Unbound Faith (Bulletproof #1)

by J. L. Baldwin

  Somebody cleared their throat from the next room and I froze. “Excuse me. What did you say?” No way, not here. A familiar blast from the past voice came from the dressing room beside me. The person walked out in some designer dress and there stood in her whole 5 foot eleven frame, was Nikki Tyler.

  Oh. Shit. “Umm, hi Nikki.”

  The evil stare she gave both of us, mixed with rage and confusion was evident. But her confusion quickly turned to recognition. “Wait a second, Jayde? Jayde Burgess? I thought I recognized you.”

  I sneered at her. “And it’s Nikki Tyler, the girl who fucked up my prom night.”

  She chucked. “First off, I didn’t fuck up your prom night, which was an interesting choice of words since Luke fucked me later on after prom. Plus, you misunderstood what was said. Honest mistake I’m sure. And second, it’s not Nikki Tyler anymore, its Nikki Sanders, or did you not see our wedding announcement in the paper?”

  The same shit eating grin she held on her face 9 years ago, still hung there and all I wanted to do was smack it off of her. “You married Luke Sanders?” I asked her, skeptical. Of course, the massive rock on her left hand proved she was married, but not to whom.

  “Duh, of course I did. We are in love after all, unlike you who I assume is still single, am I right?” This time, Anna stood between us. “Why don’t you go back to the hole you crawled out of Nik and take your fake as fuck nose with you?”

  Nikki took a step forward until they were inches apart. “Oh look, it’s the little imp. Still not any taller I see. It’s a shame.”

  Anna threw her purse down and steam was fuming out of her ears. “I got your imp right here!!!” Anna launched herself at Nikki and Nikki screamed, throwing her stuff down. “Get her the fuck off of me!” Nikki screamed as Anna smacked and punched her as hard as she could. I ran over and quickly pulled Anna off of her.

  “You’re going to go to jail if you don’t leave her be.” I said, trying to calm her down while Nikki picked herself up off of the floor. Andy comes running back over to us and gave Nikki a look as to get the fuck out of this store.

  “You know Luke is a Lawyer and I can sue.” Anna went to lunge herself at Nikki again, but Andy and I stopped her before she could go any further.

  “Just go away Nikki and leave us alone. Go back to Canada or something where you belong.”

  Anna spoke up. “Yeah it’s cold up there, like your heart.” She sneered and Nikki ran back into the dressing room to gather her things then left. I never wanted to see that bitch ever again.

  “Oh we should have told her about your date girl! She would have died if she saw a picture of him, or better yet in person.” She looks over at me and could see uncertainty on my face.

  “What’s going on in that head of yours girl? I know that look.” She sits down next to me and Andy towers over both of us. “Well…I don’t know. Anna, I don't know. There is something off about Zac. I can't quite put my finger on it. Part of it scares me, but that makes the other part of me want to find out so much more.”

  Anna smiled and nodded, like she understood. “Well everyone has a past but it’s best to you know, let it go? There’s no use worrying about it. He’s mysterious, we get that. But maybe he feels the same about you. Maybe you’re a mystery to him.”

  Andy spoke up as he leaned down to look me in the eyes like a parent does to their child. “Listen honey, all those insecurities you got deep inside are going to get you in trouble one day. You are a sexy and sensual woman. Whoever this Zac guy is has got to be the luckiest bastard on the face of this earth to be going out with you. And you missy,” he slaps my thigh, “don’t go looking for trouble because trust me honey, knowing your luck, you’ll find it. And you may not want to find something out he wants to keep buried. Learned that the hard way and I still regret it to this day. Keep that pretty little nose out of it and enjoy your man. He’ll bring up his past or whatever it is when he’s ready.”

  I nod. Andy was right. If Zac did have a history, he wanted to keep it there. And me going and digging for it would only make things worse.

  “T-Minus forty-eight hours until the ball. Which gives you forty-seven hours until you see your hunk. You nervous?” Anna asks. I smile.

  “Not anymore. I was, but I think I can do this.”

  “Hell yeah.” Andy shouts as he jumps up which draws attention back to us from some onlookers. And we all break out in a fit of laughter. “Oh I love you guys. I’m so glad I got you both. Oh crap, I need to call Sarah and fill her in. I hadn’t really seen her since the other day at the coffee shop.”

  “Well you do that and I’ll pack up the dress and shoes for travel. Sweet girl, you’re going to look exceptional!” Andy gives me one last hug and takes my dress and shoes over to the counter to pack them all up.

  I quickly dial Sarah’s number so I could fill her in on the details. She’s going to be pissed when she finds this all out over the phone.

  Chapter 19

  Jayde

  “Are you serious right now? You actually asked out that delicious hunk of a man and didn’t bother to tell me? Your own flesh and blood? I’m shocked and quite honestly pissed now.” Sarah yells at the other end of the phone. Surprisingly, she’s taking it a lot better than I thought.

  “Please tell me you are thinking about what I told you. I know how you feel about yourself and you don’t let some stupid insecurities ruin you.” Sarah quickly added, which makes me smile. Lately, the thought of actually being happy felt too good to be true and since I felt like I was floating, I wasn’t going to let it affect me.

  “I have been thinking and I don’t want to be insecure anymore. I’ve lived my whole life with this fear people would judge me. What kind of life is that? Making sure everyone likes you is exhausting. It doesn’t give the right people the real me. I feel like those close to me get cheated out of something, including me.”

  “Well that’s wonderful honey. I’m so proud of you!” Sarah says excitedly and I continue. “Oh and there’s another thing, I found an apartment. Not too far from where we live now. It’s just a short walk down the way.”

  Sarah sighed happily. “That is freaking awesome. You are growing up. At twenty-six, a little late but better late than never I suppose.” Laughing, I nod although she can’t see it. At times, I was a late bloomer for some things. But I always came through. Anna and I loaded our bags into the back of her beetle and we were off while I still chatted on the phone to Sarah.

  “I’m moving in next week. The renters are very lenient and are allowing me to move in when I wish. Please stop by. I want you to see it. Me and Anna are stopping by there to check it out.”

  The place was huge, but not too huge. I liked how close it was to everything but not really. It gave me some privacy but still within a short walk’s distance to my childhood home.

  “Sure, I’ll stop by. Meet you there in twenty?” She asks and I smile. “Sure. I’ll text you the address. Can’t wait.” I hang up the phone and look over at Anna who kept her eyes on the road. “A little unexpected. Mind telling me when you were planning on telling me you were moving out of your house?” She asked, sounding like she was insulted.

  ‘I umm meant to tell you. But everything was happening so fast I didn’t know what was happening. Please don’t be mad.”

  Letting out a sigh, she turned to face me when we stopped at a red light. “Listen, I’m not mad. Nor am I disappointed. But I am happy for you. I’m glad you’re taking Sarah’s advice and moving out on your own. It’s about time and quite frankly,

  I nod in agreement. Anna leaned forward and turned the radio on, tuning into a station before the light turned again. Taylor Swift’s Blank Space started playing and I smile. “Oh, this is my jam!” Anna shouts and we both start singing so loudly we don’t even notice the light changed until the horns behind us start blowing. “Oh up yours!” I say and Anna throws her head back laughing.

  About ten minutes later, we arrived at my new apartment and Sarah was ju
st pulling up. She must not have been too far away. “Hey sis!” I say smiling as she walks up to hug me. “Okay, first the apartment. Then the next thing I want to hear about is this hot date you have!”

  I laughed at her excitement. I swear, I think she is more excited than I am. The apartment building wasn’t too big. The whole property had several buildings but this was the main one. The building probably dated back into the eighties, which wasn’t too old. It was just renovated with all new fixtures and paint including carpet. “Come on, let’s go check it out.” My phone buzzes with a new email and as much as I want to ignore it, a tiny glimmer of hope fills me hoping its Angel, which I won’t ignore. I pull my phone out and smile as I open my inbox. And there in bold text, was his email. I’m sure I let out a little eeep of excitement and quickly opened it to read it. “Go ahead guys. Here is the key so go on. I got to check this fan email.” Anna and Sarah both roll their eyes and take the key from me and head on inside so I can go back to reading the email.

  Dear Jayde,

  That makes me so happy to hear you say that. Or read actually. ;) Please forgive my forwardness but I couldn’t help myself. I am a man who knows what he likes and isn’t afraid to ask for it, or in some cases demand it. Please say you’ll meet me some day. I’d love to buy you coffee and hopefully make you smile that beautiful smile I’m always thinking about. Please say yes, and I promise you’ll enjoy our time together. Hope to hear back soon.

  ~Fallen Angel

  Wow. He wants to meet me and he’s getting more persistent. My obligation to keep this strictly professional versus wanting to see who he is, is weighing heavily on my mind. I am so conflicted to what I should do. Without replying, I slide my phone back into my pocket so I can think about this for a little bit longer. If I meet him, this little cat and mouse game we have going on will be all over. And that’s rather exciting in itself. But if I don’t meet him, he could stop emailing me and I don’t want that. The way his emails evoke confidence makes me feel all giddy inside and I want to know more. Want is an understatement. I need to know more.

  The little angel on my shoulder is yelling at me to not cheat on Zac but the little devil on my shoulder is saying to go for it. What do I have to lose? I feel like I’m at a crossroads.

  My heart is racing as my brain struggles to catch up with what I’m feeling. Please don’t let this be a dream. Before I know what my fingers are doing, I pull my phone back out of my pocket and reply to his email, but it’s short.

  Dear Angel,

  Sure. I’ll meet you. But only one coffee date. Tomorrow, 2:30 work for you? There’s a really good coffee shop in town. See you then.

  ~Jayde

  I hit send and swallow the lump forming in my throat. Zac and I haven’t gone out yet so it isn’t really cheating, is it? Guess we’ll find out who this mystery guy really is.

  Chapter 20

  Zac

  After I left my grams shop, I stopped by work to pick up a few things. At last minute, I decided to check my email. A smirk crossed my face and I hovered my mouse over it and clicked it open. It was short but I had to hand it to her, she was eager. Pleased with myself, I do a mental fist pump in the air. This was the in I needed and you’d be damn crazy if you didn’t think I wasn’t going to go. I knew she would be expecting somebody who was confident, and willing to give her what she needs. I hit reply and typed a short reply.

  Dear Jayde

  That works for me. I know exactly which shop you’re talking about. See you then. ;)

  ~Fallen Angel

  Fuck! Slamming my hand down on the desk, I push the keyboard aside after I email her back. I shouldn’t keep emailing her without her knowing who I was. I should tell her, but I love this little game we’re playing. It’s sick to love it but damn.

  “Trouble in paradise?” Craig asks as he sticks his head over his computer monitor. Nosy motherfucker.

  “No, no trouble. Just frustrated.” Craig welcomed himself into my area and I looked him up and down. Craig has been my friend for a long time. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him and him for me. “Ahh. It’s Jayde again isn’t it? Maybe you should tell her the truth. It may save her future heartache.”

  No fucking way that was happening. I knew better than to tell the truth. Last time I got my fucking heart ripped to shreds. May as well have stuck it in a paper shredder. “That’s not going to happen. I have never told her who I really am, nor what her situation is and I’m not about to start now.” Craig looked disappointed. “Are you serious? She deserves to know!”

  Anger engulfs my body. Since I started watching Jayde, I haven’t been able to get her out of my head. We only just met but that wasn’t my first time seeing her. She has been everywhere and I’ve been on her heels like a lovesick puppy dog. I burst out of my office chair, pinning Craig with a serious stare. “I’m not fucking doing that to her! She doesn’t deserve to have her life flipped upside down.” Stepping back, Craig had every intention of walking away from what would be a fight he wouldn’t win, but he didn’t. Putting up his hands in surrender, he backs off and retreats to his own desk.

  “I’ll kill any mother fucker who hurts her, you realize that right?” I say settling back down into my chair. My fingers tapping on my knee with a ruthless abandon. I look up at Craig who is leaned up against the door jam. “I know you would, which actually scares the ever loving shit out of me. You can’t afford to lose your job, man. There’s too much on the line.”

  I scowl at him. “Don’t you think I know? I mean I’ve been chasing this asshole for months and I don’t even know what his motif is for going after her. She hasn’t done anything wrong.” My hands ball into fists at the thought of anyone hurting my Jayde. Hold the fuck up. Did I just say, my Jayde? Oh fuck! I was such a pansy mother fucker. But if wanting her keeps her in danger, then maybe I shouldn’t want her anymore. Yeah, tell that to my dick. At the thought of her makes him stand on end. Wrong time buddy.

  “Listen Craig, I don’t know what I should do man. I like her, I really do but I am unsure to how I should go about this. If she found out, she’d accuse me of lying and calling me a lunatic. I do not want her to have to go through that pain.”

  Craig slaps the door jam when he walked out to grab some food. “You have got to tell her man. How do you expect to tap that?” He smirks. I shake my head at his lack of confidence in my abilities. “I’ll have no problem doing that asshole.” When it came to the ladies, they practically threw themselves at me. That was something I got used to over time but I wasn’t ready for her to throw herself at me. Craig doesn’t understand what I’m going through. Nor do I think anyone does. He doesn’t understand the pain of wanting somebody when you can’t have them. There’s so much I could do to her and it would cause her pain. I don’t want that for her. Jayde deserves more than somebody who can pleasure her. She deserves somebody who can make her feel like she can fly.

  Just thinking about her is making me dizzy.

  “You okay man? You seem kind of upset.” Craig asks looking at me from across his desk. I don’t know where this sudden feeling came from but I wished like hell it would go away.

  “I’m fine, I’m not feeling like myself.” I say through clenched teeth, trying to deter his thoughts elsewhere. Craig knows better than to assume it’s nothing. If I’m not myself then there was definitely something wrong.

  “No you’re not fine.” Craig says then before another word comes out of his mouth, he smiles wide. “You’re thinking about Jayde. I know it. No wonder you’ve been off your game. Dude, go see her if it’s bothering you so much!”

  “I can’t go see her. She doesn’t belong in my world.” I say working on getting my anger below a boiling point. Nothing seems to be working.

  “Zac, listen to me. We’ve been best friends for however many years? I’m always taking your advice when it comes to women. Hell, you’re the one who told me to divorce my psycho bitch of an ex but for once you’re going to have to listen to me.”


  I look up and nod urging him to continue.

  “Nothing is guaranteed in life. We are born, we live, we die. That’s how it goes. In-between those times, we are granted certain chances that we hardly ever take advantage of. I took a chance and got a beautiful baby girl because of it. That girl means more to me than anything in this entire world. Now it’s time for you to take your chance. Jayde may very well be that chance. Don’t screw it up.”

  Craig rarely gets philosophical on me, but when he does, watch out. There are times he’s a real dick but there are those rare occasions where he’s kind and considerate.

  Taking into consideration everything he said, I grabbed my phone and walked out of my office. “Be back in a couple hours. I have to make a visit somewhere.” I yelled to Craig as I practically ran like the wind out of the office.

  “Go get her, tiger!” Craig yells from behind me as I practically run out the door. I have to go see her. Her face was forever engraved in my head and I craved her. One taste and I was hooked. She was like a drug I couldn’t stop using. If overdosing on her was bad, then I’d be dead because there was no way I’d give that up.

  Typing her address into my phone, I got immediate directions. I had no intentions of going back into the office today. There were more important things on my mind. Fuck the consequences. I needed to see her.

  I hopped onto my black and silver Harley and started it up, revving the engine. Kicking it into gear, I sped off towards her new apartment building. I didn’t like the area of town she will be living in but I can’t stop her from living her life the way she wants. That would be wrong and downright selfish of me. A few minutes pass by but they feel like hours as I make my way up to the building. I notice a beetle parked there and another car. As I continue to sit there for a few moments, I watch as two girls walk out laughing and giggling. Before the door clicks shut, I catch a glimpse of her. God, she’s so fucking beautiful and I want her. I stash away my badge, and gun in my sack and throw it over my back. Once the two girls were down the sidewalk and in their separate cars, I waited until they were both gone before I walked up to her door. There was no going back now. I had to make her mine, once and for all.