Chapter 18
Adam started to go to his grandfather, but Sid stopped him.
“We need to get these people off the Ferris Wheel.” Sid headed that way. “They can’t get it started.”
“We’re good.” Jill, who stood guard with his grandfather, called out giving Adam a thumbs up.
Following Sid up the rails Adam started taking people who were stuck down. The older ones he took down easy, while the younger ones he gave them a thrill and jumped either holding them or with them clinging to his back.
Adam headed back up to the last basket toward the top. Climbing to the rail next to the basket he stopped cold. Sitting in the basket was his Angel with some a*shole.
“Angelina.” Adam nodded, his eyes never leaving hers, not trusting himself to look over at the guy sitting next to her.
“Can you get us down?” Her voice shook as did her hand when she raised it to brush her blowing hair from pale face.
“It’s about f*cking time.” The guy sitting next to his Angel whined. “We’ve been stuck up here for a damn hour.”
Adam’s gaze pulled away from her to the guy sitting too close to who he considered was his girl. “Watch your mouth.” Adam growled.
The guy snorted looking over at Angelina. “You know this freak?”
“Don’t call him that.” She frowned at her date in disgust.
“Honey, you slum with vampires there won’t be a real man that will come near you.” His eyes roamed up and down her body. “Hope I didn’t waste good money on a vampire whore.”
Adam grabbed the front of his shirt. “Guess you didn’t hear me when I said to watch your mouth.” Looking down at the ground he spotted Sid.
“Get your f*cking hands off me!” The guy struggled without success.
Adam ignored his weak attempts at removing his hands. “Hey Sid!” He yelled down from the top of the Ferris Wheel. “Catch!” With that he hauled the a*shole out of the basket and tossed him over the side where he wouldn’t hit any rails.
The guy screamed all the way down. Sid looked up pissed off holding the sobbing guy. “What the hell was that?”
“He was talking trash to a lady up here.” Adam called down. Sid dropped the guy in disgust, probably a little harder than necessary, before walking away. Adam chuckled when the jerk rolled over throwing up in the dirt. “Lightweight.”
“That was mean.” Angelina looked over the side of the basket, but when she turned back to Adam a smile teased her lips.
“Yeah, it was.” Adam grinned, then nodded his head to where her date lay. “So you turned me down to go out with that?”
“I don’t want to get hurt Adam.” Angelina frowned.
“And you don’t think that piece of crap can’t hurt you.” He snorted climbing into the basket to sit next to her.
“No I don’t.” Angelina scooted over to make room for his large frame. “I don’t have feelings for him.”
Adam’s eyes widened slightly. “You have feelings for me?”
Angelina glanced at his wrist and gasped. Reaching over she ran her finger along her blue hairband, her eyes shooting to his. “I’ve had feelings for you since I was a little girl Adam Pride. You either didn’t see it or ignored it, but everyone else knew.”
“I’m sorry.” Adam really hadn’t known. He had been too busy trying to be the football stud through middle school and high school. Girls had always flocked to him, he never had to chase. Looking at Angelina now he knew she wasn’t like the other girls he had been with and that made her special. “I won’t hurt you…Angel.”
Angelina looked out over the fairgrounds. “I want to believe you Adam.”
“Hey Adam, come on!” Steve yelled up. “They’re ready to head out of here.”
Ignoring the shouts from below Adam reached over clasping her chin pulling her face to his. “Give me a chance Angel.”
Her eyes searched his face as if trying to find the truth. Again her eyes went to her hairband. “I wondered what happened to that.” She looked back into his mismatched eyes. “Why did you keep it?”
“Because it’s a part of you.” His response was spoken with firm truth. “And I’m not giving it back.” His full lips turned up in a grin.
He leaned closer, his eyes moving from hers to her lips, his hand gently pulling her mouth closer to his. When her mouth met his, he wanted to roar to the world that she was his.
“What in the hell are you doing…oh damn, sorry.” Steve poised on the rail beside the basket.
Adam slowly pulled away from the kiss. “You’re going to be sorry if you don’t get out of here Steve.”
Steve leaned around to see Angelina who was blushing to the roots of her blonde hair. “Sorry about that. I’m Steve by the way.” He reached his hand out and smiled when she took his hand.
“I’m Angelina.” She grinned when Adam groaned in frustration. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You guys better come down or you’re going to have an army of warriors up here to see what is going on.” He gave her a wink. “You’re the only one left up here.”
“Steve, get the hell out of here.” Adam frowned at his new friend. “We’re coming down right now.”
“Okay…okay.” Steve rolled his eyes. “Hurry up.”
Once he was gone Adam looked at Angelina. “Sorry about that.”
“He seemed nice.” Angelina stood when Adam helped her up.
“I thought so too until now.” He growled making her chuckle. “Obviously he has bad timing.”
The wind blew making the basket sway. Angelina grabbed onto Adam wrapping her arms around his waist. “Sorry.”
Adam pulled her close loving the feel of her against him as he took a deep breath of her scent. “We’re going to jump okay. Put your arms around my neck.” She did as told. He scooped her up cradling her close.
Angelina readied herself for the jump, but when he just stood there she looked up at him. He was staring down at her with an intense look on his face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” His voice husky. “I’m just savoring the moment.” He leaned down kissing her softly one last time before he leaped off the Ferris Wheel holding the girl who held his heart.
********
Jared had Sid meet them at Tessa’s with Adam and her grandfather. He wanted to make sure it was safe before he brought her there. She was going to throw a fit when she found out she wouldn’t be staying at her home, but staying at the compound. He carried her into the house placing her gently at the kitchen table.
“Gramps!” Tessa cried out seeing her grandfather sitting at the table like he had never left. His worried eyes stared at her as he started to get agitated. She reached over grabbing his hand before glancing up at Jared. “Thank you.”
He gave her a nod before bending down in front of her. “Adam!” He called out.
“Yeah?” Adam walked into the kitchen holding hands with a beautiful girl. When he saw his sister his eyes widened. “What happened to you?”
“Had a fight with the woods and lost.” She snorted, looking at Angelina Harris with a grin. “Hey Angelina. How you doing?”
“Good.” She grinned, her cheeks flushed.
“Get me some water in a large bowl, some Peroxide and anything else you got for cuts.” Jared ordered Adam as he examined Tessa’s battered feet.
Tessa watched Adam head upstairs with Angelina following close behind. She smiled. Angelina was a nice girl. Glancing at Gramps she saw he wore a half grin. “What are you smiling at Gramps?”
“He’s happy Adam finally got that girl to go out with him.” Jared replied standing with a large frown. “You really did a number on your feet Red.”
Tessa’s head tilted as she looked up at Jared. “How do you know why he’s smiling?”
Jared leaned against the counter not answering her. Then looked at her grandfather. “She threw her shoes at one of the half-breeds.” Jared shook his head, then laughed. “Yeah, I totally agree sir.”
Her hand flew to her mouth in shock. “You can communicate with him?” Then she frowned. It was too good to be true. “Don’t play with me about this Jared.”
His eyes narrowed in anger. “You really don’t think much of me do you Tessa?”
“I’m sorry, it’s just….” Tessa looked at her grandfather who was frowning at her.
“I’m not cruel.” Jared shook his head at her before answering his phone walking out of the room.
Watching him go Tessa then looked at her grandfather who wore a disappointed look on his weathered face. Suddenly everything was too much and she felt awful for what she just said to Jared who had done nothing but help them.
Standing slowly, she walked to her grandfather giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. “It’s so good to see you sitting where you belong.” She whispered before limping out of the room.
“Where you going?” Adam and Angelina met her on the stairs.
“I have to get something.” Tessa passed them trying not to winch at the pain. “I’ll be right back.”
Making it to her room Tessa looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. Scratches and dried blood streaked her face. She was a mess. Grabbing a shirt out of her drawer she took off Jared’s shirt which smelled so much like him and slipped the other one on. Taking the few steps to her bed was excruciating. Reaching under her mattress Tessa pulled out the small vial she had stolen the night they had escaped their nightmare. Holding it up she stared at the dark amber liquid that had changed their lives.
“What the hell are you doing?” Jared’s voice echoed in her room.
Fumbling the vial Tessa caught it before it hit the ground. Clutching it to her chest before turning around quickly, so quickly it sent pain radiating from her feet up her legs making her nauseous, she moaned. Now face to face with him after saying what she did Tessa looked away. She was ashamed of herself.
“Here.” She stuck her arm straight out holding the vial tightly in her hands. “I shouldn’t have kept it from you. I’m sorry.” When he didn’t take it, just stood with his arms crossed Tessa wiggled her hand, but his gorgeous golden eyes stayed on hers.
Without looking away he reached back and closed the door.
Ah, okay. Tessa felt like an idiot holding her arm out so she dropped it to her side. “Don’t you want it?”
“What I wanted was for you to stay in that chair so I could take care of you.” Jared’s deep voice finally filled the room.
Oh how good that sounded. Someone to take care of her, but wasn’t that what he had been doing all along and she kept throwing it back in his face. “I just wanted to make sure I gave this to you.” She held it out again, but he still didn’t take it.
“It’s not really about the vial Tessa.” Jared walked up standing in front of her, still ignoring the vial in her outstretched hand. “I want your trust.”
Tessa swallowed visibly. Trust was something she didn’t do well. “It’s not you Jared.” Tessa wanted to reassure him, but didn’t know how. “Every male I have ever known, other than my grandfather and brother, has thrown my trust back in my face.”
“I’m not other men.” Jared cocked his eyebrow. “And didn’t your best friend also misuse your trust. Your best friend was a woman right. Oat isn’t gay is he?”
A grin slipped across her face. How could he take a serious situation like this and make her smile. No one had ever been able to do that. “No he’s not gay.” She laughed lightly. Looking into his eyes Tessa wanted to confide in him so badly the words just burst from her mouth. “My father beat me.” There, she said it. Otis wasn’t really the problem when it came to trust. It was her father.
Jared’s eyes turned black before he could even blink. “I would never lay a hand on you.” His voice was as harsh as his expression.
She shook her head. “I know that.” Her sigh filled the room as she plopped on the bed. “It isn’t even that he beat me. I mean, it was, but that wasn’t the worst part.” Seeing his expression Tessa looked away.
Kneeling down in front of her, he placed both hands on her face gently lifting it back to his. “Don’t shut me out.”
“But I sound like an idiot.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “Who in their right mind would think their father beating them wasn’t the worse part?”
“You finally had his attention.” Jared said out loud what she was afraid to admit.
“And how sick is that?” Tessa was totally mortified. “It just wasn’t the kind of attention I wanted. I wanted him to care how I did at school, go to father and daughter stuff…go see Adam play in just one football game. I didn’t want to be invisible to him. The only time after my mother died he knew I was alive was when I didn’t have dinner ready or I didn’t pay the bills on time. Then the only attention he gave was a backhand across the face or a kick with his work boots. There were days I couldn’t go to school because I had a black eye or bruises. He hurt me so bad, but not just on the outside….here.” Tessa put her hand over her heart.
Jared’s face was stone as he listened. He could easily find her father and once this was over and he had time he would do just that. The son of a bitch would pay for hurting her. “Why did he leave?”
“He got in trouble with the law a lot.” Tessa shrugged her shoulders. “That’s how I met Otis. He was new to the county and had taken the job of sheriff. His visits to find my father were many and we started talking. The last night we saw our dad he came in drunk and went after Adam. I hit him with a skillet, which only made him mad and he came after me. Adam called the police. By the time they got here I was unconscious and my dad was gone and we haven’t seen him since.”
“Do you still love him?” Jared still held her face, his thumbs raking softly back and forth against her cheeks.
“Who? Otis?” Tessa frowned. “I don’t know if I ever really loved him.”
“Why do you say that?” Jared questioned, his eyes searching.
“Because you can’t love someone if your heart is broken and mine was broken way before I met Otis.” Tessa held back her tears. She was not going to cry again in front of this man. “I know that sounds so cliché, but it’s true. I’m broken.”
Leaning in slowly Jared whispered a kiss across her trembling lips. It was a kiss of comfort and it warmed her from the inside out. He pulled back slightly his eyes close to their golden hue. “You’re not broken Tessa.”
“I feel broken.” She mumbled, looking away embarrassed. “I have never told anyone this….and have no clue why I’m telling you?”
“Some call me the Dr. Phil of the warrior world.” Jared shrugged, his face a mask of seriousness. “I’ll send you my bill.”
Still not looking at him Tessa tried not to giggle, but even with all the seriousness in the room she couldn’t help it. “Do you take payments cause I’m tapped out. I kind of lost my job when someone beat up my boss.”
“I’m sure we can work something out.” He winked before turning serious again. “I don’t play games Tessa. I get that you’ve been hurt and if I could change that I would, but I can’t. I go after what I want without hesitation and I want you.”
“Why?” Tessa’s whisper reached his ears.
“The day you and your brother burst into the interrogation room I was drawn to you and it’s grown stronger. You’re a strong, beautiful woman Tessa and I respect the fighter you are.” Jared stood looking down at her. “I’ve been waiting a long time to meet someone like you. I just ask one thing from you.”
Meeting his gaze goose bumps from his intense stare made her shiver. “What?”
“Trust me.” Those two words lay heavy in the room.
Tessa stood, not taking her eyes off his hoping she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life. Grasping his hand she flipped his palm up then placed the vial on his palm before closing his fingers around it. Reaching upon tiptoes she wrapped her arms around his neck. No words needed to be spoken, her actions said it all.