step forward, ready to show him exactly what would happen if he got on the wrong side of me. Tobias' hand shoots out and he pulls me back, forcing me to calm down.
His Mission (HIS SERIES Book 1) Page 38