Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 68249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
That was a lot of information to process in the span of a sentence.
I sifted through it for the important nuggets. “What?” There wasn’t enough context. I searched Jax’s face, but it was emotionless now. His gaze fixed on Veronica.
“I didn’t abandon you,” he replied. “We were separated.”
“Separated by whom? You could’ve refused to do what the social worker said.”
“No, I couldn’t,” Jax replied.
Oh god, it’s true. His name’s not Jax. His name is Cole or—I don’t even know this guy. Prison? Strip clubs? It’s too much.
“Yeah, you could—”
“Veronica,” he growled, “it’s not my fault Nana Jackson wanted you and not me. It’s not my fault our uncle wanted me and not you. None of it’s my fault. I’m not going to defend myself against your bullshit accusations.”
“Then leave. And leave Riley alone,” my best friend continued. “She deserves better than a scumbag like you.”
“Easy,” Bane said and lifted a palm. “No need to get personal.”
“Personal?!” Veronica huffed then turned toward me. “Listen to me, Riley, listen. This man is not who you think he is.” She took both my hands in hers and shook them. “Last I heard he was in prison, OK? He’s an ex-con. God knows how he got all the money to buy strip clubs or—I don’t know. Just that you can’t trust him. He’s been lying to you.”
“I haven’t lied about a damn thing,” Jax growled. Or was it Cole? What did I call him now?
This was too complicated.
“Cole—”
“That’s not my name,” he grunted.
“What, you had it changed? You’re that desperate to escape our family, huh?” Veronica cast that at him, baited and ready to reel in the catch.
“Enough of this shit,” Jax replied. “Riley, come with me, and I’ll explain everything. I’ll tell you what you need to know without the high-pitched shrieking from my sister over there.”
I stayed put.
What the hell was I supposed to do in this situation? Walk away from my friend, who was clearly distraught? Veronica shook her head at me so vigorously a piece of her hair whacked her across the lips. “Don’t, Riley. Please. You can’t trust him. I’ll explain it all back at my apartment. Please.”
Or did I go with Jax, who’d told me basically nothing about himself since I’d moved into his apartment? He’d encouraged me to look him up, and he’d been truthful about his business endeavors, but his actual past? His history? That was murky.
Each time we’d spoken he’d gotten me to open up about my past but never discussed much about his, except for that one night after we’d made lo—had sex, and he’d mentioned his mother’s death.
A car passed by in the street, headlights flashing as it drove over a hump, and I snapped out of my confused reverie.
Control.
I had to be measured about this. Not jump to dumb conclusions. I cared about Jax more than I should, and that scared me witless. If anything, this little secret was a wake-up call—What had I been thinking?
That I could have it all with some dude I barely knew?
Be rational. Be calm. Come on, Riley, you can do this.
I took a breath and focused on Veronica first, then switched my gaze to Jax.
He was tense all over, shoulders broad and strong beneath his neat, cotton shirt. That demon tattoo peeked out at me again. “Riley,” he said.
“Don’t talk to her!” Veronica snapped.
I took her hand and drew her attention back to me. Whatever this was, it was about more than just me right now. My friend was clearly freaked about something in their shared past. “Calm down,” I said. “I’m fine and so are you, OK?”
“Please, don’t go back to his apartment. Come with me, OK? It’s not safe to be around him.”
It’d been safe all week. I’d never felt safer. I met Jax’s gaze again. “I’m going with Veronica tonight. We need to talk about all of this.”
“We need to talk about all of this.” He took a step toward me, that same powerful stride he’d always had. “Don’t go where I can’t find you, Riley. Where I can’t follow. I don’t make excuses for myself, but I’m not what she says I am.”
“Liar!” Veronica snapped, again.
“I have to go,” I replied.
Bottom line, no matter what I felt for Jax, I’d known him a week and Veronica for years. And he was the one who terrified me, not physically, but emotionally, simply because he could ruin everything. He could crumble the walls around my heart.
And what if Veronica was right, and he was some master manipulator who’d wormed his way into my pants? After all, he had invited me to be his roommate on the basis of what? A pole dance he’d walked in on uninvited at my studio.
“Come on,” Veronica said, and tugged on my arm. “My car. Now.” I walked away from Jax, my heart sinking past my diaphragm now, right into my stomach and lower, until it was just about lost to the world.