“Yeah. Just some work fires I needed to put out.”

“Mmmm…” I tease, “I like firemen.”

Jax leans his elbows on the counter, lowering his frame down so our faces are level. “Better than tycoons?” he questions with a flirty challenge in his voice.

I’m just about to respond when the bells interrupt, bringing me back to the impending doom I’m facing. Jax seems completely unaffected and doesn’t budge at the sound of the door opening. I let out a sigh of relief when I see it’s only a late night regular. He waves and goes right to the gym.

“You really are afraid of him, aren’t you?” Jax wonders aloud.

“I honestly don’t really think he would ever hurt me. Not physically anyway. But there’s a side of him that scares me a bit. I didn’t see it at first…that’s a whole other conversation. Someday, maybe. But there’s something that lurks just beneath the surface that I’m afraid to see escape.”

Jax brushes his knuckles softly along the side of my cheek. My eyes close at the contact. God I even love the simplest of touches. Each one just says so much with him.

“I’m not sure I could handle listening to too much about you and Caden when you were together. Even though I’m glad he was there for you when you needed someone, I wish it would have been me.” Gently, he pushes the hair that has fallen on my face back behind my ear. “I want to be there to catch you if you fall from now on, Angel.”

Yet another check mark gets ticked off the chart listing the elements of the perfect man. Perceptive. Doesn’t just listen to my words, but listens to what I’m not saying. I’ve only known one other man like that and he had my heart and soul. My dad. My heart swells at both the memory of the man I loved and finding a piece of him in Jax.

When I don’t respond right away, Jax gently lifts my chin, bringing my eyes back to meet his. Mine are filled with unshed tears. “Okay?” he says the word in a soft, soothing voice. I nod, swallowing hard, fighting back the thought of my dad being gone. Gently, Jax leans in and kisses my forehead.

“I’m going to lock the door and run up to get my stuff. Don’t think it’s a good idea to put Joe in a position to keep his nephew away from burning it all.” He forces a smile. “Don’t open the door unless it’s a customer you know. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“You close up at 9, right?”

“Yes.”

Jax checks his watch. “It’s almost 8:45. I’ll grab my bag and be back down in a few.”

Chapter 16

Jax

Anger boils in the pit of my stomach as I pack up my bag. What kind of a man makes a woman afraid of him? Lily may have said she wasn’t physically afraid of him…but her body language over the last few hours tells me something different. She jumps every time the door opens, the anticipation of Caden’s reaction, and his ensuing wrath, leaves her nerves frayed. He may not have touched her, but emotional manipulation…instilling the fear of what could happen, is just as bad. Reminds me of someone I know. Scare tactics and threats to get what he wants. Some men just aren’t men.

I slip the last of my belongings into the duffle bag and sling it over my shoulder. The moment I open the door, I hear it. His voice. I can’t make out the words at first, but I can tell from the tone that whatever he’s yelling is vile. Pure venom drips from every angry syllable. I dart down the stairs two at a time, the blood coursing through my veins as fast as the pace of my rapid steps.

I see red when I catch sight of him. Caden has Lily pinned up against the wall, his forearm pressed against her neck, forcing her chin up. His face is in hers, wild and angry, his nostrils flare and spit heaves from his mouth as he screams right in her face.

“You’re a f**king whore! I should have known you’d open your legs for anyone that came along when I turned my back.”

Too busy threatening a woman a quarter of his size to hear my approach, he doesn’t expect it when I grab him from behind. Wrapping one arm tightly around his neck, I use my other arm to pull back more, applying even more pressure.

“How do you like it?” I hiss between gritted teeth. “Does it feel good?” I yank even harder, falling short of crushing his windpipe, but definitely constricting his air passage.

“Does it make your feel powerful to hurt a woman?” I turn to Lily. She’s slid down the wall, her hands clenching at her throat, tears streaming down her face. “You okay?”

She nods.

“You sure? Let me hear your voice, Lily.”

“I’m okay,” she whispers, coughing between words.

“You want to hurt someone, come at me. Keep the f**k away from Lily. Keep. The. Fuck. Away. Do you hear me?”

I gotta hand it to the stupid bastard, he’s stubborn. I’m about thirty seconds away from choking him out, and just the tiniest bit more pressure and he’d be drinking through a straw for the rest of his life, yet he just glares, trying his best to make eye contact with me. This guy’s not backing down. Not even close.

“Don’t,” Lily says as she attempts to stand. “It’s not worth it, Jax.” She walks around the counter and pulls something from a drawer. It’s a taser of some sort. She walks closer to us, standing at our side. Caden’s eyes track her every move, fixated on nothing else. He’s so wired, I’m not so sure a taser would even bring him down.

“Go behind me Lily,” I instruct. But before she can move, the bells chime as the front door opens and in walks Joe Ralley.

“God damn it! I warned you, Caden.” Joe walks toward us, not looking shocked at the scene going on in front of his eyes. Obviously he knows how unstable his nephew is.

He looks to the front door, sees the dangling handle, the result of Caden busting open the lock, and shakes his head. “Now what am I supposed to do here boys?” Calmly, Joe asks, as he walks around the counter, reaches down and comes up with a wooden bat. What the hell else do they have behind there?

“Loosen your grip for me, Jackson,” Joe asks. Eyeing him, I don’t respond right away. “I didn’t say you had to let go. Just give him enough room to breathe so we can all have a little conversation, okay?”

I look around, considering my options. “Okay. But Lily leaves before I let go of him. I want her safe. I don’t trust this ass**le one bit.”

Joe assesses me, realizes quickly it’s not a suggestion or a chip I’m willing to bargain, and nods. “Lily, I think that’s a good idea. Why don’t you go home? Might help defuse the situation we got going on with these two boys.” He nods his head in our direction.

Lily looks to me and shakes her head no.

“Go home, Lily. I’ll be fine. I’ll come to your place as soon as we’re done here.” Wrong thing to say. My words, or perhaps it’s the visual picture of me going to Lily’s that does it, but Caden’s already steamy temper flares, and he almost gets out of my choke hold. I’m back to barely letting him breathe just to keep him from escaping. “Go, Lily!” I bark.

Thankfully, and surprisingly, she listens. Handing Joe Ralley the taser, she walks to the door and looks back.

“I’ll cover tomorrow. Stay home. Get some rest. Come in on Saturday, if you feel up to it.” He looks to Caden and then back to Lily. “They say blood is thicker than water, but that’s bullshit. Me and The Saint, me and you – we’re family. You take care of yourself, and I’m sorry this happened, Lily.”

She nods and I watch the tears flow as she reluctantly walks out the door.

Joe closes the door, and turns back to where I’m still restraining Caden in a choke hold from behind. He says nothing for a long moment, assessing how to handle the situation. I’ve been working with Joe for months now. He seems like a levelheaded guy and it’s clear he adores Lily. Smart, fair…I’d even consider him a friend. But I’m not taking any chances. This situation can turn on me in the blink of an eye.

Finally, Joe speaks. “I only know what my nephew has told me, but I saw the picture on the news too. Lily stepping out on Caden with you, son?”

“Lily and Caden broke up two months ago. Lily’s not stepping out on anyone. Caden here just doesn’t seem to know how to take a hint.” Caden attempts to struggle at my words, but I’m ready and a little pressure reminds him who’s really in control. He stills, but his nostrils flare and dark eyes go black and stormy. The truth is hard to hear sometimes, especially when you don’t like what’s being said.

Joe takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes, shaking his head. He’s surprised to hear what I have to say, but I can tell he believes me. This definitely isn’t the first time he’s seen the crazy in his nephew.

“Caden, this score you’ve come to settle, isn’t yours to settle, son. Seems like Lily’s made a choice and Jax hasn’t shown you any disrespect. This vendetta you’re chasing… Doesn’t exist.” Joe emphasizes the last two words, something in the way he says them, like a parent stressing a point to a small child, tells me he’s experienced at handling Caden’s one track mind. A mind stuck on a track that leads to nowhere, yet he’s physically unable to change course.

“Now.” Joe continues. “What we’re going to do here is…Jax is going to let go of you. And you’re going to stand there and not move a muscle as he collects his things and walks out that door.” He tilts his head back, motioning to the door behind him. “You boys want to continue this, we’ll set it up. In the ring. The way we fight around here. Clean. You got that?”

Caden doesn’t move or respond, not that I’m leaving him much room to wiggle in my hold.

“Caden!” Joe warns. “I want to hear you understand what I’m saying. Jax let’s go, there will be no fighting in here tonight. You clear with that? Because I’m starting to lose patience. Getting off a plane and chasing your ass here isn’t exactly what my nearly sixty year old ass should be doing. So no more shit tonight, tell me you understand what I’m saying. Or, so help me God, I’m dialing 911 and they’re taking you out in cuffs for assaulting Lily.”

Caden’s jaw clenches but he blinks his eyes in agreement.

“Jackson?” Joe questions. “We good?”

I’ll probably regret it, but I nod in agreement anyway. Joe nods back. Cautiously, I loosen my hold, but only enough to test the waters…see if Caden tries to turn on me. He doesn’t move, so I take the next step, removing my arm wrapped around his neck altogether. He still doesn’t move. Grabbing my bag, I head to the door and begin to open it, but I stop and look back, both Caden and Joe in my sight. Caden hasn’t moved a muscle, almost makes me think he knows he won’t be able to control himself if he does. “I’ll take you up on that offer to settle it in the ring, Joe.” Joe nods and I turn my attention to Caden. A heinous smile curls up on his lips. If I didn’t want to kick his ass so badly for putting his hands on Lily, I might be a bit more concerned how psychotic he really looks. Like a psychopath ready to tear off limbs and gnaw on them for lunch.

***

Lily must have been standing at the door waiting. She flings it open before I even finish knocking, throwing her arms around my neck in the hallway. Her quiet cries cause me physical pain.

“Shhhh…everything’s fine.” I pick her up and carry her inside.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers between deep breaths as she tries to reign in her tears.

I pull my neck back to look at her. “You think this is your fault?”

“Yes. I knew how Caden would react if I got involved with someone too soon, but I did it anyway.”

“Lily…,” I pause, putting a finger under her chin, bringing her eyes back to mine. “This isn’t your fault. Not one bit. Caden doesn’t own you. I know you two have history, but that’s what it is. History. He has no right to raise his hand to you, even if you were still together. There is no justification for what he did.”