by Laura Pavlov
I reached for a tissue on my nightstand and blew my nose. I pulled the first paper from the already opened envelope from Texas Central University and Dad and I read the acceptance letter together. I did the same with the letter from the University of South Texas, and I smiled past all my sadness, because I’d gotten in there also. I pulled the final letter from TU out of the envelope and read my acceptance aloud, as tears blurred my vision once again. Because it stung that my mother had done this. And the combination of sadness and betrayal mixed with pride and excitement were overwhelming.
My father wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against his chest. “Proud of you, Ladybug.”
“Thanks, Daddy.”
“Mama will come around. She’s struggling with all the change that’s coming and this desperate need to hold on to you. To say she’s handled this poorly is an understatement, but I know that she loves you.”
I nodded. What more could I do?
“Okay,” I whispered.
“And what she said to Jett.” He paused to shake his head with disbelief. “Well, he’s a fine young man. I’ll make things right with him.”
I pushed to my feet and set the letters in the top drawer of my desk. “Thank you.”
Dad moved to his feet and kissed the top of my head before leaving. Closing the door behind him. I texted the girls and let them know what had happened. The response was a mix of horror and excitement that I’d gotten into three great schools. But the sadness over my mother had definitely cast a shadow over my joy. Things with her had gone from bad to worse.
I reread the text from Jett. I didn’t want to tell him what happened with my mother before his fight. He needed to focus. He didn’t want me there, but I was going. I’d have the girls with me, so nothing was going to happen. Because nothing could keep me away. I needed to be there for him.
A few hours later, I’d flipped my lights off, pretending to be asleep, and listened to my parents arguing for the next hour. Doors slammed. Feet stomped down the stairs, as obviously my father had decided to move to the couch. My stomach wrenched with anxiety. My family had always been solid. The four of us were a unit. Or at least I’d thought we were. Right now, there was such a separation, and I felt it in the depths of my soul.
And it hurt.
Mama T had barely spoken to me since Alec and I had broken up. She avoided my gaze when she came over and had made it apparent that she wasn’t happy with me. My own mother had taken sides with the boy who’d cheated on me, so why would his mother be any different.
I sent Clem a text. She always had my back and I’d always have hers.
Me ~ Hey. Jett has a fight so I’m sneaking out. Let me know if Mama and Daddy wake up, okay? Sorry about all the fighting tonight.
Clem ~ Proud of you, Sissy. You’re finally standing up to her. It’s about time. I’ve got your back. Text me when you get home, so I know you made it back. Love you.
Me ~
Coco texted that they were down the street and I climbed out my window and onto the tree. I made my way down to the ground and jogged to the corner where Coco sat in the driver’s seat. Ivy was beside her, and Maura and Gigi were in the back. I slipped in next to Gigi and let out a long breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding. The night sky was lit up by more stars than usual.
“Hey, girl. How are you holding up? Mommy Dearest really threw you a curveball tonight.” Coco whipped around to look at me.
“Well, forget about her. I can’t believe we both got into TU,” Gigi said, wrapping her arms around me as she squeezed me tight.
“I know. I’m so happy.”
“Did you hit accept?” Maura asked.
“No, because with all the turmoil at home, I haven’t even had time to process it. And then Jett sent me that cryptic text about not coming tonight, so I know something is up. I haven’t even told him that I got in yet.”
“Oh my god. You, me, and Jett will all be together. That makes this so much better. And we can be roomies,” Gigi squealed.
That felt so far ahead of where I was with all of this. I wasn’t speaking to my mother. Our family was in disarray. I hoped that she would support me, but I really didn’t know. And I didn’t know how to feel about making a choice that would distance me from my mother even further.
“Hey, you okay?” Ivy asked, as we waited at the stoplight.
“Yeah. Of course. It’s just a lot right now. Mama admitted what she said to Jett. She wasn’t even sorry about it. My parents had a brutal fight. They never fight. Dad’s sleeping on the couch. I mean, all of this is over me not wanting to be with Alec when you get through all the layers of crazy. And I just don’t understand it. Why can’t she be happy for me? TU is a top-tier university. There is no comparison to the education that I’ll get there versus State.”
“I think you hit the nail on the head. She doesn’t care about your education or your happiness. She and Mama T want you and Alec together because it makes them happy. It’s ridiculous. And twisted. And I believe she broke a federal law opening your mail and hiding it from you. You could press charges,” Coco huffed.
“This is it?” Ivy asked when we pulled in the dirt parking lot in front of the warehouse.
“It’s a little sketchy, huh?” Gigi asked, twisting her head to take in our whereabouts.
“Yes. But it’s filled with sexy fighters,” Coco said. “So, how are we going to play this? Shaw told me not to come, and Jett told you not to come. And here we are.”
I glanced down at my phone as we sat in the dark car. “His fight starts in twenty minutes. We can wait to go inside and then hide in the back. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
“That sounds like a good plan,” Maura said.
“What is that?” Ivy asked and we all turned in the direction she was pointing.
There were about four men, yanking someone by the arm through the parking lot near the side of the building. My stomach dipped and my heart raced.
It was Jett.
What the hell was this?
Instinct kicked in and I whipped the door open.
“You guys go inside and find Shaw and Jax. Tell them to get Wren. Hurry,” I shouted before I jumped out of the car and sprinted toward the back of the building where they’d taken him.
Adrenaline pumped, and my breaths were labored, but I felt nothing. Just a need to get there.
To him.
“Hey,” I shouted when I came around the corner. Two men held Jett’s arms back as one punched him in the stomach.
They all paused and stared.
“Get the fuck out of here, Ace,” Jett shouted.
“Who the fuck is this?” one of the men asked, moving toward me, and I didn’t back away.
“I’ll tell you who the fuck I am,” I hissed, seeing blood drip down Jett’s cheek. “I’m Mayor Edington’s daughter. If you touch him again, you’ll have to go through me. Do you really want to bring that wrath on?”
I moved toward Jett, and he squeezed his eyes shut as if he was trying to come up with a plan. I wrapped my arms around his middle as tears streamed down my face.
“Jesus Christ. I thought you said this would be easy. No complications. The fucking mayor’s daughter is a complication,” the man holding back Jett’s right arm said before he dropped it and threw his hands in the air. Jett’s arm was wrapped around me in an instant.
“She doesn’t have to be. We could send a message to the mayor while we’re at it that his piece of shit town has nothing on us.”
“Not a battle I’m interested in.” The man who’d dropped Jett’s arm crossed his own over his chest and stared at the others.
The most ear-piercing sound cut through the air, like a missile heading for destruction. Everyone’s hands moved on instinct to their ears, as Ivy came around the corner with her rape whistl
e in her mouth and I stared at her with my jaw on the ground.
“Yeah. I have my father on speed dial. He happens to be the chief of police, so you’ve just opened a can of worms, bitches.” She blew the whistle one more time before holding up her car keys and setting off her car alarm. The man holding Jett’s other arm let go and backed away. They all stood there staring at one another.
“Not worth it. For fifty fucking bucks. I’m out.” The first guy took off jogging as the other three looked at one another.
“It wasn’t personal, man. Just business,” an oversized man said to Jett before walking off. He chuckled as he passed me and Ivy.
“Jesus. What the fuck are you two thinking?” Jett asked.
Shaw, Jax, Coco, Gigi, and Maura came around the corner with Wren in tow.
“Can we turn off the car alarm now?” Wren asked, his voice calm and steady, but his gaze searched Jett to make sure he was okay.
Ivy hit her key fob and the horrific noise stopped. My ears were still ringing, but a calm settled over all of us when the loud noise came to an end.
I glanced up at Jett and wiped away the blood on his cheek with my fingers. He looked down at me and swiped away the falling tears that I hadn’t even realized were still streaming down my face.
“All right, let’s all get the hell out of here. Just got a tip that the cops were called. We’re getting raided in less than an hour.” Wren never took his eyes from Jett as he spoke.
“Fights are canceled?” Jett asked.
Wren laughed. “We’re getting raided. Fights are definitely canceled. And I warned you these guys weren’t happy with you. Probably predicted you were going to kick their guy’s ass tonight and thought they’d rough you up first. We can talk about it later. You all need to get the hell out of here.”
“I’ll call you in a little bit.” Jett leaned down and kissed me.
“No way. I’m leaving with you.” I hugged my girlfriends, and we all shook our heads with disbelief over what had just happened.
“Well, we’re definitely filling the book with adventures. I nearly peed my pants when I came around that corner,” Ivy said.
She wasn’t the only one.
We were definitely going out in a blast for our senior year. More had happened to me over the past few months than had happened in my entire lifetime.
And I was okay with all of it.
Because it had led me to Jett.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jett
Jax and Shaw gave me those half-bro hugs and apologized another dozen times before heading out. Hell, they couldn’t have predicted I’d be jumped when I came out of the locker room. And I’d been outnumbered. For the first time in my life, I’d had no exit strategy, so I’d prepared for the beating.
What I hadn’t prepared for was Adelaide coming to my rescue, jumping right into the fire and putting herself in harm’s way. For me. What the fuck was that about?
And then Ivy jumped in, as all the Magic Musketeers had gone balls to the walls to try to stop what was going down. If I hadn’t been so terrified at the time that they’d be hurt, it would have been laughable. My girl was small, but she was fierce. She showed no fear, which shocked the shit out of me.
“Jett, you got a minute?” Wren asked after everyone walked away and it was just me and Adelaide standing there still processing the shitshow that had gone down.
“Yeah. She can stay. You can trust her.”
“Looks like the mayor’s daughter is a bit of a badass,” Wren said with a brow raised when he smiled at her.
She laughed. “Not normally. But I knew I needed to do something. Thank you for coming so quickly.”
He nodded. “All right, so what I’m going to tell you goes no further than right here. Got it? People’s jobs are on the line.”
“No problem.”
“I have someone on the inside. The call I got about the raid, it’s personal. You were specifically named,” Wren said.
I sucked in a long breath. Could this day get any worse? “What the fuck? Why?”
“My guy told me that Alec Taulson placed the call. Apparently, he has a personal beef with you. Said you’d be fighting and that your girlfriend was to be left out of it. He wants to see you go down, Jett.”
“That motherfucker.” I shook my head and my hands fisted at my side. Adelaide reached for my hand and mouthed the words “I’m sorry” to me.
“Don’t retaliate. Listen, you’re so close to leaving for school. Get the hell out of here and make something of yourself. Don’t let this punk take you down. He’s got a rich daddy to cover his ass. You don’t. We’re going to shut things down here for a few weeks anyway. If you want to make some cash, you can work for me down at the auto shop. It’s decent money and I’ll work around your schedule.”
People were hustling to their cars in the parking lot as Clyde and his men were emptying the warehouse before the cops arrived. And this was all on me.
“Yeah, thanks. I’m sorry for the mess I’ve caused. I’m sure you’ll lose a shit ton of money.”
“Nah. Just glad you didn’t go down in the mess. We’ve been taking some heat ‘cause we’ve grown so fast—everyone in this shit town is looking for something to do. People are talking about the fights. I’ll have to look into a new location down the road. Now get your badass girl home and get out of here. Stop by tomorrow and see me, and we’ll figure out the job.”
I nodded and shook his hand as he pulled me in for a shoulder bump. He turned toward Adelaide. “Go home. No more ass kicking tonight, girl.”
She chuckled. But I saw all the worry on her face. This had taken a toll on her, which is exactly why I’d told her to stay away. But I was learning pretty quickly that she rarely listened to me. And she had my back at all costs. Aside from Jax and Shaw, I wasn’t used to that kind of loyalty. That kind of trust.
Definitely not that kind of love.
But here we were.
“Scout’s honor,” she said, holding up two fingers.
He rumpled her hair and laughed. “Get out of here, you two.”
I led her over to my bike and handed her the helmet. We didn’t speak. I knew something was up, because I could see it in her eyes. Feel it as I dropped down to sit in front of her. She was off. She’d just had a glimpse into my world, and it had sent her sideways.
“You okay?” I asked, turning my head to speak over my shoulder before I fired up my bike.
“Yeah. Are you?” Her words wobbled, and I knew I needed to get her the hell out of here. Get her somewhere we could talk.
“Hold on, Ace.”
I fired up my bike and her hands slipped beneath my hoody and my skin heated instantly. My cheek stung from the shot I’d taken while my arms were held down. They’d told me to throw the fight. Why the fuck would you come out to fight knowing that the other guy was going to throw it? Maybe the dude should spend his energy training instead of giving his opponent an unfair beatdown before the match. A calm came over me as she hugged me tight and rested her cheek against my back.
I pulled down the dirt road by the lake and rolled to a stop. We didn’t get off the bike. I swung my leg over and pulled her onto my lap. I couldn’t get close enough to this girl. I unbuckled her helmet and dropped it to the ground.
Orange and cinnamon overwhelmed my senses.
“I’m sorry I dragged you into my shit,” I said, and her hands settled on each of my cheeks. She studied my wound like she was a medical doctor. Turning my face side to side before letting out a breath.
“You didn’t drag me into your shit. I charged right in. I saw them pulling you around the corner, and I knew I had to do something.” She covered her mouth with her hand again, as a sob left her sweet lips.
“You know I would have been all right if you’d just gone inside to get Wren. Next time don’t put yourself in da
nger. I can take a beating, trust me.” I pulled her hand away and grazed my lips against hers to comfort her. “You’re all right, Ace.”
She pulled back, her dark eyes blending with the night sky. The streetlight a few feet away cast enough light to make out her features. “So, Wren isn’t your dad, huh? You two seem to be getting along now?”
“No. But he knew about what happened to my mom. I’m pretty sure he’s been in love with her his whole fucking life.”
I wouldn’t tell her that Wren made sure my father went away. It might scare her. Hell, it shocked the shit out of me. But I knew in my gut that Wren would never do anything to hurt Mom now, and that’s what I cared about.
“See. This is an example of why talking about what’s on your mind can be helpful.” She laughed.
“What else is going on? Something’s off. Did you talk to your mom?”
She closed her eyes and nodded, as tears ran down her cheeks again.
“I did.” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and opened her eyes. Her gaze locking with mine. “She admitted to saying what she did to you. She makes no apologies. I also found out that I’d received three acceptance letters which she’d opened and hidden from me. Who does that?”
Savannah fucking Edington.
“Someone who’s scared. Terrified of losing you. Losing control.”
“I guess. She had an awful fight with Daddy, and our house is just broken right now.” She fell forward, burying her face in my neck.
“They’ll figure out.” I pulled her back to look at her. “What schools did you get into?”
“Texas Central, University of South Texas, and… TU,” she said, and a wide grin spread across her face.
“No fucking way. Congratulations. You did it.” I wrapped her back up and held her close.
She laughed and looked up at me. “Where do you think I should go?”
