by Cassie James
I stand up and leave the office, not bothering to try to hide my tears as I walk out into the living area where all the guys are waiting for me. Smith is the first one out of his seat, his arms going around me seconds before we all end up enveloped in the most testosterone-filled group hug I’ve ever been a part of.
When they release me, I thrust Hollis’ note out for them to read, watching their faces go through a range of emotions.
“This is all he really left,” I say with a sniffle as I try to hold back a fresh wave of tears. “That and a copy of his damn book. Like Moby Dick is supposed to mean anything now that we’ve been here and seen everything he left behind. We didn’t need anymore fucking clues. The mystery is over!” I’m starting to get hysterical, and I know the guys can tell. Jax and Smith exchange a worried look right in front of me.
Jax takes a second to glance over the note as he nods to himself. He hands it off to Jake before stepping forward and putting his hands on my shoulders. “Juliet, that note isn’t nothing.”
“It feels like nothing,” I mutter.
“No,” he says sharply. “It’s a good reminder for all of us. We’ve all had a lot of thoughts and opinions about what should happen next, but ultimately we all know the decision falls to you. Which means we’ve got to stop the little side comments about burning this shit or taking it straight to the news stations.” Comments that Smith and Patrick have made, respectively. It hasn’t bothered me that they’ve had opinions, but I can see where Jax is coming from. At the end of the day, there won’t be six people making a final decision.
There will only be me.
Hollis wanted to make sure I knew that, too. And I guess, if I’m being honest, I can see the encouragement he meant for this note to leave me with. A feeling that he trusted me to make the right decision regardless of how I reacted when I found his horrible treasure. Just like he was trying all along to make decisions of his own, separating folders out based on what he felt people deserved. I don’t know if he would have ever done anything with the folders had he lived longer, or if his plan was to leave them for me all along. Either way, he’s not here to help me make the decision now.
There are words that come to me now, words that still haunt me from my visit with Cece. “The queen has all the power. She might be the last to get involved in things, but she’s always the true center of the game.” I hate to think it, but those words have never been more true. I’ve suddenly found myself at the very center of everything. I’ve either got to figure out what it means to win this game I’ve become entangled in—or risk the ultimate checkmate.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake carries the last of the boxes into Lexington Estate as I wave the rest of the guys off. If it were up to me, nobody would be leaving yet, but I think they’ve all finally reached their fill of each other. By the time we were halfway home, they’d all started to get short with each other, to the point that Jax finally started blaring the radio just to drown everybody out.
I stand watching Jax’s car disappear from our court, leaving only Jake and I here now. It’s for the best really, the two of us could use some time alone after all the chaos of the beach trip. There’s nothing quite like needing a vacation from a vacation, though I guess our beach house mission could hardly be called that. I mentally prep myself to head back inside.
“Jessica!” The sound of the name coming off the lips of a woman I’d hoped to never see again makes my blood run cold. “Baby, there you are!” she has the nerve to call out. In the chaos of the beach house, I’d forgotten all about her calls before we left.
My head whips around looking for the source, but I’m surprised as hell when I realize it’s coming from halfway behind me. Lynne Brown steps out from the side of the house, her arms outstretched as she creeps toward me. She looks like she’s coming in for a hug, but I want that from her about as much as I’d like a knife to my chest. I side-step her just in time, her eyes narrowing when her attempt at a hug meets only thin air. Her reaction is too sluggish to catch herself before grabbing nothing, which instantly lets me know that she’s high.
Great.
“I don’t have any money for you,” I tell her, knowing that’s the only reason she’s here. This is the last place I would ever expect to see her. She isn’t exactly known for her sleuthing skills, especially not when she’s high as a kite. “How did you find me?” I can’t help but to ask.
“Oh, I didn’t find you.” Maybe she’s even higher than I realized. “Ricky did.” Dammit. That’s one of the last people in the world I want sniffing around. She glances around as if she’s worried someone might overhear her. “I was supposed to write you a letter but stamps are so expensive.” Right, because that makes sense. Making the drive here from Nikon Park definitely didn’t cost more than it would to buy a single stamp. God, she’s really lost it.
“I need you to go. There’s nothing for you here.”
She looks behind me at the house. “But you got lots of money now. You could give me something. I did raise you, you know.” I bark out a laugh at that description. She did about the bare minimum of raising me. She hasn’t exactly earned any goodwill over that, especially not when she never needed to raise me in the first place. I wasn’t hers to raise.
“I’m serious. You’re not getting anything from me, so just leave.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t want you here. Don’t come back here again.”
She tries to protest still, “But—”
“She asked you to leave,” Jake’s voice booms from behind me as he walks up and puts an arm protectively around me. I hadn’t realized he had come out, and based on the surprise that crosses Lynne’s face, she hadn’t noticed him, either. “Don’t make her say it again.” I glance at Jake’s face, only semi-surprised by how angry he looks. He’s never been a fan of hers, and I’m sure that’s only gotten worse now that he knows all the sordid details of her involvement with my real family.
“No one told me you were here.” Lynne sniffs several times in a row, a nervous habit of hers from way back. I’m confused by the reaction, considering she knows Jake. I grew up with him. He was the one that gave her my phone number the last time around. There’s no reason she should be staring at him now with a weird twinge of fear in her eyes. “I didn’t do anything.”
“And you’re not going to. I think it’s time you go,” he speaks to her in a growl that makes her take several solid steps backward out of what I guess is some small sense of self-preservation that’s left in her.
She hesitates like maybe she’s trying to come up with an argument, but her mouth just sputters with no words forming. Her eyes move from him to me, resting on me for long enough that a gross chill works its way up my spine. I stand frozen even as Jake takes one step forward to put himself between the two of us.
“Your boyfriend isn’t going to be happy if he gets a phone call about you. Is he?” The way he says the word boyfriend, I just know he’s not talking about the man I once thought was my dad. He means Ricky. And he doesn’t mean boyfriend, he means pimp. I haven’t been gone from Nikon Park nearly long enough to have forgotten the lingo, and the fucked up way women claim the men who turn them out. I’m sure she’s delusional enough to think he bailed her out of jail to rescue her, instead of the truth. That men like that only do you favors if they can cash in later. Clearly, Ricky’s already cashed in.
I still can’t find it in me to feel bad for her, not after everything she’s done to me. Everything she stole from me. I fucking hate her, and it’s going to be a long damn time before I ever want anything more for her than an early grave.
As fucked up as the whole situation is, at least Nick stayed away instead of trying to cash in. Prison wouldn’t have been enough to keep him away if he’d decided I owed him something, too. My fake-dad was always marginally more level-headed than my fake-mom. I used to think maybe that meant I took after him, but damn is it a relief to know now that I don’t actually take anything after them.
I
’m especially grateful as I watch Lynne Brown retreat for what I hope is the last time. This time, she doesn’t fade into the shadows on the side of the house, she heads for the street, heading who knows where in order to get home. There’s no telling how she made it here in the first place. Nikon Park to Patience isn’t a short trip. Somehow, I highly doubt Ricky gave her a ride. He might be a money-hungry son of a bitch, but even he’s not stupid enough to fuck around in a town like this. His Nikon Park clout would be no good here.
I watch her the same way I watched the guys leave, not daring to take my eyes off of her until she’s disappeared onto the main road, and hopefully for good. Once she’s gone, I turn to my childhood friend who’s just managed to surprise the hell out of me.
“Jake? What the fuck was that?”
His expression is grim as he turns his head and looks at me with haunted eyes. “Brandon’s gotten mixed up with some bad shit. I tried to get him to walk away but… it’s really bad, J. The one silver lining is that he’s a lot higher up on the food chain now than Ricky.”
“Which is why she looked so freaked to see you. Because she’s worried you’ll talk to your brother.” I say the words aloud because I think it’s the only way to get them through my head. I can’t believe Jake hadn’t mentioned this. “I had no idea, Jake. Is there something we can do? Maybe I could—”
He shakes his head and cuts me off mid-sentence. “I know you want to talk about it, and I swear I’ll answer whatever questions you have later, but right now all I really want is a long nap. How about it?” He offers me his hand, which I take without hesitation. We are going to talk about the issue with his brother, but he’s right, it can wait. I know what it’s like to not be ready to face all of your problems upfront. God knows I put things off plenty of times when I shouldn’t have.
I let Jake lead me into the house, watching when he turns to very carefully make sure to lock the door securely.
He sees me watching and explains, “She’s unpredictable all drugged up like that. Hopefully she won’t be back today, but we need to keep everything locked up just in case.” He places a kiss on the top of my head and hugs me tight. “Later, I’ll call Brandon. He’ll put a warning out to make sure Ricky keeps her in line from now on.” I can feel him tense as he adds, “It might not end pretty for her, though. I need you to know that upfront.”
“I hate the idea of Brandon being involved… but he can do whatever he needs to do. She hasn’t earned any loyalty from me.” Especially not when she just keeps coming around looking for money. “I want this to be the last time
“I’ll make sure it gets taken care of,” he vows.
I don’t ask any questions. In fact, I make a mental note not to ask later, either. Jake will tell me what he wants about Brandon when he’s ready, but I don’t want any details about the Browns ever again, and I tell him as much. “Now, let’s go to bed,” I tell him, taking his hand and pulling him toward the stairs so we can go upstairs to my room. No guest bedroom this time, though he doesn’t comment on that.
I also have no intention of taking a nap just yet. I’ve suddenly got too much adrenaline running through my veins, and a heady feeling telling me that I should give Jake a proper thank you for stepping in and saving the day. I don’t know what I would have done about Lynne if I’d been here alone. It wasn’t like I had a good chance of being able to reason with her in that state.
But now, hopefully that will never be a problem again.
I pause at the bottom of the stairs, not able to help myself. I throw my arms around his neck and push myself up on my toes so I can kiss him soundly on the mouth, angling my face to deepen the kiss when his lips part for me from pure surprise. It doesn’t take him long to fall as deeply into the kiss as I do, tilting his head down so that I don’t have to stay on my toes.
We had a few long, weird days at the beach house, and Lynne showing up here trying to demand money again was only the icing on the weird as hell cake. Jake’s always been protective, but seeing it in action today and knowing that now he’s being protective as more than just my friend, it really does something for me. Something that has me grinding desperately against him as I kiss him until my lips start to feel a little numb.
“J,” he whispers against my lips as he pulls away just a little, “we should stop.”
“We sure as hell shouldn’t,” I disagree as I try to reach for him.
I drape my arms over his shoulders but he turns his head before I can kiss him again. “J, if we keep going things are going to end up getting out of hand.”
“Then let’s let things get out of hand,” I murmur as I abruptly let go of him. I jog a few steps up the staircase before turning back to him, catching him watching me with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. I don’t have any doubts about what we’re about to do, I know in my gut that this is right. “Are you coming?” I ask in a huskier version of my normal voice. His hand reaches out to grasp the rail as his jaw goes slack. Jake’s seen a lot of sides of me, but this one is a first between us.
He takes the first step before pausing as if he’s having second thoughts. I turn and go further up the stairs before once again facing him. This time, I reach for the hem of my shirt and tug it straight over my head, dropping it carelessly over the side of the banister. I can’t remember when the cleaning people come, but if it’s today, they’re going to get one hell of a surprise I guess, because right after I shed my shirt I send my bra careening over the edge of the stairs, too.
Jake lets out a long groan that echos around us as I cast a wicked grin. “You’re gonna fucking kill me,” he says in a tight voice like he’s barely hanging on to any semblance of self-control now.
I give a small smile as I turn and dart up the rest of the stairs. I’m having so much fun with my little game that I don’t realize he’s finally decided to play. He catches up to me before I take a single step down the hall, shrieking giggles tearing out of me when he wraps me up from behind and starts peppering kisses across my bare shoulders. He’s so warm, and my muddled brain finally catches up to the fact that he’s managed to shed his shirt, too. I’m feeling him bare skin to bare skin for the first time ever. The thought alone is enough to cause me to let out a small whimper.
We move together toward the bedroom door, my hand shaking as I turn the knob. I waited for this moment for years and now that it’s here? I’m not wasting anymore fucking time. We’re barely inside the doorway before I turn in his arms, pressing my lips back to his as he puts a hand on my stomach to gently push me back enough steps that he’s able to close the bedroom door behind us.
“Is it just me or did it take a fucking lifetime to get here?” he asks. His eyelids droop as he watches the motion of me licking my lips as I pull back just enough to get a good look at him.
I nod erratically. “Yeah, so let’s finally get this show on the fucking road,” I joke, though I’m only really half joking. I’m not feeling particularly patient at the moment as I pop the button on my jeans and unceremoniously shove them down my legs. Jake chuckles as he steps back for a better view as he watches me kick out of my jeans and then fling my underwear to some forgotten corner of the room. This is Jake—my best friend, a boy I’ve spent most of my life being half in love with. There’s not a single part of me that feels self conscious standing before him. He’s already seen the worst of me, so I’m pretty sure there’s nothing now that could scare him off.
I take a few steps back to trail further into the room, Jake following slowly with an almost predatory gleam in his eye. Just as I start to turn to leap onto the bed, he’s on me, hoisting me to the center with him half on top of me. Not that I’m complaining. The denim of his pants makes me shudder as he pushes one leg between mine, his knee nudging upward to spread them further apart. A sudden wave of self-consciousness hits me as his knee settles against the apex of my thighs. I swear to god if I’m getting his jeans wet right now…
It’s the last halfway-lucid thought I have before my mind stop
s functioning altogether. Because it turns out Jake is very good with his body. Like scary good. Somehow, with a few well-placed nudges, he manages to set me on edge using nothing more than his fully clothed knee. I’d be embarrassed if it were anyone else, but with Jake, I’d let him touch me any way he fucking wanted so long as he just didn’t stop.
He shifts to put his mouth on my bare back, and I close my eyes as he kisses me. Except, he’s not kissing me. His tongue darts out and traces a path down my spine, the wetness he leaves behind causing a chill that makes me shiver against him. He’s got the most unexpected way of doing things and fucking hell I think this might be heaven.
I’m starting to get impatient when he finally pulls back to shed his jeans and underwear, pausing just long enough to retrieve a condom from his wallet—thank fuck for guys and their wallet condoms.
“You’re sure about this, right?” he asks, causing me to let out a groan. We’re way past the point of him needing to ask me if I’m sure. All the green lights are flashing and I’ve never been more sure of anything. Just to prove it, I turn over and reach for him, getting in one good stroke of his dick as he lets out an entirely different groan of his own. “I guess that’s a yes,” he hisses out as he pulls out of my grasp to sheath himself with the condom.
I barely let him finish before I’m reaching for him again—only his arms this time—so I can pull him closer. I widen my legs automatically for him as he settles between them, inching his way up the bed so he can line himself up with me.
As he starts to sink into me, I wrap my legs around his waist, wanting to touch every inch of skin that I can all at once as he slowly moves inside of me until we’re flat chest-to-chest, his elbows on the bed to keep his full weight off of me as he starts to move. He gives me time to adjust to him, but the second I have he pushes himself up off of me more, giving him more room to move in and out of me as he shifts his weight to one hand so he can use the other one to pull one of my legs farther up. I’ve never had my legs spread so far apart, to the point that it kind of pinches, but I don’t dare complain as the new position lets him sink deeper into me than anyone has ever been.
