Until Jax

by Aurora Rose Reynolds

  “Is everything okay?” I ask, seeing the look on his face and the way his body seems to be strung tight, like all of the muscles in his torso are larger than they were before he went outside.

  “It’s fine,” he says, but his tone and demeanor are saying something completely different. “Let’s go,” he states, picking up Hope and adjusting her in his arms. “When we get outside, you need to stick close.”

  “What was it, Jax?” I ask, trying to keep the wobble out of my voice, which is difficult, because I’m so scared.

  “There was a note on my car.”

  “About me?” I ask, looking at Hope. I would die if anything happened to her.

  “As soon as I get you two home, I’ll call my uncle.”

  “Jax,” I whisper, feeling my insides begin to fill with adrenalin, which is making me want to take Hope and run as far and as fast as I can.

  “Nothing will happen to you or Hope. Now, I need you to listen to me and do what I say.”

  “Okay,” I agree with a nod, picking up my bag from the booth and swinging it over my shoulder.

  “Come on, baby,” he says, taking my hand and leading me out of the restaurant to his truck that is parked right out front. Getting into the back with Hope, I watch Jax run around the front of the truck to the driver’s side then look around, trying to see if anything is out of place, but I don’t notice anything.

  When we pull up to the house, Jax takes us inside and gets us settled in the living room before leaving with his phone to his ear. Looking down at Hope, I pray Jax, unlike everyone else I know, is able to keep his word.

  Chapter 9

  Jax

  “You guys gonna be okay?”

  “Yeah, Ellie’s freaked, but I think since she knows this had nothing to do with the guy who kidnapped her, she’s gonna sleep a little easier,” I tell my Uncle Nico, looking toward the stairs, where Ellie disappeared with Hope a few minutes ago.

  I hate that she was scared at the restaurant, that I couldn’t reassure her things would be okay, but my only thought was to get her and Hope out of there and home. I’m not too worried that Mellissa will do anything while I’m around, but I’m still not going to risk anything happening to either of my girls. “When will Mellissa get served with the restraining order?” I ask, going to the fridge, grabbing two beers.

  “I know one of the judges in town, and I’ll make sure it happens tomorrow morning,” he says as I grab the bottle opener and pop the top on both before handing him one, leaning against the counter behind me, and taking a long pull. “I don’t think she will do anything to hurt Hope or Ellie,” he adds, and I feel my jaw clench.

  “I don’t think so either, but I’m not taking any chances. The chick thinks she has some kind of hold on me. Even after I’ve made myself clear on more than one occasion that there is nothing between us, nor will there ever be. Her insisting differently only tells me she’s whacked, and in this day and age, you can’t turn your back on crazy.”

  “I agree. It’s better to be careful,” Nico agrees.

  “I don’t know how my dad did it,” I mutter, taking another pull from my beer, watching as my uncle’s face changes slightly. I know he understands what I’m talking about. He helped my dad get back Ashlyn after my biological mom kidnapped her when she was little.

  I still remember being scared when she took Ashlyn right from our backyard when we were playing hide-and-seek. Even as scared as I was, I still found my way into the back of the pickup truck, where I hid under a tarp. When the truck stopped at an old house in the country, I ran across a field to an old farmer’s house and told him what happened, and he called my dad. Thankfully, the guy my biological mom was going to sell Ashlyn to was actually an undercover agent, but if he hadn’t been, things could have turned out completely different.

  “The idea of Hope and Ellie being in any kind of danger sends me into a panic I’m not used to feeling.”

  “Love does that to you, makes you feel unsure and unsettled. To this day, I worry about your Aunt Sophie and your cousins. I don’t think there is a minute or second that goes by when I’m not wondering if there is something I can do to make sure they’re safe and taken care of. You just gotta know that shit’s gonna happen; things that are out of your control are going to occur, and the only thing you can do is be thankful you’re all together when the dust settles,” he says, just as the scent of Ellie hits me, letting me know she’s close. As soon as she walks around the corner into the kitchen, her gaze locks with mine and I feel my face go soft.

  “Is she asleep?” I ask her as she comes toward me.

  “Yeah, she didn’t even want to take a bath, so I know she’s beat,” she mumbles, walking to my side and taking the beer from my grasp, putting it to her mouth and taking a pull before looking at my uncle and saying, “Thank you for coming over.”

  Uncle Nico’s lips twitch. “No problem,” he says, setting his beer on the counter. “I’m gonna head out. I’ll call tomorrow after Mellissa has been served with the restraining order. If you need anything, just let me know.”

  “Will do,” I say, wrapping my arm around Ellie’s waist and following him to the front door.

  “We need to have dinner soon, your aunt Sophie has been on the girls’ asses about settling down since you met Ellie. I’m hoping if she can get some Hope time, she’ll chill out. I’m not ready to be a grandpa yet.” He grins as Ellie giggles then leans in and presses a kiss to her forehead, muttering, “Everything will be okay,” to her before giving me a chin lift as he opens the door then shuts it behind him.

  “I can’t see him as a grandpa either,” Ellie says, smiling at me. “He’s kinda a badass.”

  “He is a badass,” I tell her, taking her hand and leading her into the living room, where I settle her on my lap.

  “Are you okay?” I ask, taking the beer from her hand and setting it on the side table next to the couch.

  “Yeah, but you still didn’t tell me what the note said,” she complains quietly, lifting her head to look at me.

  “You don’t need to worry about it.”

  “Don’t do that; don’t make me feel like I have no control over my life or the things that effect me and Hope,” she says, and my mouth opens to speak, but she covers it with her hand. “I know you want to protect us. I get that, but I need to know what’s going on. You can’t just expect me to follow you blindly, not when Hope and I are involved.” Taking her hand off my mouth, I adjust her on my lap so she’s straddling my waist and take her face gently in my hands.

  “I don’t like that I’m the reason this is happening. I hate that, because of my bad decision, she thinks she can fuck with me and, in turn, fuck with you. I don’t want any of this to touch you or Hope. I don’t want you to have to worry.”

  “I’m already worried. You rushed me and Hope out of a restaurant like the mob was after us,” she says, making me fight a smile.

  Pulling her toward me, I place a soft kiss against her mouth then lean back, studying her face. “The note didn’t say much.”

  “Jax,” she growls, pushing against my chest and trying to get off my lap.

  Flipping her to her back, I pull her hands above her head and hold her down. “It said, When she’s gone, you’ll come back to me,” I snarl, feeling the anger from reading the words the first time build back up in my system.

  “Oh, my God,” she says as the color drains out of her face.

  “That’s why I didn’t want you to know what it said. That look on your face right now is the reason I wanted to keep that shit from touching you.”

  “I knew she was crazy, but I didn’t know how crazy she was,” she breathes in distress as her body stills under mine.

  “She won’t touch you or Hope. Nothing will happen to either of you.”

  “She’s crazy,” she repeats.

  “I’m going to call her dad in the morning. I know he doesn’t want this kind of attention, especially after what happened the other night at the restaurant. Hope
fully he will be able to talk some sense into her.”

  “I can’t believe her,” she whispers, looking over my shoulder before meeting my eyes once more. “What kind of woman does that? I mean, I know Kim told me about her twin trying to drug Sage, but this isn’t like that. She’s not trying to rob you,” she says, and I rear back, ’cause I have no idea what the fuck she’s talking about. “She wants you and thinks if I’m gone, you will go back to her. She’s seriously insane, and I mean insane…like she needs medication and a psychiatrist, maybe even a straight jacket.”

  “What happened with Sage?” I ask, ignoring her rambling.

  “Uhh…” She freezes then pulls her bottom lip into her mouth.

  “What happened to Sage?” I ask again.

  “I don’t think it’s my place to tell you,” she whispers, trying to sit up.

  “Tell me,” I demand, holding her wrist firmly against the couch.

  “You’re such a jerk.”

  “Ellie.”

  “Fine, but I think if Sage wanted you to know this, he would have told you himself.”

  She’s probably right, but I don’t give a fuck. “Tell me,” I repeat.

  Huffing then narrowing her eyes, she says, “Kim has an evil twin sister. Kim liked Sage, and they…” She pauses, turning red. “They hooked up, but then the next night she and Sage…you know…Sage went out, and Kim’s sister tried to drug him. So Sage now thinks Kim is crazy, but she’s not; her evil twin is.”

  “What the fuck?” I say, releasing her and sitting back on the couch, trying to wrap my head around this.

  “I know it’s totally messed up, and I feel bad, ’cause I think Kim really liked him before he called her a b-word and told her she was crazy,” she says, sitting up then moving over me, grabbing the beer from the table, pressing it into my hand, and then lifting it to my mouth. “I’m going to talk to Sage about it, but I haven’t been able to be alone with him,” she says, and my eyes meet hers and narrow. “Don’t even start that caveman business. He’s your cousin. I mean, he’s good-looking, but—”

  “Stop,” I growl, setting the beer back down.

  “What? I’m just saying he’s a good-looking guy.” She shrugs, but I see the smile she’s trying to hide.

  “You think it’s funny to make me crazy?” I ask her, and she shrugs again. “You’re lucky I love you,” I say without thinking, and her breathing stops completely then she moves off the couch before I can catch her.

  “I…I’m going to go…go shower then go to bed,” she stammers, leaving the living room in a rush, and I hear her feet pounding up the stairs.

  Running my hand over my head, I mutter, “Fuck,” under my breath then pick up the beer and finish it off before getting up, shutting down the house, and setting the alarm. Heading upstairs, I hear the hall shower running in the hall, so I turn out the light and wait in the dark for the water to turn off and the door to open.

  As soon as she steps into the hall, I cover her mouth with my hand and whisper, “Don’t wake Hope,” into her ear before dragging her down the hall to my room.

  Closing the door behind me halfway, I push her onto the bed then crawl on top of her with my legs between hers. The only thing separating us is the small towel she’s wearing and my jeans.

  “Jax,” she says, and I hear the fear and worry in her tone. Reaching over, I turn on the lamp next to the bed so I can see her face.

  “I don’t care if it’s too soon to tell you. I don’t care if you think we need more time. I’m not going to pretend I don’t love you.”

  “Jax,” she repeats, but this time there’s a softness in her tone that wasn’t there before.

  “I love you, Ellie. I loved you before I even knew who you were. I have no idea how this works. I have no idea how it’s possible to find someone who was made just for me, but you were. You were made for me. You’re everything I never knew I wanted. You and Hope complete me, and it doesn’t matter if I tell you now or a year from now, because my feelings will still be the same. You were meant to be mine,” I say, watching as tears slip from the corners of her eyes, into the hair at her temples.

  “It’s too soon,” she whispers.

  “It’s not.”

  “We don’t even know each other.”

  “I know enough to know how I feel.”

  “It’s too soon,” she repeats softly, searching my face as her fingers intertwine with mine.

  “It’s not,” I say again, leaning in to kiss her then pulling back enough to reveal, “Time’s only going to make what I feel now stronger, what you feel stronger.” I kiss her, rolling to my back and adjusting her to rest on top of me.

  “I love you too,” she says so quietly I barely hear her over the loud pounding of my own heart. “I didn’t think it was possible to feel this way.”

  “You have me, Ellie. You and Hope both have me, always,” I tell her, running my hand over her wet hair while listening to her softly cry. “I promise we’ll be happy.”

  “I’m already happy,” she whimpers, and I feel her body shudder against mine. Holding her a little closer, I listen as her tears stop and her breathing evens out then roll her to the side, adjusting her until she’s under the covers, and I get out of bed.

  Going down the hall, I open Hope’s door and walk across her almost dark room then crouch down next to her, laying my hand on her chest, feeling the rise and fall under my palm before kissing her forehead and going back down to my room. Slipping off my jeans and shirt and climbing into bed behind Ellie, I fall asleep.

  “You have to be quiet, Angel,” I hear Ellie say then feel wiggling and a warm small hand land on my face.

  “He’s snoring weally loud,” I hear Hope whisper loudly then hear her giggle. “He sounds wike a monster.”

  “I thought that you were still tired,” I hear Ellie whisper as I open one eye then the other and dip my chin down, seeing both Hope and Ellie’s eyes on me. Hope is on the opposite side of Ellie with her arm across her mom’s neck and her hand resting against my cheek.

  “Morning,” I rumble, and Hope giggles, but Ellie’s eyes go soft.

  “Morning. I was going to get up to let you sleep,” Ellie says.

  “It’s okay,” I tell her, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead then raising my hand to run it over Hope’s hair.

  “Can we have Skittle pancakes?” Hope asks, and I feel myself smile when her mom’s face pales at just the idea of Skittle pancakes.

  “I don’t think so, sweetheart,” I tell her.

  “Oh,” she pouts.

  “How about we have eggs and toast?” Ellie suggests, rolling to her back.

  “But I want pancakes.”

  “We can’t have pancakes everyday, Sweetheart,” I tell her gently, putting my elbow in the bed and resting my head in my hand.

  “Why not?”

  “If we have them everyday, they won’t be special,” Ellie tells her, pulling her to lay against her chest, and I notice she now has on the shirt I wore yesterday, which is a good thing, since Hope came into the room.

  “Oh,” Hope says then looks at me. “Is that why we can’t have birthday cake everyday?”

  “Exactly,” Ellie confirms with a smile.

  “Can I have a sister?”

  “Lord,” Ellie whispers, and I chuckle then say, “Maybe one day.”

  “Can I have a dog?” she asks after a few seconds.

  “How about a time out?” Ellie asks her.

  “I don’t want a time out.” She frowns.

  “Go brush your teeth, sweetheart, then we’ll go and make breakfast,” I say.

  “Okay,” she pouts, kissing her mom then me and standing up on the bed, jumping twice before landing on her bottom on the edge and sliding off the side, onto the floor, and running out of the room.

  “She’s persistent,” Ellie murmurs, and I roll onto her, caging her in underneath me.

  “I say we just give her what she wants,” I mutter into the skin of her neck, hearing
her sharp intake of breath.

  “It’s way to soon for a baby,” she whimpers as I slip my knees between hers and run my hand up her thigh, cupping her ass and pulling her core closer to my erection.

  “Maybe,” I say, nuzzling against her ear then biting it, loving the moan that comes after.

  “Jax,” she whispers, running her hands up my back while lifting her knee and wrapping her foot around the back of my thigh, bringing me even closer. Grinding against her, I cup her breast then lean forward so I can lick over her lips.

  “I’m done!” Hope yells from somewhere down the hall, making me groan in frustration. Rolling to my back, I hear Ellie laugh and I lift my head to glare at her as she gets out of bed and walks to the door.

  “I’ll see you downstairs.” She smiles then looks down at my lap and laughs.

  “See you downstairs,” I agree, wrapping my hand around myself, trying to relieve the pressure before rolling out of bed and heading to the shower. I turn the water to cold and get in, killing my hard-on after a few painful minutes before turning the water to hot and washing up quickly.

  When I get downstairs, Ellie is dressed and her hair is up on top of her head in a bun that fits the outfit she’s wearing. The black, form-fitting, long sleeve t-shirt dress goes down past her knees, where it’s met with black tights and black knee-high boots with a low heel.

  “Where are we going?” I ask her, seeing she’s dressed for the day.

  Turning to look at me over her shoulder, she replies, “Work. We talked about this yesterday. You said you’d watch Hope.”

  “That was before last night,” I remind her quietly.

  “I’m still going to work,” she responds then looks at Hope, who is sitting on the counter, watching us. “She won’t bother me there.” She goes to the fridge and gets out a carton of eggs.

  “Ellie,” I say harshly, watching her eyes turn hard.

  “Jax,” she retorts in the same harsh tone, walking over to the counter and telling Hope she can crack the eggs to scramble them.

  Pulling in a deep breath, I let it out slowly, trying to calm myself. “Fine, I’ll have one of the guys there all day.”