by Jordan Marie
“Okay, Jax. I agree to your demands,” she whispers, finally looking up at me.
The blood is pounding in my head and it sounds like nails in my fucking coffin. It’s done. Bree will be mine. There’s no way to walk away now.
I don’t think I could if I tried.
Chapter Sixteen
Bree
The party is going great. Pops doesn’t let me around the Saint’s parties very often, but the few I’ve gone to, there’s a sense of brotherhood for sure, but this is different. The Devil’s Blaze aren’t just a brotherhood. They feel like a family. All the old ladies and members alike are treated the same. There are kids running around. And everyone’s laughing. Even Jax.
He has me so confused. I thought once we made our agreement, that we would continue what we started beside the road. We didn’t. Instead, he gave me his shirt to wear and a pair of jogging pants. Then he snuck me back, making sure Skull’s house was empty before he let me get out of the truck. He didn’t even kiss me goodbye. All he did was tell me he would see me later. Now it’s later. It’s much later. In fact, it’s a day later.
The party is in full swing and everyone is having fun. Katie and Torch are playing Red Rover with the kids. It’s hilarious watching Torch play with them. He looks like the ultimate biker, but he’s just a giant kid himself. Nothing explains that more than the T-shirt he’s wearing. It’s black with large white writing that says: Be kind to my wife, she’s pregnant. Of course, when he turns around, there’s a picture of a squirrel that’s dressed like Darth Vader—except for its bushy tail. The shirt says: Yes, I am the father. The power of the nut juice is strong in me young Jedi. Katie apparently doesn’t mind because her matching black shirt says: Baby on board. Then in parentheses it says: I refused to swallow so he knocked me up.
Their relationship is both hilarious and beautiful. I love watching them together. Skull and Beth are different. Their relationship is intense. They share this connection that anyone can see. It’s crystal clear. Like right now they’re across the yard from each other. Beth is laughing and talking with some of the other old ladies, while Skull is drinking a beer, standing around some of his men, but every so often he’ll look over at Beth, as if he’s just making sure she’s okay. She immediately looks up at him, as if she can feel the heat in his gaze. Maybe she can, it’s palpable.
“What are you doing over here by yourself?”
My head jerks up, and I smile when I see Beast. Despite the name, he’s more like a giant teddy bear—or at least he is to me. He comes over to Pops sometimes with Skull or Torch. I first met him not long after Pops discovered I existed. Viper, the sperm donor, and some of his women kept me hidden.
Viper once told me while he was drunk that his father would disown him and have me killed because I was a mistake from a crack addict, club whore. He made it clear he didn’t want me, but he didn’t feel like I should die for merely existing. The day Pops found me, I thought my life would end. It turned out, it just began.
Maybe it’s because of my past, I’m not sure, but Beast took up with me and has been nice to me ever since. It’s always made me feel special, because he rarely talks to anyone; he was injured in an explosion. The man’s always had a sadness about him, and I thought that his injuries were the reason, until Aunt Katie told me that he lost his daughter in the accident. My heart kind of breaks for him. He has scars, I know, but he’s let his hair and beard grow so long you don’t see them. You do see the ones on his hands, however, and they are pretty gnarly. Maybe they would turn off some people, but to me, I see them as badges of courage. Proof that he loved his daughter so much that he would walk through fire to try and save her. How beautiful would it be to have a man care for you that much? I mourn for all that he has lost, but even more for his daughter. I wish she could experience that love. What an amazing life that would be. It’s just not fair.
“What’s wrong, ladybug?” he asks, using his nickname for me that no one knows.
“Feeling a little out of place. Besides you, my aunts and uncles, I don’t really know anyone here,” I lie, but then again, I’m not sure I know Shaft, or that I could count him.
“Have you met Latch’s sister, Lucy? She’s about your age, and she has some friends over. I bet you’d enjoy getting to know them.”
I want to tell him, I’m positive I wouldn’t, but I don’t. He’s trying to look out for me and while I really appreciate it, I caught a glimpse of Lucy and her friends earlier. They look like the snobby, spoiled girls I do my best to stay away from. Still, if they’re here and Beast can vouch for them, then the least I can do is meet them. It doesn’t seem fair to judge them with no reason.
“I haven’t yet,” I tell him.
“Haven’t what?” Jax asks, surprising me when he comes up behind us.
“She hasn’t met Lucy and the girls. I was gonna take her over there.”
“What for. Those kids are annoying as hell,” Jax says cementing my first impression.
“They’re close to the same age,” Beast says and by this time his voice is getting gravelly. It hurts for him to talk, especially for extended periods. He doesn’t mean anything, but I inwardly blanch at his use of words. Just what Jax needed. Another reminder of my age.
“Really? They don’t seem it?” Jax says, staring at me strangely, and I have no idea what he’s thinking.
“It’d be good for her to meet people her own age.”
“You just wanna go flex in front of Lucy,” a guy I remember Torch calling Briar says, joining us.
“Fuck you,” Beast growls, and with his voice hoarse, he sounds what I imagine a bear would sound like when he growls. “I told you to drop it.”
“Drop what?” Jax asks.
“Lucy has the hots for our man, Beast.”
“Christ, you are like an old woman.”
“Isn’t she a little young for you brother?” Jax asks, and I wish I could kick him.
“She’s not too young. Hell, she’s out of high school and more than legal. I think she might be good for our boy,” Briar says. “Might put a smile on his ugly mug again.”
“Not if Sabre and Latch get a hold of him,” Jax says.
“I’d think they’d be glad that Lucy has someone so amazing in her life,” I tell them and Beast’s hand flexes on my forearm as he puts his arm around me.
“Let’s go, ladybug,” he says gruffly.
“Ladybug?” Jax parrots annoyed.
I don’t answer him, I couldn’t anyways, because Beast leads me toward the picnic table where Lucy and her friends are gathered around. I spare a quick glance at Jax, his eyes are appraising me, but he makes no move to stop me from leaving.
The talk immediately stops when he gets close. I have to fight to keep from squirming when I feel all their eyes on me. I don’t like crowds. Especially crowds that I don’t know…and crowds I’m pretty sure I won’t like.
“Lucy, this here is Skull’s niece, Aubree.”
“Oh. Hi, Aubree,” she greets me sounding friendly enough. Her dark hair frames her face in feathered layers. Her green eyes shine with warmth.
“Hey, Lucy. It’s nice to meet you,” I tell her.
“She’s new here, I thought it’d be good for her to meet you and your friends,” Beast explains our interruption.
“You go to school here?” One of Lucy’s friends asks. Her dirty blonde hair hangs in waves over her shoulders.
“I go to London-East,” I tell her, naming one of the three high schools in the area.
“O.M.G.! you’re still in high school?” That comes from one of Lucy’s friends. Lucy blushes, and I start to feel a little better about her, because she’s obviously embarrassed. Maybe she’s not the snob I gave her credit for. “Getting ready to graduate,” I tell her.
“Beast come over here for a minute,” I hear Skull demand, and I immediately want to go with him.
“I’ll be back,” he says, not giving me the chance to tell him not to leave me alone with them. You can re
ally tell his voice is bothering him now, because there’s squeak at the end of his words. You can tell it’s painful. I watch him walk away, wishing I could help him somehow.
“Thank God he’s gone,” one of her friend’s sneers.
“I know, right? Someone really should introduce him to hair conditioner,” another one says.
“Or a good barber,” the last one adds. I look over at Lucy. I expect her to take up for Beast. I don’t know...I mean Briar said she likes him. She should say something. But, she doesn’t, instead she’s laughing.
“Yeah, he’s pretty hideous. You can’t hardly see anything but hair.”
“Girl! I know. You have to wonder if he’s that hairy everywhere.”
“Yikes,” one of the other bitches’ cries, and I’ve about had my fill.
“We better hush. We’ll hurt Lucy’s feelings. Everyone knows she was crushing on Beast hard.”
“Yeah, she was going to be his Belle,” another one adds, sarcasm so thick in her voice it makes me sick.
“Drop it, Kathy,” Lucy says softly.
“What? She’s just telling the truth. You were all gaga over him before we went to France.”
“Yeah, but Lynn have you seen him now? He’s repulsive. A woman would have to be drunk to want to be with him, and then that might not be enough,” Lucy adds on at the end of the conversation. That apparently is when I go past having enough because I reach out and slap her so hard it feels like my hand is on fire.
“Wow, really? That’s how you repay someone who has only been anything but good to you? I happen to think his scars, hell, everything about him is amazing. It shows how deeply he loves,” I snap at her, all of them really.
“Whatever,” another girl says and they all look at each other like I’m insane. Lucy is holding her cheek and looking at me, it’s not anger I see in her eyes, but something else. Still, she doesn’t say anything else which just condemns her further in my eyes.
“You know what? I feel sorry for all of you, but especially you, Lucy.”
“Excuse me?”
“You feel sorry for us?”
“That’s rich, a river rat feeling sorry for us,” her friend chimes in, calling me a name I’ve heard often. It refers to the fact that I live on the North side of Laurel River, where the houses are mostly government funded. I don’t know how they know I’m from there, and I don’t care. Suddenly, I just want to tell Lucy what a loser she is and leave.
“Yeah, I feel sorry for you, but mostly for Lucy, because she had the chance to have someone amazing and wonderful in her life. Someone who loves unconditionally and she’s throwing it away. Which is fine really. You don’t deserve someone like Beast,” I tell her. “You’re not good enough for him,” I stress to her lastly, and then I turn to walk away. Beast is standing two feet away from me and there’s no doubt he’s heard it all. His dark eyes are more than expressive. The tension is vibrating around us. Two other men are standing with him, and Jax is standing there too. I feel color creep up my face.
“Lucy, let’s go,” one of the men barks, anger so thick I jump at the sound.
“Latch,” she complains.
“Now,” he says, even sterner.
Beast comes over to me and kisses my forehead. He doesn’t say anything, he doesn’t have to, but my heart breaks even more for him. I watch as he moves away and then walks back toward the compound. I feel the tears leave my eyes. I don’t even try to stop them, but I hate Lucy and her friends so fucking much right now.
“Let’s go, baby,” Jax says next to me, and I jump. His fingers come down catching one of my tears.
“They hurt him,” I whisper the words that break my heart because Beast has been hurt enough.
“They did,” he agrees, not bothering to try and lie.
“He’s been hurt enough.”
“That he has, sweet Bree. That he has,” he says leading me away from the crowd. I go willingly, just wanting out of there, but I know in my heart that I’d follow Jax anywhere.
Chapter Seventeen
Jax
Fuck. That’s it. I’m screwed. I’ve been doing my best to stay away from her. I know what I agreed to, but I’ve spent the day at the party trying to back away. I have a list of reasons. She’s too young and immature to even think of going there. I barely know her. I even convinced myself I could have sex with someone else and work her out of my system. Then I saw the way she took up for my brother. I saw the way it hurt her to know he was in pain, and I was a goner. Her reaction was not that of an immature kid. She might be young, but even with the limited time we’ve known each other, one thought has cemented inside of me. Aubree Davis is mine.
“Yo, Shaft! Where ya’ going?” I look over to see Keys leaning against the building talking to Denise. I see the look in her eyes as soon as she looks at me. I feel guilty, for some reason, as if I’ve cheated on Bree—which is crazy. I hadn’t even laid eyes on Bree the last time Denise and I did anything.
“Bree wants to go home, I’ll be back a bit later,” I lie.
“Well, when you get done babysitting come on back and we’ll party,” he says and the way Denise is hanging on him and smiling at me leaves little room to wonder what they’re talking about. I know Bree understands, because her body goes taut against me.
“Not tonight, brother,” I tell him and leave before he can say more shit that might set Bree off. She doesn’t say anything as I lead her back through the club. We go out the front door, and I’m on my bike before she speaks up.
“You don’t have to take me home. I can get one of the others.”
“Bree—”
“You should go back to the party Jax. I can get home without you.” I can hear the slight tremble in her voice, and the jealousy she’s trying to hide.
“Get on the damn bike, Bree.”
“Jax—”
“Now,” I order. I see indecision on her face and watch as she wars with herself. In the end, she gets on the back of the bike. I wait but when I don’t feel her arms go around me, I have to speak up. She wants me? She will learn what I want. “Arms, Bree.”
“What?”
“Put your arms around me,” I demand.
“I’m fine.”
“I don’t want to have to tell you again, Bree.” She’s gonna be the death of me. Her smart mouth drives me wild.
“You’re not the boss of me,” she huffs, but puts her arms around me.
“We’ll see baby. We’ll see,” I tell her, and I can’t help but smile as my bike roars to life.
Her arms around me with her body pressed to my back is fucking perfect. I gotta admit I like the way I feel having her on the back of my bike.
Chapter Eighteen
Bree
There has to be something seriously wrong with me. That’s the only explanation I can come up with. What else could explain how I hate the way Jax bosses me around, yet love it too? Even upset and confused I find myself leaning into him as we glide through the streets of downtown London, Kentucky.
All too soon we’re outside his apartment. He doesn’t speak when he shuts off his bike. I get off, feeling the nerves pulsate through my body. He hops off right after me, still not talking and his face looks angry. I have a momentary thought of just running away, but before my cowardice can win, he grabs my hand—pulling me with him. His steps are hard, solid stomps against the cement, and I’m more convinced than ever he’s mad. I pull against his hold, trying to resist.
“Will you stop! You’re walking too fast for me,” I complain and he looks back at me and suddenly I think it’s not anger…his eyes are heated and the look in them instantly makes my legs weak. Instead of responding he adjusts his speed.
When we make it inside, it takes a minute for my eyes to focus in the dark apartment. Jax walks around me and turns on a lamp that’s by the old sofa in the room. His apartment really is in bad shape, but then it’s not that different from any other home I’ve seen where the man is the only one who lives there. Pop’s
place is a real junk fest. There’s things that could be done to this place that would make it feel welcoming, almost homey even. Would Jax flip if I took it on myself to do them? Probably.
“You’re out of school in four weeks,” Jax announces and it takes a few minutes for my brain to catch up with him. Talk about a quick change of thought.
“Close to that. So?”
“I’m not touching you for four weeks, not until you’re out of school Bree. I’m a bastard, but I’m not that big of a bastard.” He deflates me like I’m a balloon.
“I don’t remember you giving me these terms when we discussed this earlier,” I tell him upset and depressed all at the same time. I could tell he was different at the party, and I knew he was doing his best to renege on our bargain, but to hear him state it so calmly makes me want to scream.
“I am now.”
“I see. What if I don’t like the terms?”
“You don’t really have a choice in the matter. They are what they are,” he states.
“I don’t have a choice?” I ask, taken aback.
“That’s what I said. Didn’t stutter, baby girl.”
“Maybe my choice is to just walk away,” I tell him and the very thought hurts me. My friends all talk about being in love and the need they have for their boyfriends. I’ve never had that, until I took one look at Jax. Then I knew. Instantly it hit me. He’s the one—even if he ends up destroying my heart.
He looks me over, not answering. Fear curls inside of me, gripping my heart. I shouldn’t have said that. Now, I’ll have to walk away, because I’m positive he’s not backing down. What’s four weeks? I can handle four weeks, right? I never even wanted sex before Jax.
“Fuck! Women are difficult at any age,” he growls turning away from me. I watch as he rakes his hand over his head. It’s a motion that even in a short time of knowing him I know it’s one he does in frustration. He throws his keys across the room, and I know without even asking that he’s not going to back down.