by Ancelli
“I was pregnant.” She wiped her tears. “He tried to trap me with the marriage and keep me in the house. He wanted me literally barefoot and pregnant.”
“What happened to the baby?”
“I had a miscarriage.” He could barely hear her. “I was only two-and-a-half months along.”
José could feel her pain. This was the first time since they’d met he’d seen sadness in her eyes. José slipped off the bed and encircled her waist with his hands. “I’m sorry, muñeca.”
“I’m fine.” Jewel wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Phil blamed me for the loss of the baby. He said if I had followed his instructions and became a stay-at-home wife, our baby would be alive.”
“Babe.” José wiped her tears with his fingers.
“The baby wouldn’t have survived, no matter what I would’ve done. It was an ectopic pregnancy.” Tears continued running down her cheeks. “If I didn’t have a miscarriage, the doctor was going to give me some kind of medication to stop the growth or they would have to go in and remove the baby.”
He didn’t want to ask, but needed to know. “Can you…have kids?”
“Yes.”
He cupped her face. “I will never let anyone hurt you again.” He stroked his thumbs over her cheekbones.
She placed her hands on his. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
He would do anything in his power to keep a smile on her face and damn anyone who tried to hurt her. “I’ll do my damndest to.” He drew her closer, and kissed her lips.
Jewel gave him a small grin. Her smile made his heart beat double-time. “You’ve become my best friend.”
“Emma might get jealous.” José chuckled, holding her close.
“You’re right.” Jewel giggled, making her breast rub against him. “My male best friend, then.”
“That’s all that I am?” José smirked, arching an eyebrow.
Jewel combed her fingers through his silky hair. “Joe, you have made me one of the happiest woman alive.”
“That’s more like it.” José stood. “You are the flashlight through my darkness. My sunshine after the rain.”
“Awww.” She scratched his scalp. “Is that your way of telling me you really, really like me?”
“Oh, I really, really, really like you,” José palmed her ass.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jewel threw a shoe at him, and José ducked out of the way. “Why did you do that?”
“How many times have I told you not to leave your shoes in the living room?” Jewel raised her voice to be heard over the machine and continued vacuuming without looking at him.
José opened the sliding-glass doors to the backyard and stepped out. He took a deep breath. Jewel had been getting on his nerves. From the moment she’d woken up, she’d been nagging him about every little thing. Now he understood why he never wanted to be in a relationship. He started laughing. Jewel was something else, but she was his.
He grabbed the lawnmower, and poured some gas out of the red container into the machine. José took in the green lawn with weeds growing wild. Weeks had gone by, and he hadn’t done yard work. The grass had grown out of control. He yanked the lever, and the lawnmower roared to life.
José pushed the lawnmower up and down the yard. Sweat rolled down his back and face, and he wiped his forehead with his T-shirt. Life was better than he ever thought it would be. Carlitos sounded happy when they spoke. He was getting better grades in school, and was even getting along with Olga’s boyfriend. José’s relationship with his mother grew stronger each time he called her. Jewel was the light in his path. She made him believe in himself. He couldn’t see a future without her. The only problem he had was Jewel’s dad, who’d called saying he needed to talk, but José kept avoiding him. He wasn’t ready for the father talk yet. Jewel had invited him to her parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and he’d finally agreed to go. He finished the last patch of grass, and pushed the machine into the shed.
He strolled up to the sliding doors and left his dirty shoes outside. José wiped his hand down his face, looking down at his grassy pants and socks. He dusted himself off before stepping into the house.
“I made you lunch,” Jewel said from the couch, “and fresh lemonade.”
“Thanks.” He closed the doors. “I’m going take a shower.”
“Okay.” She slowly moved down the sofa, and laid down with her hands over her eyes.
José went into their room, straight to the bathroom, and took off his dirty clothes, making sure he placed them in the hamper before she harped at him about that, too. By the time he completed his shower and was dressed again, he came out to find Jewel, still on the couch with her legs curled up, grumbling in pain.
“Muñeca, are you okay?” José asked, moving closer to her.
“Cramps,” she mumbled.
José smirked. No wonder she’d been acting a damn fool; she was PMS-ing. “You need something?”
“No.” She twisted her head to look at him.
He walked into the kitchen, served himself a glass of her famous lemonade, and grabbed the plate with two sandwiches and chips that was on the counter. José sat down next to her, took her legs, and put them over his thighs. “Are they as bad as last month?”
“Worse.” She closed her eyes.
“Did you take some of that female medicine you have in the cabinet?” José picked up his plate and started eating.
“Yes.” She rubbed her abdomen.
José took two more bites of the sandwich, and removed her hand. “Babe.” He began massaging her tummy. “Does that feel better?” He worked his palms gently over her belly.
“Yes.”
She kept giving him short answers. She must really not be feeling good.
“I need to go to the store,” Jewel mumbled.
“I’ll go. What do you need?” His fingers gently dug into her skin.
Jewel opened her eyes, and stared at him. “Maxi pads.”
José slightly opened his mouth and arched his brows, making Jewel chuckle.
“Pads?”
“Forget it. I’ll go.”
“I’ll go.” He gripped her hip, not letting her move.
She laughed. “Really?”
“Really.” José lifted her legs off him, placing them on pillows on the couch. He went into their room, put on his Nikes, and grabbed his keys off the dresser.
“Are you sure?”
He strolled over to her and kissed her. “For you, I’ll do anything, and I need a break away from you.” He really did. José would never have gone to the store to get female products, but when it came to Jewel, he broke all his old rules.
Jewel’s lips lifted in a small grin, and she smacked his arm. “I need a break from you as well.” She covered her nose. “You stink.”
“No, I don’t.” José grabbed his shirt and smelled himself. “I smell like Downy.” He moved toward the door. “Get some rest.”
“Thank you, Joe.”
He opened the door, then glanced back at his heart. He was finally home. He’d searched for this all his life and now he was here. He smiled, stepping out, and closing the door behind him.
***
Jewel opened her eyes, looking at the closed door. Someone was ringing the bell and then banging on the panel. She slowly sat up in frustration, pushed herself off the couch, strolled up to the door, and swung it open. “Where’s your ke—”
“Hi, Jewel.”
She pressed her lips together at the sight of the person in front of her. He had a smirk on his face as he watched her in return. She gripped the edge of the door. “Phil, what the hell are you doing here?”
“I told you we need to talk.” Phil shoved past her and over the threshold. “I thought that fool would never leave.”
Jewel watched him in disbelief. How long had he been out there? Did he just walk into her house? “Who said you can come in?” She placed her hand on her hip.
“This is my house! I can’t believe you have anoth
er man living here.”
“This isn’t your home,” she said sternly. “Phil, I don’t have time for this bullshit today.” Jewel opened the door wider. “Get out!”
Phil stared at her. He didn’t look like he was about to move, but instead of walking to the door, he ambled to her living room. “I’m not going anywhere until we come to an understanding.” He sat on her sofa.
Jewel closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She really wasn’t in the mood, nor was she feeling well, and the last thing she needed was her ex harassing her about the house, or money.
“I’ve been calling you for months, and you’ve been avoiding me. Why?” Phil picked up her tuna sandwich and took a bite. “I’ve even sent you flowers a few times.”
The nerve. “Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to talk to you.” She moved from the doorway, but left it open. She was going to tell him that the flowers were appreciated by her students’ parents, but decided against it. It would give him more ammunition to keep talking. “If you want to talk about this house, have your lawyer contact mine.”
Phil rapidly stood, and marched up to Jewel, then slammed the door shut. “I let you date that fool Chris, but enough is enough!”
“You let me?” Jewel pointed at his face. “You better get out of my face,” she growled.
“Jewel, sweetie.” He tried to touch her arm, and she moved out of his reach. “Give me another chance. I’ve changed.”
She had to back away from him in surprise. What did he just say? He wants another chance with whom? Jewel tipped her head. “Where did that come from?”
“I miss you, sweetie.” He gazed at her.
Jewel tried not to laugh in his face. Was he freaking insane? Phil would never change. “Are you crazy!” She glared at her ex. “After everything you put me through.”
“I said I’m sorry!” he yelled.
“You tried to take my house, my dignity, and my self-worth.”
“It’s our house. Don’t you forget that.” His jaw tightened. “And I tried to make you a respectable woman.”
Jewel narrowed her eyes at him, feeling her cheeks burn in anger. “Phil, leave before José comes home—”
In a swift move, he grabbed Jewel’s arms, pulled her against him, and shook her. “I don’t fucking care about that thug. You better tell him to move out of my house, if you know what’s good for you.” He bowed his head and tried to kiss her.
Jewel wrestled her arms free from his grip. This motherfucker had lost his mind. She pulled her lips back from her teeth in a sneer. “I’ll be back.” She marched toward her bedroom, straight to her open closet, and fumbled for her safe box.
She strolled into the room with her hands behind her back. Phil was smiling, standing right where she’d left him.
“You’re back.” He smiled wider, making her more upset.
“I’m going tell you one more time. Get out.” Jewel made her voice cold.
Phil didn’t move. He just stared at her.
“You are trespassing on my property,” Jewel slowly moved her hands from behind her back, and pointed a hot pink semi-automatic pistol at him.
“Jewel, put the gun down.” Phil’s voice rattled.
Jewel placed her finger on the trigger. “You put your hands on the wrong woman. Get…out…of my house!” she yelled.
“Jewel, baby,” Phil said nervously.
She pulled the trigger, and the gun went off. The smell of the gunpowder tickled her nose. Jewel’s index finger stung from the pull.
“Are you fucking crazy?” Phil turned, looking at the bullet hole on the wall next to his head. His hands started to shake.
“Next time, I won’t miss.” She slowly inched forward.
He watched her with fear in his eyes, backing up. Phil spun around, walked down the halls, grabbed the knob, and swung the door open. “This is what that thug taught you?”
She smirked. “That thug, as you call him, is more man than you’ll ever be.”
He finally left her house. “You’re going to pay for this, you bitch!”
“Bring...it…on!” She grabbed the door and slammed it in his face. Jewel closed her eyes, exhaled and inhaled, then pushed away from the door. With trembling hands, she put the gun down on the coffee table. She could hear her cell phone ringing from her bedroom, and rushed to get it. The medication was finally kicking in. Jewel grabbed her phone from the charger, and answered.
“Hey.”
“Babe, I didn’t know there were so many pads.” José sounded overwhelmed. “Always, Kotex, Carefree…wings, no wings, long, regular… Shit, girl.”
Jewel burst out laughing. “Sorry, baby.
“What kind do you want?”
“With wings.”
***
Jewel was asleep right where he’d left her, except there was a gun on the coffee table. José placed the grocery bags down. What happened? He hadn’t known she even owned a gun. She turned on her side.
“Muñeca.” He sat next to her and gently shook her. “Babe…”
Jewel’s eyes slowly opened.
“Why is there a gun on the table?” He examined her as she sat up. He noticed she had a Band-Aid on her index finger. Now he was getting worried.
“I was practicing my aim.” Jewel pursed her lips. He knew she was being sarcastic.
“On what?” José stared at her. “I don’t see any targets.”
She pointed at the wall. “I missed.”
He looked up at what she was pointing at, and he saw the hole she’d made. “You were shooting at the wall?” José raised his voice. “The truth, Jewel.”
“That’s the truth. I aimed at Phil, and hit the wall.” Jewel smirked.
“Phil!” José jumped up. “What was he doing here?” The vein in his neck throbbed. That fucker must have waited until he was gone to approach their home.
“He wanted to talk about the house, but he made a mistake,” Jewel inspected her finger. “I pinched my finger when I pulled the trigger.”
“What mistake?” José clenched his jaw, then cracked his neck. He needed to have a talk with her ex.
“Do you always crack your neck when you’re mad?” Jewel smiled.
“What mistake?” José roared.
Jewel sat against the couch. “He grabbed me.”
“He put his fucking hands on you?” José glared at her. That motherfucker had come into their house and laid a hand on his woman. There was a lot he could let by, but not this. No man had a right to put their fucking hands on a woman that was one thing his dad taught him. Memories of what had happened to Jazmine came back to him. He never saw the way she’d looked after the attack, but he imagined it when his brother described that awful night he’d found her. José could never forgive himself for not being there to protect Jazmine. He knew the situation wasn’t his fault, but he couldn’t help but wonder. “I’m going to fucking break every bone in his body.”
She stood, taking his hand in hers. “José, I took care of it.” She spoke softly. “He knows not to mess with me.”
José gazed at her. “Baby, if anything happens to you…”
“Nothing happened.” She sighed. “He just grabbed me.”
“Did he touch you against your will?” He caressed her neck with his thumb.
“Yes, but—”
“But nothing…he touched the wrong woman.” José clenched his teeth, all the while staring at his woman, his heart. “What else did he do?” Jewel’s gaze wandered when he asked her the question. There must be more.
“José, he is full of shit. He barks, but he doesn’t bite.” Jewel moved out of his embrace.
“I’m going make sure he doesn’t get any more ideas.” José wasn’t going to drop this. Phil would get the point, once and for all.
He ambled next to her, grabbed her hand, and the gun. “We’re going to a shooting range, now.”
“I can shoot.”
“After we finish today, you will be an expert shooter.” He kissed her hurt finger. J
osé needed to make sure she knew how to defend herself.
Jewel wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him down to a sweet kiss. “I’m already an expert shooter. If I wanted to shoot him, believe me, I would’ve.” She moved, grabbing the bags he’d brought in and taking her gun out of his hand. “I’m going take a shower.”
José dug in his pocket for his cell, and dialed his brother. “I need a fucking favor.” He was pissed, pacing the living room.
“Calm down. What happened?” Javier asked.
“He put his hands on her, that’s what happened.” José tried to control his anger. He wanted to punch something.
“Who?”
José needed to calm down. There was nothing he could do over the weekend. “Jewel’s ex. He came here.”
“What!”
“Yes, something about the house, but I can tell there was something she’s not telling me. I think he made a pass at her.” He was getting more upset, thinking about another man touching her. “You owe me one.”
“What do you want to do?” Javier asked.
“I’m going to pay him a visit at work.” José stepped out to the back yard, pulling out a black and mild cigar.
“At work?”
“Javy, if I go to his home, I might kill him. At his work I will control myself, just get him a little shaken up, and that’s where you come in. I need you to have my back.” José lit the cigar, taking a puff. “Can I count on you?”
“Always.”
“Gracias.” he took two more puffs, looking out at the yard.
“We’ll get that asshole.” He could hear the anger in his brother’s voice.
“Oh, I know we will.” José dropped the cigar on the ground, and stepped on it. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay, and dude? Stop smoking that shit.”
“Yeah, yeah. Bye.” José ended the call, and stared up to the sky. He would kill to protect her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The elevator opened on the third floor. José and Javier marched down the hallway, searching for Phil’s office. They turned the corner, and could see the receptionist sitting at a brown desk. José read the signs above her head, and found their target’s name listed fourth on the board. The older lady eyed them over the rim of her glasses.