She seemed to have been confused by Tate’s excuse, but at least she believed it. “Micah is going up to Larry’s,” I say placing my phone back into my pocket.
“I’ll head up there as well,” Tate offers with an evil grin on his face.
“I’ll drive.” I turn and head toward the stairs.
“What?” Angel squeals. “No, Slade.” She places her hand on my arm. “You guys do not need to go up there. There is no telling what he is thinking or what the hell he even wants.”
“I know exactly what he wants and so do you,” I growl. Does she think I’m an idiot?
She gives me a smile trying to calm me down. “Exactly. I’m here with you, Slade,” she reassures softly. “I’m not going anywhere, baby. So just let it go. You blocked him from calling me, and I want nothing to do with him. Please don’t go up there and give him a reason to take this further than it needs to go,” she pleads with her bright green eyes.
I look over to Tate. “Meet me in the garage. I’ll be right there.”
“Then I’m coming with you,” she offers suddenly making Tate pause.
I shake my head quickly. “Absolutely not. Stay here,” I order, and she gives me a hard look.
“Slade…”
“No,” I growl. “Stay here,” I order once again, and she goes to turn away from me, but I place my hands on either side of her face. I bend down and kiss her with so much passion that she is gasping into my mouth. I tighten my hands on her face and dominate her mouth with mine. I kiss her hard and long, and when I pull back, she is breathless and her eyes have that look that is telling me to throw her over my shoulder and carry her off to our bed.
“Later,” I whisper leaning down to kiss her forehead.
She looks up at me and frowns. “Go upstairs and get ready. I’ll be back before you know it.” Before she can protest, I spin around and take the stairs two at a time and head to the garage with Tate hot on my trail.
“Thanks for...” I start once I pull my car out of the driveway.
“Don’t mention it.” Tate doesn’t let me finish. “You’re doing more than I could ask for by not telling her…” He trails off and turns his face to look out the window as we drive toward Larry’s.
“Do you want to talk about it?” He still hasn’t told me anything else besides Jack was his father and that none of us know his real name. He called me while I was on my way home. He still sounded down, so I invited him over to drink a beer and play some pool, but he hasn’t mentioned anything about our meeting earlier today.
“No.”
I nod and leave it at that. The less I know the better. But I couldn’t help but ask. To carry something that big must take a toll on a person.
We ride the rest of the way in silence. I pull into Larry’s and park in the back. I text Micah to let him know we are here and ask him to let us in through the back door. I wanna surprise the piece of shit.
“Is he here?” I ask as soon as Micah swings the door open.
“His truck is out front, but we can’t find him.”
That does nothing to ease my mood. “What the fuck is he doing here?” You would think that he has been informed by someone that she no longer works here. “What all has he said to Holly?”
Micah comes to a stop in the hallway by the restrooms and turns to face Tate and me. If I wasn’t so pissed off about Jax being back, I would smile remembering the first time I saw her in the women’s bathroom. When I followed her out into this exact hallway.
I sigh, remembering why we are here when Micah answers my question. “Holly is a little shaken up. That’s why I came up here. You guys weren’t there when he had a hold of Sam and threatened her.”
I fist my hands down by my sides as he continues.
“He didn’t tell her much except that he’s been trying to call Sam. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he wants her back.” He takes a second and glances down the hallway before returning his attention back to us. “We need to keep the girls out of his reach.”
“How are we going to do that?” Tate snaps. “Enough with this bullshit,” he growls, before Micah can answer. He starts to push his dark sleeves up his forearms revealing his tattooed arms. “I’ll fucking beat the shit out of him right here, right now, and then go on my merry fucking way.” He shrugs carelessly. “I can handle him.”
“There’s nothing to handle. He left,” Holly says coming up to join us.
“What makes you think that?” I ask.
“I was waiting on a customer, and then I looked up and his truck was gone.”
I watch her brown eyes as she turns around to look one last time out the windows that cover the front of the building and then looks at Micah. She reaches down and grabs his hand, I’m guessing for some kind of comfort.
Shit, she really is shaken up over him. I feel my control start to slip. This motherfucker has Holly and Angel scared. Hell, she doesn’t even want him knowing she is living with me, because she’s afraid he might show up there. “Do we know where he’s staying?” I question.
“No, but he didn’t look good.”
“Didn’t look good how?” I ask Holly.
“He has lost a lot of weight, and his face was all broke out. He kept scratching his arms and looking around. He kept saying Sam, but it was like he was looking for someone else as well.”
“Drugs,” Tate and I both say at the same time.
I look at Micah. “Did he do drugs when he and…” Fuck, I can’t even finish that sentence. It makes me want to vomit or punch a wall. I can’t even picture Jax and my Angel together. I fist my hands and roll my shoulders.
Micah must have understood where my question was going because he answers. “Not that I know of. But during the last few months of their relationship he was always gone. It could explain why Sam never saw him, and his new behavior of running around on her.”
I nod and pull my phone out of my back pocket to see I have a missed call from her. I didn’t even hear it ring.
“Come on,” Holly says pulling on Micah’s hand. “You guys might as well have a drink to calm down while you’re here.”
CHAPTER THREE
SAMANTHA
I have my heater cranked up and my radio blaring in my car. I tried calling Slade once I got my bearings back and realized he just kissed me to fuck with me. It was one hell of a kiss but if he thought one kiss was going to stop me from following them then he was sadly mistaken. Not to mention that he tried to order me to go upstairs and wait for him?
No chance in hell.
I drive down Main Street and decide to park in front of Larry’s. I get out of my car and start walking down the sidewalk to the entrance and shiver at how cold it is. I should have brought a jacket.
“Samantha?”
I come to a complete stop, memories of him flooding my mind when I hear Jax say my name. Nothing warm and loving that would make me weak in the knees. No, it’s more like fear that has my heart pounding and the hairs on the back of my neck standing.
“Samantha. I knew that was you, baby.” I hear his voice once again from behind me. He comes around and turns to face me.
He smiles as he looks at me, and I feel my skin crawl. His once blond hair looks like it hasn’t been washed in a few days. His once flawless skin looks ashen, and it’s broke out as well. And those dark brown eyes that I once loved now look like they are looking straight through me. It’s unsettling.
“What do you want, Jax? I told Holly to inform you I didn’t want to speak to you.”
He spreads his hands out wide with a cocky smile. “Yet, here you are.”
Bastard. “I’m here looking for…someone.”
His smirk drops off his face, and he takes a step toward me. “Oh, you mean your boyfriend?” He cocks an eyebrow.
My eyes widen. How does he know I have a boyfriend?
“Oh yeah, baby. I know all about you and your WWE boyfriend,” he says as if reading my thoughts.
I let out a little laug
h. Slade doesn’t mind a fight but hearing Jax refer to him as a wrestler is comical.
He takes another step toward me, and I stop laughing. “That fucker beat the shit out of me,” he sneers. “I think it’s time to pay him back. And I know just where to hit him.” His eyes leave mine, and they travel down my body. Once he hits my heels they slowly make their way back up to look me in the eye, and he licks his lips. I should be appalled, but I’m not. The only thing that bothers me is what he just said about Slade beating the shit out of him.
“When did you get in a fight with him?” I ask, looking him over as well now. I don’t see any bruises or marks on him. He looks like shit but not like someone who just got their ass handed to them.
“Right after Micah and Holly took you from our house. He showed up.” He takes another step toward me. I can feel his body heat on mine as I look into his cold dark eyes.
That can’t be possible but I decide not to argue. “You deserved it, you sorry son of a bitch.” I’ve had enough of this. “Go home, Jax. Shouldn’t you be keeping Bridgette company?” I ask and start to walk around him.
He grabs my arm and pulls me back, shoving me against the tinted glass that runs along the front of Larry’s. His fingers digging into my arm cause me to hiss in a breath.
He laughs but it holds no humor. “That stupid bitch is history.” He lifts his other hand and runs his calloused fingers up my arm.
I shove it away and step forward into his space. “Leave me the fuck alone, Jax. I don’t want anything to do with you.”
He shakes his head as he makes a tsking sound with his tongue. “What happened to my old Sam?” I cringe from hearing him call me Sam. He rarely called me by that. “The one who was brokenhearted and alone?”
His question has me momentarily stunned. What is he talking about? “Huh?” is the only response I can manage.
“It was so easy, baby.” He reaches up and places a piece of hair behind my ear. “You were nothing until I came along. That’s what I liked about you. Anyone who looked at you could see how broken you were. It was easy for you to believe all the lies I told you.” He smiles. “You fell hard knowing someone finally wanted you, and I took advantage of that. But now, now it looks like you have some backbone. But it’s okay. I don’t mind taking that from you. It will make this even sweeter.”
I hate that I have tears running down my face, and my throat feels tight. He’s right; I was broken, and I let him in. He’s right; no one wanted me, or so I thought. But no matter what situation I was in, I was still loved. My mother loved me. Tate cared enough to keep tabs on me. And no matter what he says to me now, Slade loves me more than I could try to understand.
He gives me a cold smile. “See, no more than five minutes with you, and I already have you crying. The old Sam is still there, and I’m going to have fun seeing her again. I’ve missed you, baby,” he whispers as his evil brown eyes bore into mine, and his face inches closer to mine.
I sniff; I hate that he is seeing me cry, even if he doesn’t know the reason behind my tears. Hell, I didn’t even cry when I found him in our bed with Bridgette. Now he thinks he has gotten to me.
I take my thumb on my left hand and turn my engagement ring around allowing the diamond to hide inside the palm of my hand. I know what he’s about to do, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to let it happen. He starts to lean in closer, bringing his lips down to mine.
I place my hands on his chest and push him back enough to give us a little space before I reach up and slap him across the face causing him to step back even further. I go to do it a second time, but he’s quicker. Reaching up, he grabs my hand and tightens his hold around my wrist making me cry out in pain.
“What the fuck?” he snaps, pulling my wrist up to where he can inspect what caused that cut that left a cut across his right cheek. He stares at the ring for a few seconds before he clenches his teeth together and practically growls at the sight of the promise of love that Slade has for me.
“You’re engaged?” His eyes meet mine, and I see the anger behind them. Just like the day when I moved out my stuff.
My body tenses, ready for him to lash out at me again, but I find the words to speak. “I told you to leave me alone,” I say trying to keep my voice even. My wrist is still tightly clenched in his hand, and my hand is starting to tingle from it. “Why do you care about me all of a sudden? You obviously never did before,” I ask trying to figure out what the hell he wants from me.
He leans down closer to my face as if he is going to threaten me, when I hear someone call his name.
“Jax.”
I look over to see Slade and Micah heading straight for us. Slade’s voice sounds calm. He is even smiling, which makes me even more nervous.
“Fucker,” Jax murmurs under his breath where only I can hear him. Then he smiles over to them. “Hey Slade. Long time no see. How are you doing?” he asks just as nicely.
Slade looks at Jax’s hand holding onto my wrist. I take the opportunity of Jax being preoccupied and jerk on it, pulling it out of Jax’s hold, and start to rub it with the other.
Jax spins around to look at me. “Let’s go,” he growls, trying to grab me once again as I take a step back from him.
He starts to walk toward me with his mouth in a hard line. This time when he reaches out for me, he doesn’t even get the chance to grab me. Slade is upon us now and places his hand on Jax’s shoulder, spinning him around so they are face to face. Then Slade’s fist connects with his jaw.
I’ve seen Slade in a few fights, and the man has the kind of power that can make any person fear him. Jax is about to figure that out.
Jax tumbles back a few steps back. “What the fuck was that for?” he asks as his voice rises. “Dude, you can have that bitch. She is nothing but a shitty lay who wants to stay coked up.”
Slade eyes slam to mine and then back to Jax. “Who are you talking about?” he demands, his fake smile and kindness gone.
“Bridgette,” Jax explains.
Slade punches him again, harder than the last time, and Jax goes down on the sidewalk holding his nose. “Jesus,” he cries. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
Slade walks over to me and takes my hand. “Stay the fuck away from her, Jax. If you don’t, I will fucking kill you,” Slade says matter-of-fact, sending chills up my spine.
Jax is quiet for a few seconds as his brown eyes look wide between the two of us. His face has a look of shock on it with his mouth hanging wide open. His eyes dart between Slade and me a few times before they land on our hands locked together.
“You’re engaged to Slade?” he finally asks. Shaking his head slowly he continues, “I thought…”
“Stay the fuck away from her,” Slade repeats, cutting off whatever Jax was about to say.
Jax’s eyes narrow on me. “I always knew you were a slut,” he spits out crawling to his hands and knees. Slade’s hand tightens on my mine, and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from whimpering.
“You gonna have every guy you fuck beat me up?” he asks, spitting out some more blood.
“What…uh…?” I stutter trying to make sense of his words.
Slade lets go of my hand and walks over to Jax. He pulls him to his feet and shoves his back against the tinted glass. Jax sucks in a breath at the force.
I go to take a step toward them but Micah grabs my arm and pulls me back.
“Did you just call my fiancée a slut?” Slade growls.
Jax gives him a cold, bloody smile. “It must drive you crazy.” He places his face closer to Slade’s. “To know that I had her first. Now she is only a slut who has been around the block.”
Slade takes a step back, and I think he’s going to walk away but instead he steps back into him, lifting his knee. Slade’s knee connects right between Jax’s legs. He crumples to the ground in pain.
“It must drive you crazy.” Slade throws his words back in his face. “To know that she’s with me.” He leans down. “To know that yo
u will never have her again.”
I feel my anger start to rise as they talk about me as if I’m a piece of meat.
Jax looks at me, and he smiles when he sees the pissed off look I have on my face. I hate to admit how well he knows me. “I know her better than you think you do, Slade.”
Slade’s jaw twitches. “You know nothing,” he spits out before he walks away leaving Jax sitting on the concrete with his back against the window.
Micah releases me, and Slade grabs a hold of me, pulling me down the sidewalk. I’m stumbling, and I trip a few times over my heels. He’s holding onto my hand tightly and practically dragging me away from Jax and into Larry’s.
Once inside I turn to see Micah right behind us. Slade tugs on my arm once more, and it has me turning around to see where he is leading me. My eyes catch sight of Tate, and he looks absolutely pissed. His dark blue eyes are trained on the front window, tinted so that you can see through from the inside but can’t from the outside. His arms crossed over his chest, his jaw is tightly locked. We pass by him and Holly standing behind the bar. Slade doesn’t say anything; he stops, grabs my purse off of my shoulder, digs out my keys, and tosses them to Tate. Then he continues to drag me out the back door to his vehicle. He all but shoves me into the passenger seat of his black CTS coupe and slams the door shut in my face.
I wait until he gets himself settled and the car is speeding down the interstate before I speak. “Why are you mad at me? It’s not like I went to talk to him. I came to find you, and he just happened to find me.”
“I told you to stay home.” His voice is calm and even, but I see his hands tighten on the steering wheel.
I roll my eyes. “When are you going to quit treating me like a fucking child?”
“When you learn to listen like an adult,” he snaps, his calmness now gone.
“Like an adult?” I spit out. “What the hell does that mean? You can’t tell me what to do, Slade.”
He gives a rough laugh that holds no humor. “You’ve made that pretty fucking clear. You never listen to what I have to say. All you do is whatever the hell you want, and it’s getting old,” he snaps.
The UN Series Complete Box Set Page 87