Mr. Right Now: Vol. 5: New City. New Club. New Begininngs

by Bellus, HJ

  “Fuck off, both of you.” The other end goes dead, and Cole’s still reeling from Jax’s comment.

  She leans in close to him. “I’ll give you what you need, Cole, because I know you’ll always provide for me.”

  He doesn’t have a chance to respond before Dax is yelling at him to get out and piss. Cole saunters into the dump of a gas station just to piss off Dax a little more. Cole lied about using the bathroom and is really looking for a ring for his wife. He shakes his head , the crazy-ass situation.

  He finally spots a red velvet box on the counter with silver rings perched in it. There’s a variety of colored gems in each one, with gold and silver bands filling the box. Cole spots the perfect one with largest lavender gem and gaudy gold band.

  He places it on the counter and receives a strange look from the cashier. “Is that all?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Cole digs a dollar and thirty cents out of his pocket and strides back to the SUV with a huge grin on his face.

  “Dumbass, the bathrooms are on the outside of the gas station. Did you just walk in circles in there?”

  “Nope, let’s roll. I’m good.”

  Dax shakes his head and squeals the tires. Cole grabs Jax’s hand, making no noise at all, and slips on her wedding ring. She gasps and then throws her hands around his neck. “I love you, Cole Sterling.”

  Chapter 12

  Letting Jax walk away from the SUV nearly killed Cole. They both agreed she’d get through the wedding and then plan from there. When he begins to think about the logistics of his career and hers, it makes him nauseated. So many compromises to come. He bleeds the Sterling Empire, and Jax is passionate about being a doctor.

  He did, however, instruct Jax that if her soon to be ex-boyfriend touched or even thought about touching her, he’d have him killed. Jax laughed at the joke, but to Cole it was no laughing matter.

  Kami made good on her promise and was out of the penthouse and out of sight by the time Cole made it back. It’s been a day and a half in the lonely penthouse, and he’s about to go stir crazy at night. Getting just a sample of Jax’s body back in his life and then being cut off again is cruel and unusual punishment.

  Kam peeks his head in Cole’s room. “They’re ready.”

  Dax and Birdy called a family meeting. Cole knows what it’s about, but they’re going to fill everyone in. Eli’s on FaceTime with Chloe by his side, and even all three Bennett brothers surfaced. Cole settles in the lounge chair, kicking his feet up and wishing their newest family member could be here. Even though Jax is trying to focus on the wedding, she took the time yesterday to finalize all the plans for Birdy.

  Dax stands and rests his palms on Birdy’s shoulders. “Birdy and I lost a baby. She miscarried and is getting a DNC tomorrow. We’ll have a private service with just the two of us there. It’s going to take some time for us to work through this and process it all. Please be patient with us.”

  Cole studies all the solemn faces in the room, and he notices the tears flowing down Chloe’s cheeks and Keller’s welled-up eyes. Keller Bennett and Dax have always been tight.

  “We’re here for you, Dax and Birdy. Let us know if you need anything.” Eli speaks up first and all eyes go to the iPad. “You’re both strong and amazing people. We love…”

  A pudgy little hand appears in the screen, scrambling to grab something. Eli yells, “Son of a bitch,” and then the screen goes black. Leave it to baby Martha to provide some comic relief just at the perfect time.

  Each family member hugs and shares their love with Dax and Birdy. Birdy sits stone cold in her chair, showing no emotion. The hospital pushed back her procedure one day. They actually tried to push it back two, until the little firecracker named Jax went in and lit their asses on fire. Tomorrow is the day, and Dax and Birdy are adamant about doing it all alone. It’s been tough for Cole to let go of this.

  It’s in his blood to be there and be the strong one for everyone. He rises from his chair and grabs Birdy’s hand. “I’ll tuck you in, lil’ sis.”

  “Thanks, Cole.”

  He fights back his own tears as helps her in bed and covers her up.

  “Birdy, your sweet baby is up in heaven with Grandma Sterling rocking her and loving on her. You think about that every time you need to.”

  “I try to,” she whispers. “But then what if my mom gets hold of it?”

  Her words hurt his heart. Cole easily forgets how fucked up of a situation Birdy came from, since she’s fit in so well and tends to mask most of it.

  A deep voice comes from behind Cole. “She’s in hell, Birdy.” They both look to see Dax leaning on the doorframe.

  Cole is left speechless; he gets up from the bed. “Night, Birdy.”

  He pats Dax on the shoulder as he walks back to his room. His phone rings as soon as he shuts the door behind him.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, hubby.”

  “Well, hello there, Doc.”

  “The wedding is over.”

  “How’d it go?” Cole knows Birdy was worried sick over it, even with all of her problems.

  “Perfect, and guess what?”

  “What?” Cole mindlessly answers as he unbuttons his shirt and tosses it to the floor.

  “I broke up with my boyfriend.”

  “About fucking time. Do I need to break any limbs?”

  Jax chuckles lightly into the phone. “No. I felt bad for like three seconds.”

  “Damn, now you are sounding like me.” Cole hears rustling on the other end of the phone as he pushes down fitted slacks. “I can’t wait until tomorrow morning.”

  “Me too, baby.” She pauses for a moment. “I have another surprise.”

  The door creaks open, and Cole turns to see Jax standing in a black coat at his doorway with a huge smile lighting up her face. She slowly closes the door, hypnotizing Cole, and then unties the belt around her waist and lets it drop to the floor. He shudders at the sight of her perfectly bared body.

  “Are you just going to stand there or sweep me off my feet?”

  Cole closes the space between them, wasting no time lifting Jax from the floor and pressing her tits into his chest. He feels her legs wrap around his waist and he immediately curses the invention of underwear.

  “Nice surprise,” he mumbles into her lips before attacking them.

  “Thought you might like it. I have two more surprises.”

  “By all means, baby.” Cole begins walking over to the bed, cupping Jax’s ass. He gently lays her down on the bed and then quickly covers her body with his.

  “I quit my job today, but before you freak out, I also got a temporary one.”

  “You what?” Cole’s voice nearly comes out as a roar.

  Jax places her hands on his shoulders. “Birdy hired me. I’m going to help her until we move on to the next city.”

  “But you’re a doctor, Jax, you need to do that. It’s your passion.”

  “Actually, right now my job is to love my husband and be here for him and my new family.”

  “No, Jax. I won’t let you.” Cole slides from the top of her and stands.

  “It’s too late. I already quit.”

  “Here.” He shoves his phone in her face. “Call back and beg for it.”

  Jax sits up and snags Cole’s underwear and begins dragging them down inch by inch.

  “Not funny, Jax. I’m so pissed at you. In marriage we are supposed to make…”

  His words are cut off when her lips wrap around his large erection, and she doesn’t take it easy on him, nipping at his skin and swirling her tongue along the ridges. Coles shoves her back on the bed, causing a loud popping sound as her mouth is removed from his cock.

  “Your parents will be thrilled.”

  “Cole, you’re being a baby.”

  He covers her body again, but this time with nothing in between them, and he arranges himself in the perfect spot to take his wife. Cole plunges into Jax in one movement and can’t find an ounce of s
elf-control. A carnal desire tugs at him as he pounds into her. The pleasure covering her face drives him harder and faster until she has his cock trapped so tightly he explodes in her. Cole finishes way before Jax and flips her over so she can ride him. He guides her hips, not giving her the opportunity to slowly fuck him.

  Between him tugging and pulling on her hips and his driving motion of bucking up into her, he sees her pending orgasm taking over her facial features. It’s one of the sweetest things he’s ever witnessed.

  Chapter 13

  Jax and Cole pace the halls of the hospital. They’ve found the perfect spot where Dax would never find them. This is something they both decided; they need to be there for them, even if it is for them more than Dax and Birdy.

  “She should be out anytime. We’ll see Dax first. Cole I think you need to go talk to him.”

  “I will.” He clutches Jax’s hand, bringing it to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on each of her knuckles. “Let’s get pregnant.”

  Jax smiles back at him. “That was my last surprise the other night, but I got distracted before I had the chance to tell you. I’m off birth control.”

  “I thought it was you quitting and getting a new job.”

  “That only counted for one.”

  “I’m in.” Cole’s speedy response even shocks him.

  “There he is.” Jax hits Cole on the shoulder. He takes off down the hall in long strides, trying to catch up with his beast of a brother.

  “Dax.” Cole watches his brother freeze and slowly turn around. He’s white as a ghost with red, puffy eyes. Tears still stream down his cheeks. Dax collapses into a chair as Cole races to be next to him. His sobs are out of control as his body trembles.

  Cole enfolds his brother in a hug and holds him as he cries for several long minutes. He feels a hand on his shoulder, and he looks up to see Kam. Kam takes a seat in the chair on the other side of Dax and gently pats his thigh.

  “I want to die. Why not me? I want to take that baby’s spot and give Birdy her baby back.”

  A new voice joins the conversation, and they look up they see Eli. He squats down in front of his brother. “Mom has your sweet baby now, spoiling the shit out of it.”

  All four brothers collapse together. An hours passes before the nurses come to get Dax and lead him back to Birdy. This is their private moment, and the other brothers stay back.

  “We’ll be here all night long, Dax.”

  Dax walks faster than the nurse, having to look back for directions as she points them out to him. He disappears around a corner.

  “Where’s Martha?” Cole asks.

  “Left her with Chloe’s mom.” Eli gestures to the group of women behind him.

  Jax, Chloe, and Jett join their men, greeting them each with hugs. The Sterlings fall silent as they try to process even an ounce of the pain their family went through today. Cole studies Jax as she fidgets with her cheap wedding ring.

  “I’m going to be all right, Doc.”

  “Quit reading my mind, asshole.”

  “Ma’am. Excuse me, ma’am. You forgot your identification at check-in.”

  Cole looks up to see a hefty nurse chasing a couple down the hallway, and when he focuses in on the couple, he sees it’s Kami and Rhett. She places her hand on her lower abdomen and thanks the lady for returning her driver’s license.

  Cole numbly watches the nurse return to her office, and when he reads the sign above the door, he freezes.

  “Kami,” he says, standing.

  She whips her blonde hair around and instantly turns pale.

  “Hey, Rhett,” Kam throws out, and now everyone is in talking distance.

  “What in the hell are you doing?” Cole grits out between his teeth. “Answer me, Kami.”

  “Don’t you fucking yell at her, Cole.” Rhett steps in between them and shoves back on Cole’s chest.

  Cole doesn’t let it stop him as he pushes Rhett out of the way.

  “Are you fucking pregnant?”

  Kami nods, letting her blonde hair fall over her face.

  “Look up at me now, bitch.”

  Kam pulls Cole back, securing his arms behind his back. “Enough.”

  “It’s not yours anyway,” Kami whispers.

  “How in the hell is it not mine? We’ve fucked the last month almost every single night.” Rage fills Cole and keeps his words spewing out.

  “It’s not. Trust me.”

  “You’re a rotten cunt.” Kam wrenches on Cole’s arms, causing him to wince.

  “She’s two and half months pregnant.” Rhett wraps her up in his arms. “It’s mine.”

  Rhett rips papers from Kami’s hands and sends them sailing toward Cole. He notices Jax take off out of the corner of his eye, but can’t force himself to chase her down. He picks up the papers, looking at black and white scans of a womb, and tries to read the dates and put two and two together.

  “So, you two…”

  “We’ve been together this whole time.”

  “Out of here now.” Kam gestures to Kami and Rhett. “Leave.”

  Cole keeps one of the ultrasound pictures, tucking it in his pocket. He sits down on a chair, propping his elbows on his thighs and dragging his hands through his hair. He tries to calm his breathing.

  “You were a dick and probably just lost Jax once again.” Eli plops down next to him. “That was uncalled for.”

  “I lost it.”

  “No excuse, Cole. You better go find her.”

  He listens to his little brother’s advice for the first time in his life. He passes several hallways and all of the waiting rooms he knows and finds nothing. When he makes it out into the parking lot, he spots her on the same bench.

  “Jax.” He races over to her and bends down.

  When she looks up to him, she has tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “It’s not mine. Look.” He pulls the ultrasound from his pocket. “It’s impossible.”

  “I’m crying because of you and how awful you just were.”

  “Jax, I’m sorry. I lost it. My emotions were running high.”

  “Not okay, and not an excuse.”

  “I panicked. I saw everything being ripped out from under me.”

  “Never again, Cole Sterling, and you’ll apologize to her.”

  “Never again, but I’m not fucking apologizing.”

  “You will if you love me.”

  “I do love you.”

  Epilogue

  “They seriously don’t put ass covers in these gowns.”

  The small room erupts in laughter once again.

  “Here, baby, let me tie it for you.” Jax hasn’t sat down all morning, and Cole knows it’s because of nerves. He does his best to keep the mood light in the room filled with all of his brothers and their wives. Before Jax has the chance to get behind him and secure the gown, he bends over, baring his naked ass to everyone.

  Again, nothing but laugher comes from all of the Sterlings.

  “Get your funny little ass into bed now. They’ll be coming in to hook up IVs shortly.” Jax kisses his cheek and then guides him to bed. Cole lets her nurse the hell out of him to keep her busy.

  “Okay, we are going to pray. Everyone grab hands.”

  Nobody moves an inch. “You heard her. Lock hands, assholes.”

  Cole grabs Jax’s hand and then Birdy’s on his other side, and the chain follows around the room until Kam closes it by clutching Jax’s.

  “Dear God, we come to you today and ask that you steady the surgeon’s hands and allow them the knowledge to remove the tumor, and all of it, leaving behind no cancer. We all here love this man.”

  Cole grips Jax’s hand tighter as he feels his throat begin to swell.

  “I know I won’t be able to live without him.” She pauses as the tears begin to invade. “Please, Momma and Dad Sterling, if you’re listening, put in a good word with the big guy. We all need our Cole down here. Amen.”

  Cole can’t help but grin at Jax’s
prayer style.

  “Let’s go and give them some time alone.” Each family member takes their turn giving Cole a massive hug and then exiting the room. He flops back on the bed, dragging Jax on top of him.

  “I have a surprise for you, Doc.”

  “What?” She slaps his chest. “That this is all just an awful nightmare?”

  “Give me your hand.”

  Jax doesn’t look up at Cole as she keeps her face buried in his chest. She does every night, claiming the beat of his heart is what puts her to sleep. He slips off the cheap wedding ring that’s adorned her finger for too long.

  “Hey, that’s mine.”

  “Just wait. I’m putting it on the other hand.”

  A bright green circle marks her finger from the cheap jewelry.

  He slowly slides on the new piece of jewelry. “This was my birth mother’s ring. My mom had it put away for when I married one day. I added more diamonds to it.”

  Jax’s tears fall faster and she begins to lightly pound Cole’s chest. “Why, why, Cole? How can this even be happening?”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Doc. I just have to get this rock out of my head, and then we’re going to Vegas, baby.”

  “How can you be so positive and happy right now?”

  “Because I have everything in the world. If—and it’s a big if—I die today, I wouldn’t change a damn thing. I have you, Jax.” He rubs the back of her hair. “But if you banged me right here in this hospital bed it would make me even happier.”

  “Cole Sterling, I swear that’s all you think about.”

  He tosses Jax up into a sitting position, so she’s straddling him. “It would be so fun.”

  “Not a chance.” She giggles and bends over and kisses his lips.

  The door opens and a group of nurses comes in. Jax turns twenty shades of red before hopping off of Cole.

  “We’re here to prep you.”

  “Jax, stay with me.” He clutches her hand, tugging her back to his bedside.

  “Always together.” She smiles down at him.

  “You’re worth fighting for, Doc.”

  THE END

  Coming Fall 2015