Jax (A Bastard Novel)

by J. L. Perry

  ‘Hey. Is everything okay?’ I ask the moment the phone is to my ear.

  ‘Jax, it’s Candice. She’s been attacked.’

  ‘What? What do you mean “attacked”?’ I stand, grabbing my keys. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘She’s at work. One of her clients attacked her. She said she’s okay, but she was probably just saying that so I wouldn’t worry.’

  I’m already jogging to the car by the time she’s finished speaking. ‘I’m heading there now.’

  ‘I was going to see if you would watch Maddie, so I could go.’

  ‘You stay with Maddie. I’ll go to Candice.’ My hand shakes as I try to put the keys in the ignition.

  ‘Okay. Please call me as soon as you’ve seen her.’

  The moment she starts to cry I freak out even more.

  Please let Candice be okay.

  I swear I break every speed limit on the way. There are two police cars and two ambulances parked out front of her workplace when I arrive. The sight has me feeling sick to my stomach. I park behind one of the cop cars, running straight to the officer standing by the door.

  ‘I’m looking for Candice, the girl who was attacked.’

  ‘Are you family?’

  ‘Yes.’ That’s not really a lie. Hypothetically, she’s always been like family to me, and she is the mother of my daughter.

  He opens the glass door, flicking his head to let me know she’s inside. My heart beats furiously against my ribcage as I enter. I have no idea what I’m going to find. My eyes scan the reception area and relief floods through me the moment I see her sitting in a chair, alert and talking with one of the officers. I make a beeline straight for her. I have her wrapped tightly in my arms almost before she even realises I’m here.

  ‘Jax,’ I hear her whisper as her fists clutch the front of my shirt.

  ‘Thank Christ you’re okay.’

  ‘I thought Sophia was coming.’

  ‘I told her to stay with Maddie. I wanted to come. I needed to see for myself that you were okay …’

  ‘I’m glad you’re here,’ she says, resting her head on my chest and sliding her arms around my waist.

  I hold her for the longest time before stepping back to see her face. Tears rise to her eyes when I tenderly cup her face in my hands. When I notice the mark on her cheek, and the cut on her swollen bottom lip, I see red.

  ‘Who did this to you?’

  ‘I’m okay. Honestly. He came out of this a lot worse off than me.’

  ‘He? A guy hit you?’ My blood pressure spikes to a dangerous level. I look at the cop standing beside me.

  ‘Once he’s been treated for his injuries, he’ll be charged,’ the officer says. The cop has a smirk on his face, but there’s nothing amusing about this situation.

  Dropping my hands from Candice, I turn to leave. I don’t care what injuries he has, nobody hits my girl and walks away from it.

  ‘Jax, don’t,’ Candice pleads, reaching for me.

  ‘I’d advise you to listen to your wife,’ the officer adds. I want to tell him she’s not my wife, but for some reason I don’t.

  ‘Can we have a few minutes alone?’ she asks him.

  ‘Sure. We’ll be right outside.’ He gives me a look as he passes, a warning not to do anything stupid.

  The anger is just rolling off me as I run my fingers through my hair, trying to calm the hell down. For Candice’s sake, nothing else.

  ‘I appreciate you coming here,’ she says once we’re alone. ‘And I love that you want to protect me, but hurting him will only get you in trouble. I don’t want that.’ She laces her fingers through mine. Her touch, like always, seems to have an immediate soothing effect. Nobody has ever come close to making me feel the things she does.

  ••••

  ‘Stop fussing,’ she says when I pass her a clean towel, a pair of my sweats and a T-shirt. She smiles, but I can tell it’s forced. She’s trying to play this down, but I felt her body trembling in my arms when I first arrived at her work. She’s barely said a word since we left there. I’m not stupid, I know she’s affected by what happened.

  ‘I’ll be right outside if you need me.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She reaches for my hand, giving it a small squeeze before I turn and leave her to shower in peace. I called Sophia while the paramedics checked her over. Of course Candice refused to go to the hospital. She’s so stubborn. Sophia protested when I said I was taking Candice back to my place, but when I mentioned that I didn’t want Maddie to see her mother like this, she agreed. That was only part of the reason. I wanted to be the one to take care of her. It meant I’d be giving up my night with my daughter, but Candice needs me more.

  I promised Sophia I’d bring Candice home later tonight, after Maddie has gone to bed.

  When I hear the spray of the water, I rest my forehead against the wood and try not to think of Candice naked on the other side of the door. She’s been through a traumatic experience. The last thing she needs is me lusting after her.

  A few minutes later, I swear I hear her crying. I feel an overwhelming compulsion to go to her and my hand instinctively moves to the doorhandle. But after everything that’s happened today, I think better of it. I don’t want to traumatise her further.

  A good twenty minutes pass, but I continue to wait outside the bathroom just like I promised. She can take all the time she needs, I’m not going anywhere. My primary concern right now is her.

  I’m leaning up against the wall in the hallway with my arms crossed over my chest when she finally emerges. Her hair is wet, her face is free of makeup, and she looks sexy as fuck in my shirt. She has her dirty clothes in her hands, so I take them from her.

  ‘I’ll put these in the laundry.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Are you feeling better after the shower?’ I ask as she follows me to the lounge room. It’s a stupid question really. A shower isn’t going to help erase what she’s been through.

  ‘I guess,’ she replies with a shrug.

  I hand the throw blanket from the sofa to her. ‘Wrap yourself in this. I’ll be right back.’ I hold her dirty clothes up, so she knows I’m only going to the laundry.

  When I walk back through the kitchen, I see the bottle of Jack I got out earlier still sitting on the breakfast bar. I grab it, bringing it into the lounge room with me. A stiff drink may settle her nerves.

  ‘Here. Drink this.’ Filling the glass, I pass it to her. ‘It’s not Sambuca.’ I hold up the bottle of Jack Daniels. ‘This is all I have.’

  ‘You’re letting me drink out of your titty cup?’ she asks, taking the shot glass out of my hand.

  ‘Yes.’ I sit down next to her. ‘This glass I’m happy to share with you.’

  She lets out a small laugh. ‘But you won’t share my cock cup?’

  ‘Never.’

  She downs the shot like a pro and passes the glass back to me. I pour her one more. It should help take the edge off.

  ‘Thank you,’ she says as she drinks her second shot.

  ‘Want another one?’ When she shakes her head, I pour one for myself before placing the empty glass and the bottle on the coffee table.

  Turning my body to face her, I notice there’s a small bruise forming on the side of her mouth. I run my thumb softly over her cut lip. Everything in me wants to kiss it better.

  ‘Are you going to tell me what happened today?’ She needs to talk about it. Bottling it up won’t help.

  ‘There’s not much to tell,’ she says. ‘He’s one of my regular clients. He’s always creeped me out. I was in the middle of waxing him when Naomi popped her head in to say she was leaving.’

  I had no idea she had male clients.

  ‘This guy has said inappropriate things to me in the past, but that’s as far as it’s ever gotten. I guess the fact that we were alone … he decided to take it to the next step.’

  ‘He didn’t … you know … do anything to you?’

  ‘He tried. When I told him to lea
ve, he grabbed me by the hair.’ She clutches the blanket and wraps it tighter around herself. ‘He pushed my face towards his waist, and when I insulted him by saying he had no dick, he backhanded me.’

  My body goes rigid when she says that. I roll my head from side to side, trying to keep my anger at bay. ‘I want to kill him for laying his hands on you.’

  ‘I got my revenge, don’t you worry.’

  I don’t doubt that for a second.

  ‘After he hit me, I regained my footing and stepped forward.’ She pauses for a few seconds. ‘I wrapped my hand around his dick. It was already hard. The stupid idiot smiled when I did that. He actually thought I was going to get him off. I held it as tight as I could and using all my strength, I flicked my wrist until I heard a sickening pop. He went instantly limp as he fell back onto the bed … when he started screaming, I knew I’d snapped it.’

  ‘Fuck.’ My face screws up just thinking about it. My hand instinctively moves down to my crotch. My ball-busting ninja strikes again. ‘You snapped his dick?’

  ‘I think his exact words were, “You broke my dick, you fucking psycho bitch.” I didn’t stick around to find out. He was screaming in agony as I ran from the room and out into the street. A passer-by saw I was distressed, so he stopped and asked if I was okay.’ Her gaze moves down to the floor. ‘When I told him what had happened, he called the police.’

  We sit there in silence for a few minutes. I’m trying hard to remain calm after everything she’s just told me. I honestly have no words right now. I’m angry at myself that I wasn’t there to protect her.

  When she finally lifts her head and looks at me, I see tears in her eyes. ‘It was awful, Jax. All I could think about was not seeing you and Maddie again.’

  I pull her into my arms, and she cries softly into my chest.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I whisper as I stroke my hand softly over her wet hair. I’m sorry for so many things.

  I draw back from her when there’s a knock at the door.

  ‘Are you expecting anyone?’ she asks.

  ‘Nope. I’ll just see who it is, I’ll be back in a minute.’

  ‘Okay.’ She smiles up at me.

  I’m really glad she’s here.

  ‘Brendan,’ I say when I open the door.

  ‘Hi Jax. I’m sorry to come here unannounced, but Sophia called me and told me what happened to Candice. Can I see her? I won’t stay long.’

  ‘Of course.’ I move to the side so he can enter. ‘She’s just through there,’ I say, pointing to the lounge room.

  ‘Brendan,’ I hear Candice say. ‘What are you doing here?’

  I stand in the doorway and watch, giving them some space.

  ‘Your mum called and told me what happened,’ he says, pulling her off the lounge and into his arms. ‘I’m sorry for dropping in like this, but I needed to come and make sure you were all right. I would’ve come earlier, but I was in court.’

  ‘I’m glad you came,’ she says, sliding her arms around his waist.

  He pulls back slightly, looking down at her face. ‘Are you okay?’

  ‘I will be,’ she answers as she looks at me. ‘Jax has been looking after me.’ Placing his hand on the back of her head, he pulls her face into his chest.

  I can’t help but smile as I watch them together. It’s obvious he cares for her. I know how much her own father’s absence has hurt her over the years, so this is nice.

  He continues to hold her for a short time before letting her go. ‘Your mother has invited me over for dinner, so I best be going. I just needed to see you.’

  ‘I’m happy you came,’ Candice says, smiling up at him.

  He pulls a business card out of his pocket. ‘Call me if you need anything.’

  ‘Okay,’ she says, taking it from him.

  ‘I mean it, sweetheart. I’m here if you need me. Always.’

  ‘Thank you.’ A smile tugs at her lips, but I can also see the tears in her eyes from here.

  He places a tender kiss on her forehead. ‘Take care of yourself. I’ll call in and see you tomorrow once you’re back at home.’

  I follow him to the door when he leaves. He’s a good man. I really like him.

  ‘I’m gonna make that bastard pay,’ he says as soon as Candice is out of earshot. ‘The police prosecutor is a friend of mine.’

  ‘I’m pleased to hear that. I want to kill him for laying his hands on her.’

  ‘Makes two of us.’

  ••••

  ‘Hello,’ I say quietly, when I walk into the kitchen to answer my phone.

  ‘It’s almost ten, Jaxson Albright,’ Sophia screeches. ‘When are you bringing Candice home? I need to see her.’

  ‘She’s fallen asleep on my sofa. I don’t want to wake her. I think it’s best if I bring her home in the morning.’

  ‘The morning? You said you were going to drop her home once Maddie was asleep. That was almost two hours ago.’

  I exhale a frustrated breath. I know Sophia’s upset, and I know she’s concerned about her daughter, but there’s no way I’m waking Candice up. She’s my first priority at the moment. She’s doesn’t need her melodramatic mother watching her every move. She’d hate that.

  ‘As I told you earlier, she’s fine. Upset, but you know as well as I do that she won’t dwell on what happened today. She’ll deal with it and move on, like she always does.’

  ‘I just need to see her with my own eyes. I’ve been a mess all afternoon. She’s my baby, Jax.’

  I roll my eyes. She’s twenty-four years old, far from a baby. ‘Hold on,’ I say. I walk back into the lounge room and snap a quick picture of Candice asleep on my sofa. I attach the image to a text. I tried to take the picture from an angle that made Candice’s bruised cheek and cut lip look less prominent. Otherwise, Sophia’s liable to get in the car and come over.

  ‘You have a photo coming through now.’

  ‘It’s just come through. Let me take a quick look. Aw, she looks so peaceful. Thank you for that. How has she been since we last spoke?’

  ‘Okay. Better than I thought she’d be. How’s Maddie?’

  ‘She’s fine. I didn’t tell her what happened. I didn’t want to worry her.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Naomi, Candice’s boss, has been calling all afternoon. She’s so upset that this happened. She’s tried calling Candice, but she won’t answer.’

  ‘I haven’t heard her phone ring. It might be on silent, or switched off. I’ll let her know in the morning when she wakes.’

  ‘Thank you. As much as I want to see her, I’m glad she’s with you. I know you’ll take care of her.’

  Guilt floods me when she says that. I’ve been such an arsehole to Candice lately. But Sophia’s right, I will.

  Once I end the call, I head back into the lounge room and stand beside the sofa looking down at Candice. My mind’s been all over the place since she confessed her love for me. But if anything positive is to come out of the attack, it’s made me realise just how much I need her. It’s time to put this hurt and betrayal aside and move forward. We’ve already wasted too much time fighting the inevitable. I can’t do it anymore.

  Sliding my hands underneath her, I lift her effortlessly into my arms.

  ‘Jax,’ she whispers, as her eyes flutter open.

  ‘Shh,’ I say. ‘I’m just carrying you to my room. I want you here with me tonight.’

  She smiles as her arms slide around my neck. ‘There’s no place I’d rather be.’

  I pull back the blankets and lay her down on the mattress then pull the covers up around her chin. I smile when I straighten to full height. I’ve missed seeing her in my bed.

  ‘You’re not sleeping in here?’ she asks. The disappointment is visible on her face.

  ‘Yes. I’m just going to jump in the shower. I won’t be long.’

  ‘Okay.’ She’s grinning as she closes her eyes and snuggles into the mattress.

  Sharing a bed with her probably isn’t
a wise move, but I’m not leaving her alone tonight.

  ••••

  Light’s streaming into my room when I open my eyes. I look over at the clock on the bedside table—it’s only 6.42 am. Candice is still wrapped tightly in my arms. I have a few more hours before I have to give her back.

  When I climbed into bed after my shower last night, she’d already fallen back to sleep and I had to fight the urge to pull her into my arms. Instead, I just lay there and watched her, all the time wondering what the future held for us.

  Around midnight, she became restless, and started whimpering in her sleep. It was only then that I gave into the temptation and pulled her into my arms. It seemed to work, because she settled straightaway.

  I pull her tightly against me and savour the feeling of having her in my arms. Who knows if, or when, I’ll ever get to hold her like this again? I place a soft, lingering kiss on her hair.

  ‘Morning,’ she mumbles against my chest.

  ‘Morning. I thought you were still asleep.’

  ‘I’ve been awake for a while. I was just pretending to sleep so I didn’t have to let you go. I felt you kiss my hair, by the way.’

  ‘Did you?’ I chuckle.

  She lifts her head off my chest and smiles. The first thing I notice is that the bruise on her cheek has darkened overnight. ‘How are you feeling this morning?’ I ask, to divert the conversation away from the kiss.

  ‘I’m with you, so I feel great.’

  I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy to have her here as well, because fuck me, I am. My eyes keep wandering down to her injured lip. I run the pad of my thumb gently across it. I’m still angry that this happened.

  ‘Does it hurt?’

  ‘A little. Maybe if you kiss it better, it won’t hurt so much.’

  ‘Candice,’ I breathe. I’ve missed her, and I know I want her—I’ve never stopped wanting her—but I can’t rush into anything with her right now. For both of our sakes, I need to be sure.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she says, sighing. ‘It was worth a try.’ She untangles her body from mine and lies on her back.

  ‘Hey.’ I roll onto my side and face her. The moment I do, she shuts her eyes, refusing to look at me. ‘Look at me. Candice.’

  ‘It’s okay, Jax. Honestly.’