Jax (The Protectors Series) Book #8

by Teresa Gabelman

  "I don't know," Caroline whispered, her voice quivering, as did her body.

  "I know you're lying," Lana hissed harshly, but kept her voice low. "You hate this song, I know, but you look terrified and that little boy is trying to tell you something."

  "What the fuck is going on?" Jax ignored Lana's outstretched hand as he moved forward, the glass crunching under his boots.

  "Dammit." Lana sighed. "You scared him."

  "Jax didn't scare him." Caroline still stared that way.

  Jax had had about enough. He grabbed Caroline, gently turning her toward him. The paleness of her face worried him, making him want to conquer whatever terrified her. "What's going on, Caroline?"

  Caroline swallowed visibly, doing her best to hide her obvious fear, but it was no use. Jax could smell the fear rolling off her in waves. "Could your sister shift?"

  His eyes narrowed as he forced his eyes off her to stare over her head toward the radio, then back down at her. "Yes."

  *******

  "Alisha?" Caroline called out, looking away from the radio to stare around her. She walked through the Warriors to a corner and opened up a closet door to peer in, calling out to Jax's sister again.

  "Is she okay?" Steve leaned over to whisper to Adam, but kept his eyes on Caroline, as did everyone else. "She's acting a little… whacko."

  Caroline knew they all probably thought she was crazy, heard their whispered comments and felt their stares, but she didn't care. If she was right, this was really, really bad.

  Lana glared at Steve as she passed, heading toward Caroline. "How can you be sure that was her?" Lana also looked around, searching. "Why would she come to you as a little boy and not herself?"

  "A little boy?" Jax asked, understanding lighting his angry eyes. "The little boy who was here the night Blaze, Hunter, and I were here?"

  Caroline gave a short nod, but kept her eyes from him. She knew she was going to have to bring up the dream. Guess it's time to see which way Jax will go. Unfortunately, she had a sick feeling that she knew exactly what his reaction would be.

  "The dream I had. The little boy was there… in my dream." Caroline glanced around at everyone except for Jax. "And so was Mika."

  "But that doesn't mean…," Lana began, but stopped and bit her lip when she made eye contact with Caroline.

  "It's her," Caroline said without hesitation. "The little boy suddenly shows up as soon as Alisha disappears. Spirits can manipulate dreams. You know this, Lana. Someone is controlling her and my guess is Mika. The dream was a warning."

  "You dreamt about my brother?" Jax asked, his voice compelling her to look at him. The rage boiling inside him was unmistakable as his eyes turned black as night.

  "I didn't think it was a big deal," Caroline replied, but in all honesty, that was a lie. She'd known it was a big deal and had tried to keep it to herself. "With all the talk about him, I just figured that's what it was, but now I'm not so sure that's all there is to it. Could your brother control Alisha? I mean, would she allow that to happen?"

  Jax didn't say anything for a few seconds as he stood, as if letting it all sink in; that, or he was trying to calm his rage. She wasn't sure which. "My brother is capable of anything and if he's threatened anyone, she would do anything to keep that person safe. She was, is a gentle soul."

  Caroline figured as much, but needed to hear it. She bit her lip, knowing and dreading what was coming next.

  "What was the dream about, Caroline, and do not lie to me?" Jax asked with clear warning.

  Clearing her throat, she prayed she was wrong about Jax Wheeler. "I was being led down a hallway by a man in a white lab coat and into a large room, which now I realize was a morgue. There was a body on the table covered from head to toe. I kept asking the man who was under it, but he just gave me a smug, stupid grin and kept tsking in the back of his throat." She shivered as she remembered the dream that was still so clear in her mind. "I tried to get to the table but it felt like I was walking in sludge, but finally, I gripped the sheet. I was too terrified to pull it at first. The whole time, all the man did was stare at me making that awful tsking noise, before he turned silent as he watched me, as if in excited anticipation."

  "Who was under the sheet?" Despite the softening of Jax's voice, it still held a dangerous edge.

  "Before I could pull the sheet away, something touched my hand. It was the little boy. He was staring at me with so much sadness and shaking his head, as if telling me not to do it. Yet, I couldn't seem to stop myself. I had to know who was under the sheet." Caroline stopped again, her eyes going to Lana then Sid before looking quickly away.

  "Who the fuck was under the sheet, Caroline?" Sid's voice made her cringe.

  "It was you." Caroline looked back at Lana with such anguish she felt it to her very soul. She would never forget the picture of her sister on the cold steel of the table, bruised and beaten. "You had been…" She couldn't even bring herself to say it.

  The growling coming from Sid was not easy to ignore, but Lana did as she placed a comforting hand on Caroline's shoulder. "It was only a dream, Caroline. Nothing is going to happen to me."

  "No, it was a warning." Caroline shook her head, wanting to finish this ugliness. "I looked up from you and the room was filled with tables that weren't there before. When a sinister laugh echoed in the room, a rush of wind blew the sheets away and you were all"—she looked around the room at the Warriors before her as she spoke—"on the tables, as well as your mates."

  Caroline finally looked at Jax, who was staring at her, his eyes more black than anything she had ever seen, but his face remained emotionless. She wanted nothing more than for him to take her in his arms; just a touch of comfort from him.

  "I pleaded for you to wake up," she told him, her voice wavering. "I begged. And then you did. You told me to run. When I didn't, you yelled, ordering me to run. I looked up toward the man who had led me to the room and right before my eyes he shifted to Mika. He started singing "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond in such an ugly evil voice." She shuddered at the memory. "And I thought I hated that song before." She snorted, trying to lighten the very dark mood that surrounded her, but it didn't work. She knew her next words were going to send Jax away from her, and it tore at her heart more than she wanted to admit.

  "What else?" Jax hadn't looked away from her; his lips barely moved as he asked his two-word question. "Do not lie," he added as if reading it in her eyes that she thought about it.

  She looked him straight in the eyes as she straightened her shoulders. "He raised a knife and began tapping his cheek, drawing blood. When a stream reached his mouth, he licked it and said…" She cleared her throat. "He had been wondering what I taste like."

  "Is that all?" Jax's voice didn't sound human. It came from a deep dark place that neither Caroline nor anyone in the room had ever seen, she was sure of it.

  "After that, everyone started yelling for me to run and I did. When I burst through a door into pitch-black, I woke up," Caroline added, hope filling her as Jax continued to stand and stare at her.

  When Jax finally looked away, then turned to walk out the front door, her hopes were dashed… again. He was leaving. Anger so deep hit her with a force that propelled her out the door behind him.

  "Where are you going?" Caroline actually jumped the steps trying to catch up with him. "Jax, wait."

  When he continued to head toward his motorcycle without giving her any indication he was going to stop, her rage got the better of her.

  "You're a coward!" she shouted, letting it all out. It didn't stop him, but it slowed him down. She could tell she'd hit a nerve when his shoulders tightened. He climbed on his motorcycle just as she stumbled up to him. "I didn't tell you about the dream because I knew you would do this. You would take off with some heroic notion that you're protecting me, us. But you're not. You're giving in to your brother and allowing him to run your life by keeping you away from people who care for you. Stop giving him that power, Jax."

&n
bsp; Jax took his sunglasses off his handlebars and put them on before starting his bike.

  She grabbed his arm, but he jerked it away as he used his boot to lift the kickstand. "If you do this, he wins… again. Please, don't leave." When the bike inched forward, Caroline stepped in front of it. "Please."

  Jax looked away, his head shifting slightly, for a split second. When it looked like he was going to give in to her shameless pleading, he shook his head and, without a word, used his feet to back up his bike, turned, and took off without saying a word.

  "Fuck you, Jax Wheeler!" Caroline screamed before picking up a rock and throwing it. She knew she was acting like one of her high school students, but dammit, she was pissed. She was beyond pissed; she was livid and hurt.

  After standing staring after something that would never be hers, she turned to see Lana a few feet behind her. Her eyes shifted to see the Warriors back on the roof, doing their best to look busy, as if they hadn't witnessed the spectacle she had made of herself. All except for Sloan and Sid, who stood watching her closely from her front porch.

  Lana walked up and put her arm around her, then pulled her into her arms for a hug she desperately needed. "It's going to be okay, Caroline." Lana whispered the soothing words as only a sister could do, but this time, they fell short. It wasn't going to be okay because her heart was already shattered.

  Chapter 7

  Jax whipped in and out of traffic, his mind focused on one thing: Find Mika and destroy the bastard. He was done looking over his shoulder, waiting for him to make his move. He had let opportunities in the past go because he was his brother, but after Mika killed their sister that had all changed. He had disappeared until recently.

  The traffic cleared and Jax opened up his bike to the max. Without having to watch stupid-ass drivers, his mind echoed Caroline's words to him as he left, but she had been wrong. He had been too enraged to say anything at that moment, his only thought to find Mika before he could harm her. Jax had no misconception that Mika wouldn't hurt her if given the chance.

  Knowing exactly where he wanted to go, but not sure how to get there, Jax slowed and pulled over on the side of the highway. Taking out his phone, he found the directions to the club, Venue. Sloan would be pissed, but he'd have to get over it. No way in hell would he go through with the plan of letting Caroline be bait to draw Mika out, whether he was there with her or not.

  Taking a second to memorize the directions, he put his phone back in his pocket. He didn't know if Mika would be there or not, but it was the only lead they had so he was going. Pulling back onto the highway, Jax wondered if the little boy really was his sister and why she would be shifting. Was Caroline right? Had his brother found a way to manipulate their dead sister? His rage built at the thought.

  Pulling into Venue's parking lot, he was surprised by how full it was. It wasn't yet seven and the place was packed. He'd decided on the way there he would not shift. He was going to walk in, because if there was one thing his brother hated, it was a challenge, and that was exactly what he was there to do.

  He parked next to other motorcycles and climbed off his bike. He kept his sunglasses in place so his eyes could roam freely. Even if the club were dark, it wouldn't matter. He would be able to see clearly. He felt the stares as he climbed the steps to the door of the club.

  "It's a $10 cover charge," the large muscled man at the door told him.

  Jax reached for his wallet, pulled out a ten, and handed it over without a word.

  "Open the jacket," the man ordered after taking his money.

  Jax opened his leather jacket so the man could see he had no weapon. He preferred carrying his gun in an ankle holster so he had no problem obliging the man, who looked bored as hell with his job.

  "You're good." He motioned his head toward the hallway that led into the club.

  Jax walked down the dark corridor, his senses alert and ready for anything. His mind and body relaxed into that familiar zone of battle. He knew his eyes behind the sunglasses were black, his fangs felt thick in his mouth and yet, he kept calm. He was a born Warrior before he ever belonged to the VC Warriors. His life had started as a child learning to survive, to be the strongest in his tribe, and he had succeeded, just as he would succeed now in defeating his brother. No matter how long it took, he would defeat Mika, and in the process keep Caroline safe.

  The music thumped through his body, everything hitting him at once as the corridor opened up into a huge room filled with people enjoying their night. His eyes behind the sunglasses scanned the faces, looking for only one. Someone bumped into him, but he didn't budge. It didn't faze him.

  "Watch it, asshole." Some drunk turned to glare up at Jax.

  Jax didn't even look at the guy, but growled, lifting one corner of his mouth long enough to show the guy his gleaming fang. It would be the only warning the fucker got. Obviously, he got the message, practically running over the girl who was with him. Jax turned his head, checking each side of him before he made his way to the bar. With no one to watch his back, he needed to make sure it was clear before he made himself vulnerable.

  Even though he made his way slowly through the crowd, he moved with purpose. People sensed it, moving quickly out of his way as they whispered behind his back. This was good. Even if Mika wasn't there, he wanted to make damn sure his brother knew he had been. It wouldn't take long before word got around. It was time he stepped up his game. Caroline was already involved. There was nothing he could do about that except make sure she remained untouched by the bastard, and to get to Mika first.

  It was time for his brother to die.

  Reaching the bar, Jax ordered a beer, tuning his sharp hearing for his brother's voice. Odds, he knew, were not in his favor. If Mika was in the room, he'd already have his eyes on Jax, but Jax was ready and hoped Mika would fuck up and make a move.

  "Hi." A beautiful brunette leaned against the bar and looked up at him. "I haven't seen you around here before."

  Jax only glanced her way before turning his attention back to his beer and what was going on around him. Before coming to Cincinnati, he would have found the woman to be his type, but not anymore. Her makeup was so thick that she looked fake, not fresh and womanly like a certain teacher whose last words to him were, 'Fuck you, Jax Wheeler.' The memory actually made his lip curl in a half grin.

  "You have a gorgeous smile. I'm really into vampires." She tried to sound sexy, but it was hard to do when you were trying to yell over the deafening music. When Jax didn't respond, she reached up to touch his hair. "And your hair is so long and black. Why don't you take off your sunglasses so I can see if your eyes are as sexy as that smile?"

  Jax actually rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, but before he could respond with a smart-ass remark to make her leave, a familiar voice spoke beside him.

  "Tired of the little schoolteacher already, brother?"

  ******

  Caroline felt like a big piece of crap. She stood in her kitchen staring at her phone, wanting nothing more than to text Jax and apologize. She shouldn't have called him a coward in front of the other Warriors, it had just spewed from her mouth in a fit of anger. She'd felt guilty as hell since her anger had subsided.

  "He'll be back." Sloan walked in, spotting her staring at her phone.

  "I shouldn't have said that," Caroline admitted, looking from him back to her phone. "The coward part. I didn't mean it. Sometimes I have these moments where my mouth says stuff before my brain thinks it out."

  "The 'fuck you, Jax Wheeler'?" Sloan eyed her with a grin.

  "That I meant." Caroline nodded, then sighed and sat down, still holding her phone. "He's just so frustrating. Every time his brother is mentioned, he takes off thinking he's saving the world."

  "Did you know that his brother killed their sister?" Sloan frowned, crossing his arms over his massive chest.

  "What?" Caroline's head snapped up. A chill from deep inside trembled through her whole body, sending her standing up in shock. "Oh, my G
od. I knew she had been killed, but never knew it was Mika who killed her. Alisha never talked about it to me, but then I can’t really blame her for that. How terrible." Tears filled her eyes as understanding swarmed her mind.

  "Jax knows more about his brother than any of us, and his actions are justified." Sloan's frown softened. "I would be the same exact way. I don't know the whole story about his sister's death, but I can pretty much bet that he holds himself responsible. I understand the frustration, Caroline. I deal with a bunch of pain-in-the-ass Warriors, but if I were in Jax's shoes I would also do everything in my power to make sure you were safe, even if it meant leaving you. That's what Warriors are made to do. Keep the innocent safe."

  Okay, she just went from feeling like crap to feeling like the worst, most unappreciative person to ever walk the earth. Her tear-filled eyes looked up at Sloan. "I'm such a… bitch." As soon as the first sob escaped, it was impossible to keep the rest back. She dropped her head and sobbed, and they weren't nice little sobs, but ugly racking ones.

  "No, you're not." Sloan reached out and tugged her to him. "Warriors are not the easiest to understand, except me. I'm different from the other assholes out there."

  Things turned really ugly as she laughed, sobbed, and slobbered into his chest. Getting herself under control, she pulled away and looked up at the last Warrior she'd ever expected to comfort her. "You aren't…?" She stopped to find the right words.

  "A bastard?" He chuckled before his face turned into the serious Sloan everyone saw all the time. "Oh, I am, Caroline. But I too have my moments."

  "Sloan!" Adam ran into the room with Steve following.

  "What?" Sloan's voice turned from caring to harsh in a second flat. He once again smiled down at her with a wink. "See… bastard."

  Caroline watched in amazement as Sloan's whole façade changed in front of her very eyes. Before he turned toward Adam and Steve, the smile left his face, which was a shame. He was much more handsome when he smiled.