Jax the Dom

by Laura Day

  “I agree, but why should that mean you’re ugly?” Elenor wanted to know. “Sometimes these things bother us far more than they bother other people.”

  “I doubt it,” Maple said politely.

  Elenor smiled. “I’m speaking from experience, Maple,” she said. She put down her scissors and moved to the side, lifting up her dress in the same motion. There was an ugly burn mark that ran up her leg and into her thigh. It was purple, red, and black all at the same time, and it was difficult to look at.

  Maple raised her eyebrows as she took it in. “When did that happen?”

  Elenor pulled down her skirt and picked up her scissors. “When I was thirteen,” she said. “I was trying my hand at making some tea, and I lost balance while I was carrying the kettle.”

  “Oh God.”

  “I didn’t wear shorts, skirts, or dresses for years,” Elenor explained. “And then I realized something... or at least my parents made me realize that it didn’t matter. If people noticed the scar, they got over it fast. I was the one who gave it more importance than it deserved by fixating on it.”

  Maple nodded. “It is a little different though,” she pointed out.

  “I agree,” Elenor nodded. “Your face is a whole different ballgame, but the same theory applies. It just takes a little more effort.”

  “I guess.”

  “And why should it matter, hon?” Elenor asked seriously. “You found a man who has accepted you for who you are, just as you are. If he can see the beauty in you, then you should be able to as well.”

  Maple thought of Jax and smiled. “He’s a good man.”

  “He seems like it,” Elenor said and nodded. “And he has the additional benefit of being seriously hot.”

  Maple laughed.

  “Men with tattoos just happen to be extra sexy.”

  Maple nodded. “True.”

  “How long have you two been together?” Elenor wanted to know.

  “Umm... well, not long at all actually,” she admitted. “But it feels like it’s been ages.”

  “That’s a good sign.”

  “Yes...” Maple said uncertainly, as she trailed off.

  “You don’t sound so sure?” Elenor observed, shooting her little glances through the mirror.

  The smile on Maple’s face curdled somewhat as she thought about her relationship with Jax. There was something therapeutic about opening up to Elenor though. “He’s a great guy,” Maple said firmly. “It’s just that... sometimes I wonder if I’ll be enough.”

  “Enough for what?”

  “I don’t know... enough to save him I guess.”

  “Does he need saving?” Elenor wondered.

  “He’s... had a hard past, and I think sometimes it’s hard to escape from that kind of darkness. I feel as though it seeps into his present and makes him... reckless.”

  “Reckless?”

  “Sometimes I feel like he’s hell bent on destroying himself,” Maple admitted.

  “I don’t know the whole story, Maple,” Elenor said. “But I can tell you from experience that sometimes it’s not up you to save the man you’re with. Women make the mistake of believing that they can save their men. It’s not that simple. You can only love them and hope that they will save themselves in the end.”

  “And what if they don’t?”

  “Then you have to make the decision that’s best for you,” Elenor said.

  Maple nodded and fell back into her thoughts as Elenor finished working on her. Once her makeup was done, Maple looked herself over with a critical eye. Her hair was shorter now; it was bouncy as it fell to her shoulders instead of just past. There was more life and vibrancy in the layers that Elenor had put in and her makeup was soft and natural.

  “I do feel beautiful,” Maple said. “Thank you, Elenor.”

  “It was my pleasure, hon,” Elenor said with a nod. “There’s one more surprise left for you.”

  Maple raised her eyebrows in shock. “Another one?”

  Elenor nodded, as she moved over to a thin chest to the side of the room and opened the left door to reveal a dress hanging there. “Jax picked it out for you,” she said. “He wanted you to have something new to wear for your dinner tonight.”

  Maple couldn’t even remember the last time that she had something new to wear of her very own. The dress was a simple, white slip dress with intricate lace on the skirt and bodice and a low V-neck that was sexy but subtle. It was the kind of dress that could be fancy or casual depending on the mood. Maple rose and approached it slowly as she admired it.

  “It’s lovely,” she breathed.

  “He was hoping for that reaction,” Elenor smiled. “Why don’t you go get dressed; it’ll match your hairstyle perfectly.”

  In the privacy of the small dressing room, Maple put on the dress carefully and stared at herself in the mirror. The silk against her skin felt amazing, especially after the treatments she had just experienced. It almost made her feel like a ballerina. There was something delicately beautiful about it, and that made Maple feel beautiful.

  After she had thanked Elenor, she moved out into the main foyer and took a seat in the waiting room until Jax showed up. She was just about to reach over to the little bench next to her for a magazine when she felt someone sit down next to her.

  “Hello there.”

  Maple’s skin erupted in gooseflesh as she recognized the voice instantly. She dropped the magazine in her hand and turned to him slowly, hoping she was mistaken. Conor sat there, looking her up and down with a glint in his eye.

  “You look hot,” he said licking his lips pointedly. “New dress?”

  Maple just stared at him. She couldn’t believe he was so sadistic, so bold as to track her down after what he had done to her.

  “Why the silent treatment?” Conor asked in an imitation of being hurt. “I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

  “Happy?” Maple asked, the word ripping out of her without her permission.

  Conor shrugged. “Well, the last time we were... together... you seemed to enjoy yourself.”

  “You bastard,” Maple hissed, but she didn’t sound outraged, she sounded scared.

  “You know I’ve always liked girls who play hard to get,” Conor went on. “But I think you should just give up the act now and just surrender to me. It’s obvious who the better man is now, isn’t it?”

  “What are you talking about?” Maple asked incredulously, considering for the first time that Conor might actually be insane.

  “The fight,” Conor said simply. “I won it. I always knew I was better than that jumped-up motherfucker.”

  “You are delusional,” Maple spat at him.

  “Then maybe you’re blind,” Conor said narrowing his eyes.

  “I wasn’t blind enough to have missed all those illegal moves you made,” Maple pointed out, hating how much her voice was shaking.

  Conor waved his hand in the air. “To be great, you need to break the rules. That’s why Jax will never beat me.” He gave her another pointed look and then grabbed a fistful of her hair as he leaned in. “Mmm... you smell delicious.”

  Maple jerked away from him violently as she stared at Conor in shock and disgust, but he only seemed to find her reactions amusing. “That’s ok,” he said at last. “You’ll come around in time. Soon you’ll want a real man.”

  With that, he rose abruptly and walked out of the salon, leaving Maple feeling dazed and terrified. “Oh God,” she thought to herself as she sat alone in the empty waiting room. All the happiness she had been feeling from her day of pampering had dissolved into panic. “He’s never going to stop following me. I’m never going to be free of him.”

  Chapter 5

  Jax

  Jax felt his spirits rise, knowing that he was about to see Maple in a few minutes. He pictured her in the white dress that Jodie had helped him buy, and he tried to imagine her reaction when she had seen it. There were moments when he couldn’t imagine how Maple couldn’t see the b
eauty he saw in her, so he had hoped that this spa day might have boosted her confidence a little.

  Jax turned the corner and walked into the salon, turning his head in search of Maple. He spotted her in a chair in the corner of the waiting room, but he knew instantly that something was wrong. She was wearing the dress, but her face was pale with worry and her eyes were roving across the room as though she were scared of something in it. She hadn’t even noticed that he had arrived.

  “Maple?” Jax said quietly.

  Maple jumped at the sound of his voice, but when she saw whom it was, her face flooded with relief as she ran forward and hugged him with full force.

  “Maple?” Jax said into her hair, as he returned her hug with confusion and worry. “What’s wrong?”

  “J...Jax,” she stammered into his chest for a moment. Jax knew she was trying to control herself so that she wouldn’t burst into tears.

  “It’s ok,” he said gently as she stroked her back. “I’m here now. Let’s sit down, and you can tell me what happened.”

  Just at that moment, the door opened and a client walked in. She gave them an obligatory smile and rang the little bell to announce her presence before she took a seat. Maple turned to Jax. “I don’t want to talk here.”

  “Shall we go to the restaurant then?” Jax asked. “Or would you prefer we skip dinner and just go to my place?”

  “Is it a quiet restaurant?” Maple wanted to know.

  “It is,” Jax nodded.

  “Ok, then we can go there.”

  Jax took her hand and they started walking. Thankfully, it was only a few blocks away, and they were there in less than ten minutes. It was a Japanese fusion place that Jax had heard good things about. They had little private nooks that were cordoned off by intricate Japanese dividing screens that left only enough room for the waiter to enter and leave.

  They were shown to their table. It was a low table that required cross-legged seating, so Maple and Jax removed their shoes and sunk down in informal positions. The waiter poured them some water and handed them menus. Then he pointed to the little silver bell in the center of the table. “Just ring when you’re ready to order,” he said in a thick Brooklyn accent before he disappeared through the gap in the dividing screen.

  Grateful for the privacy, Jax turned to Maple as soon as they were well and completely alone. “Tell me,” he said placing his hand on top of hers.

  “Conor,” she breathed the word, as though it were poison she had been waiting to expel.

  “He was following you again?” Jax hissed.

  “I think so,” Maple nodded. “He left a few minutes before you showed up.”

  Jax felt his body tense immediately as his rage built up. “What did he do?”

  “I... he was... I think... he was just trying to scare me,” Maple managed to choke out.

  “Maple—”

  “I’m scared,” Maple interrupted him, and Jax felt his heart break.

  “I know,” he nodded, as he pulled her towards him so that he could tuck her under his arm. “I know you are.”

  “The last time he followed me...”

  “I know,” Jax replied so that she didn’t have to finish the sentence. “And I’m not going to let him hurt you like that again.”

  “Jax,” Maple said softly, as though she weren’t sure how to explain it to him. “You can’t be with me twenty-four-seven. You can’t protect me from him all the time. It’s just not possible.”

  “I know,” Jax said, feeling his frustration get the better of him. “He needs to be stopped.”

  “Jax,” Maple said slowly. “Please don’t do anything crazy. I know how much you want to stop him, but you have to accept that you might not be able to do it singlehanded.”

  Jax looked down at their interlinked hands, as Maple continued talking.

  “And the thing is... I care about you a lot... more than I have ever cared about any man in my life. I just... don’t want to lose you. I don’t want you to go back to jail.”

  “I know,” Jax nodded slowly. “I don’t want that either.”

  “Then don’t go after Conor,” Maple said pleadingly. “There has to be another way to stop him.”

  Jax felt his thoughts spin, but he was starting to be aware of a plan formulating in the back of his mind. He concentrated a little harder and something inside him clicked. “You’re right, there is another way to stop him.”

  Maple raised her eyebrows as she looked up at him. “There is?”

  “Evan’s been trying to tell me the same thing,” Jax said slowly. “Killing Conor in the ring is too risky. There are too many factors involved and too many witnesses. Aside from which... I don’t want to go down that road if I can avoid it.”

  “Ok?” Maple said uncertainly.

  “I went about it all wrong,” Jax continued. “I thought I needed to kill him, but now I realize, I need to put him behind bars.”

  “Send him to jail you mean?”

  “Yes.”

  “How?” Maple asked. “He went to court remember? He wasn’t even sentenced.”

  “That was a different situation,” Jax said. “I’m talking about getting the police involved before we even get as far as court.”

  Maple looked at him with confusion. “I don’t get it.”

  “Conor’s followed you how many times now?” Jax asked.

  “I’ve lost count,” Maple answered.

  “Exactly, which means he’s not going to stop anytime soon. We need to use this situation to our advantage.”

  “By... using me as bait?” Maple asked.

  “I... well...yes,” Jax said, hearing the words for the first time. “I know it sounds...”

  “No,” Maple interrupted. “It actually sounds... like a plan.”

  “It doesn’t sound crazy?”

  “Not yet,” Maple said, making Jax smile for a moment.

  “If we bait him and then catch him in the act, before he does some real damage, then we’ll have enough evidence to put him behind bars. And you won’t have to testify against him in court. They’ll have enough evidence to put him away for good.”

  Maple took a deep breath. “You really think that will work?”

  “I think it has a really good chance of working,” Jax said. “But I don’t want you to feel any pressure. If you’re at all uncomfortable with this, you don’t have to do it.”

  “No,” Maple said after a small pause. “I want to.”

  Jax nodded. “Ok... ok, then we’re going to see what we can do?”

  “Why would the cops help us though?” Maple wanted to know.

  “Evan’s cousin was just transferred to the local police department here from Michigan,” Evan said. “He’ll be our in. We just need someone to listen long enough to realize that something has to be done about Conor.”

  “Evan has a cop cousin?” Maple asked with raised eyebrows. “Is he aware of what Evan does for a living?”

  Jax suppressed a smile. “There are some crimes that are forgivable.”

  “Will Evan set up the meeting?” Maple asked.

  “I’ll call him now,” Jax said as he rose. “Why don’t you get the waiter in here? Order whatever you like.”

  He left Maple in their little nook and walked out of the restaurant to the cool bustle of the street. It took three tries, but Evan finally answered.

  “I thought you were supposed to be having a romantic dinner with Maple?” Evan asked.

  “We’re having dinner, but there was an unexpected development,” Jax explained.

  “What happened?” Evan asked immediately.

  “Conor showed up at the salon.”

  “Did you attack him?” Evan asked in a panic. “Did you fight?”

  “No, no,” Jax rushed to explain. “He left before I showed up. He’s scaring the life out of Maple.”

  “Did he hurt her?”

  “No, but it’s only a matter of time,” Jax replied. “And I have to do something about it Evan.”

>   “Jax...”

  “No listen, I’m not going to fight him,” Jax said quickly. “You were right about that.”

  “Then what’s your plan?”

  “I need to set him up,” Jax said. “So that we can catch him in the act. It involves getting the police involved.”

  “Alan,” Evan said immediately, realizing Jax’s plan.

  “Yes, your cousin,” Jax nodded. “Will he be able to help us?”

  “I think so,” Evan nodded. “I’ll call him up now and let you know.”

  “Thanks, Evan,” Jax said gratefully. “I owe you.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Evan replied before he hung up.

  Jax went back into the restaurant and took his seat beside Maple. She looked significantly calmer, and he hoped that his plan had set her mind at ease to a certain extent.

  “Are you ok?” he wanted to check to make sure.

  “I think so,” Maple nodded. “I hope this works.”

  “Me too,” Jax nodded fervently.

  They sat in silence for a while, both consumed by the uncertainty of the future. Sooner than they had expected, their food showed up. There was flavored rice, soup, and trays of sushi. Jax served Maple first, and they started eating in unison.

  “Jax?”

  “Yes?” he asked looking up.

  “Do you love fighting?” her question was tentative, and Jax knew that she was scared to offend him.

  He smiled. “Yes, I do.”

  Maple nodded quietly.

  “Does that scare you?” he asked, watching all the little nuances between her expressions.

  “Yes,” Maple said with a nod.

  “Why?”

  “Because... you have a lot of anger left inside you,” Maple explained quietly. “And because it comes from a place that’s so... raw... it has the potential to really put you in danger. Or rather, you have the potential to constantly put yourself in danger.”

  “I have been known to make stupid decisions,” Jax conceded. “And I know that a big part of that has to do with my past. I’m not in denial about it.”

  “But don’t you want to do something about it?” Maple asked. “Having that kind of... darkness inside you can’t be easy.”