“She came this afternoon while Taylor was here. She asked to talk to you and I told her you didn't live here.”
“And she's been here this whole time?”
“Uh, I'm not sure. I took a nap when Tay left,” I shrugged as I sat beside him and pulled my feet up to sit criss-cross.
“She had to have. As soon as I knocked on your door she came running down the hallway. She jumped on me before I could stop her.”
“Nut job,” I muttered.
He nodded for a moment and then shook his head as if he were shaking all thoughts of Brooke away. “Let's talk about us,” he said as he grabbed hold of my hand.
“Where do we start?” I sighed.
“I want to be with you, Macie, and I need to know if you feel the same about me.”
“I want to be with you too, Jasper. I just can't—”
“I'll change. For you,” he said, cutting me off. I stared at him for a second, shocked at how prepared he was to say those words.
“What does that mean, Jasper?” I finally asked.
“I won't hurt people. I won't take things that aren't mine. Hell, I won't even call myself a Raider anymore. If that's what you want, I'll do it.”
He turned so he was facing me and studied my face intently as I considered what he'd just said.
“Jasper, I—I can't ask you to do that”, I said quietly without meeting his stare.
“Hey,” he said as he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. “You're not asking me to do anything. I told you, you make me want to be better. This is my decision, Mace. I'm just hoping to get rewarded for it in the end,” he smirked.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I couldn't help but grin as he waggled his eyebrows at me. He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine softly. I'm almost certain that's the day I fell in love with Jasper White.
Macie had only been home from class for an hour and she had been pacing across her bedroom floor the entire time.
“Babe, you gotta calm down. Just relax,” I told her as I leaned against her doorway. She was chewing on her thumbnail as she paced back and forth.
“Jasper, they will be here any minute. How the hell are you calm right now?”
“I’m actually kind of excited to meet your brother,” I said with a shrug. She looked at me, her eyes wide and mouth open.
“You do remember that Bennett has convinced him that you're a murderer, right?” she snapped.
“Mace, I know I’m not a murderer, and you know it. I don’t care what Bennett has told your brother. After he meets me he’ll see that Bennett was wrong.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked as she worried her lower lip.
I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. “Your brother loves you, Macie. He’s going to trust your judgement over his friend’s. You have nothing to worry about. Now, stop biting your lip before I get the wrong idea.”
She giggled as she swatted my chest. I had just pressed my lips to her neck when someone knocked on the door. Macie tensed in my arms and I reluctantly let her go.
“To be continued,” I muttered as she walked out of the room.
I walked down the hall to see Macie hugging her brother and sister-in-law at the same time. I stayed back and waited until the moment was over. Macie grabbed my hand and pulled me over to where they were standing.
“Bubba, Nat, this is Jasper. My boyfriend,” she said. I smiled in effort to hide my shock at how confident she sounded as she called me her boyfriend.
“It’s nice to meet you both,” I said as I held my hand out to Shiloh. He glared at my hand without taking it. Thankfully, Nat wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug before things were able to get awkward.
“We’re both happy to meet you, Jasper. We’ve heard a lot about you,” she said when she released me.
“Uh, yeah, about that…” I mumbled awkwardly.
“Yeah. That,” Shiloh said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Shiloh,” Macie snapped.
“It’s fine, Mace. We might as well get this part out of the way,” I told her. I turned to Shiloh and nodded my head, letting him know that I was prepared to answer any questions he had.
“You’re a Raider,” he said, coldly. I nodded again.
“You rob people for a living,” he said in the same tone.
“I used to rob people for a living,” I corrected.
“You’ve killed someone.”
“Never,” I said, my tone becoming harsh.
“Why should I believe you? You’ve been lying to people your entire life,” he scoffed. Nat and Macie had ventured to the kitchen to chat. I could feel Macie’s eyes on me, so I kept my composure.
“Honestly, I have no reason why you should believe me. If you want to believe what Bennett Matthews thinks happened, then be my guest. But you should know something: I care about your sister and I’m going to be with her whether you approve of our relationship or not. The only reason I’m trying to convince you that I’m capable of being a decent guy is because I know how important it is to Macie.”
I could see his jaw ticking as he thought of his response. Finally, he sighed and held his out for me to shake. “I’m only trusting you because she does, but if you hurt her I won’t hesitate to make your life a living hell,” he said sternly as we shook hands.
After the awkward introductions were over, the night was actually fun. I laughed as Macie and Nat talked about the books they were reading and how hot the guys that they were reading about were.
“How do you know what they look like if there are no pictures?” I’d asked them.
“We just know,” they both said as they giggled.
Shiloh and I made small talk about sports for a few minutes. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as I’d thought it would be. They stayed for a few hours before leaving to go to a hotel. We made arrangements to meet them at Macie’s favorite Mexican food place the next day for lunch.
After I locked the door behind them, Macie fell back onto the couch with a huff.
“That wasn’t so bad,” I said as I sat down next to her.
“Thank you for meeting them, J.”
“No problem. I actually like them.” I squeezed just above her knee.
My phone buzzed and I dug it out of my pocket to see that it was a text from Sam.
We’ve got a problem.
What’s up? I replied.
It’s Brooke. She’s causing problems.
Be specific, man.
You need to get here. Fast.
“Shit,” I said as I stood up and put my phone back in my pocket.
“I’ve gotta go back to my place. Sam says he needs my help. Apparently, Brooke is stirring some shit up,” I said to Macie as I slipped a hoody over my head.
She stood up and walked to her bedroom without saying a word. I stared after her as I replayed what I’d just said in my mind, trying to see if I had said something to piss her off. Before I could put my finger on it, she came out of her room with a hoody of her own.
“I’m coming with you,” she said as she pulled it over her head.
I grabbed her hand as we walked to my bike. The cool night air felt refreshing against my face as I drove to Sam’s, and Macie holding on to me felt even better.
Sam was outside smoking a cigarette when we pulled up to the building.
“Sam, this is Macie. Macie, this is Sam,” I said as we walked over to him.
They said their brief “hello”s and we waited while Sam finished smoking.
“We need to go inside for this,” he said as he tossed his cigarette into the bushes behind him.
We followed him to the second floor where he let us into the apartment that was supposed to be half mine. Judging by the furry throw blankets and the brightly colored couch pillows, it wasn’t even half Sam’s apartment anymore.
“Where is Blaire?” I asked as I sat down on the couch.
“She went to talk to Brooke about an hour ago. I th
ink she’s having some sort of breakdown or something.”
“Yeah, she stopped by Macie’s place earlier today,” I told him as I shook my head.
“What has she done now?” Macie asked Sam.
Sam looked from Macie to me a couple of times without answering. It was like he was trying to gauge how much she really knew about me and how much information he was allowed to share. I nodded my head to let him know that she was here to stay and he could say whatever he needed to in front of her.
“She’s apparently making herself at home with Jon. He and Daniel raided our storage shed and took everything. That’s not a big deal since we are both leaving that part of us behind. At least I assume you are,” he said as he eyed me. I gave him a sharp nod and he continued. “Anyway, I’ve seen Brooke lurking around the building and at Showtime’s the last few days, even on her nights off. I know Jon is still pissed about the beating you gave him and now Brooke is there to keep fueling the fire. And there’s this; I found it in Blaire’s jacket. She doesn’t know I’ve got it.” He handed me a folded up piece of paper. I could tell by the look on his face that he was really worried about something, but I wasn’t picking up on it. I mean, Brooke was just a girl, what’s the worst she could do? “If it were Brooke on her own, it wouldn’t be such a big deal. But now that she’s got Daniel and an extremely pissed off Jon on her side, well…there’s no limit to what they’re capable of.”
I unfolded the piece of paper and had to force my hands not to shake as I read Brooke’s crazed, loopy handwriting. It was a hit list. First on the list: Macie’s name, address, and phone number. Under her information was my own, along with Shiloh’s, Nat’s, and Taylor’s. Macie’s name was circled numerous times in red ink and there were holes in the paper where it seemed Brooke had pushed the pen down way to hard in her scrawling. My throat went dry and vision began to blur as I stared at the paper.
“J? What is it? You look like you’re going to be sick,” Macie said as she placed her hand on my shoulder. I jumped at her touch and my heart started racing. I folded the paper up as quickly as possible and handed it back to Sam before Macie could see it.
“When did you find that?” I asked him.
“Right before I texted you.”
I nodded as I stood and grabbed Macie by the hand.
“We’ve got some things to discuss. I’ll call you tomorrow. And thanks for the heads up.”
Sam clapped me on the back as I walked out of the apartment I would never call mine again.
“I want to know what’s going on. Now.” Macie jerked her hand out of my grasp.
“I know you do. Get on the bike. We are going to the hotel to talk to your brother.”
She only hesitated for a second before getting on behind me and holding on tight. I drove too fast, but I was wound too tight to drive slow.
Macie called Nat to ask for the room number as we were walking into the lobby.
“319,” she said quietly as we waited for the elevator.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside as soon as the doors opened. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight against me as we rode.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” I said too quietly for her to hear over the annoying music. It was a promise I didn’t intend to break.
“What’s going on?” Shiloh asked as soon as he opened the door.
“I need to talk to you. Alone,” I said as I locked the door behind us.
“What the—,” Macie started.
“Not now, Mace. Just give me five minutes,” I snapped. She put her hands on her hips and gave me her best glare. Thankfully, Nat grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over to the bed and turned the TV up loud enough that I didn’t have to worry about them hearing us.
Shiloh and I stood by the door as I filled him in on everything from my fling with Brooke to the fight with Jon. The look on his face when I told him about the hit list Sam had found was a mixture of worry and rage. I knew exactly how he felt.
“You haven’t shared this with Macie?” he asked. I shook my head.
“I appreciate you coming to me first. I think we need to be as vague as possible with the girls for the time being. And we need to get them somewhere safe until we can solve the problem.”
“I agree. Brooke knows your address in Washington. Do you have anywhere in mind?” I asked as I racked my brain trying to think of an inconspicuous place we could stay.
“Well, Bennett’s mom has a guest house. That’s where we used to stay when we visited for the summers. Bennett will be staying there, too,” he said with a cocked brow.
“If that’s what we have to do to keep them safe, then I’ll do it.”
He nodded before walking over to the girls and turning the TV off.
“Pack your things, babe. We’re going to Aunt Mandy’s for a bit.”
I watched as Nat narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not happy about being left out of the loop, but she started shoving things into her suitcase without arguing.
“Mace, if you want to stay here I can go grab some things from your place and meet you there,” I offered.
“Yeah, right. Nobody is going anywhere until I know what the fuck is going on,” she snapped.
“Macie,” Shiloh said sternly.
“Tell me. Now,” she snapped.
I looked at Shiloh for help, but he just nodded his head at me.
“Shit,” I muttered. Macie walked over to me and poked her finger into my chest.
“I deserve to know what’s going on. I’ve been patient long enough,” she said.
“Okay, don’t freak out. Sam found Brooke’s hit list and your name is at the top of it. She knows where you live; that’s why we’re going to Mandy’s. It’s just a precaution,” I said as calmly as possible.
“Wow. You really know how to pick them, babe,” she said lightly. “See you at Mandy’s!” she called to Nat and Shiloh before walking out of the room.
“She’s not going to let you know that she’s scared, Jasper. She’ll wait until she’s alone to breakdown. Just be there for her,” Nat said as she hugged me goodbye.
“I’ll text you the address. Be there in an hour,” Shiloh said as I walked out.
“Wait up!” I called to Macie. The elevator opened just as I made it to her. She was quiet as we walked to my bike, but she smiled at me before climbing on. I smiled back awkwardly, confused by how well she was taking the news of being blacklisted by a psycho chick.
When we got to her place, I grabbed the backpack I’d brought over with all of my necessities and she went to her room to pack her own bag. After several minutes of waiting, I went to check on her. I tapped on her door, but she didn’t answer.
“Macie, you okay?” I asked as I opened her door.
She was sitting on the edge of her bed hugging her pillow to her chest. I rushed over and sat down beside her.
“It’s going to be okay,” I told her as I rubbed my hand up and down her back.
“Nat and Shi were on the list, too.” It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway.
“That’s why you wanted to tell Shiloh first, isn’t it?”
I nodded again. “Shiloh, didn’t want you and Nat to worry any more than necessary,” I explained.
“I can’t lose them,” she whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.
I tugged on the pillow until she released it and pulled her into my lap.
“I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen, Macie,” I promised her. I held her tight until she finished crying. She gathered her things quickly, and we were on the road to Mandy’s with plenty of time to spare.
The drive should have taken a lot longer, but we were on my bike and I wasn’t worried about traffic laws once we were off of the main roads. Our hideout was far from any sort of town. Even the main residence that Bennett’s where mom lived was a good twenty miles away. I was relieved at how secluded the guest house really was. I knew that even Jon and Daniel would have a hard time finding us.
&nb
sp; As we pulled into the driveway, Shiloh and Bennett were outside. It looked like they were arguing, but I couldn’t hear anything over the rumble of my bike.
“Bennett, if you want to help us keep Macie safe, then you will let him stay,” I heard Shiloh say. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was irritated.
“Is there a problem?” I asked as Macie and I walked up hand in hand. Shiloh glared at Bennett until he finally shook his head.
“Macie, you guys can stay in the room upstairs,” Bennett said as he walked inside. “Oh, and Jasper, I’ll know if something goes missing,” he sneered.
“You won’t have to worry about that, Bennett. We will see you all in the morning,” Macie said, and before I could get a word out she was tugging me up the stairs and locking the door to our room.
“Bennett can be an asshole. Please don’t let him get to you. I need you here,” she said quietly.
I tossed our bags onto the floor and pulled her into my arms.
“I'm not going anywhere, Macie,” I promised as I kissed her hair.
She rose to her tiptoes and kissed my lips. It wasn't the type of kiss I was used to getting from her. It was more. It was slow and sweet. I could feel how much she needed me, just by that single kiss. Before she could pull away I scooped her up and carried her to the bed. I laid her down gently before taking her mouth again.
I was downstairs making the morning coffee when Shiloh came in and sat down at the table.
“Mornin’,” he said in a sleepy voice.
“Good morning.”
“We've got to come up with a plan today,” he said as he rubbed his hands over his face.
“I know. I hope you have some ideas, because I sure as hell don't,” I said as I handed him a cup of coffee.
“Let me get this coffee down and take a shower, then we’ll see what we can come up with.”
I nodded and took my cup and an extra one for Jasper back upstairs.
He was already dressed when I walked in the room. A look of relief passed over his face as I handed him the cup of coffee.
“Good morning, Macie,” he said quietly as he kissed my temple.
“Morning,” I said with a grin. I wasn't surprised in the least by the butterflies I had in my stomach. Even in the midst of the shit storm, I couldn't control the way Jasper made me feel.
Change Me (The Protector Series Book 2) Page 9