Jace: Rebels Advocate (Book 4)

by Sheridan Anne

  “How’d it go?” he questions, but I don’t have the patience for his questions right now.

  I still can’t believe he did that to her. I mean, she was a fucking mess thinking that something had happened to me, though, I have to be honest, I hated seeing her like that, but I loved the fact that she raced all the way down here just to make sure I was alright, even after the hell I’ve put her through over the past two years. It just goes to show how deep her love runs for me.

  I rear back and let my fist fly. It cracks across his jaw and has him falling back into the wall. “What’s your fucking problem?” I demand. “How could you do that to her?”

  “Shit,” he groans as he rubs his hand across his jaw. “I had to,” he tells me. “How else was I going to get her here?”

  “There are a million other options. You didn’t need to scare her like that.”

  “Yeah,” Lexi says from the doorway. “That was a dick move.”

  “Whose side are you on here?” Luke asks her as she makes her way into the room. “Didn’t you see how fucking happy she looked when she walked out of here? I did that.”

  “No,” I argue. “I did that.”

  Lexi cuts in between us and quickly looks over Luke’s jaw before turning to me. “So, how did it go?” she questions. “You didn’t push her away?”

  “No, I didn’t,” I confirm.

  “So….,” Lex says slowly. “You guys are together?”

  “Nope,” I say, popping the ‘p’.

  “Then what the fuck went down in here?” Luke questions. “I looked through the fucking window at one stage and it sure looked like you two were getting together.”

  I narrow my eyes on the fucker, still hating on him, but it doesn’t last long as the exact moment he’s referring to comes to the forefront of my mind, in fact, I don’t think it’s ever left my mind. Having her lips on mine with her body pressed up against me… fuck. There’s no doubt about it. I will need her every day for the rest of my life.

  She’s my woman and I can’t wait to claim her as my own.

  There’s a knock on the door before the nurse from earlier sticks her head in. “Oh,” she says in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were still here. Did you get stitched up?” she questions as she walks further into the room.

  I try to remember her name but it doesn’t come to me until she walks a little closer and I see it on her nametag. Ahh, Gigi. That’s it. “Yeah,” I tell her as I hold my hand up and wave it around. “All fixed. Thanks for your help.”

  “No problem,” she says before cringing. “Now, I don’t want to sound like a cow, but if you’re finished, I’m going to have to boot you out of here. There was a major accident on the highway and we’re going to need every room available.”

  “Oh,” I say with wide eyes as I remember that Cami had just gotten in her car and would have been on the highway. “Of course. We’ll get out of here now,” I tell Gigi.

  She thanks me and we duck out of the room. A moment later, I look over to Lexi. “Can you call Cami,” I ask her. “She would have been on the highway going back to her store.”

  Lexi’s eyes widen before she rips her phone out of her pocket and I find myself holding my breath. I listen as Lexi waits for Cami to answer her phone and strain as I try to hear her on the other side.

  Not a moment later, Lexi is chatting away and from the relief in her voice and the way they launch into some bullshit conversation has me finally breathing again.

  We get out to the parking lot and Luke tosses me the keys to his truck. “I’m going to take Lexi out for dinner. Make sure your mess is cleaned out of my kitchen,” he orders.

  I resist rolling my eyes but I accept his keys anyway. I mean, I’m not one for tagging along on their date and I wouldn’t mind getting my ass home. Besides, I know Luke sounds like he’s playing nice right now, but the dude does not like a messy house, and to be honest, I don’t really feel comfortable with leaving my blood for someone else to clean up.

  I say a quick goodbye and congratulate Lexi on putting up with Luke to make it to an anniversary before climbing up into his truck and getting it started. I make my way back to Luke’s place with Cami on my mind, though, I shouldn’t be surprised. She’s been on my mind for the last two years.

  I can’t help but feel like a fucking king. I mean, nothing in this world has ever been better than the moment I told her that I was coming home to her. I watched her whole world change before my very eyes. She went from being broken and hurting to having this unbelievable hope and joy shining right through her eyes.

  In that moment, I could see right down to her soul and I knew that she would wait for me until the end of time. She won’t have to though. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and I can’t fucking wait.

  She deserves so much more than me and I so desperately hope she doesn’t figure that out in the near future because I’m going to marry her. I’m going to give her every damn thing she has ever wanted.

  If she asks for a dog, it’s hers. If she wants a trip to Mexico, consider it done. If she wants a whole tribe of kids so she has models on hand for her designs, then we’ll start pumping them out.

  Any tiny thing she could ever dream of will be hers.

  For two years straight, I have wanted nothing more than to give her the world and it’s finally in my grasp. But before I can do that, I have to earn her forgiveness. I’ve done nothing but hurt her over the past two years. I’ve broken her, I’ve pushed her away, I’ve made her flee the fucking country.

  Surely, she must have trust issues when it comes to me. I wouldn’t blame her if she couldn’t believe a word I said for the rest of our lives, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to prove to her that she can trust me. Never again will I hurt her and never again will she feel the sting from me pushing her away.

  I need to make it up to her and I’ll do whatever it takes.

  I pull up beside my truck at Luke’s place and open the door, though I forget the security code for the alarm and grin as it goes off. I turn towards his security camera and wave, and sure enough, a few moments later the alarm turns off and I receive a text message from Luke calling me a dickhead.

  I head on in and place the keys to his truck on the dining table before scooping my own up and sliding them into my pocket. I walk into his kitchen and have a look at the mess I’ve created before groaning at the state of it. It’s pretty fucking bad. There’s blood everywhere. Lex was right, it looks like a fucking massacre went down in here.

  Just like most people, I absolutely hate cleaning, but seeing as though it’s Luke and Lexi’s anniversary, I decide I better do a good fucking job. Besides, I’ve spent the majority of my life being Luke’s wingman, and I’m sure on his anniversary he’s going to want to get home and take his woman straight to bed rather than clean up after me.

  With a sigh, I search for his cleaning products and get started scrubbing the kitchen. I throw out all the food that was left out or half cooked before deciding it looks pretty damn good. I grab a piece of paper and write him and Lexi a note.

  ‘Happy fucking anniversary!’

  With that, I double check I got everything and get my ass out of there. I’m fucking tired. It’s been a day filled to the brim with all sorts of crap. There was work this morning, helping Lexi, cutting my hand, and of course, Cami.

  I get myself home and walk straight into my kitchen to find some painkillers. My hand is fucking killing me after scrubbing Luke’s kitchen. I probably should have slowed down, but all I wanted to do was get home.

  I throw back the little pills and crash down into the couch with my feet up. I flick on ESPN and try to watch the game, but I just can’t focus. I have a plan to put in place to win back the girl I’m desperately in love with.

  I pull out my phone and start trying to come up with some ideas to blow her mind, but even that can’t hold my attention. I’m not ready to be with her just yet. I know I haven’t blacked out in over a month, but I don’t c
ompletely trust the medication. What if me not blacking out actually has nothing to do with the medication? How could I ever be sure?

  I used to blackout every few weeks and for me to have not blacked out over the space of a month is a big fucking deal, but I want to give it a few more weeks as I’d fucking hate myself if anything was to happen to her.

  I just wish there was some way I could one hundred percent know for sure. Like a test or something like that. I could answer a few questions and it would say either, ‘No, Jace, you’re not a monster. You will not hurt your woman,’ or ‘Jace, you’re a disgrace to all of humanity. Go lock your ass up before you hurt the one thing that matters to you.’

  I force myself to focus on this big plan for Cami for at least another half an hour before it gets too much for me. I know I only saw her a few hours ago, but I need to see her again. I need to hold her. I need to smell that fruity shampoo she uses. I need to touch that perfect curve of her toned waist. I just need her.

  Within the blink of an eye, I’m out the door and pulling up at her place. I walk into her apartment complex, hit the button on the lift for level three, and wait like an impatient mother fucker. Watching the number on the lift slowly changing has me busting through the door to the stairwell and rushing up to her level.

  I get to her door and cringe. It’s pretty late and she’s probably in bed. I don’t want to knock and wake her and I wouldn’t want to break the door down. “Hey,” a voice calls from up the hallway.

  I turn at the sound and find a blonde sticking her head out her doorway and I remember the girl from when Cami first came back from her time away. I think her name is Kelly. “Um… hi,” I say.

  “Are you Jace?” she questions.

  I narrow my eyes on the woman, wondering how the hell she knows who I am. “Yes,” I say slowly.

  “Tell me you’re here to tell her that you love her, otherwise, you should probably fuck off.”

  I grin at the strange woman. “I just need to see her. You know, make sure she’s all good.”

  The woman smiles back at me. “You do love her, don’t you?”

  “Like you wouldn’t fucking believe.”

  Her head disappears back into her apartment for a moment before she sticks it out. “Here,” she says before holding up a little silver key. I walk down and gratefully take the key from her hand. “If I hear any yelling coming from down there, I’m going to pull your testicles out of your throat,” she warns.

  “Believe me,” I tell her. “If I ever hurt her again, I’d beg you to do it.”

  She narrows her eyes on me for a moment before deciding she must like what she sees. She nods her head. “Have a good night, Jace,” she says before pulling back into the apartment and closing the door.

  With that, I turn towards Cami’s door and slide the key into the lock. I give it a flick and open the door to find her apartment in complete darkness. I was right, she must be fast asleep.

  I lock her door behind me and make my way down to her room before realizing that finding a man in her apartment in the dead of night probably isn’t the best thing. I walk into her room and find her in a silk nightdress that rides high on her legs. She looks so fucking beautiful that it hurts.

  I pull off my shoes, lose my shirt, and drop my pants before walking around to the other side of her bed. I slide myself between the sheets and reach out for her. Her eyes fly open and she lets out a gasp as I begin to pull her to me.

  “Babe, it’s just me,” I murmur into the darkness as I pull her body tight against mine.

  “Jace?” she questions in her sleepy haze.

  “Yeah, babe,” I say. “Go back to sleep.”

  She rolls in my arms and instantly snuggles into my chest before letting out a little moan. I hold her a little tighter and lace her fingers through mine. She yawns as she begins drifting back to sleep and I run my thumb across her knuckles. “I love you,” she whispers.

  Those three words paralyze me and bring me home, just like every other time she has said them. “I love you too,” I tell her before closing my eyes and letting the night claim me.

  Chapter 21

  Cami

  This waiting game is driving me insane. It’s been three weeks and five days since Jace’s trip to the hospital and all I want to do is shake him.

  I mean, I can sense that he’s so close. Most days he slips in through my door and climbs into my bed. All he does is hold me. He pulls me tight into his arms, he runs his fingers down my hair, he tells me he loves me, and then we sleep.

  I’m not going to lie, I absolutely love having him in my bed and hearing him utter those three words that make me feel so damn complete, I could explode, but fuck, I need him to touch me, and not in the rubbing his hand up and down my back kind of way. I need him to throw me up against the wall and remind me what it’s like to be a woman. I need him to screw me within an inch of my life. I need him to make me gasp for breath. I need him to make me scream.

  My time will come though, and I don’t doubt that it will be incredible. I can only imagine how good it would be, and I don’t mean just the sex. I already know that’s so incredible that it has to be illegal. What I mean is how good it would be truly being with him, as in being the woman he comes home to every night. It’s all I’ve thought about for the past two years.

  I can picture it so clearly. He would come home and within a second, his eyes would be on mine with nothing but fire within them. He’d be on me in two seconds with my back slammed up against the wall, both of us scrambling to undress the other before he gave it to me with everything he’s got. Every position. Every damn night.

  He’d hold my hand everywhere we go. He’d smile that smile he reserves only for me. He’d treat me like a queen by day and a demoness by night. It would be everything I could possibly dream of. We’d cook together each night, he’d bombard me in the shower, we’d snuggle on the couch. It’s going to be magical.

  The old Jace would never have slid into my bed each night. In fact, he would have gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid it. He would have hated the idea of leaving me in the morning and hurting me further, so the fact that he’s in my bed nearly every night and still there in the morning, tells me just how close he is to making the leap to being my man, but I swear, if he doesn’t make that leap soon, I’ll be going out and buying myself a whole lot of cats.

  I rush around my apartment getting my ass dressed as there has been something seriously missing for the good part of the year. Jace’s self-defense class. Before my spontaneous trip away, I used to go to that class every single week, hell I’d even go a few times a week if I could. It was a religion for me. Nothing got me hotter than watching Jace in instructor mode. He’s confident and charming and watching him run that class like a boss does all sorts of things to me. Since being back, I haven’t indulged in that guilty pleasure, and it’s about time I did.

  I can’t wait. Seeing him like that… wow. It does things to me. Real bad things. But, if I don’t get my ass dressed and out the door, I’ll be missing it, and that will be a tragedy.

  I pull on my smallest training crop, one that I know he can’t resist and grab a pair of shorts. I get myself dressed and tie my shoes before walking past the bathroom and doubling back. I think a little spritz of perfume I know he likes would be the magic trick, you know, right after putting my hair up in a high bun that shows off my bare neck.

  After throwing a water bottle in my bag and grabbing my keys and phone, I head out the door and drop down into my car. Before I know it, I’m halfway there, singing along to my playlist and doing my best car dancing possible.

  I look down at the time. I’m cutting it really close and I know Jace hates tardiness to his classes, but I have a slight feeling I’ll get away with it.

  I pull up at Rebels Advocate and get myself out of the car, I sling my bag over my shoulder and practically skip into the gym. I find it impossible to wipe the smile off my face, but I don’t care, I love it there. Over the last few months
my smile has been hard to come by, but now it seems to be here all the damn time and I wouldn’t change it for a damn thing.

  I push through the door and see Jess, the boys paper bitch. “Hey,” she says, giving me a wide smile. “How are you? I haven’t seen you in so long.”

  “I know,” I say as she comes around the side of the front desk and pulls me in for a tight hug. “I’ve been good. How are you?”

  “Busy,” she grunts. “You know how these boys are. They make sure there’s always endless piles of work on my desk.”

  “I bet,” I laugh. “Probably doesn’t help that they all hate computer work and wouldn’t know what filing was if it bit them in the ass.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” she grins. “Are you here for the self-defense class?” she questions.

  “Sure am,” I smile.

  Her eyes go wide as she cringes. “You better hurry then. You know Jace doesn’t like it when people are late.”

  “I know,” I tell her. “Just that fact alone makes me want to dawdle in there as slowly as possible.”

  “Oh Jesus,” she groans as she walks back behind her desk. “You’re asking for it.”

  “And I hope he delivers,” I say with a wink before walking deeper into the gym.

  As step around the corner, I get the perfect view of the studio room. I see both Jace and Luke through the glass wall with their backs to the wall as they address the students before them. Jace doesn’t see me while he busily describes something to the class, but Luke sees me out of the corner of his eye. He grins and shakes his head to himself, but doesn’t say a word.

  I push through the door and Jace instantly turns on me, ready and willing to scold whoever dares turn up late to his class. “What the he-” His eyes bug out of his head as he looks down at my clothes and exposed skin and I can practically see the intense need he has to cover me up.