CHAPTER 13
JAXON
I threw the shop cloth down and gestured with my chin at Sam to help me with the tire. He rolled it over, and we lifted it onto the axle.
My house had been flooded with people as soon as I left Juliet only a few hours ago, and we were all prepping for races tonight.
They were here, their heads under their hoods, but mine was still between her legs.
Jesus.
I reached over, jacking up Korn’s “Falling Away from Me,” and ran my hand over my hair just above my ear where her braids still stretched my scalp.
I smiled, remembering her doing my hair. She hadn’t touched too long in any one place. She hadn’t fallen all over me or petted me. And when she reached out and touched my hand, just letting me know that she understood, and that I didn’t have to talk about it, I’d closed my eyes, feeling safer. I didn’t like to be groomed, but I’d liked her touching me, and I’d happily let her do it again.
She took care of me today.
And what did I do? I spread her legs and ate her out as if she were a whore.
I still hadn’t taken her on a date, a nice dinner, or a walk in the goddamn park the way girls wanted. Over the past couple of weeks, I’d fought with her, threatened her, and then tried to get my hands on her every time we were alone. I’d pushed her, grabbed her, and yelled at her.
I was an asshole, and I wasn’t gentle.
Fuck me. Sweat trickled down my temple, and the bugs buzzing outside in the summer sun had me itching to turn the music up. Drown out all these thoughts.
I wasn’t going to stick around long enough to see her push me away when she realized the mistake she’d made in getting close, but every time I thought I could pull away, her defiance and fight drew me back in.
“Shit!” Sam barked, being dragged to the ground by my end of the tire I hadn’t realized I’d dropped.
I fisted my hair at the top of my head and turned around, kicking the toolbox against the wall. The tools crashed together inside, some of the drawers popping out.
“Um,” I heard Sam venture. “Overreact much?”
I turned around, seeing his confused expression, and let out a shaky laugh. “Sorry. My head’s preoccupied, man.”
“Since when?” he mumbled, bending to lift the tire back up. “That was the first time you ever reminded me of Jared.”
“Yeah,” I grunted, bending to lift the tire with him, “what’s wrong with that?”
He struggled with the weight, gritting his teeth. “Nothing at all, if you’re the tornado,” he joked. “It’s everything in its way that gets destroyed.”
Okay. Solid point.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I let out a hard breath as I slipped the tire on its axle.
I looked at my phone, seeing Jared’s name, and rubbed my hand down my face.
Great.
“What?” I answered, knowing he was going to bug me about that damn restraining order again.
“Jesus Christ,” he swore. “What’s crawled up your ass this summer? Every time I call you you’re bitchy.”
“Nothing. I’m nice to everyone except you.”
“Lovely,” he shot back. “Sue me for caring about you.”
“Bullying me is more like it.” I walked out of the garage, away from the half dozen other guys and their girlfriends in my driveway.
“Funny,” he said. I could hear the fake humor in his voice. “So, what’s wrong with you?”
I tightened my lips. “Nothing,” I lied. “Just busy.”
“You’re always busy.” He hesitated. “And we need to talk.”
“It’s not a good time.”
“Dad’s getting out of jail soon,” he shot out. “We need to talk.”
I squeezed the phone in my hand and calmed my voice. “My answer about the restraining order hasn’t changed.”
My father still had three years left on his sentence for drug possession and child abuse, but his time had been whittled down for good behavior and ratting out two old contacts in the drug trade.
Jared was talking to his mom’s new husband—Madoc’s dad—about getting a restraining order in place for when our father was released from prison. He wanted Thomas Trent away from him, his mom, and Tate—and I, on the other hand, welcomed my father.
I wanted to face him, and I had a contact on the inside keeping me well-informed of everything that was going on with him. His friends, his visitors, and his enemies.
“I’ll be home Friday, and we’re taking care of business.” He was telling me, not asking.
The anger warmed my whole body, but I didn’t want to get into it with him again. He was away a lot, and I loved him.
But he had to fucking stop already.
Madoc’s GTO pulled up in front of Tate’s house, and I narrowed my gaze, seeing a red Nissan 370Z cruise to a sudden halt right behind it.
Jared rambled on in my ear, but I couldn’t hear him. Why was Madoc at Tate’s house? And whose Nissan was that?
Madoc and Fallon climbed out of his car, followed by the driver of the Nissan, a tall blond yuppie who dressed a lot like Madoc with navy blue cargo shorts, an expensive-looking T-shirt, and flip-flops.
Jesus. They were walking up Tate’s walkway. Why were they walking up Tate’s walkway?
I hung up on Jared as Madoc headed my way and Fallon and the yuppie continued to Tate’s door.
“What’s up?” I jerked my chin at Madoc and gave him the usual casual handshake.
“Nothing,” he chirped innocently.
“Cut the crap. What’s with One Direction over there?”
He laughed. “Oh, you mean my buddy from Northwestern?” Asshole’s enjoying this. “His name’s Adam Larson. He’s in town visiting. Fallon and I are taking K.C. to the carnival and thought …”
But I’d stopped listening.
Peering around Madoc, I saw Juliet emerge with Shane, and it looked as though Fallon was introducing them all.
Juliet reached out her hand, shaking his, and I saw her smile.
My phone cracked in my fist, and I blinked, bringing it up to see that I’d splintered the case.
Fuck.
“Oops,” Madoc said, jeering, laughing at my cracked phone. “Someone’s mad.”
I shook my head. “What are you up to?”
He held up his hands in defense. “Nothing. I saw what happened at the party last night, and I figured you weren’t interested anymore. Adam’s a good guy. I just didn’t want K.C. to feel like a third wheel with Fallon and me at the carnival.”
“She has her cousin,” I growled through clenched teeth. “How would she be the third wheel? And her name’s Juliet. And I don’t want him anywhere near her!” I got in his face.
“Hmm …” He regarded me for a few seconds and turned to look at everyone coming down the stairs. Juliet glanced at me, looking slightly uncomfortable before turning away and letting Adam open the door for her.
She looked hot as hell, and I wanted to see her eyes again. She wore frayed jean shorts with one of Fallon’s specialty T-shirts. Black Def Lepperd logo on the front, with her smooth, tanned back peeking out of twenty or so slits running horizontally across her back. I also made out long earrings—feathers, I think. Her hair was straightened, her makeup made her glow, and my hands wanted those legs.
And she was leaving with another guy.
Madoc turned back to look at me. “If she knew she was yours, she wouldn’t have gotten in that car.”
Motherfucker.
“Took Jared eight years to pounce on Tate,” he challenged. “Thought you had more game.”
He narrowed his eyes, his point made, and stuffed his hands into his pockets before walking away. Shane climbed into Madoc’s car with Fallon, and that meant Juliet was alone with that guy.
And I watched as all of them sped away.
I tightened my fists and reached in my pocket for my keys.
“Sam.” I grabbed my T-shirt off the worktable. “Can you lock up when everyone’s gone? I need to head out for a while.”
He nodded. “Sure. Where are you going?”
I ignored him, Madoc’s words still floating in the air.
“If she knew she was yours, she wouldn’t have gotten in that car.”
No, I thought. She knew she was mine, and she shouldn’t have gotten in that car.