Jax (The Protectors Series) Book #8

by Teresa Gabelman

  "Not at all." Jax leaned against the wall, crossing his arms across his chest, watching each candidate run. "Just don't like cocky bastards."

  ******

  At the compound, Caroline sat in the kitchen staring at her laptop. She hadn't argued with Jax when he said no one was available to come to her house and that he would have to take her to the compound. She had work to do, getting her class schedules and planners ready, which she could do anywhere with her laptop.

  Yesterday, after their little talk, they'd enjoyed the rest of the day and Jax had actually helped her finish painting the living room. Their teasing paint fight turned into a sex marathon, but only after Jax made sure, after repeated questioning, that she felt okay.

  "Give me your damn phone." Lana walked in, a pissed expression on her face.

  "Well, hello to you too." Caroline frowned, but dug into her purse trying to find her phone. Finally feeling it with her hand, she pulled it out and handed it to her sister. She watched wide-eyed as Lana checked it and then shoved the phone at her.

  "Twenty-five missed calls and just as many text messages, all unanswered and unchecked." Lana put her hands on her hips. "Why do you even have a phone, Caroline?"

  "I'm sorry, but I figured Sid would tell you I was okay." Caroline tossed her phone back in her purse.

  "Yeah, well, he did, but dammit, answer your damn phone or at least check it," Lana scolded. Concern etched her features as she sat down, staring at her face. "Sid said your face was really bad, but it's not really even swollen."

  Caroline blushed, self-consciously touching her cheek.

  Lana frowned until understanding crossed her face. "No!" Her mouth opened wide. "Jax gave you his blood? You're mated to Jax Wheeler?"

  "Oh, no!" Caroline shook her head, setting her sister straight. "He just let me have some to help me heal."

  "What exactly is going on with the two of you?" Lana narrowed her eyes.

  "Lana, can you please stop being a cop for one second and just be my sister?" Caroline sighed. "I get so tired of being interrogated by you."

  "Ah, excuse me, I am being your sister and want to know what's going on between you and Jax," Lana grumbled.

  "Whatever." Caroline rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her laptop.

  "Okay, then how's this?" Lana said. Flipping her hair, she leaned close to Caroline. "Oh, my God, have you and Jax… you know… done it?"

  "What?" Caroline moved back, looking at Lana as if she'd lost her mind.

  "Does he have a big one?" Lana giggled, pointing down to her lap. "You know… did it fit and stuff?"

  "That's exactly what we'd like to know." Nicole walked in and sat down, with Tessa following. "And why in the hell are you talking like a valley girl?"

  "Because she has lead poisoning from all the bullets she plays with." Caroline was still staring at her sister.

  "No, I asked Caroline a simple question and she thought I was playing cop with her." Lana switched back to her regular voice. "She wanted sister-talk, so I gave her sister-talk."

  "We never ever talked like that." Caroline chuckled, shaking her head while still staring at her sister.

  "Thank God, 'cause I really like you both and would hate to have to kill you." Nicole gave them both a teasing grin. She then turned serious. "Now back to the question." Nicole looked directly at Caroline.

  "What question?" Caroline asked, confused.

  "Does Jax Wheeler have a big one?" Nicole leaned forward, as did Tessa and Lana, to hear the answer to that question.

  The seriousness in Nicole's voice as well as the looks on their faces was hilarious and Caroline burst out laughing. "You guys are so not right."

  Soon they were all laughing, with Nicole, Tessa, and Lana comparing their men, but Caroline kept her mouth shut, except to laugh. Jax Wheeler was not something she was willing to share with other women, even if it was just talk.

  Before any of them goaded her into joining in, Jill burst into the room with a look of horror on her face.

  "What's wrong?" all the women shouted at the same time, except for Caroline. New to the Warrior way, she didn't totally understand the dangers they faced, or the worry the women suffered each time their men were out in the field.

  "I'm a dead woman." Jill held papers to her chest. "That's what's wrong."

  "What did you do now?" Nicole grinned. It was common knowledge that Jill had a knack for getting herself into messes.

  "You know that ad I asked you to place in the paper?" She looked at Nicole.

  "For the open secretary job for Sloan, Thursday." Nicole nodded. "Did I mess it up?"

  "No, kind of the opposite." Jill slapped the papers down on the table. "The ad did so well we have over a hundred women signed up for interviews."

  Chapter 18

  After Jax picked Caroline up from the compound, they rode home in silence. Her phone kept dinging, but she ignored it. She really was bad for that.

  "Who's trying to get ahold of you?" Jax asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

  Caroline frowned and dug for her phone. Clicking it on, she sighed. "It's just my friend who teaches with me. They're meeting for dinner and drinks tonight and want me to come. It's just something we do before the school year starts."

  "Do you want to go?" This time Jax did look her way.

  "No, not really." Caroline hesitated. She kind of did and yet she didn't. "It will be too much of a hassle."

  Jax pulled into her drive, down the driveway and parked. He hadn't responded, his attention checking out the area around her house. Once inside, he dropped his guard just a little.

  "What time are they meeting and where?" Jax asked, glancing at his watch.

  "About eight at the Mansion Hill Tavern," she replied, setting her stuff on the kitchen table. "Jax, it's okay. I know you have better things to do than run me everywhere. I've got work to do anyway, as I'm sure you do."

  He was in front of her, grabbing her to force her to look at him. "You have an hour to get ready." Jax turned her, gently pushing her toward the steps.

  She turned back toward him. "But—" He stopped her from arguing with a kiss that not only made her forget what she was arguing, but damn near made her forget her name.

  His lips left hers as he turned her again, giving her a sharp smack on the ass, sending her to get ready. She wondered if she tried to argue again would he kiss her one more time, but instead, she headed up the stairs and into her room.

  She had no clue what she was going to wear and was thankful she had already unpacked and put all her clothes away. At least that was one thing she had completely marked off her long list, she thought as she looked around at all the unpacked boxes stacked everywhere. Selecting her pale yellow sundress and a pair of her many summer sandals, she laid them on the bed before heading to the bathroom to shower.

  Within half an hour, Caroline was ready and stood in front of the mirror staring at herself as she gave her hair one last fluff and checked her makeup one last time. She knew she took a little extra effort for Jax. Usually, she wore minimal makeup, but tonight she added just a little more. So far Jax had only seen her in jeans and T-shirts and, well, naked. Yeah, she dressed specifically for him tonight.

  With a sigh and a shrug, she headed downstairs. Jax was sitting at the kitchen table, texting. He glanced up at her for a split second, then back to his phone before his eyes slowly came back to her.

  "You seriously think I'm going to let you out of this house wearing that dress?" His eyes narrowed dangerously.

  "What's wrong with my dress?" Caroline frowned, looking down at herself.

  "Absolutely nothing." Jax stood, his eyes staring at her breasts. "It's what's in the dress that's the problem. It shows every damn curve I've kissed, touched, and licked."

  "But I love this dress." Caroline actually pouted. She was going to play this one because she really didn't want to change.

  "Oh, so do I, but behind closed doors." Jax turned her around, his hand running down her
ass. "Yeah, not happening. Go change."

  "Please, Jax." Caroline tried the pout again, but it didn't look like it was going to work and she really hated to resort to it anyway. "I don't have anything else to wear," she lied. She had plenty to wear, but knowing he liked her in this dress, she wanted to wear it more than ever.

  "I don't believe that for one minute." Jax turned her around and flicked his thumb across her nipple, making her moan. Her nipple puckered, sticking out underneath the material. "Jesus, you're going to get someone killed, because if one son of a bitch touches you, I will kill him."

  "No one will touch me, Jax." Caroline chuckled. "Most men don't even pay me any attention. You'll see you have nothing to worry about and no killings need to take place."

  Jax frowned and opened the door, following her out, his eyes sliding down her body. "Are you wearing anything under that dress?"

  "Maybe." Caroline gave him a sly smile over her shoulder.

  "Jesus." Jax squeezed his eyes shut, giving his head a hard shake. "This is going to be a long night."

  ******

  Jax found a place at the bar where he had a clear line of vision to Caroline. And she had been dead wrong. There may be a killing, because every male eye in the place followed her as she made her way to her friends.

  "Hey, Jax." The bartender walked up. "What brings you in tonight?"

  "Not much." Jax didn't feel the need to explain. "How you doing, Tony?"

  "Can't complain," he replied and then laughed. "Still kickin'. What can I get you tonight?"

  Jax's keen hearing picked up Caroline's laugh. His eyes swung her way and just her smile alone made him feel things he'd never felt.

  "Just a beer." He looked back at Tony. He wanted something way stronger, but needed to make sure he was clearheaded. It took a lot to get a vampire drunk and usually hard liquor did it.

  Sitting alone, Jax focused on who was in the bar, who left the bar, and who entered. Anyone who even looked his way he studied, knowing his brother could be here, be anyone, and he wouldn't even know it. That was what made Mika so dangerous, and the fact pissed him off. He hated feeling helpless to the whims of his lunatic brother.

  "Hey." A woman in a tight red dress slid next to him at the bar. "Buy a girl a drink."

  "No." Jax didn't hesitate, his glare told her to get lost. He didn't want to be rude. Ah, hell, who was he kidding? He was rude, but he couldn't lose focus and the only woman he wanted to buy anything for sat across the room staring at him.

  "Jerk," the woman hissed at him before moving away.

  "Making friends again?" Tony laughed, shaking his head.

  "Always." Jax tipped his beer at him with a grin.

  The later it got, the busier the bar became. Jax had no trouble keeping his sights on Caroline. Each time someone stood in his way, Jax glared at them until they moved, which was pretty damn quick. Jax was a huge man and hard to miss. A few times he sneered at them, showing his fangs, but mostly his size and glare had them scurrying away.

  He became alert when Caroline stood and headed his way. A low growl played in his throat as men turned to watch her walk past. She stopped in front of him.

  "You're wrong." Jax stared at her from his seated position at the bar.

  "About what?" The smile she wore turned into a frown.

  "Most men definitely notice you." Jax growled, his eyes leaving hers to glare at a few who continued to stare. "You finished before I kill someone?"

  Caroline laughed. "Stop it." She touched his arm. "And yes, I'm ready to go, but my friends want to meet you."

  "Caroline, I'm not a good people-meeter type of guy." Jax sat back on the bar stool, staring at her.

  "Come on and loosen up." She giggled. "And meeter is not a word."

  "It is a word because I just said it," Jax argued, then eyed her. "Are you drunk?"

  "Nooo." She grinned, shaking her head. "I mean, I had a few drinks. I'm not a big drinker so it doesn't take much. I just feel a little….tingly."

  Jax's head fell back as he laughed. When he looked back at her, his eyes went directly to her breasts, which were almost in his face. Her nipples were hard and begging for attention. Jax's laugh turned into a low growl. "Let's go meet your friends so I can show you exactly what tingly is."

  "Mmmm, I can't wait." Caroline grabbed his hand and led him across the bar.

  Jax lost count of how many times he called a guy a motherfucker, threatened and damn near killed someone openly staring at Caroline's luscious breasts. By the time they were at the table, he was in a mood that didn't suit a table full of schoolteachers.

  "This is Jax Wheeler," Caroline introduced proudly. "This is Rachel, Donna, Erin, and Angie."

  "Did you see those tits on her?" a man behind them was saying to his buddies. "Yellow is definitely my favorite color. I might need to go rub one off in the bathroom. Hell, if I'm lucky, she'll go in with me and do it her…."

  Jax watched Caroline's face pale before it turned bright red. The rest of the women shifted uncomfortably as they tried to ignore the remarks.

  "Nice to meet you, ladies." Jax nodded, then moved Caroline out of the way. "Now if you'll excuse me."

  "Jax, please," Caroline whispered as she grabbed his arm stopping him. "It's really okay. We're leaving anyway."

  "I'll be nice. Stay here with your friends." Jax gave her an unpleasant smile before he turned, grabbed the guy by the back of the neck and headed out of the bar. He would make sure the asshole understood what it meant to respect a lady.

  Once in the parking lot, Jax released the guy with a hard shove. A crowd was already gathering and Jax knew he had to be careful. He was a VC Warrior and couldn't just go beating up assholes who didn't know how to respect a woman, so he had to get the crowd on his side.

  "What the fuck!" The man turned to head toward Jax, but stopped after getting a better look at him.

  "The fuck is"—Jax narrowed his eyes, his lip curled in a sneer—"you were talking about my lady."

  The guy looked behind Jax, his courage seeming to grow a bit. "Yeah, well, what are you going to do about it?"

  Jax actually laughed before lashing out, punching the guy in the mouth. "That for starters." Jax had turned himself so his back wasn't toward the guy's four friends.

  The guy didn't look so cocky as he spat his own blood. "There are five of us." He tried to sound badass, but failed terribly when his voice trembled as his bloody lips began to swell.

  "Good," Jax replied without blinking. His golden eyes darkened, ready for what was to come. When no one made a move toward him, Jax tilted his head. "I'm waiting."

  "I don't want any trouble," one of the four said, raising his hands.

  "You didn't feel that way when your friend here was running his mouth." Jax narrowed his eyes at him. "Where I come from a woman is treated with respect, and a man would have stepped in, which you didn't. So in my mind, that warrants an ass kicking."

  A few male spectators who stood around mumbled their agreement. The women in the growing crowd were more vocal, shouting out "'hell yeah'" and "'damn straight."'

  "Fuck you, man." A different one of the four took off his shirt, showing a toned, muscled body. "He's right. There're five of us and one of you. The only ass kicking around here is going to be us kicking your ass."

  Jax cocked an eyebrow. "Well, I wish to fuck you'd hurry and get that done because I'm already bored with this fucking conversation."

  Jax didn't hesitate. As soon as the muscled asshole made a move, Jax was all over him while fending off the other four. A few of the men standing around tried to help Jax, but he didn't need their help.

  Within seconds, all five of the men lay on the ground bleeding and moaning. Jax reached down and grabbed the mouthy one by the front of the shirt, hauling him to his feet where they were nose to nose, well, to be correct, nose to broken nose.

  "Listen and listen good. You and your friends are going to apologize to my lady and her friends at the table," Jax hissed, loud enough fo
r them to hear over their moaning and the excitement of the crowd they had drawn. "And it better be good or we will end up back here, and if we end up back here, not one of you motherfuckers is going to be walking away. You understand me?" To make his point final, he made sure they each saw his fangs gleaming in the parking lot lights.

  "I'm sorry… I didn't…" The guy didn't even try to hide his fear now as he stuttered his apology.

  "Good, you're practicing, but save it until you're in front of the ladies, and you better make it good." Jax watched the others get their feet. "Now straighten up and wipe some of the blood off. I promised I'd be nice and don't want to upset the ladies."

  The crowd laughed outright when the five men tried to do as Jax said. As they walked back inside Jax nodded to a few guys who had tried to help him. The bar became quiet as the five, followed by Jax, walked into the bar toward Caroline and the women.

  Jax stood back, listening closely as each and every one of the five men apologized to Caroline and her friends. When the guy who had been running his mouth finished his apology, he turned to look at Jax. He only gave the man a dismissive nod and watched as he and his friends walked away and out of the bar.

  "That was pretty impressive." One of the woman at the table, he believed it was Rachel, smiled up at him. "Thank you."

  "You're welcome," Jax replied, smiling at the group before turning to Caroline. He leaned close and whispered, "See, I was nice, only minimal bloodshed."

  Caroline shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "One of them was missing his front tooth."

  "You ready?" He grabbed her hand, ignoring her observation, then smiled at the women. "Have a nice evening, and if you need to, ask Tony to see you to your cars."

  Funny how kicking someone's ass got around in a bar so quickly because not one man looked Caroline's way as they left. "See ya, Tony," Jax called out. "Make sure the ladies at the back table make it to their cars safely."

  "You got it, Jax," Tony called out.

  "You know him?" Caroline was trying to see over her shoulder who Jax was talking to.

  "Honey, I know everybody." Jax protectively ushered her out the door.