“What happened, Caroline?” Jax led her to the bed, sitting her down. The more he looked at her bruised face, the more pissed he became. Not wanting to scare Caroline any more than she was, he had to control the deep rage he felt at her being mistreated by a piece of shit scumbag.
“We have to get our stuff out by tomorrow morning.” Caroline looked around the room. “We agreed he would get his stuff out over the weekend and then I would come after work this week to get the rest of my stuff. Rod sounded fine about it, until I didn’t show up on Monday after work. He called me and was yelling, telling me I needed to get here to get my stuff. It just went on and on.”
“Then why in the hell did you come alone today?” Jax didn’t sound angry, just confused.
“Because I’m too trusting and stupid.” Caroline rolled her eyes, then grimaced at the pain it caused her. “He told me the reason he was upset was because he wanted to talk to me, try to work things out and I ruined it by not showing up. He said he had to go out of town for work, which he did a lot. So I believed him. Today, I knew I had to come and get the rest of my clothes and the few dishes that were left. When he showed up, he laughed, saying I was stupid to believe he was going out of town, which I was. I should have known it was a lie.”
Jax sat quietly, letting her go at her own pace, even though every instinct he possessed urged him to get up, walk out, find the fucker and kill him.
“He told me that if I didn’t work it out with him, he would call my work and get me fired with lies, but I wouldn’t budge. I told him to go ahead and give it his best shot.” Caroline frowned. “Then he…”
“He what?” Jax urged, keeping the growl out of his voice.
“He accused me of seeing someone. I told him I wasn’t, which isn’t a lie. I mean a dinner is just dinner.” Caroline glanced up at him, her pale cheeks blushed beautifully. “Anyway, he grabbed my phone and saw your message. He went crazy.”
Jax went deadly still. Reaching over, he again tilted her face to his so he could see the bruising against her soft skin. “He hit you because of my text.” It wasn’t a question.
Caroline shook her head. “I don’t think that’s the only reason. He just went out of control. Even as far as threatening my younger sister, Jamie. Said his brother had taken a real liking to Jamie.” Anger flashed across her eyes. “His brother is much older than Jamie. I know it was a threat to scare me so I won’t tell anyone. He knows how much I love my family. I still can’t believe how he treated Lana when I wasn’t around and I never knew.”
The text Jax saw on her phone must have been a reminder threat to her. “Nothing is going to happen to Jamie.” Jax stood, pulling her up with him.
Caroline stood, looking around at all of her clothes then back at Jax. “Thank you, and I’m really sorry about dinner. I have to get this done and well…” She touched her swollen face.
“You are beautiful, Caroline.” Jax wondered briefly who the hell possessed his body because the intense need to make this woman more comfortable was overwhelming. “Never doubt that. We’ll do dinner another night.”
“You’re too sweet.” Caroline smiled, reaching up giving him a hug. “Thank you.”
Jax hugged her back, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as hell. Jax Wheeler was not sweet, what the fuck was happening to him? Pulling away, he led her toward the door. “Come on. Talk to your sister,” Jax grumbled, a frown plastered across his face.
“Don’t like being called sweet, huh?” Caroline chuckled, walking out the door ahead of him.
“Not at all,” he responded, his eyes running down her body. Okay, this was the Jax Wheeler he knew. Watching her womanly hips and ass sway as she walked away was more his style. Thinking of what he wanted to do with that body was more on his level, no matter what she went through. Yeah, this was more of who he was, not that sweet shit.
“You know where this asshole hangs out?” Jax asked Sid while the women talked.
“No, but I’m sure we can find him.” Sid’s smile was evil in anticipation of finding the bastard and making him pay for what he’d done to Caroline.
“He’s mine when we do,” Jax warned Sid, dialing his phone.
“No sharing, huh?” Sid laughed, looking over his shoulder at the women.
“Hey, I need you to run a number for me and find me an asshole,” Jax said on the phone, keeping his voice low. “Oh, yeah, well, bite me. And if you call me chief one more fucking time, I’m going to tomahawk your ass and take your scalp. Yeah, I need it now. I do have someone else I can call if you can’t handle it. Uh-huh, fuck you, too. All right, hurry up.”
“Nice,” Sid smirked. “Do most people do you favors when you threaten them?”
Jax nodded with a serious stare. “Yeah, they do.”
“Awesome, isn’t it?” Sid nodded in total understanding.