by Kim Cong
“Jimmy and The Band are back, bitches!” Paul yelled at us, curving his fingers like a gun and shooting one off at each of us. I shook my head at him.
“More like Jetta and The Band.” Pax’s arm wrapped around me, pulling my back to his front. I tilted my head back, grinning up at him.
“Hey.”
“Tonight, I’m going to suck those breasts until you beg me to let you come.”
I froze, my lady parts immediately on board. “Pax—”
He bent down and silenced me with a kiss. “Gotta get back to work.” He let me go and patted me on the arse, grinning.
“Tonight, princess.” With that, he winked and left.
***
The rest of my day was spent in a heightened state of arousal. I was singing like I hadn’t in years. We were amazing.
Paul called for us to break a bit early.
“Good job today, guys. Same time tomorrow.”
I texted Pax on my way home, but he was caught up at work and told me to get dressed. We were having a night out.
I entered the bar with Ben, today’s bodyguard, at my back, to see Addie, Kel, and Jarrett sitting at a table, a little bit back from the dance floor. The band was really good. I sashayed my way over to them, glancing at the sexy crooner on the stage.
“Holy shit, is that Luc?”
Kel laughed and shuffled over, making room. “Yeah! He’s great, right? All the women in here, me included, want to hump his leg.”
“And half the men,” Jarrett interrupted smoothly, raising his hand for a high five. I laughed and obliged him before looking back over at the stage.
“Luc never said anything.”
“He does this once a month with the guys. I come for the eye candy but stay for the tunes,” Jarrett supplied helpfully.
“Hey, guys.” Our eyes went to the stage, to Luc who was leaning in to the microphone, guitar held loosely. “I want to thank you all for coming out tonight.” We all cheered, along with the crowd. He grinned. “Tonight we’re doing a high school throwback. So here’s to everyone who hated their formative years.” The band started, heavy electric tones thumping out.
A hand snuck across my stomach, pulling me back. “I know that sexy arse.” I grinned as Pax pressed his crotch against me.
“And I know that.” I spun and reached up, pulling him down for a kiss. “Hey.”
“Hey, princess.”
“Thanks for the invite.”
“I thought you could use a night out.”
I smiled. “Yeah. Definitely.”
“Shall we dance?” He pulled me out to the floor as Addie, Kel, and Jarrett catcalled at us. Paying no heed to the fact the crowd was moshing to a blink-182 song, he pulled me close and we slow danced. As Luc and his band rocked out, my eyes were only for Paxton and his for me.
His head dipped and we spent the rest of the song making out.
Later that night, he discovered the other set of lingerie I’d managed to steal from the stylist.
Paxton
Pax’s phone vibrated, the light on the screen waking him up. Gently, he disentangled himself from Jet, and covered her with a blanket against the cool from his air conditioner. Grabbing the phone, he quickly pulled on pants before as he walked from the room, quietly shutting the door.
“Yo.”
“Pax.” Brean’s familiar voice came through the phone, shocking in its roughness.
“Dude. Are you—?”
“Something’s going down, Pax. I don’t know what’s happening but something’s got these guys livelier than ants on shit.”
Pax felt fear hit his gut. “Jetta?”
“I have no idea. Esso hasn’t mentioned her since that day but he’s got tickets to her concert next weekend.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah. He’s shut down. Inner circle only.”
“You need an extraction?”
“I’m giving you the heads–up, Paxton. I want out by next week. Man, I got a bad feeling about this. Never felt like this.”
Paxton rubbed his eyes. “You safe?”
“For the moment.”
“Okay. Hang tight, brother. I’m on it.”
“By next weekend, Pax.”
“You have my word, Brean.”
“Next week.” With that, Brean hung up. Pax paused, looking down at the glowing screen.
“Fuck!”
“Pax?” He swung around to see Jet standing in the bedroom doorway. Fear drove him.
“Go back to bed, Jetta. I got to make some calls.”
“Is—is everyone okay?”
“Yeah.” He moved to her, taking in her face. If anything happened to her…. He brushed her hair back and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Go back to bed, baby. It’s nothing to worry about. Just people fucking things up and meaning I can’t be in bed with you.” One little white lie to help her sleep.
“Okay.” She grinned at him sleepily. “Come to bed soon though, okay?”
“You bet, princess.” He shifted back. “Go.”
She gave him a cheeky salute and left, closing the door.
Pax closed his eyes, letting the tension and fear in him take over for just a moment before he shut it down. He slid fingers across his phone, pressing in the numbers.
“Luc? We got a problem.”
Pax was on a telephone call with the AFP.
“Paxton, you know we can’t just—”
“No.” He slammed his fist down on the table, causing the phone to rattle. “This is bullshit, Annabelle, and you know it.”
The sigh down the phone was heavy. “I know.”
“I got a man who wants out. Who says shit is getting real. We need to give him that. We cannot leave him hanging. We need to get him out.”
The silence down the phone was telling. Luc’s eyes met Pax’s and they both nodded, understanding that if the Feds wouldn’t help, they’d take this down themselves.
“Okay. My superiors are saying yes. You know for a fact where this guy will be on Saturday?”
“Yeah.” Pax didn’t elaborate.
“Good. We’ll start organising from our end. It’s Sunday. We’ll rally Tuesday, be ready with a coordinated sting. No heroics, just good policing. You got that?”
Pax felt his jaw tighten. “I’m not a rookie, Annabelle. This isn’t my first rodeo.”
“We’re clear. See you Tuesday.” She ended the call.
Luc sighed, drawing Pax’s attention. “This is a shit fight.”
“From now on, we don’t do undercover contracts with these guys. Hell, they’re on my charge-a-shitload list for the next ten years.”
“You do know Brean will need a holiday for a while, right? Counselling?”
“Yep.” They both fell silent.
“This had better not go to shit.”
“It won’t.” Luc sounded confident. “We got this.”
Pax shook his head; something in his gut was telling him they’d missed something.
“We better have this.”
Jetta
It was Tuesday and I was on break when my mobile rang. Ben, who had guard duty, had ducked to the toilet, leaving me with Paul and Marco, who were arguing about the merits of metal versus nylon guitar strings while Anthony interjected about how drums beat all. I glanced at the number and frowned. “Hello?”
“Miss Oliver. I’m so glad you picked up.” I froze. Esso’s voice was sickly sweet down the line. All at once, I felt fear tear me apart. I was back to that room. To that damned study, with no control.
“What.” My voice gave out.
“My money is due, Ms. Oliver. It has been nearly a month and I have yet to hear from you.”
A hand cupped my jaw, bringing my face up to look at Ben.
“Mr Esso.” My voice returned as I saw recognition flare in Ben’s eyes. “I have your money. I have all of it. It’s just—it’s just taken me longer than anticipated.”
“You only have three days until the deadline, Ms Oliver. When exactly w
ere you planning on calling me?”
I felt my heart squeeze. “Pax said he was taking care of it.”
“Paxton Elliot? Your current beau? He has not. I am a patient man, Ms Oliver. But you are out of time.”
“I… I’m sorry. I have the money!” My voice squeaked up at the end, panic squeezing my throat.
“And I am attending your concert with my wife on Saturday. It occurs to me that this would be an opportune time to collect.”
There was a pause that it seemed he expected me to fill. “Yes—yes, that’s fine.”
“Good. You’ll see my man and know. Until Saturday, Ms Oliver.”
And with that he hung up.
Ben was on the phone, his free hand moving in short agitated jerks. Marco and Anthony were talking to me but I was away, not listening.
I wanted Pax. I wanted answers. I had thought I was safe.
What a fucking joke.
My breathing hitched, rapid, ragged. My skin felt cold and clammy. I was trapped inside my head, replaying Esso’s words over and over again.
And just like that, my world turned black.
Paxton arrived as I started to surface from my shock. I was shaking, cold and pale. I ignored the looks darting between me and Pax and simply went to him.
“Jetta.”
“He called.” I held up my hand to stop him from touching me. “Esso. He called me. He got my number and he called.”
“I know. Ben said-”
“Why is he calling me?”
“Jetta, I-”
“Why would he do that when you said you were taking care of it?”
“The guys a fuck, Jetta. He’s disturbed. I didn’t think he’d call.”
“I’m not angry,” I said it very calmly, like I was talking to a small child. “I am disappointed.”
Pax stepped closer. “Disappointed?”
“Yes. You should have prepared me for this eventuality and how to handle myself in this situation. You didn’t and now I am a hundred times more scared than I was when I woke up this morning.”
His face flinched, but Pax still reached out to me. “Jetta, come here. Let me touch you.”
“No, thank you.” I looked around the warehouse at the men and women watching this play out. “I think I would like to hear your explanation now.”
“Princess, I didn’t want you to worry. You’ve got enough on your plate.”
“So you didn’t brief me?”
“No.”
I shook my head, my eyes on him. “Do you love me Pax?”
“Of course!”
“Then why do you see me as the broken girl you left behind?”
His face paled. His mouth opened but no words came out.
I turned away, closing my eyes against the hot sting of the tears.
“I’ll get my stuff. We can finish this conversation at home.” I headed to the back rooms. When I came out, Pax was gone.
“Jetta?” Luc was headed my way from the carpark.
“Where’s Pax?”
“He said that you don’t want to see him anymore.” He was frowning down at me.
“Where is he?”
“Jetta-”
“Shut it, Luc. We’re in the middle of a fight. A fight where I landed some really good points that are making him think and are making him scared. So don’t argue, just take me to him so we can get over this.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“You’re not in this relationship. You don’t get to make that call.”
“Touché. Get in the car.”
Luc drove me to Pax’s. We pulled into the driveway as Pax exited the house, his hands in pockets, his eyes on me.
“You bastard.” My voice was low, cold.
“Jetta, I can—”
“No.” I cut him off, drawing my tattered pride about me like a coat. “You don’t get to run this conversation.”
“Jet—”
“How could you?” I stared up at him, feeling my heartbreak. “How? Just leaving me there? Like I’m easily discarded. Has anything I’ve been saying the last few weeks made sense?”
“Jet—”
“You said you loved me.”
“I do.”
“Me. Not the person I was.”
“I do. You. You in the now.”
“Then why? I’m trying to understand, Pax. I’m trying. But I don’t. Explain it to me.”
“I promised I would keep you safe, Jetta. That phone call was never meant to have happened.”
“Fine. I get it. I was upset too. But why did you just leave me there after?”
“Because you’re not safe with me. Luc and the others can keep you safe.”
“You don’t get to make that decision.”
“But-”
“No.” I made a cutting motion with my hands. “We’re in this together.” I pushed a finger into his chest then jerked it back to me, emphasising my point. “Earlier was intense. Yeah, I freaked. But you don’t get to push me away because I got scared. Or because you got scared. We work it out together.”
“I didn’t tell you, not because you’re not strong. But because I wanted you not to have to worry.”
I listened, my eyes focused on his green ones.
“You told me this before, Pax. But you never said that I was in danger. You never said I should be prepared. You let me be vulnerable. You didn’t give me the credit I deserve. ”
“I’m sorry, Jetta. I thought I was right.”
“You were wrong. And now we’re back to the same discussion we had weeks ago. And personally? I hate sounding like a broken record.”
“Princess—”
“No. Not tonight. Just… let’s just get through this moment right now, okay?”
He unlocked the doors and I went straight to the bathroom, stripping off and turning on the shower. After a few long moments under the hot water, I crouched down, my arms circling my knees, and began to sob. I felt broken, tired. I wanted to move on from the stalemate we had reached. Hands pulled me up and onto a lap encased in wet denim.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” His words kept coming as we rocked back and forth, forward and back. “I was just trying to keep you safe. I can’t lose another person. I can’t lose you.”
Finally, the hot water ran out, blasting us with cold. Pax eventually turned it off and dried us off, peeling off his wet clothes. Naked, we fell into bed where he pulled me close and we clutched at each other, skin to skin.
“I forgive you.” I sighed into his shoulder. “I’m sorry for being a bitch about it. I just want this to work between us. I want it so badly.”
His lips pressed against my temple. “Go to sleep, princess.”
I closed my eyes, embracing oblivion.
Twenty months earlier – Paxton
“Sorry, guys.” The photographer slash videographer held up his hands. “David got food poisoning.”
Paxton and his team laughed.
“I told him not to eat the local food. Afghani is not a cuisine to be messed with.” Brick laughed, hitting the side of the Bushmaster armoured vehicle.
“Look, I’ll still come if you want?” The photographer lifted his camera and patted his bag beside him. “Get some good footage?”
Pax, as corporal, got the final decision. “Look, Kevin, don’t worry about it. We’ll be back in two days. You can come out on the next delivery.”
Kevin wiped fake sweat off his brow. “Phew! I love you guys, but seriously? Dave would kill me if I left him in his, quote, hour of need.” He raised his camera. “Can I at least document you guys now? Just a few pictures?”
Pax glanced at his guys, who shrugged. “Sure.” They all got into position, taking a few posed ones, a few candid and then one which was them joking around.
Finally, they got the message from up the line. They were pulling out.
Kevin tucked his camera away. “See you guys in two days. Be careful out there.”
Those were the words that haunted
Pax as his world blew up. The truck had hit something, flipping it up. Pax and his team of three were thrown about, tossed like rag dolls as supplies that weren’t tied down battered them.
Finally, the Bushmaster came to a halt. Pax hit the belts holding him in and pulled up his gun, glancing at his team, taking stock. Limo had a cut to his forehead but was okay. Luc had a bruise to his cheekbone but was awake.
There was no Brick. Pax surged to his feet.
“Brick!”
“Fuck!” Luc hit his harness, unstrapping himself, at the same time pulling out a bandage to pass to Limo, whose head wound was pissing blood everywhere.
“Where is he? Where is he?” Pax looked out the window, spotting Brick’s prone body about fifty metres in front of their vehicle. “Fuck!”
“Boys.” Limo’s voice was calm. “We’ll get him.” He peeled the sticky back away, pressing the plaster to his cut. “It’ll be fine.”
Pax deep breathed and nodded. “Right.” A hundred scenarios ran through his head as he watched for any movement from Brick.
“IED.” The word was whispered. They’d been told this fucking road was cleared. Had been cleared earlier that morning.
“Yeah. Both front wheels are blown to shit. We’re not going anywhere.” Luc had come up beside him, taking in the scene.
“Cover fire and an evac are at least twenty away.”
“Fuck.” Luc spat the word, his eyes still on Brick’s unmoving body.
“Okay, here’s how we do this.” Pax turned to his men. “Limo, you’re with me. Luc, you’re our best shot. Lay down the fire and keep it coming. Limo, I’ll cover your back. We’re out and back in five. Objections, suggestions?”
The two men shook their head.
“Good.” Pax clicked the safety off his gun, checking the ammo pack. “Let’s go.”
For the first five metres, it was pure silence. Not a single peep from anywhere. Luc was standing at the machine gun, his head flicking from side to side and around to the back. At metre eight, all hell broke loose.
Bullets peppered the road as Luc let rip in retaliation. Paxton dropped to one knee, pulling his gun up and laying down fire as Limo ran to Brick. Just a metre away from reaching him, the world exploded again. Paxton was blown backward, crashing into the side of the Bushmaster as Limo and Brick both disappeared, body parts flying.