by Nola Marie
Jax grabs me by the shirt hauling me out of the chair to push me away. “Now is not the fucking time for this shit,” he growls angrily. “Can’t you see she’s hurting enough?”
I jerk away from him. I’m not backing down from this. I can’t. I am too fucking angry. He needs to stay the fuck out of it and out of my way. “Now is the perfect time. She was fucking selfish. She left us to deal with the grief of not knowing if she was okay. We had to live with the knowledge that she was raped and had a miscarriage, but we had no idea where she was. I had to fucking bury our parents without her. I -,” my eyes widen at the horror on her face, and my anger dissipates quickly as it came. The slip up with my fucking big mouth has just opened up a whole other can of worms. “Shit.”
Jax is by her side in an instant while I stand there frozen. She begins to sob uncontrollably as she stammers. Jax looks at me pure hatred. A look that he has never directed my way, and I see why it scares the fuck out of most people. Rory has absolutely nothing on him at this moment.
But I’m not scared of him. I’m not scared of anyone because there is something inherently broken in my head that doesn’t allow me to feel fear very often, and when it does arise, it’s not because of a person but a circumstance or situation.
But I do feel regret and guilt. Right now, all of my anger has transformed into those two emotions. I accept the angry glare I get from Jax and his demand for me to explain. Which I do.
“When?” she asks after I quickly tell her what happen. I look to Jax silently begging him to take over. I’ve just driven a knife into her heart in the first ten minutes of seeing her conscious after a year apart. I really didn’t mean to hurt her, but the anger I’ve been holding in for so long just came pouring through.
Unfortunately, the only person Jax is concerned with right now is Zoey, and he’s not letting me off the hook. So, I continue the story. She gasps as pain crosses her features. The beeping of the machine speeds up. Her heart is beating a million miles a minute, and the blood pressure monitor is sounding off some kind of alarm.
I recognize the signs. She’s having a fucking panic attack. Except, unlike all the other times it’s happened, this time she can’t run away.
A nurse comes in and I slink away with Jax on my heels.
“What the fuck was that?” he yells.
Guilt fills me because I know he’s right. I should have contained the anger better. I just couldn’t. I’ve been containing that shit for a year. He got some of his out on Maddox’s face. I let him berate me for several minutes until I’ve heard enough.
“I said I was fucking sorry, Jay. I can’t take it back now, so what the hell do you want me to do?” I hiss. Except I know what he wants. He wants to rewind time just like I do but we can’t.
I walk out of the room. I should probably let Jax head back to the hotel for a shower and some sleep, but I know he’s not leaving right now. So, I head out.
I send text to Maddox asking where he’s at. He sends me an address then I order an Uber.
Thirty minutes later, I’m sitting outside a bar called Lucky’s. I walk in and spot Maddox behind the bar. I take a seat in front of him. “You here to kick my ass?”
“I just needed to find someplace that had a familiar face,” I answer him honestly. “Although, kicking your ass sounds pretty fucking good too.”
He smiles, but I notice it’s not his usual cocky smirk. It’s a sad smile and I get the feeling that he’d let me just like he let Jax. Not that he’d stand much of a chance against Jax, but the Maddox I remember could hold his own.
“She’s awake,” I tell him.
I watch as he sags in relief. His shoulders look like he’s just lost a thousand-pound weight off his back. It looks like he’s been carrying a lot of guilt himself. “I know I should’ve called you,” he tells me sincerely.
I wave him off. “You did what you thought you needed to. I don’t like it, but I get it. We all fucked up with her. And she fucked up too. She should’ve come home with us instead of running.”
Maddox slides me a glass of Jack. “She – she’s been closed off, Zane. I’ve tried like hell to get her to call you or to get help. The more I pushed the more she shut me out.”
I take a sip of my drink. “What else went on with you and my sister?” I ask him casually.
He raises an eyebrow with a chuckle. “Nothing went on, Zane. Not with me.”
“I’m not blind, Masters. I’ve always seen how you look at her. Why the fuck do you think Jax always had such a problem with you?”
He shakes his head with a smile. “Yeah, but she’s only ever wanted him. It doesn’t matter who’s in between, Jax is all she sees. I’m not looking to be in anyone’s shadow.”
“Sorry, man. Had to ask.” I throw back the rest of the drink as he slides me another.
He waits on a few other customers as I sit there sipping on my drink. I’ve had a lot of – well let’s call it what it is – hate for him for a long time. After his little stunt with her when we were kids, I’ve never trusted him, but Jax is right. He has watched over her for the last year the best he could. He let her stay with him so he could do just that.
That had to be hard as fucking hell. The guy has had a thing for Zoey for a long damn time, but he’s known all along where her heart really lies. And he still gave her a place to stay. He still looked out for her. He wants her in his life in any capacity. I guess that says more about him than I ever realized.
He comes back to me after he’s finished with the other people. “About what I texted you earlier? The girl I was asking for? Well, she’s a friend of mine. She’s tried extremely hard to get to know Zoey, and she still wants to try.”
“Why? Zoey won’t be here much longer.”
“I know, but Tori doesn’t care. She just wants to help, and I thought Zoey could use a friend.”
“Yeah, she probably could,” I admit. “Thanks, Masters, for watching out for her.”
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I could do for her. You gonna be here for a while longer?” I nod. “I have to get up there, but I’d like to talk some more when we’re done,” he nods towards the stage.
I lift a brow. “You’re in a band?”
He laughs at me. “Yeah, I’m in a band.”
And suddenly I remember what it was that Zoey liked about him all those years ago. I just figured it was a phase he was going through until his dad prepped him for the family business. Never really understood what his family business was but I knew it was something. The guy had every material thing you could ask for. He must've given it all up to be working in a bar.
Guess it wasn’t just a phase.
I watch them play through a set, and I have to admit that I’m impressed. They’re fucking good. I never in a million years expected Maddox to sound like that, but he definitely has a voice on him.
When they finish playing, I watch as women surround the stage. I give a little chuckle. I feel like I am seeing into Maddox’s future and I am seeing a star. I know what it’s like to have that kind of attention. I can’t help but wonder if Maddox, given his history, is prepared for the – stress of fame.
Then my eyes fall on a fucking hot blond that wraps her arms around the drummer. Her ultra-blond hair is nearly white and hangs around her waist. She’s wearing leggings and an off the shoulder cropped sweater that lets me see the amazing ass on her. She has tattoos on her shoulder, and I want to know if they go on under the sweater.
When she turns around, I have to make a conscious effort to keep my tongue in my mouth. The girl is a knockout. The cropped top shows off her well-defined stomach with lines of muscle on each side that make my mouth water. She has the biggest, darkest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. Full, pouty lips painted red and high cheek bones define her face. And her fucking legs go on for days.
When Maddox returns behind the bar, I gesture for him to come my way. “Who’s that?” I ask as she walks past me with the drummer.
Maddox gives m
e a knowing look. “That is Tori. And she would eat you alive.”
I laugh. "I don't mind being dinner."
Tori
“Are you going to be okay?” I ask Maddox as we step off the elevator on the third floor of the hospital.
He laughs at me as we walk down past several rooms and the nurses’ station. “I’ll be fine, Tori,” he assures me, but he stops walking making me wonder if he’s second guessing himself.
“Tori, Jax and Zane are fiercely protective of Zoey. They’ve kicked my ass over her more than once. But given their celebrity, they’re more protective than ever.”
“What are you talking about? They’re famous?”
His lips quirk a bit at the corners. “You’re something else, Tori. Only you wouldn’t know who they are. Come on and you’ll see.”
Of course, I know who they are. I recognize their names since they are all over the papers and the internet.
I follow behind him to the room. He eases the heavy door open to peek inside.
“Come on in, Masters, before they think you’re a creep,” I hear a deep voice call from the other side.
I hear a high-pitched tinkling voice laugh. Maddox’s shoulders relax when he hears the sound. We ease our way into the room. A big guy sits on Zoey’s bed kissing her. “Oh God my eyes,” Maddox teases. “I can’t unsee that shit.”
Zoey giggles again as the guy pulls back with a smile. The guy really is huge. And hot as hell too with tan skin and dark hair. Even darker lashes frame his hazel eyes that look at Zoey like she is the reason for his existence.
But he is not the guy that I’m really looking at. It’s the other one. The one I’m assuming is her brother since his lips weren’t just plastered to hers, and because they share the same last name.
Zane Valen.
If Zoey is the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, then her brother is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. The kind of man that makes you squeeze your thighs together with nothing more than a smile.
His dirty blond hair is cut a little shorter on the sides than the top with waves and curls lingering on the top and around his ears a bit. Dark brown eyes frame his almost too pretty face. His cheek bones are super high, and his chin and jaw are strong. He’s tall too. Taller than Maddox, and slightly broader. His smile is coy and mischievous almost. Like he knows a secret about you but isn’t saying a word.
I’ve noticed him at Lucky’s a couple of times. Hard not to when he had men and women alike gravitating to him. I think, even if he weren’t who he is, it would be like that. Like Zoey. He’s like a magnet.
I wanted to approach him but didn’t want to fight my way through the crowds that surrounded him.
He impressed me the way he talked to each person. He talked to them like they were just any other person. Like he was just any other person. He didn’t carry himself like he was one of those big-headed athletes or whatever. He carries himself with a natural confidence. Like he knows he’s good and doesn’t need the accolades to validate himself.
“Oh girl, no wonder you never let me set you up with anyone,” I say from my spot behind Maddox. Zoey’s eyes go wide with surprise when she notices my presence.
“She wanted to make sure you were okay,” Maddox explains to her.
I step from behind him, keeping my eyes on Zoey instead of on her ridiculously hot brother who hasn’t stopped staring at me since I walked into the room.
“I’ll live for now,” she tells me.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to these two incredibly hot men?” I tease her.
She blushes a bit with a huge smile. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen Zoey smile in the year that I’ve known her. It’s wide and bright and could probably bring about world peace. I feel like I am getting a glimpse of the girl Maddox has told me about. The girl he is so hung up on.
I also see that he never stood a chance. Not with the way she looks all glassy eyed at Jax McCabe.
“Tori, these are the two most import people in the world to me even though I haven’t done a very good job of showing it in the last year. Zane Valen, my stupidly obnoxious and arrogant twin brother, and Jax McCabe, my best friend and soulmate.”
“Soulmate, huh?” I say, but it’s a tease. Anyone within a hundred miles of these two could see they are meant to be together. It’s like you can physically feel their need for each other. They need each other to survive. “Is that code for boyfriend? Because the way he’s looking at you seriously suggests it definitely means more than friend.”
Zoey turns bright red at my words as she looks to Jax not quite certain how to answer. She doesn’t see that there is really no other answer to that question. His love for her is almost too much to look at.
“‘I’m her boyfriend,” he answers but he’s telling her. Not me.
I smirk at the comment. “I think I understand now why you always stayed so quiet and secretive,” I tell her. I know it’s not the real reason, but I want to make her feel better. I want her to know that I’m not angry about the times she turned me down to hang out. “Kind of hard to keep things on the downlow when your brother and boyfriend are big time football players.”
Maddox lets out a groan as the realization that I know exactly who they are. “Please tell me you’re not going to go all fangirl.”
“I wouldn’t mind some fangirling right now,” I hear Zane say in a voice that makes my spine tingle with an accent I didn’t really pay attention to when it came from Zoey, Jax or Maddox, but out of his mouth sounds like sex. I make the mistake of looking at him. His eyes move up and down my body until they land on my eyes. The heat in them is unmistakable. My eyes fall on his mouth as he licks his lips before drawing his bottom lip between his teeth.
Zoey groans out loud from the bed. “What?” he asks incredulously. “Just saying.”
“Turn your downstairs brain off,” Jax says.
My eyes instantly drop to his crotch. He is sporting an obvious erection in those super tight jeans he’s wearing almost making me blush. Zane notices instantly where my eyes go. He quirks a brow at me with a smirk but doesn’t say a word.
Things get quiet for a minute. The atmosphere in the room takes a turn to the serious. The air gets a little thick with tension. I can feel stress vibrating off of everyone in the room.
“Zoey, I wanted to say I -,” Maddox begins but gets cut off by Zoey. “No apologies. Right?” she looks at Jax with such sweetness.
“No apologies,” he agrees kissing the palm of her hand.
“Ugh, you two are so sweet my teeth hurt,” I joke. I’ve never even considered love or anything remotely resembling it but who wouldn’t want what they have. The problem is that kind of love is so rare it’s like I’m looking at a unicorn. “How long have you been together?”
Zane lets out a chuckle. “The easier question is how long haven’t they been together?” He grins wide looking at his sister and Jax.
Maddox’s jaw drops as he gapes at Zane. “Really, man. Even when they weren’t together, they were fucking together.”
I notice a hint of sadness his eyes, but otherwise he seems fine. I am beginning to realize that, despite his feelings, Maddox knows Zoey is with exactly who she is meant to be with. He seems genuinely happy for them.
“Okay, enough of that,” Jax says with a smile hinting on his lips. “We’re together. Have been for a very long time. Will be even longer. End of story. Right, Angel?”
It’s all I can do not to swoon. They are too sweet. And knowing what I know, he must really love her to be here by her side. The guys I’ve known would’ve moved on by now.
I look at the time on my phone. I need to get going soon, but I don’t leave until I convince Zoey to come by the shop before she goes back to River City.
Maddox and I are pulling out of the parking lot when his phone buzzes. He clicks the read button on the screen of his SUV. It’s from Zane. Maddox is already smirking before he even hears the message.
“I want her number,” t
he hands-free system says.
I feel myself turning fifty shades of red. “He’s been asking me for days,” Maddox informs me casually.
My mouth drops at the revelation. I’ve seen him at Lucky’s, but I had no idea he’d seen me. Much less took an interest considering all the women flocking around him. I know I look good, but when lots of beautiful women are surrounding you, how do you possibly notice another blonde?
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I almost shriek.
“Awe look at you. Getting all red over a guy,” he teases me with a smirk. “Seriously though, Tori. Zane’s been known to be a bit of a player.”
“And you’re not,” I guffaw. Maddox has a different girl nearly every night. I know he’s hung up on Zoey, but the guy’s not a monk. Why would he be when he knows he will never get the girl?
“It’s not the same. The girls I’m with know the score. Zane has this way about him. Women fall in love without him trying. Probably because when it comes to women, he’s all southern charm. He doesn’t break hearts intentionally, but he’s left a string of them.”
I shake my head, still a little insulted that Maddox thinks I’m some kind of pushover or something. I’ve never been the head over heels type. I’m not the fairytale kind of girl. I’ve probably had as many flings as Maddox. Okay, maybe not that many, but I’ve had my fair share. I’ve never been with the same guy for more than a couple of months.
If we get along well enough, then I try them out for a bit, but the second things start to get serious, I hightail it out of there. I’m not necessarily commitment phobic. I just don’t understand the point. I have a good time while it lasts and when it’s over, it’s over. “I’m a big girl, Mads. I think I can handle myself.”