Fierce-Jade (Fierce Family Book 6)

by Natalie Ann

  “We’ll see if that is the case or not in time. I believe what I said about him having demons.”

  “And Jade is correct in that we all do,” she argued back.

  “I know. But Jade likes to get ahead of herself with relationships. What if she scares him away?” His daughter didn’t know they were fully aware of how much she wanted a family of her own. With Ella being pregnant she might feel the crunch more. She might want to settle when she’d never settled a day in her life.

  “I don’t think Brock scares very easily from anyone. His best friend is married into this family and you and I aren’t nearly as bad as Jolene and Gavin. Admit it. We’ve always stayed out of our kids’ relationships.”

  “Until recently,” he said.

  “And it’s working in our favor. I can’t wait to tell Diane. Four for four. She has Ryder left and we know that is going to be almost impossible.”

  He started to laugh. “Let’s call them together,” he said.

  “Let’s,” she said. “So I can give Grant crap for not noticing Jade at the meeting today too.”

  He wanted to warn his twin but then figured it wasn’t worth it. It’d be funny to hear Grant get yelled at too.

  20

  Conflicting Emotions

  Two days later Brock was walking out of the hospital when he heard his name called. Not many knew who he was by sight...unless their last name was Fierce.

  He turned and looked at Jade’s twin. “Hey, Wyatt.”

  “So, you’re dating my sister,” Wyatt said with a grin big enough for him to suspect there might be more going on that Brock wasn’t being clued in on.

  “I am.”

  “I want to say I’m sorry for you but instead I feel the need to be a big brother and give you a warning instead.”

  He could see the conflicting emotions in Wyatt from wanting to be a prankster and making a joke to being an older brother and protecting Jade. Neither was going to sit well with him, he was thinking.

  Or maybe they would because Brock would have to get used to this if he was in a relationship with Jade. Her family came with it.

  Which of course made him pause because he couldn’t tell you the last time he’d considered himself in any relationship.

  And though Jade didn’t want to hear it as an excuse, his career really was the reason. Being with someone in the military wasn’t easy for many women and he’d found it hard to find someone willing. He’d just kind of given up looking for anything serious.

  “Warn away,” he said, his grin matching Wyatt’s.

  “I’m not sure anything I say is going to make much of a difference anyway. Jade knows her mind and we’ve always been aware of that. I suppose I need to go back to saying I feel sorry for you.”

  “Your sister isn’t all that bad,” he said.

  “No, she’s pretty great,” Wyatt said. “So, I guess that means you’ll be at my parents’ on Sunday.”

  He hesitated for a second. “What is Sunday?”

  “Jade’s birthday. Well, mine too. But it’s our birthday dinner on Sunday. Since you’re dating and all, I assume you’ll be invited. Unless you’re afraid to be surrounded by our family.”

  He snorted. “Hardly.”

  “Then I’ll see you on Sunday,” Wyatt said and walked away.

  That didn’t go nearly as bad as he thought it might.

  He wasn’t even in the university SUV before he heard yelling and turned. There was a couple in the parking lot having a fight. Two people yelling at each other wasn’t the end of the world, but when the guy grabbed the woman’s arm and yanked her hard into him and she started to scream, he took off running.

  “Let go of me,” the woman yelled. “You’re going to hurt me.”

  “I’ll teach you to not listen to me. What did I tell you about coming here without me?” the guy growled.

  “Let her go,” Brock said.

  “Mind your own business,” the man said. He was about the same size as Brock, maybe a bit bigger in weight, but that didn’t matter in Brock’s eyes. This guy was one of those men who liked to throw his weight around and think he was some big shot.

  “You’re on my grounds and I’m making it my business,” he said. He had a badge clipped to his shirt pocket showing him as staff, but unless someone read it closer they wouldn’t know his title. Or the fact he had a gun on his ankle.

  Did the job call for it? Nope, it didn’t. But it didn’t stop Brock from having one with him at work. His employers knew and were fine with it. If they weren’t, he wouldn’t be doing this job.

  “Get lost,” the man said and pulled the woman forward. The woman who had a black eye and her other arm in a sling.

  He moved forward. “I’d like to see you make me. Maybe you need to pick on someone your own size.”

  The man shoved the woman away, let her fall to the ground, then moved toward Brock and threw a punch. It was exactly what he thought the idiot would do, so he blocked it and then had the guy down on the ground, his face in the asphalt, his arm behind his back while he reached in his back pocket for zip ties. Many thought he was nuts for saying he wanted these carried on all security guards as part of their uniform now. They wouldn’t be questioning him again.

  Once the man was secure, he hauled him up and started to move him toward the hospital he’d just left and into the security pen in the basement. Now his job was finally getting interesting.

  “You did what!” Jade yelled at Wyatt through the phone hours later.

  “I invited Brock to Sunday dinner. You’re dating and all and it’s our birthday. Don’t you think he should be there?”

  She wanted to grind her teeth that Wyatt did this but should have figured it was something he’d do anyway. “Where did you see him to even bring this up?”

  “The hospital,” he said. “I was leaving and saw him. I couldn’t just let him go without saying hi, now could I?”

  “Because we know darn well you’d never just say hi to anyone. You’d have to go up and start trouble. Like you did.”

  Wyatt laughed on the other end. “So, about starting trouble…”

  “What did you do?” she asked slowly, knowing the mischief her twin loved to partake in.

  “I told you. I invited him to dinner on Sunday. I might have said I felt bad for him dating you, but he was quick to say you weren’t that horrible.”

  She frowned. She’d have to have words with Brock over that response but it wasn’t anything that she didn’t expect her brother to say. “Then why make the trouble comment?”

  “Oh, that would be your new boyfriend. He got into a fight in the parking lot after he left me.”

  “What?! You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope. It’s all on camera and making the rounds of the hospital. You’ll have to get the details from him, but I’m getting mixed messages on what exactly happened, other than the guy threw a punch and Brock had him face down in the parking lot faster than most people can turn their head. He cuffed him and brought him into the holding cells in the basement.”

  “Holding cells?” she asked. What was she missing?

  “All buildings have them if there are problems. Not like a jail, but where the security is housed. Anyway, you can get the answers from him, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah,” she said softly. She hadn’t thought much of him being in danger at his job. He was the director. He sat behind the desk and oversaw other department heads. He pushed papers and looked at budgets.

  He hated it. She knew. But he was getting used to it.

  Then how the hell did this happen today?

  “Let me know what you find out,” Wyatt said. “You know I like to get the scoop rather than rumors.”

  “Whatever,” she said to her brother and hung up.

  She wanted to call Brock right then but figured he was probably dealing with whatever happened today and didn’t want to bother him.

  Unfortunately, getting back to work wasn’t happening either. She got up from her desk
and walked to her father’s office, saw Drake in there and was going to leave, but he called her in. “What’s up, Jade?”

  “Nothing. You’re busy.”

  “We’re just talking about you,” Drake said.

  “Seriously?”

  “Wow, you just sent me the look of death you did when we were kids. A project, not personal,” Drake said, winking at her.

  “Sorry. Okay. I’m going to take off for the day. I’ve got a few things to do.”

  “Everything okay?” her father asked. “It’s not like you to leave work early unplanned.”

  “I’m sure you’re going to find out if you haven’t already.” She told them what Wyatt had just said about the fight. “Anyway, I’m not going to see him, but I need to do something and work isn’t cutting it.”

  “It’s just his job,” Drake said. “What’s the big deal?”

  “I have no idea, but I can’t focus. I’m going to run to the store and get some food and maybe cook him dinner tonight so I can find out the details.”

  “Because we know you need to know all the facts,” her father said.

  “Yes,” she said and walked out. Call her nosy, but she needed to know.

  “That is very unlike Jade,” Drake said.

  “Cut your sister some slack,” Garrett said. He’d have to call Carolyn on this or tell her tonight. There was no way he was getting in trouble with his wife again. “It’s new to her.”

  “She’s been in relationships before.”

  “She has. But this one is different. Aside from all the things we don’t know about Brock, he suffered a severe injury months ago that radically changed his life.”

  “So?” Drake said. “I get that his career changed and even his health, but he seems pretty solid to me. Jade wouldn’t be with anyone that couldn’t hold their own or wasn’t mentally and physically strong. You know that.”

  “I do. I’m not saying Brock isn’t any of those things. I’m saying that there are a lot of unknowns from both of them. Brock isn’t someone she just met. Not like a stranger. His best friend is part of our family. That could be sticky in Jade’s mind and she’d never make the step to be involved with someone for that reason unless there was more going on.”

  “Good point,” Drake said.

  He wanted to pat himself on the back for saying that. It’d actually just popped into his head but he’d make sure Carolyn was aware he was doing a good job handling things.

  “Your sister knows her mind. I guess we will have to see how things go when the two of them are together in a family setting.” Which reminded him he should find out about Sunday. Maybe he’d gently suggest she invite Brock without having her wonder if they were hovering. “Anyway, she’s never dated anyone with a job or lifestyle that would result in them getting hurt. She’s soft and tender even if she doesn’t show it to anyone often. She’d never cry in front of people if she could help it.”

  “Whatever works,” Drake said. “Jade is Jade and, like you said, she knows her mind. I’m not getting in her way. Especially since she is acting differently. And as for tears, Jade never sheds them and won’t if she can prevent it. Least of all over a man or in front of one. She barely does it in front of us and hasn’t in more years than I can remember.”

  “That’s because you boys made her feel like a wuss about it when she was younger. And you always did float where the wind sent you,” he said of his oldest son. “So I’m not surprised you are keeping your distance from her.”

  “Life is easier that way,” Drake said, laughing, and walked out.

  Garrett wished he was more like his son. Or his wife was. Then he wouldn’t have to be so stressed about making sure he didn’t have any missteps with this.

  21

  Craving Her

  Brock pulled up to Jade’s townhouse around six thirty. He wasn’t sure what he was craving more, a beer or a hot shower. Unfortunately, he figured he’d only get the beer on the menu tonight.

  But when he walked in the door and Jade was standing there in leggings and a baggy sweatshirt falling off of one shoulder, her hair in a bun, and a beer in her hand, he found he craved her the most.

  He moved forward and pulled her into his arms, his mouth slanting over hers.

  “Well, that is one hell of a welcome if I do say so myself,” she said, snuggling into his arms. “What was the occasion?”

  “I thought to myself I needed a beer and a hot shower and saw you and realized you had to know me well enough and knew my lips had to reach yours first.”

  “Glad you got me over the beer,” she said, “or I might have been offended I took a backseat to my cousin Mason’s brew.”

  “I’m not sure you take a backseat to much in life,” he said.

  “You’d be surprised. But come in and relax. Drink your beer. I heard you had a rough day.”

  He squinted at her. “Do I even want to know?”

  “Wyatt told me what happened.”

  “And what did he tell you exactly?” he asked. Guess this was something to get used to.

  “First that he invited you to dinner on Sunday. I had planned on mentioning it to you; please don’t think otherwise.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I want to believe you, but it’s fine either way.”

  “I’m serious. It’s touchy, I mean we’ve just started to date, and it’s a family dinner. Not only that, it’s my birthday and I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “I don’t do much in life that I don’t want to do,” he said. Though he wasn’t stupid enough to not show up on Sunday even if he didn’t want to. Not just because he didn’t want Jade to be hurt by it or feel bad, but he didn’t want to get on the bad side of any of the men in her family. No reason to start things out on the wrong foot.

  “I know. But Wyatt also told me something about a fight today. He didn’t know much, only some rumors and that it was caught on camera.”

  He sighed. “Yes, it was.”

  “You look fine to me,” she said, leaning back, her eyes roaming over him.

  “I should. He swung and missed and I made him kiss the pavement. I barely broke a sweat.”

  She laughed. “I’m not sure if you are being honest or cocky. Probably a bit of both.”

  “If I couldn’t have put his wife-beating ass on the ground I’d be a sorry excuse of a SEAL,” he said.

  “Oh,” she said. “In that case I wish I could have been there to kick him in the balls. I’ve been told I’ve got some fast feet.”

  “I bet,” he said. “But yeah. I heard the arguing and just watched. When he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her to his car I ran to intervene. She had a black eye and an arm in a sling to begin with. Looks like she’s used to that behavior, especially when she wanted him to be released. I told her that wasn’t happening. He swung at me and I was pressing charges.”

  “Because you want him to be taught a lesson?” she asked.

  “That and if he’s locked up for twenty-four hours that gives her time to get out. Not sure if any caseworker can convince her, but that is where we stand right now. Sometimes people just need a chance to escape and that is what I’m providing her.”

  The guy couldn’t get a hold of a lawyer and knew he’d have to spend the night there. No one was posting bail for him if they had his wife with a caseworker. Brock had to wipe his hands of it and just hope for the best.

  “Will you follow up with it?” she asked, her hand running down the side of his face. He wasn’t used to tenderness and didn’t know how to handle this.

  “I’m not sure I can. It really has nothing to do with me other than I witnessed it and intervened. The right place at the right time, I suppose.”

  “You mentioned a hot shower,” she said. “Why don’t you take your beer and go have one while I start dinner.”

  “I don’t have a change of clothes with me,” he said. “Just my workout clothes in the bag and they are pretty ripe right now.”

  She grimaced. “How about this? Go get
them, I’ll wash them and by the time dinner is done they will be clean and you and I can soak in that tub of mine.”

  His eyes lit up. “And you said I wouldn’t get in your tub any time soon.” He turned to go back outside to his truck for his bag.

  “I couldn’t very well tell you I was easy, could I?” she said following him to the front door.

  When he came back in, she took the bag by her fingertips and carried it up the stairs an arm’s length away to the sound of his laughter. When she came back down he was sitting at her island drinking his beer.

  “So, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

  “Just like a contented couple,” she said. “You come in from a hard day at work, get a kiss, a beer, dinner, and I’m washing your dirty underwear.”

  He started to cough on the sip he’d just taken. When she put it that way, it felt kind of sexist. “No one has washed my dirty clothes since my mother when I was ten.”

  “Ten?” she asked.

  “Yep, by then it was part of my own chores.”

  “Same here,” she said, pulling ground beef out of the fridge. “We all had chores to do, laundry being at the top of the list. My mother said washing clothes for six people in the house was a full-time job that she was handing over to us.”

  “Had to be interesting with you all fighting for washer time.”

  “And then some,” she said. “Wyatt was famous for starting a load and forgetting. I really think he did that knowing that someone else would move his stuff to the dryer and then out of the dryer so they could get in.”

  “Did they fold it for him too?”

  She laughed as she formed patties with the meat. “No. No one is that stupid and knew what he was about. Though I will say he didn’t do it to me after the first time.”

  “Do I want to know what you did?” he asked.

  “Nothing much. Just put a package of gum in the pocket of his jeans when I threw them in the dryer.”