“So what is it you want help with?” Zane asked, getting straight to the point. She could hear from his tone that he was in a mood. She was sure this wasn’t going to go down well as the two of them struggled to get on at the best of times.
“When Venom manages to track down Glass, I need help to catch her and bring her to the Oaken Casket,” Jacques said.
“And why do you need support?” Zane asked. Jacques sighed deeply.
“Because the gang that she runs with has a few nasty members. If things go south, then I could do with some back up,” Jacques replied.
“So you’re suggesting we walk into the gang hang out with you and hope that she doesn’t just have us shot on sight? I’m sorry, but I ain’t risking getting killed because of your psycho ex-girlfriend,” Zane said.
A stunned silence fell between them. Jacques’ face was tight with anger, and his hands gripped the stool he was sitting on. If Lucinda guessed right, he was holding back whatever anger was in him right now because he needed their help.
“Y’know what, Zane, I fucking helped you when you were dying. Who the fuck dragged you across The Fringe when you were bleeding out? Who the fuck gave you blood from their own veins?” Jacques said as he got to his feet.
“Yeah, but why did you do it, Jacques? I get the feeling it wasn’t cause you cared. More likely you worried about losing your guide and your escape routes. If I remember rightly, you hated me the entire trip,” Zane said. Oh, god, Zane was getting himself worked up again, and after her reaction earlier, Lucinda doubted she’d be able to talk him down again.
Lucinda didn’t know what to do. The two main guys in her life stood at opposite ends of the kitchen table, with their hands curled into fists ready to fight and a stare between them daring the other to make the first move. Zane had already been in one fight this afternoon.
“Why don’t I go in and check the place out,” Caspian said from the doorway. Both the guys’ heads snapped to see who had intruded into their imminent fight.
“Excuse me?” Zane said.
“If you need someone to infiltrate a gang, who better to ask than me? I understand gang etiquette, I look a hell of a lot weaker than I actually am, and the babes love me. I could lead this woman out so you can get her on safe ground,” Caspian said as he leaned against the doorframe.
The two men stood there for a moment. The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Lucinda thought the idea was a good one, but she wasn’t sure Zane would get behind the idea of letting his little brother walk into a gang den on his own.
“You sure you want to do this?” Zane asked, with a raised brow.
“Sure, why not? I’m bored as shit, and it will entertain me for a little while,” Caspian said nonchalantly.
Lucinda knew how bored the young man had been. In The Fringe, he was able to drink, do drugs, and go out clubbing whenever he wanted, but seeing as he was only nineteen, it wasn’t something he was able to do in Seattle. They had tried to convince him to try new things and develop new hobbies, but he wasn’t interested.
“You don’t mind him helping out?” Lucinda asked with a quirked brow.
“He’s his own man and can make his own choices,” Zane said. “And, Jacques, I never said I wouldn’t help at all. I just think the three of us going into her territory is stupid and risky. She knows you and will smell a trap.”
“I’m just trying to stop someone getting hurt. Not like I’ve had time to actually get a plan sorted or anything,” Jacques snapped.
Lucinda recognized that this was as close to an apology as Jacques was going to get. The two men were both highly charged today, and didn’t that put her in quite the position. The room was so tense she wasn’t sure whether she should say something or whether she should just let them deal with this. Just the tone of the atmosphere was quickly getting too much to deal with.
“Can we stop with the fighting! I’ve had enough of this shit for today,” Lucinda shouted. The room went silent as all three of the men turned to look at her.
“Sorry,” Zane mumbled as he went back to dealing with the food.
“Chill, Luce. Just having a shit couple of days,” Jacques said.
“It’s fine. Just tell us what you know, and we’ll do what we can to help,” Lucinda said.
She went to the coffee machine and made them all drinks before taking a seat at the kitchen table. This was obviously important to Jacques as he never asked her for anything. She reached out and placed a hand on his, giving him a slightly sympathetic smile. She just wanted to help.
*****
Jacques took the coffee that Lucinda offered and sipped at it. His head was such a mess, and he needed to get things aligned before he did or said something else that was stupid. He’d come over here hoping to get some help, but instead, he’d picked a fight with Zane, and in all honesty, it was the man’s help he wanted. When dealing with gangs, he had the experience and the fighting skills to help him confront Glass and her gang. He still wasn’t sure that Zane would help. He had Caspian willing to help, but he hadn’t worked with the kid and wasn’t sure what he was capable of.
Unfortunately, envy was an ugly emotion. He hadn’t liked Zane from the start, and he wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but it was entirely because he was envious. Zane was the tall, muscular guy that women lusted after and seemed to get what he wanted with little effort. Lucy had pretty much thrown herself into his arms, and with that had come everything the man needed to get his life sorted. Jacques had had to fight tooth and nail for everything he had. Lucky breaks weren't a thing for him, and his dating life always swung from non-existent to overly complicated without stopping at the normal relationship options in-between.
He sighed and dragged his hand through his hair as he tried to work out what he was going to say. Should he apologize to Zane or just leave things hanging? Maybe he should just grab a cab back to his place and check on Ava. He wanted to forget this entire, stupid situation, go back to his apartment, curl up with her, and forget the world. That’s assuming that she was actually interested in him the same way that he was interested in her. That was another difficult conversation he needed to plan for.
“What’s the plan then, dude?” Caspian asked, dragging him from his own thoughts. He hadn’t even realized that the younger man had sat down at the table.
“Right now, I have no idea. Kinda just running off instinct,” Jacques said with a sigh.
“Alright then, what we got?” Caspian said. The guy seemed more animated and excited than Jacques had ever seen in their few interactions.
“I have a hacker friend who’s currently trying to find out her location. I need to get her from there to a bar called the Oaken Casket,” Jacques said. He wasn’t sure what Hamish hoped to achieve by dragging her across town for a conversation, but Jacques had to hope that it would work.
“Well, when she finds out, maybe we can send Cas in to scope the place out, find out what it’s like,” Lucinda suggested.
“I’ll go to back him up in case he causes trouble. Won’t be the first bar room brawl he’s started,” Zane said gruffly from the stove.
“Hey, not my fault. I didn’t know she was taken,” Caspian said defensively.
“She was married to him, Cas; you knew him,” Zane said in disbelief. “Don’t let your cock lead this time. Medical is more expensive this side of the wall. I don’t think I can I pay in blood over here.”
Having actually been to The Fringe, what Zane was saying didn’t shock or surprise Jacques in the slightest. He was just glad his stay there was short. He’d had a tough life growing up on the streets, but The Fringe had been a whole ‘nother level of crazy.
“Okay, off topic, but definitely a story for later,” Lucinda said with a chuckle. “Maybe Caspian’s junk is exactly what we use to catch her.”
“My pure sexual magnetism,” Caspian said arrogantly.
“Alright, get down off that high horse. You’re still second rate compared to your
brother,” Lucinda said. Jacques pretty much saw the bubble burst on the kid’s face, but he recovered quickly.
“You have to say that. We know the truth,” Caspian said, wiggling his brows at Lucinda. Lucinda cuffed him on the back of the head and laughed.
Jacques felt that pang of envy again as he watched the family messing around. He thought he had that once, back before the prison time. When the members of the Oaken Casket had been like this. They all playfully irritated each other, but when it mattered, they all had each other’s backs. After he’d gone to prison and Glass had disappeared, it hadn’t been the same. The family had broken down. That just about summed up his entire history, really, family leaving him alone.
“Sorry, Jacques, back to planning,” Lucinda said.
“Can’t really do much more until Venom gets back to us with the location. Then we can plan more in detail,” Jacques said and finished the rest of his coffee. “I need to get back and check on Ava.”
He bid them all farewell before leaving the house. He really just needed to clear his head, and the memories of the past were really clouding his judgement. The thought that he was going to be standing on opposite sides from Glass, and the fact that he was going to take her down, was messing with him. The thought of betraying her hurt, but the idea of anything happening to Ava hurt more.
Rather than getting a cab back like he’d initially planned, he decided to walk. He needed to get his head together before he saw Ava. There was no way he could have a conversation with her like this. He didn’t want to worry her and didn’t want her to know what he was going to do. He had a feeling that she may either try to stop him or want to help him, and he wanted neither of those things. His desire to protect her was so strong, the fierceness of it caught him off guard.
The rain started halfway home, and by the time he got there, he was soaked through. Normally, he was meticulous about wearing waterproof gear, but he had been so focused on the situation with Ava and Glass that he’d forgotten it. As he opened the door, he found Ava laid out on the couch watching some cooking show on the AR. Her brows furrowed as walked through the door.
“Did you fall in a pool or something?” she asked as she paused the show and sat up.
“Nah, storm drains run faster than trains,” he joked as he stripped his coat. “I’m just gonna change. I’ll be right back.”
He went into his room and quickly stripped the wet clothing. He was starting to get really cold. He dried himself down and dressed before heading back into the living room. Ava was at the coffee machine, her show still on pause. Moments later, she came up to him and handed him a coffee.
“You’re shivering,” she said with an air of concern.
She took his hand and led him to the couch before grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders. There was something nice about this, the feeling about being cared for. It had been a long time.
“Thank you,” he said.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him gently, clearly mindful of the various injuries her face still sported. The feeling of her lips on his had been something he’d sorely craved since the rooftop. His moment of heaven didn’t last long enough as she pulled away with a small smile turning up in the least injured corner of her mouth. She picked up her coffee and leaned back on the couch.
“Two questions. What do you want for dinner, and what do you want to watch?” she asked, and she started flicking through lists of shows. He was proud that she was already operating the AR with ease.
“You’re not going to ask anything else. Like where I have been? Why I’ve been out so long?” he asked, a little surprised. He thought she would want to know why he ran out today and why he’d come back all wet, not to just ignore the fact entirely.
“Didn’t plan to. You don’t have to tell me anything. You have your life, and I have mine. As long as you don’t mind that I spent my day eating pizza in my underwear while watching shit AR shows,” she said with a slight smile.
“Please don’t go anywhere,” he said with a contented sigh as he leaned back on the couch.
“Didn’t plan on it,” she said.
He took the risk. He put an arm around her and pulled her so she was leaning against him. He expected her to fight him and pull away, but she didn’t. Instead, she snuggled in a little closer and tucked her feet up under her without taking her eyes off the screen. He felt like they had just reached some unspoken agreement. Some acceptance of what they were, without having to have some epic discussion about it, and that was something he was happy with. The less conversation the better. With everything that had gone on today, he was just happy to be here.
Chapter Fifteen
Jacques was dragged from the depths of sleep by the sound of chiming from his gauntlet. With a slight groan, he opened an eye to see who was calling him. It was Venom. With great regret, he unwrapped himself from Ava and slipped quietly out of bed. Unfortunately, this was something he couldn’t ignore, and he didn’t want to risk waking the woman curled up in his bed. He headed into the living room and settled on the couch before hitting accept.
“Afternoon, V,” Jacques said, stifling a yawn. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Yeah, a little after midday,” she said with a slight chuckle. “Sorry, I got so wrapped up in work I didn’t notice the time.”
“That’s alright. What’s up?” Jacques asked.
“I was calling about that favor you asked. I found her,” Venom said. Jacques didn’t know why he was shocked. Venom was always efficient, but he just assumed that Glass wouldn’t be that easy to find.
“Where is she?” Jacques asked.
“She’s in a clubhouse in North Tacoma; seems like the place is run by the Chrome Razors. Pretty cheery looking group of guys,” she said sarcastically. “I’ll send you through the details.”
“Thanks, V. I appreciate the help,” Jacques said.
“I’m always there for my friends, don’t worry,” she said.
Jacques thanked her once more before ending the call. When this was over, he’d make sure they met up for coffee or something, just to catch up on life. He dragged his hands through his hair as he tried to get the plan straight in his head. He’d have to go and see Lucy in the morning and get things together with Caspian. He wasn’t sure about sending the kid in there, but Zane seemed confident in him.
“So you’re going after her, huh?” said Ava from the bedroom doorway. Her voice was flat, emotionless.
Jacques’ head snapped up to see her leaning against the doorframe. She was wearing nothing but her underwear. Her skin was still a canvas of bruises and cuts, but somehow, she was still the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
“Yeah. I’ve got to,” Jacques said sadly.
“Look, I’ll just get my shit and get out of your way. You obviously still like her,” Ava said as she turned towards the bedroom.
“No,” he said as he jumped up and grabbed her hand. “No, Ava, I’m going after her so I can get her to leave us alone. I don’t want her…I want you, you idiot.”
The words had come out of his mouth faster than he could construct the sentence. He watched her face for a reaction; a smile appeared in the corner of her lips before spreading across her face. She laughed, and her face just lit up.
“I like the sentiment…and the insult worked well,” she said as she walked up to him and cupped his chin. “One thing; don’t try and protect me behind my back. I’m a fighter, not a damsel in distress.”
She leaned in and kissed him. It was powerful and dominating—totally different from the one they had shared the night before, or the one on the roof. Everything with her seemed like a battle, and that was something he was coming to enjoy. It was more than a bit of a turn on. They both pulled away a little breathless and smiled at each other.
“So you gonna tell me what’s happening?” she asked
Jacques took a moment to explain to her the bare bones of the plan that he had been working on with Lucy
and Zane the day before. He really didn’t want her to be a part of this, but he wondered whether he was trying to protect her or whether he wanted to do this himself to prove to her that he could provide for her. As much as he didn’t like it, he was quickly realizing that this wasn’t his decision to make. She was the one who Glass had hurt, and he knew she’d seek vengeance on her own if he didn’t allow her to help. She wasn’t a Seattle girl after all.
“What do you think Hamish is going to do with her?” Ava asked.
“I don’t know. But that’s up to him, not me. I’m done with her after this,” Jacques said. He really wanted her to see that his only interest in Glass was getting her to her father.
“What can I do to help?” Ava asked.
“How about we work on the plan later? Right now, I just want to sleep,” Jacques said.
Sleep was the second thing on his mind. Primarily, he wanted to just climb into bed and cuddle up with her. He took her by the hand and led her back to the bed. She came without argument. They settled into the sheets, and he pulled her gently into his arms and enjoyed the way she pressed against him. He took in the scent of her hair and the feel of her skin against his. He ran his fingers ever so gently down her arm and entangled his fingers with hers. His body followed the arch of hers, fitting perfectly around her smaller frame. She moved ever so slightly, and the movement of her ass caused an instant reaction in his cock. Sleep was quickly becoming a distant afterthought as his hormones seemed to have other ideas.
“Jacques…can we not?” Ava said forlornly.
There was a spike of panic as he froze. He hadn’t intended to try anything with her, but he doubted that she was going to believe that it was an accidental reaction. She rolled over, and his augmented eyes allowed him to see her clear as day. He was trying to work out what to say when she sighed deeply.
“When I came to Seattle, I promised myself I was done having random sex with people. My entire life I sold sex. I sold myself to people, and I didn’t get a say in how my life was run. Now I have a chance to do things that I want. To live the way I want to live, and I guess I don’t want things to get complicated. Sex is complicated for me. The long and short is I want to find out who I am before I start having sex again. I don’t want to fall back into old habits and end up like so many of the others,” Ava explained.
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