Unrefined (Monroe Series Book 3)

by Nicole Dykes

  I look at him horrified. Now this is the real Nicholas. “I think it looks nice.”

  He grips his temples, “I know that this is just a car shop, but you still have an image to protect. You are twenty-seven, Charlotte. You should be over your rebellious phase. Let’s just go home so we can discuss this further.”

  The distance certainly didn’t change him in any way. We are right back to where we left off before he went to D. C. The flowers. The dinner. All for show. He’s not sorry and doesn’t want to spend time with me. “I don’t think I want to.”

  He furrows his brow, “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, I don’t want to go back home and be lectured like a child about my attire.”

  He reaches for my arm holding it loosely in his and I pull away, “Charlotte, do not make a scene.”

  “Of course that’s what you are worried about. Me making a scene in public.”

  “Charlotte, is everything okay?”

  I see Jackson walk up and stand in between Nicholas and myself. I answer quickly while he is facing me, “Yes. I’m fine.”

  He looks worried, “Are you sure?”

  Nicholas makes a mistake and tries to dismiss Jackson by patting him on the shoulder, “Everything is fine. We were just trying to decide where to go to eat.”

  I see the fury in Jackson’s eyes when Nicholas touches him. This isn’t good.

  And it’s my fault.

  I make sure to get Jackson’s attention before things get out of hand, “I’m fine, Jackson. We are just going to go home so that I can change before dinner.”

  Nicholas looks pleased and I feel ill. Jackson doesn’t even address Nicholas, he puts one hand on my shoulder and looks deep into my eyes, “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”

  Nicholas is fidgeting in the background, he’s stewing. I smile politely, at Jackson, “Thank you for your kindness.”

  He walks back inside, his fists clenched at his sides.

  Nicholas looks at me suspiciously, “Is there anything I should know my dear?”

  I know he means about Jackson. I am also almost positive his ego is so large that he would never even suspect an actual affair with Jackson. Not that anything has or would happen. But seeing how willing Jackson is to protect me, shows that perhaps we had indeed crossed a line. Of course, that could just be the type of man Jackson is. “Nothing. We can eat at the house.”

  With that, I climb into my car and drive home for another night of uncomfortable silence and expressed disappointment from my husband.

  At least I had a few days of nice and easy fun.

  Chapter 21

  Jax

  “You guys are so great. I’m very impressed with how well you both listen to my every need.”

  I glance in Dylan’s direction. Somehow he is managing to keep a fucking straight face while we sit and listen to Tate Rimes go on and on about how he deserves the very best in life.

  The guy heard about us heard about us from a huge fucking client who refers his friends to us all of the time.

  Mr. Rimes works at a huge marketing firm here in Kansas City. He is commissioning us to restore his father’s ’37 Ford Coupe. A project I would be excited about, if this fucking asshole didn’t remind me a lot of Nicholas Warner.

  A man who is definitely on my mind at the moment. Fuck, I didn’t want to let Charlotte leave.

  It took everything I had not to lay that motherfucker out when I saw her pull out of his grip from him outside of the shop. And then the dumb son of bitch actually fucking touched me. Patted me.

  He’s lucky he left with both arms in tact after that shit, but Charlotte’s emerald eyes were pleading with me not to get involved.

  Dylan was right inside. We had client’s inside at the time. I couldn’t risk making a huge deal out of what could have been nothing. Or have everyone accusing me of having something going on with Charlotte.

  When, of course, there isn’t.

  Now, I’m stuck in Dylan’s office. Sitting across the desk from another pompous ass. Discussing how much attention this car will bring when he takes clients out in it. The quality of ass it will bring now that he’s divorced.

  Thank God for Dylan, because he eats this shit up. He points to a picture of Brooke and himself on their wedding day, “You have no idea man. How do you think I got my wife?”

  Mr. Rimes chuckles, “Well damn, let’s get this started.”

  We all stand and shake hands, making plans to meet up again soon. Can’t fucking wait.

  He finally leaves and Dylan settles back into his chair and I take a seat in the chair Tate Rimes was just in. With my legs stretched out under the desk. “Is it just me or do we get more and more douchebags in here every fuckin’ day?”

  Dylan laughs and makes a couple notes, “We need those douchebags. The douchier they are the more money they seem to have.”

  “Remember the good ole’ days, when we didn’t give a fuck about money and we had fun.”

  Dylan peers at me from across the desk, “Yeah, living in a really small one-bedroom apartment, trading the bedroom every other week?”

  Yeah that part sucked. That’s when Dylan had just quit college and we were both still working for my grandfather’s little mechanic shop. Saving everything we had to start our own shop, “It wasn’t all bad.”

  He smiles, “True, but we were just two kids with a dream back then. We have more responsibility now. We need to keep the business successful.”

  “I think we’ve made it man. We grossed a shitload last year, at both shops.”

  “Yeah I know, but I have three kids to support and another on the way. Cass is going to K-state next fall. It all adds up.”

  We are both literally millionaires. Our bank accounts are fucking padded nicely and our shop’s revenue has increased every year since we started, so I’m not sure why he seems so worried, “Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah, it’s great.” He leans back in his chair, “It’s just that I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. For something to go wrong. People to get sick of customizing cars or some shit. Our reputation to be tarnished.”

  “That’s not going to happen. We have a stellar rep.”

  “I know, for the time being anyway. These kids, they’ve had a hell of life. I just want to make sure I can give them everything they deserve and then some.”

  I nod, “They have been through shit that no one should, but they’re okay. Hell, they have you and Brooke. They live in a nice house. Cass drives a sweet car. They are taken care of.”

  “Yeah, I just don’t know if I can ever fix what’s broken in them. I can’t let them down.”

  It’s been over three years since Dylan took custody of the kids and I guess I never noticed how much pressure he still feels to be perfect for them. “You won’t and the business is strong and will remain that way.”

  He grins, I think that this is the longest we’ve talked in a while. “Alright man, you coming over for dinner tonight?”

  “Is Brooke cooking?”

  “Always.”

  “Then I’m in.”

  I head into my office and check my phone. Hoping that Charlotte sent a text or something to let me know that she’s okay, but there’s nothing on my phone.

  He had better not hurt her.

  I tie up some loose ends at work and then go home for a bit before driving to Dylan and Brooke’s house.

  I walk inside, heading into the living room, Luke and Hannah are cuddled up on the couch. It’s Friday night so Hannah must have drove here after her last class for the day.

  Luke nods at me, “Hey Jax, how was your meeting?”

  “You better hope he doesn’t want a motorcycle next.”

  He laughs, “Bring it on, I can handle rich assholes.”

  He can, he has his brother’s gift.

  Hannah waves at me, “Hey, Hannah. You haven’t found anyone better than this guy at college?”

  She beams, happily, and grips Luke’s chee
ks with her hand, squishing them, “Now how could I leave this cute little face.”

  Luke brushes her away, but he is grinning like an idiot. These two will make you sick if you are around them for too long.

  I excuse myself and see Cass setting the dining room table, “Hey, where is everyone?”

  She nods her head toward the kitchen, “Finishing dinner.”

  “Cool. And how are you?”

  She lays a fork down next to one of Brooke’s dark red plates, “Fine. Grounded, but doing okay.”

  “That’s good. Did you have a good talk with Brooke?”

  She smiles, “Yes, we actually talked for a few hours and stayed up and watched a movie.”

  “See, I told you.”

  “Yeah I know. But I think we both know that I’ll mess it all up again. It’s like in my DNA or something.”

  I knew a girl like that once…

  I swallow hard, hoping to suppress those memories, but needing to add a warning, “You’ll be fine, just make sure that the mistake isn’t significant. Use your head.”

  “What do you mean significant?”

  “Well, you’ve been pretty lucky so far. Usually a little teenage rebellion doesn’t impact the rest of your life, but it only takes once. Sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to a club, not so bad when your brother and his friends happen to catch you. Because of that you weren’t hurt or taken advantage of. Screwing your idiot, ex-boyfriend in your brother’s house. At least you didn’t get pregnant, so you have been lucky.”

  “I’m not an idiot, I make sure to use protection and no one was going to hurt me at the club.”

  Man I feel old around this girl. “Cass, protection isn’t a hundred percent and there are assholes out there that would love to get their hands on a drunk, pretty girl. Just be careful.”

  She laughs, “Oh man, you must really care about me Jax. If you’re talking about birth control.”

  I ruffle her hair and she swats me away, “Yeah, please don’t make me do that again.”

  We laugh and Dylan walks in carrying a roast that smells really fucking good. “Thanks for setting the table, Cass.”

  She actually doesn’t give him attitude, “No problem.”

  Soon everyone is in the dining room and we all dig in to Brooke’s incredible cooking. All seems right in the world tonight, except my conversation with Cass has drawn up some shitty memories of my past. And my altercation with a certain dickhead senator this afternoon makes

  me worry about the future.

  I’m not sure I can ignore any of it much longer.

  Chapter 22

  Charlotte

  When we arrived back home earlier after leaving Tricked, I resumed my role of the proper wife.

  I showered and applied the usual amount of make-up, I curled my long hair to perfection and left it down, draping a little past the middle of my back.

  I put on a tasteful knee length black dress.

  We went to a restaurant downtown at the Plaza and said maybe a total of five words to each other the entire time.

  I was grateful for the silence and I’m sure it had everything to do with not making a scene in public.

  Nicholas’s greatest fear.

  I sit my silk clutch on the table beside our front door when we get back from our dinner. It’s late, after waiting on me to get ready, we missed our reservation at the restaurant so we had to wait. And of course, after dinner we ran into a friend of Nicholas’s and his wife. I stood there bored out of my mind, while the men talked about his recent trip to D.C.

  It’s nearly eleven. And now that we are home, I doubt I will have protection from his wrath because of this afternoon.

  My whole body is tense when Nicholas closes the closet door after hanging our coats, “Well?”

  I walk from the foyer into the living room and he follows, “What?”

  “Do you want to tell me what is going on with you?”

  I take a seat on the uncomfortable sofa and he stands where he is. “I’m not sure what you are referring to.”

  He throws his arms up in the air, “Oh please, Charlotte. You have completely transformed. You are constantly starting fights with me and arguing nonstop. Your appearance has become sloppy and I checked the credit card statement online yesterday. There was a purchase at the City Market? My God, Charlotte. We are better than that.”

  I look at him full of disgust, “Maybe I’m not. Maybe this is who I am.”

  He shakes his head at me, “You were brought up to be an upstanding, classy woman. Refined and elegant. Is there more to this? Are you sure you aren’t acting this way for someone else?”

  My mouth goes dry suddenly, he isn’t implying… “It has nothing to do with anyone else. I’ve been unhappy for a long time, but I hadn’t really noticed it until you brought up having a baby solely to advance your career.”

  He waves that off, “Oh please, Charlotte. I saw the way that he touched you today.”

  “Jackson was just checking on me.”

  Nicholas scoffs, “That touch was so familiar. Like he had done it a hundred times before. How stupid do you think I am?”

  I don’t answer that. “There is nothing going on between Jackson and I.”

  “Right. You know, Charlotte. you’re a woman. When you cheat you should at least take part in an affair with someone above you. You are slumming it and it’s disgusting.”

  I stand up from my seated position, “There has been no infidelity on my part in this marriage. But if there were, I hardly think that Jackson Garrett is “slumming” it. And besides Nicholas, I thought you were infatuated with him yourself.”

  He laughs again, like that is totally ridiculous, “Please Charlotte, he’s nothing and no one in this world. He may have momentarily raised his status by having a successful business , but at his core, he comes from nothing.”

  I feel tears in my eyes, something familiar to me lately, but this is for a different reason. I’m so angry I can’t see straight. “That may be the vilest thing I have ever heard you say. And I’ve heard some awful things come out of your mouth.”

  “I’m sorry if the truth hurts, but think about if people would have seen you out with him. With his tattoos, and more than likely he is covered in them. And God knows what else he has.”

  I throw my hands up, “Right, because that would be an awful scandal. I don’t know Jackson that well, but I already know that he is twice the man you are.”

  “You will not embarrass me. I’m calling Dylan Monroe tomorrow and I will have him take over your car.”

  “Don’t you dare.”

  He looks at me like I’ve completely lost my mind. Maybe I have. “Charlotte, I will not have this.”

  “Good because I’m leaving.”

  “That’s insane. You aren’t going anywhere.”

  He grabs my arm, hard. I can feel his nails dig into the flesh of my upper arm and I pull away. His grip tightens, “Let go of me. I’m done. I want a separation and to figure this out for myself. I’m not staying here another night.”

  “You’re going to run straight to his bed aren’t you?”

  His glare is on me, I see the fury in his eyes and I stare back with determination and defiance that I have never felt before. “Maybe.”

  He drops the arm he had trapped in his grip and then the right side of my cheek is hit with a strong blow from the back of his hand. My eye feels like it’s going to burst. “Tramp!”

  I hold my injured cheek with my hand. Shocked that he actually took it that far. That this is what my life has become.

  “Now what would the voters think of this?” I spit out and he stands composed, but I know that struck a nerve, “I’m leaving.”

  I don’t wait for his response and I all but run to the door, grabbing my purse and keys.

  I can hear him yelling behind me, “Charlotte Warner, get back here! You cannot run away from me. I’m your husband!”

  I start my car and pull out of our driveway, not looking ba
ck.

  I’m on autopilot as I drive to the one place that makes me feel safe.

  Chapter 23

  Jax

  I lie in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. I try like hell to stop thinking about memories of Emma and wondering if Charlotte is really okay with that asshole.

  It’s not fucking working.

  How could I let her leave with him? I must be going fucking soft.

  My thoughts are interrupted and body jolts upright instantly when the buzzer for my gate goes off.

  What the fuck? It’s almost midnight.

  This can’t’ be good.

  I stand up and walk over to the intercom in my bedroom, “Yeah.”

  “Um, it’s Charlotte.” Why is Charlotte here this late? This really can’t be good. “I shouldn’t be here. I…”

  “I’ll buzz you in.”

  I hit the button to open the gate and pull on a pair of jeans, before I walk downstairs to wait for Charlotte.

  I know that I need to stay calm. Because if she’s showing up this late after an argument with her husband this afternoon, then it’s safe to assume the prick didn’t let up after they left.

  I hear a weak knock on my door, and prepare myself in case she’s been crying again.

  I fucking hate seeing her cry.

  I open the door for her and see that she has definitely been crying. Her long hair is down and covering the right side of her face, but it’s still clear that she has been crying.

  “Charlotte.”

  She doesn’t say anything. She just flies in and hugs me around my bare waist, holding on tight.

  I push the door closed and wrap my arms around her, shocked by her abrupt hug.

  “Charlotte? What the hell happened?”

  My chest is wet with tears as she continues to sob.

  Now she’s scaring the shit out of me.

  I pull back a little bit, putting some much needed space between our bodies. I slowly move my hands to her shoulders, looking down at her.

  When I move my hand to tuck her hair behind her ears, I fucking see the right side of her face.

  Her cheek is swollen and purple.